CIRCLE LINE (生死环线) @ Singapore Comic Con 2019

Featured above are my (random) snaps for CIRCLE LINE panel on the Main Stage of Singapore Comic Con 2019 (Previously featured) on Saturday December 7th, which showcased a line-up of the team involved in making the show, and as well screened a behind-the-scenes featurette (screened twice), which featured a split-second peek at the "monster".


Panelists include the film's director JD Chua, scriptwriter Andrew Ngin, producer Juan Foo, Cinematographer James Hia, Animation Director Barry Lim, actor/stunt co-ordinator Sunny Pang and (child) actor Nathaniel Ng Qi Jian.


Here are a few of my takeaways from the panel:


- The film is in spoken Mandarin/Chinese.

The Chinese title for this film is "生死环线" (Google translates to "Life and Death Loop").

I had wrongly assumed this feature to be in English all these while, leading up to this panel, and hearing the actors speak in Mandarin in the featurette, was undoubtably the biggest surprise to me leh!

In researching for this particular post, I'd come across this BTS clip of the actors introducing the film briefly on-(green-screen)-set, uploaded in June 2018.


(Images by @sgmediafest)

- The "monster" - which everyone teased but not overtly shown - has been mentioned to be a cross between a "rat" and a "lizard".

The team on-stage were tasked to sketch out the monster based on their "memories" (clever-ish ploy to quell this curiosity). A creature designer for "Pacific Rim" had been mentioned to be involved in conceptualising, so this is an interesting pedigree, and kicks the expectations up a few notches, I admit.

I wholly understand if it's too early to reveal and expose the monster, and that folks are trying to hype up its existence, but truthfully, if the team were not as confident of the resultant creature, well...

A whole lot of emphasis might have been heaped unto the existence of the monster design, which in the end of the ticket-sales day, would that make for a "successful" or "good" film? Personally for me, at the heart of film, is a good story, a human story, which will connect with the audience, and might well make up for whatever the "monster" might look like, IMHO.

There is a literal split-second motion-blurred peek at the beast as it hurled into the camera, at the end of the featurette. I debated on taking a snap of it, but perhaps will leave it to the trailer or featurette to be released online instead.

- The script had undergone 65 drafts.

For curiosities' sake, I want to know what made the cut and what did not! As a former-filmmaker/participant of making films, I am actually scared to know! ... But still want to know also lah ... MUAHAHAHAHA

Producer Juan Foo teased that those elements may well be used fo "future installments" if the film succeeds.

- Circle Line will be releasing in early 2020, during the Chinese New Year period.

Initially reported in trades and entertainment websites as a "late 2019 release", the film will now to scare you during the festive period next year! Will there be a Jackie Chan CNY movie to fight with? Or even a Jack Neo film? Different genres altogether, so this'll be interesting to see in the local/Singapore celluloid-landscape, IMO.

Presented by mm2 Entertainment Pte Ltd and Taipan Films Pte Ltd, and supported by the Singapore Film Commission.


Featured below are a few behind-the-scenes images - found on Taipan Films' Facebook page - which personally to me are as interesting as the featurette, thanks.


AND if you are interested to see movie stills, head to www.taipanfilms.com to view website slideshow background images - screen-shot for archival purposes, until of course the official stills are released online.


Circle Line: "Trapped by a creature in an underground train tunnel system, a mother must overcome her inner guilt to save her son and survive the night."