Enter the Dragon Boys

Vancouver – A look at Chinese gang life in British Columbia, Dragon Boys, a new 2 x 120 miniseries under director Jerry Ciccoritti, is shooting in Vancouver and nearby Richmond for CBC.

Executive produced by writer Ian Weir and Omni Film Productions president Michael Chechik under the Anchor Point Pictures banner, the mini interweaves stories about a Chinese RCMP officer, a picked-upon teenager and an immigrant prostitute. Howard Dancyger (The Burial Society) is producing.

According to Chechik, the mini falls somewhere between thriller and drama in tone, and explores themes not usually tackled in Asian films.

‘We’re dealing with immigration, social relocation, generational issues, the world of gangs and intimidation,’ he says.

Tzi Ma (The Ladykillers), Byron Mann (Catwoman), Steph Song (The Long Lunch), Eric Tsang (Infernal Affairs) and Lawrence Chou (Dragon Squad) star. Chechik feels the top Asian talents were attracted by the script’s content and ideas.

‘[Ma] said it sets a new benchmark for Asian films in terms of dealing with these sorts of social issues,’ he says, ‘and he would have helped [Weir] with the script even if he wasn’t participating in it.’

Funding comes from CBC, Telefilm Canada, the CTF, British Columbia Film, the CanWest Western Independent Producers Fund, Cogeco Program Development Fund and tax credits. Its 40-day shoot will wrap in December, and it will air in March. Dustin Dinoff