Jackie Chan's Skiptrace earns big with old tricks

A still from the film Skiptrace.

But later, probably keeping the English-speaking market in mind, he chose a Hollywood-focused cast and crew.

In addition to Knoxville, known for the MTV reality stunt show Jackass, the film is directed by Finland's Renny Harlin, who has made action flicks such as Die Hard 2.

Chan's latest filmmaking model－where he throws together a foreign crew and a sexy Chinese actress－h(huán)as also been seen in his recent blockbusters－Dragon Blade and CZ12.

Admitting that the Sino-US production is eyeing the Western market, Chan says he also wants to show Hollywood how the Chinese film industry is growing.

"I want foreigners to see that we are becoming more professional," says the A-lister, who struggled in Hollywood in the 1990s.

He says his crew follows a strict work schedule, mirroring international standards.

Explaining why he is following this moviemaking model, Chan says: "While Italian director Bernardo Bertolucci made The Last Emperor to introduce China's history (between 1910 and 1950) to the world, and Disney helped the world know Chinese heroine Hua Mulan through the animated film Mulan, I hope China can have its own productions to showcase our history and culture. It is more convincing to share these things through a foreign crews' eyes."

But questions remain.

In a digital era where fight sequences can be generated using computer graphics, will action stars lose their significance?

"It's a difficult time. Technology can turn any actor or actress into a martial arts veteran," he says.

"Though the Chinese now find it impossible to beat Hollywood in making sci-fi movies, I believe that they (Hollywood) cannot make action movies like the ones we do," says Chan, revealing he is looking for new martial arts talents.