KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 10 — After weeks of keeping details under wraps, the cast and crew of Saving Brother Ryan revealed more about the mysterious modern wuxia crime film being shot in Malaysia.

Hong Kong and Taiwanese stars Nick Cheung Ka Fai, Joseph Chang, Alyssa Chia, Ethan Juan, Vivian Sung and Troy Liu were spotted around the Klang Valley last month as production got underway under the direction of acclaimed Hong Kong filmmaker Wong Ching-Po.

The production has since revealed that actor Chen Yi-Wen, along with Lee Lee Zen and Vincent Wan, will join the cast, with special appearances by Ben Yuen and Frederick Lee.

Malay Mail visited the film’s location shoot in Kuala Lumpur, where more details about the story and its characters have emerged.

Two decades of brotherhood and betrayal

Centred around an underworld organisation, the film follows a group of brothers whose lives were changed by tragedy and betrayal.

After their brotherhood was shattered, they went their separate ways for 20 years.

A personal mission eventually brought them back together, leading to a dangerous chain of events and a final confrontation.

At the heart of the story is an underworld boss (Chen) and his fiercely loyal inner circle (Cheung, Chang, and Chia), guarded by his trusted personal driver (Juan).

Two decades after a former syndicate figure walked away from his violent past, the boss sets out to find his long-lost brother, turning a personal quest into a deadly rescue operation.

The chaos draws in a rebellious black-market broker (Sung), reigniting forgotten loyalties and old grudges.

Cast on their roles in Saving Brother Ryan

Cheung describes his character as one of the most extreme underworld figures he has portrayed.

“At first glance, he may seem like a villain, but his complexity goes beyond that.

“He is multifaceted and difficult to define in just a few words.

“His humanity is extremely complex,” he said.

The actor undergoes a striking transformation for the role, sporting long hair, sunglasses, and a tailored white suit.

Juan describes his character as “the eyes of the film” — someone who experiences everything and witnesses the story unfold.

“The people and things around him keep changing, but that original part of him never changes.

“The more I understood my character, the more I found him lovable.”

Juan also transformed, sporting a wolf-tail hairstyle inspired by American gangster culture and rapper aesthetics, giving him a rebellious edge.

Chia describes her character as someone who takes charge, fights, charges forward and never backs down.

“I finally fulfilled my wish to play an action heroine, something I had wanted to do 20 years ago.”

She recalled being surprised when director Wong first approached her for the role, questioning why he had chosen her.

Wong simply told her that the character was a reflection of who she was.

Chang’s character is described as someone who values brotherhood and loyalty above his own life.

He is also deeply devoted to Chia’s character, with Chang describing their relationship as “beautiful, yet tragic.”

His biggest challenge, however, was finding a fresh interpretation of the character.

“Even if there are similarities between this character and some of my previous roles, I wanted to find a different entry point and a new way to approach him,” he said.

Chen, who plays the leader of the underworld organisation, grew out his beard for two months for the role, creating a look markedly different from his previous screen appearances.

He says he wanted to explore the character’s softer, more emotional side rather than portray him simply as a conventional underworld boss.

“I hope to give the character more emotional layers and reveal his sense of sadness and inability to fulfil his wishes when he is alone at night, so that he is not simply an underworld boss on the surface.”

Sung, who is playing a woman involved in black-market dealings, said the role offered her a completely new acting experience.

She was particularly excited by the character’s unusual design and action sequences, with strong punk and rock influences replacing her familiar sweet and youthful screen image.

A dangerous underworld story awaits

Saving Brother Ryan is set to transport audiences into a dangerous underworld filled with absurdity and dark humour, where old loyalties are tested, and unresolved wounds come back to the surface.

With its mix of crime, action and wuxia elements, the film brings together a cast from Hong Kong and Taiwan against the backdrop of Malaysia, under Wong’s direction.

Production is still ongoing in Malaysia, and the official release date remains under wraps.