Producer Tsui Hark handpicked Daniel Lee to direct Black Mask after seeing Lee’s directorial debut What Price Survival (1994), a homage to Chang Cheh’s iconic The One-Armed Swordsman (1967). Lee even received praise from Chang himself for his approach in handling the martial arts genre. Tsui’s penchant for science fiction mixes with Lee’s modern urban martial arts style, giving birth to a Hong Kong superhero film. Jet Li stars as a retired genetically engineered assassin seeking peace until his former mentor and protégé disrupt the city’s tranquillity. Daniel Lee, with his extensive art direction experience, builds a visually arresting dystopian future in the film. Jet Li’s costume is a nod to Bruce Lee’s in his iconic role as Kato in The Green Hornet in the 1960s. Yuen Wo-ping’s meticulously crafted action choreography, featuring gunfights, explosions, and hand-to-hand combat in sealed chambers, complements the film’s rich, sci-fi-inspired visual language. Following this venture, both Jet Li and Yuen Wo-ping embarked on highly successful Hollywood journeys. Li starred in the box-office hit Lethal Weapon 4 (1998), while Yuen became action choreographer for the now-classic The Matrix (1999).

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