We got our first look at Jackie Chan’s upcoming movie, 1911, his one hundredth film, back in June in the form of a Japanese trailer for the film, and it was pretty damn fantastic.

The first US trailer for the film has now landed, courtesy of Apple, using a number of the brilliant shots from the first trailer and giving us a whole lot more to enjoy too.

Getting to make a hundred films – think about that number for a second and let it settle in – is a feat that not many stars as huge and internationally recognised as Jackie Chan ever reach, and this film is set to be an exceptional way to celebrate that milestone.

Chan is not only in front of the cameras in 1911, but he’s also behind them, co-directing the film with Zhang Li, director of photography on John Woo’s Red Cliff films.

“At the beginning of the 20th century, China is in a state of crisis. The country is split into warring factions, the citizens are starving, and recent political reforms have made matters worse, not better. The ruling Qing Dynasty, led by a seven-year-old emperor and his ruthless mother, Empress Dowager Longyu (Joan Chen), is completely out of touch after 250 years of unquestioned power. With ordinary citizens beginning to revolt openly, the Qing Dynasty has created a powerful, modern army (the “New Army”) to quash any rebellion. But weapons are expensive, and desperate for cash, the Qing leaders are trading anything they can get their hands on with foreign countries… and selling China.”

The project not only marks a 100-milestone for Chan, but also for the events happening in the film, with the film marking the one hundredth anniversary of the Xinhai Revolution during which the film is set.

In recent years, Chan has been moving towards making fewer films in which he is typecast solely as the martial artist, and this historical drama is an example of one of his films in which he gets to show off what a great actor he is, beyond the martial arts. (Fans of Chan’s dramatic work should check out his amazing performance leading Shinjuku Incident.)

1911 is set to be released early next month in America, and I’m really hoping that we’ll get to see it here before the year is out. Jackie Chan’s films seem to have a mixed form of release in the UK, with a number of films simply going straight-to-DVD, and I’m hoping that this won’t be one of them. The trailer is epic, and promises much for the film, and it’s something that deserves to be seen on the big screen. So keep your fingers crossed for a UK release soon too. Without further ado, here’s the first US trailer for the film.

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