The White Storm 3: Heaven or Hell

The White Storm 3: Heaven or Hell
Theatrical release poster
Traditional Chinese	掃毒3人在天涯
Simplified Chinese	扫毒3人在天涯
Hanyu Pinyin	Sǎo Dú Sān Rén Zài Tiān Yá
Jyutping	Sou3 Deok6 Saam1 Jan4 Zoi6 Tin1 Ngaai4
Directed by	Herman Yau
Written by	Herman Yau
Starring	Aaron Kwok Louis Koo Sean Lau
Cinematography	Mandy Ngai
Edited by	Azrael Chung
Music by	Mak Chun Hung
Production companies	Universe Entertainment AMTD Digital Hero Films Lian Ray Pictures Sun Entertainment Culture
Distributed by	Universe Films Distribution
Release date	27 July 2023 (2023-07-27)
Running time	125 minutes
Country	Hong Kong
Language	Cantonese
Budget	HK$300 million [1]
Box office	HK$10,503,821

The White Storm 3: Heaven or Hell is a 2023 Hong Kong action film directed by Herman Yau and starring Aaron Kwok, Louis Koo and Sean Lau. The film is a thematic sequel to the 2019 film The White Storm 2: Drug Lords , featuring a new storyline and characters.

The film was announced in March 2020, with production slated to begin in July the same year. ^[2] After going through several delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic, production for the film began in June 2021 and ended in October 2021. ^[3] It was released on 27 July 2023. ^[4]

Plot

Undercover police officer Cheung Kin-hang (Aaron Kwok) has been infiltrating drug lord Hong So-chai's (Sean Lau) cartel. One time during an accident, another undercover officer Au Chi-yuen also earns the trust of both Cheung and Hong and the three of them form a brotherly bond. When Hong's narcotics businesses in Hong Kong were busted by the police, Hong So-chai flees to the Golden Triangle with a wounded Cheung from friendly fire. Hong So-chai attempts to get his foot into the Golden Triangle's drug business with Cheung, isolated from the outside world. Au races against time to get Cheung out of Thailand before Cheung's cover is blown.

Cast

• Aaron Kwok as Cheung Kin-hang (張建行), an undercover police officer of the Hong Kong Police Force's Narcotics Bureau.
• Louis Koo as Au Chi-yuen (歐志遠), senior inspector of the Narcotics Bureau and Cheung's longtime friend with whom he worked with as an undercover.
• Sean Lau as Hong So-chai (康素差), a Thai-Chinese drug lord.
• Yang Caiyu as Noon
• Gallen Lo as Tai Kam-wing (戴金榮), a military commander in-chief and major drug lord in Thailand. (special appearance)
• Tse Kwan-ho as Mee Noi (米諾), Hong's business partner who is a drug dealer in Thailand.
• Alex Fong as Chan Sau-yan (陳守仁), superintendent of the Narcotics Bureau who is Cheung and Au's superior officer.
• Power Chan as So Chi-leung (蘇子良), staff officer of Tai's military.
• Timmy Hung as Johnny, a Narcotics Bureau officer.
• Wilfred Lau as Sai (阿細), Hong's underling.
• Lam Suet as Fat Hung (肥雄), a triad whom Au infiltrated when he was undercover.
• Kumer So
• James Kazama

Production

In March 2020, Universe Entertainment chairman Daneil Lam announced a sequel to the 2019 film, The White Storm 2: Drug Lords was being written and was slated to begin production in July of the year, with Herman Yau set to return as director, and will star returning cast members Louis Koo and Sean Lau, the latter making his return since the first film, joined by new cast member Aaron Kwok. Lam stated that Andy Lau, star and producer of The White Storm 2, will not return in the sequel as he will be starring in an aerial disaster action film titled Crisis Route (formerly titled A380), another production by Universe that was in development. ^[2] Production was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In November 2020, it was announced that production for The White Storm 3 will begin the following month in Hong Kong, and will move to Thailand in 2021. ^[5]

Principal photography for The White Storm 3 began in June 2021. On 29 June, photos and videos from the set were released on Sina Weibo featuring Kwok, Koo and Lau on location in Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan, which was used to double as Thailand because of travel restrictions to the country due to COVID-19. ^[6] The following day (30 June), Kwok posted photos showing his character's look on set on his Instagram account. ^{[3] [7]}

On 1 August 2021, it was reported that filming has moved to Hong Kong, where the production crew has constructed a Thai village set in the New Territories. It was also reported that the film suffered a loss of HK$10 million as a result of being unable to film in Thailand, where a set was being constructed there during pre-production stage of the film and had to change to construct a new set in Hong Kong instead as the COVID-19 pandemic was worsening in Southeast Asia. ^{[8] [9]}

On 13 August 2021, the film held its production commencement ceremony and press conference at Cyberport where it was attended by the cast and crew. ^[10]

Production for The White Storm 3 wrapped up on 26 October 2021. ^[11]

