Did you know that Jackie Chan and John Cena had made a movie together? Entitled Snafu, the feature film, which has benefited from a huge budget, has never yet found its way into the dark rooms. Explanations.
In 2004, the legendary Jackie Chan, king of kung fu, faced the legendary Arnold Schwarzenegger in Around the World in 80 Days. Two universes were then opposed in a struggle of diametrically opposed styles.
Even if the film did not live up to expectations, the meeting between these two sacred monsters was funny enough and unprecedented to satisfy the fans of action. They will also meet in The Legend of the Dragon in 2019, a Russian-Chinese production released directly on video in March 2020.
After Schwarzy, Jackie Chan also had to compete with another legendary Hollywood figure: Sylvester Stallone. In 2017, a new project was announced with great fanfare. In this action film, Luo Feng, a contractor specializing in security, is tasked with extracting workers from a refinery that has been attacked. He teams up with a former US Army officer when he learns that the attackers’ goal is to steal gasoline from this refinery.
FROM STALLONE TO JOHN CENA
First titled Ex-Baghdad, the feature film was renamed Project X before being given its final title: Snafu. Unfortunately, in June 2018, Stallone gave up on the project. He is replaced by John Cena, who was not yet the star of The Suicide Squad or Fast and Furious 9.
The shooting takes place in Yinchuan in the autonomous region of Ningxia. In November 2018, Cena announced that the film was in a box. Directed by former stuntman Scott Waugh (Need for Speed), Snafu is then tucked away in a drawer and we hear no more about the feature film. However, Jackie Chan and John Cena have let it be known in the press that they are very excited to present this film, which has a pharaonic budget of $ 80 million.
CHINA VS AMERICA
Unfortunately, relations between the Hollywood and Chinese film industry began to strain at this point. Waugh was however very happy with this fruitful Sino-American collaboration. However, the Middle Empire does not take a positive view that Jackie Chan is on an equal footing with an American fighter. It is a marketing risk that the industry does not want to take. At the end of 2019, the health crisis drives the point home a little more and does not come to fix relations between America and China, burying the film a little more.
THE WORLD HAS CHANGED
When the cinemas reopen in China, still no news from Snafu. The authorities prefer to favor local productions such as La Brigade des 800, which was a huge success. To top it off, John Cena makes a big fuss about Taiwan while promoting Fast and Furious 9, failing to cause a diplomatic mishap.
By referring to Taiwan as a “country”, he provokes the ire of Chinese internet users and the authorities. The actor quickly issues a public apology, but this incident is certainly not going to work in his favor regarding Snafu’s exit.
Despite a star-studded duo and an $ 80 million budget, the film is now unlikely to hit theaters. It’s even hard to say if it will be released on VOD, streaming or blu-ray. Is he definitely buried? The future will tell.
