Jackie Chan: I Keep Making Action Movies For The Fans

Jackie Chan said he keeps making action movies to keep his legion of fans happy.

Although the veteran Hong Kong actor famously declared that the 2012 flick Chinese Zodiac would be his final foray into the world of action cinema, apparently the outcry from his supporters was too loud to ignore. He might not put himself in harm’s way like he used to, but he’s still cranking out high-octane thrillers.

His new cinematic endeavor is writer-directoir Sheng Ding’s Police Story 2013, the latest installment of Chan’s the long-running series. During a recent interview, Jackie Chan said he decided to make the movie since there is still a demand for his work. As long as people want to see him in action, Chan will continue working.

“The audience is the only reason why I continue to make films,” Jackie Chan explained. However, the actor admitted that he simply enjoys making motion pictures.

“I love every process involved in making an action film. The itch to be on the set again is the reason why I have agreed to make ‘Police Story 2013.’ I’ve decided to continue to make action films but it will not be as big as it used to,” Chan said.

He added, “Detective Zhong Wen is very similar to me. Both of us are busy with our own agendas and our careers take priority over anything else. In my personal life, I often put family aside and spend a lot of time on the film set. But again, that was many years ago.”

Jackie Chan’s latest big screen effort has proven extremely popular with audiences in China. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the movie grossed $26.8 million during the first week of 2014. This brought the total gross for Police Story 2013 to $106.6 million.

During an interview with Empire magazine last year, Jackie Chan said he wanted to make a movie that was completely different in tone from Chinese Zodiac.

The actor explained:

“I’ve just finished ‘Police Story 2013.’ It’s totally different to my last movie, [‘Chinese Zodiac’]. [The film] was ‘ah-ah-ah-ah-ah,’ whereas ‘Police Story 2013? is very much a drama. That’s why I choose different roles every year — I don’t like to do three [‘Chinese Zodiac’] in a row… So after [‘Chinese Zodiac’], then ‘Police Story,’ now I’m doing ‘Skiptrace.’ A different kind of character. Next year, probably ‘Karate Kid 2,’ then I’m back to the old things again.”

Jackie Chan fans in the US can catch Police Story 2013 in select theaters later this year. Are you looking forward to the action star’s latest movie?