Accidents on set

On 5 September 2021, during the filming of a car chase sequence at the Hongkong United Dockyards involving four prop cars, stunt coordinator Peter Chan was crushed by one of the prop cars which suddenly flipped sideways and was sent to the Princess Margaret Hospital where he remains in the Intensive Care Unit. ^[12] On 25 September 2021, it was reported that nine days later, another accident occurred during the filming of a plane crash scene involving a blown up scaffolding where three stuntmen were injured when the entire scaffolding collapsed instead of half of it collapsing like it was planned. Universe Entertainment released a statement that the injuries suffered by the crew members were not serious and they were recovering well. ^[13]

Release

The White Storm 3: Heaven or Hell had its North American premiere at the 22nd New York Asian Film Festival in Hong Kong panorama on 20 July 2023, consequently its China release has been advanced to 6 July. ^[14]

It was theatrically released in Hong Kong on 27 July 2023. ^[4]

Reception

Box office

The White Storm 3: Heaven or Hell debuted at No. 4 during its opening weekend in Hong Kong, grossing HK$5,496,830 (US$705,011) after its first four days of release and bringing in a total of HK$5,521,910 (US$708,227) including preview screenings. ^[15] The film remained at No. 4 during its second weekend grossing HK$4,981,446 (US$637,714), while having grossed a total of HK$10,503,821 (US$1,344,678) so far. ^{[16] [17]}

Critical response

Edmund Lee of the South China Morning Post gave the film a score of 3/5 stars praising the film's action sequences and major set pieces while also noting its shortcomings in the narrative and writes, The White Storm 3: Heaven or Hell certainly doesn’t have the narrative deftness to make sense of these moral paradoxes. But as a mega-budget genre offering that goes to considerable lengths to transport its audience to a menacing foreign land, it does leave an impression. ^[18]

See also

• Aaron Kwok filmography
• The White Storm (film series)

References

1. "電影《掃毒3：人在天涯》暑期檔上映 劉青雲古天樂郭富城首次同台飆戲". March 2023.
2. Chambers, Isaac (2020-04-02). "Universe Films announces 'The White Storm 3' and Andy Lau-starrer 'A380'" . Retrieved 2022-10-24.
3. Lim Ruey Yan (2021-07-01). "Aaron Kwok shares photos of his latest movie role in The White Storm 3". The Straits Times . Retrieved 2022-10-24.
4. "掃毒3人在天涯電影7.27上映！3大影帝正面交鋒 劇情預告率先睇" (Press release). 9 June 2023.
5. "《掃毒3》下月開機劉德華唔歸隊？ 古天樂搭檔另一位天王巨星". HK01 (in Chinese). 2020-11-25. Retrieved 2022-10-24.
6. "掃毒3 劉青雲古天樂雲南開工 流出片段誤爆郭富城係臥底？". HK01 (in Chinese). 2021-06-29. Retrieved 2022-10-24.
7. "掃毒3 郭富城公開型佬造型 「辛苦都值得，不忘初心做到最好」". HK01 (in Chinese). 2021-06-30. Retrieved 2022-10-24.
8. Hsia, Heidi (2021-08-02). ""The White Storm 3" loses millions due to location change". Yahoo! News . Retrieved 2022-10-24.
9. "新片撤離泰國慘失千萬！郭富城返港即變「暖男天王」" (in Chinese). 2021-08-01. Retrieved 2022-10-24.
10. "掃毒3 移師香港開鏡 古天樂郭富城再聚：打戲似《柔道龍虎榜》". HK01 (in Chinese). 2021-08-13. Retrieved 2022-10-24.
11. "《掃毒3》煞科 郭富城欣賞邱禮濤冷靜 劉青雲終可剃鬚 (16:35)". Ming Pao (in Chinese). 2021-10-26. Retrieved 2022-10-24.
12. "青衣船塢拍電影 《掃毒3》飛車指導遭道具車壓傷命危" (in Chinese). 2021-09-05. Retrieved 2022-10-24.
13. Lee Wei Lin (2021-09-27). "4 Crew Members Injured In The Span Of 9 Days On The Set Of Louis Koo & Aaron Kwok's New Movie The White Storm 3". 8 Days .
14. Frater, Patrick (21 June 2023). "Hong Kong Action Film 'White Storm 3' Sets North American Premiere, Revised China Release". Variety . Retrieved 9 July 2023.
15. "Hong Kong 2023 Weekend 30 July 27-30, 2023".
16. "Hong Kong 2023 Weekend 31 August 3-6, 2023".
17. "Weekly Box Office - Hong Kong International Film & TV Market (FILMART) 2023".
18. "The White Storm 3: Heaven or Hell movie review – Aaron Kwok, Lau Ching-wan and Louis Koo in Herman Yau's latest explosive thriller about a drugs cartel". 20 July 2023.

External links

• The White Storm 3: Heaven or Hell on Facebook
• The White Storm 3: Heaven or Hell at the Hong Kong Movie DataBase
• The White Storm 3: Heaven or Hell at IMDb
• The White Storm 3: Heaven or Hell at Douban (in Chinese)