Mongkok in Hong Kong was swarmed with men in black suits last evening (July 14), there to attend a triad cortege.
As the funeral band begins to play, signalling the start of the procession, the men — illuminated by colourful lights from the numerous neon signboards — marched down the street, led by black and white lion dance performers and mourners who tossed white joss paper in the air.
After marching for about two minutes, someone in the crowds shouted “Cut!” and the men turned back to return to their original positions.
Based on the multiple videos that surfaced on social media since yesterday, they were there filming a scene for Hong Kong action star Donnie Yen’s upcoming action-thriller film Caine, a spin-off of Keanu Reeves’ John Wick film franchise.
Caine, played by Donnie in John Wick: Chapter 4 (2023), is a blind former assassin forced out of retirement on assignment to kill John to protect his daughter’s safety.
In the upcoming film which he is also directing, Donnie reprises his role as Caine, who navigates his release from assassin organisation High Table. The movie is said to take place chronologically after the events in John Wick: Chapter 4 and stars Rina Sawayama, Dacre Montgomery, Bill Nighy, Zhuang Dafei and Jacky Heung.
The filming at Mongkok attracted the attention of many passersby, who stopped to observe and film with their mobile phones.
Police were also allegedly on standby at the filming location to manage safety and security.
A netizen described their experience witnessing the scene in a social media post yesterday: “This rare and spectacular gangster scene attracted countless onlookers, who took out their phones to capture the moment and crowded the sidewalks.
“This dramatic scene perfectly showcases the distinctive triad aesthetics in Hong Kong films and the vibrant energy of Mongkok’s streets.”
On Threads, a netizen named Terence Chan, believed to be an extra who had participated as one of the suited men in the cortege, wrote: “Every time I was involved in filming, there’s blood and sweat. Although there’s no blood this time round, there’s definitely sweat. I was completely soaked.
“This time I participated in filming a foreign language film with Hong Kong as the location. There were about 200 people in black suits on Portland Street, pretending to be from the triad. I believe there are fewer such productions now, because AI or CG has taken over.”
Donnie was also spotted filming at Changsha Steet. He wore a black suit and tie, and was seen communicating with production staff.
This isn’t the first instance he was spotted filming the movie in Hong Kong.
On July 9, netizens also saw him filming a few scenes at Hollywood Road in Sheung Wan in a black suit, with black shades and a slick black-and-silver walking cane.
He sat opposite American actor Mason Thames at a noodle stall in one of the scenes and filmed another scene on the road beside the stall where he walked down the slope with his cane before getting into a taxi.
Donnie also performed and directed at another location in Sheung Wan, believed to be on July 10.
He was seen acting in the same suit, walking out of a premises, believed to be an eatery, with Mason, 19, in a chef’s uniform following closely behind him.
At the same set, Mason performed a scene with Hong Kong veteran actor Ray Lui. In between takes, the 69-year-old also discussed the script with Donnie — who had taken off his suit.
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According to media reports, filming also took place at The Big Buddha at Lantau Island, Tsing Shan Monastery at Castle Peak and Hong Kong Palace Museum at West Kowloon.
Caine is slated to premiere in 2027.
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