Journey to the West reimagined for TV

DESPITE being buddies for decades after working on various projects, Stephen Fung did not hand Daniel Wu the lead role in Into The Badlands on a silver platter.

Both actors are executive producers of the new English-language post-apocalyptic martial arts series that premiered in the US and Singapore earlier this week.

Like the other hopefuls, Wu went through the audition process before he was picked. "We thought Daniel was the perfect fit. But - let's not deny it - he's 41. If the series goes on for 5-6 years, can he still handle all the action? Because the role is very physically demanding," muses Fung over a phone interview to promote the show.