Jackie Chan Gives Up Action Roles – ‘The World Is Too Violent’

In a conference at the Cannes Film Festival today, Jackie Chan revealed that he is throwing in the towel for action films, presumably doing a series of backflips as he does so.

It might be hard to believe, but the Hong Kong born actor-stuntman-director extraordinaire hit 58 last month, and now finds that “The world is too violent… I love fighting but I hate violence”, adding that his next film Chinese Zodiac will be his ‘last big action movie.’

In a story not at all like the Jackie Chan Adventures animated series (which I can’t recommend enough), the December 2012 movie will see Chan once again taking up the role of Asian Hawk – an Indiana Jones-type – in an effort to reclaim the symbols of the 12 Chinese zodiac animals. Rather than magical talismans and dragon spirits however, the film will address the real-life issue of bronze and silver statues that were looted by French and British troops from Beijing’s Imperial Summer Palace in the 1860s.

The film will be the third in Chan’s ‘Armour of God’ series, and does seem to hint at his action career going out with more than a bang – one fight scene reportedly costing 70 million yuan, or 10 million U.S. dollars.

Citing reasons for this being his last action role, Chan stated “I want the audience to know I’m not just about fighting, also I can act”, and “I will ask my body how long I can go. I’m not young anymore”, claiming he will return to potential action solely for Karate Kid 2 and Rush Hour 4.

This is no doubt sad news for those who remember Chan as the man who famously did all his own stunts in films like Rush Hour and Shanghai Noon; but when you realise that he is also capable of training fish in both English and Mandarin, and has plans for ‘Jackie Chan: The Musical’ in the works, its anyone’s guess as to where his career will go from here.

Let’s just hope he doesn’t end up like ex-action star Dwayne Johnson, leaving mentally scaring images of a butch tooth fairy on a generation of children.