Lucky Boy (2017 film)

Lucky Boy (Chinese: 天公仔; pinyin: Tiān Gōngzǎi) is a 2017 comedy and coming-of-age film directed by Boris Boo, and starring Wang Weiliang, Venus Wong, Chew Chor Meng and Chen Xiuhuan as the main cast.

Lucky Boy
Theatrical release poster
Directed byBoris Boo
Produced byLim Teck
Melvin Ang
Jack Neo
Written byBoris Boo
Lim Teck
Danny Yeo
StarringWang Weiliang
Venus Wong
Chew Chor Meng
Chen Xiuhuan
Music byEric Wong
CinematographyAmandi Wong
Lincoln Lin
Edited byYim Mun Chong
Production
company
Clover Films
mm2 Entertainment
J Team Productions
Distributed byGolden Village Pictures
Clover Films
mm2 Entertainment
Release date
  • May 18, 2017 (2017-05-18)
Running time
106 minutes
CountrySingapore
LanguageMandarin
BudgetS$2.5 million
Box officeS$450,000

Plot

Lin Yu (Wang Weiliang) is a boy who is constantly surrounded by misfortune and is always one step behind others. Since primary school, he has a crush on Zhang Qingqing (Venus Wong), and continues to pin for her throughout his life. Will Lin Yu, the destined "unlucky" boy, be able to change his fate?

Cast

Production

Pre-production

According to an interview, Boris Boo said that Lim Teck of Clover Films "approached (him) to make a film about an unlucky person", and that he is "always very fascinated with the state of mind of human being", in the sense that a person "will blame any failure on luck" when he thinks he is unlucky, and if "something happened on this guy, and makes him think that there is a change in his luck, then out of a sudden, he will think he has the world under his feet", and "not only he becomes confident, but also takes failures on his stride and will brush them off easily".[1]

Casting and crew

On July 15, 2015, during a press conference, it was announced that the film would be directed by Boris Boo, and that Chew Chor Meng and Wang Weiliang would be starring in the film. Chew was cast as Wang's father, due to his previous work experience with Boo on the set of Don't Worry Be Happy, and for his role as Ah Bee in Don't Worry Be Happy and its spin-off, Lobang King. Wang, who is best known for his role as Lobang in the Ah Boys to Men franchise, would be taking up the lead role for the first time. Meanwhile, auditions were held for fresh female talents to play Wang's love interest.[2][3]

In October, it was announced that Venus Wong and Chen Xiuhuan have joined the cast, with Wong playing Wang's love interest, and Chen playing Chew's wife. Chew and Chen had previously starred together in dramas such as The Witty Advisor and Heavenly Beings.[4][5] The film was slated to be released on the second quarter of 2016, but has been postponed to May 2017.

Filming

Filming started on October 5, 2015, and lasted for 25 days. Most of the scenes were shot in Singapore, with some done in Malaysia.

Reception

Critical reception

Boon Chan of The Straits Times rated the film a 2 out of 5 stars, commenting that the "will-they-or-won't-they premise (of Lin Yu's pursuit for Qing Qing) drags out for far too long". Meanwhile, there could be a "much-needed trim, especially the jarring jump from light-hearted comedy romance to melodrama", and "the attempt to add some heft by incorporating real-life events from the Hotel New World collapse in 1986 to the Sars outbreak in 2003 does not really work".[6]

Box office

As of June 21, 2017, the film collected $450,000 in the box office.[7]

References
  1. "STOP10 May 2017: 'Lucky Boy' 天公仔 by Boris Boo". Sindie. 5 May 2017. Retrieved 9 May 2017.
  2. Lee, Jocelyn (15 July 2015). "Two lobang kings in one movie". The New Paper. Singapore Press Holdings. Retrieved 2 April 2017.
  3. Lim, Paige (15 July 2015). "Ah Boy is now Lucky Boy". The Straits Times. Singapore Press Holdings. Retrieved 2 April 2017.
  4. Loh, Genevieve Sarah (5 October 2015). "Chew Chor Meng and Chen Xiuhuan to reunite on screen after 20 years". Today. Mediacorp. Retrieved 2 April 2017.
  5. Chan, Rachel (20 October 2015). "New Singapore film starring HK actress Venus Wong in 2016". The Popping Post. Retrieved 2 April 2017.
  6. Chan, Boon (17 May 2017). "Movie review: Cast of Lucky Boy stuck in underwritten roles". The Straits Times. Singapore Press Holdings. Retrieved 23 May 2017.
  7. "Ah Boy單飛票房慘敗？" (in Chinese). China Press. The China Press Berhad. 3 June 2017. Retrieved 7 July 2017.
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