As one-half of the Hong Kong filmmaking team The Pang Brothers, Oxide Pang has been helming feature films for almost a decade alongside his twin sibling Danny. After getting their start in the late ’90s, the duo gained international acclaim with the release of the spooky ghost story The Eye, which, along with Ringu and The Grudge, kicked off America’s fascination with Asian horror movies.
The directors eventually parlayed their newfound notoriety into their first Hollywood gig, helming the haunted house story, The Messengers. For their sophomore English-language feature, they’re going back to remake one of their earliest films, the 1999 action flick Bangkok Dangerous, about a hitman who arrives in the Thai capital to complete a job and immediately finds himself in over his head. The new Bangkok Dangerous hits theaters today and Pang chatted with us about the differences between the two versions and how star Nicolas Cage enjoyed working in Thailand.
GIANT: Are there any significant changes between the Thai version of Bangkok Dangerous and the American remake?
Oxide Pang: There are two significant changes. In the original version of the film, Joe (the male lead, played by Nicolas Cage in the new film) is deaf and mute—disabilities which underscore his isolation. We had seen a lot of movies about killers and we thought they were wasting too much time talking. We thought that in reality, a killer wouldn’t speak a lot; he would need to focus all his time and attention on his target. The idea of a deaf mute killer came from that. In the new film, however, the character’s isolation comes not from a physical limitation but from his inability to speak Thai and his unfamiliarity with the local culture. We decided that coming to Bangkok as a Westerner and not speaking the language created a similar distance between Joe and his surroundings. Thai is such a hard language to pick up, you’re almost as lost as if you can’t speak or hear. The endings of the film are also different.
GIANT: How has the city changed since you made the first film?
Pang: Bangkok has remained pretty much the same. But I noticed there are more foreigners in the city now.
GIANT: How did Nicolas Cage enjoy his time shooting in Thailand?
Pang: He seemed to enjoy Thailand very much. It seems like he was intrigued by the culture and the people. He told me he really liked filming the scenes with Fon and the Thai dancing at the park.
GIANT: Did you have any involvement in the American version of The Eye and have you seen a finished cut?
Pang: We had no involvement and I haven’t had a chance to see it.
GIANT: Do you have interests in exploring any other genres–comedy or melodrama for example?
Pang: I really like making comedies. I’ve done a few Hong Kong films that were comedies but I am still trying to come up with another comedy script. I enjoy making melodramas as well.
GIANT: How do you and your brother divide up the directing duties on set?
Pang: We basically divide everything 50 / 50. We spend the same amount of time working with the actors and crew.
GIANT: Would you remake another one of your Thai films for American audiences?
Pang: Yes, if a good opportunity came around, we would like that.
