Billionaire Jack Ma makes his movie debut as a tai chi master in a Jet Li-produced film “Gong Shou Dao”.
The seven-minute trailer shows Ma battling formidable opponents of various martial arts skills such as boxing, taekwondo and sumo wrestling.
His final battle is against no less than Li himself. In their 50s, both men show that they are more than capable of rapid-fire moves at any age.
The movie features “Rogue One” actor Donnie Yen, actress and Taekwondo black belter Natasha Liu Bordizzo, retired sumo grand champion Asashoryu Akinori of Mongolia, and Thai martial artist Tony Jaa.
At the end of the trailer, British actor Jason Statham, boxers Manny Pacquiao and Gennady Golovkin challenge Ma to a fight.
According to Alizila, the Alibaba Group’s news site, Ma proposed the title “Gong Shou Dao” meaning “to defend or guard” according to his understanding of the tai chi philosophy.
“Its primary aim is to globally promote Tai Chi because of its benefits to health and happiness and as a window onto Chinese culture. It’s a view shared by his fellow cast members, none of whom took a paycheck for their services,” said the report.
Ma is reported to have studied tai chi since 1988. With his mastery, all the moves in the film are by Ma himself. He views tai chi as applicable to “daily life decisions and business strategy and management.”
The film has a November release in theaters and on China’s Youku online video platform. JB
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