Bill Kong is enjoying a 43-year career in the movie business, including producing “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” (2000), “Hero” (2002), “House of Flying Daggers” (2004), “I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change!” (2019), and “Mulan” (2020). Bill lends his expertise to director Kenji Tanigaki’s wildly entertaining martial arts action picture, “The Furious” (2025) starring Joe Taslim and Xie Miao. “The Furious” stormed into the 2026 Phoenix Film Festival (PFF) and received lots of positive buzz in the hallways after its April 16 screening, and Bill was kind enough to join a call with the PFF and chat about his exciting movie.
“The Furious” opens in Phoenix theatres on June 12.
PFF: Kenji Tanigaki has a (long) list of stunt coordination credits, but he’s also directed a few films, as well. Is this the first time you worked with him as a director, and what put your faith in him for this project?
BK: I’ve worked with him four times earlier as a choreographer. It is the first time I’ve worked with him as a director. I’ve known him (for) over 10 years, 12 or 13 years. The reason I picked him is because of my past years working with him. I knew that he would be ready to be a director. I knew he would be ready. I had this opportunity to do this movie, so I (chose) him. I never doubted that he could direct. I have faith in him because I’ve worked with him for many years, so I know that he’s good enough. In many of the Chinese films we did (when he was) a choreographer, in (some) scenes, he was the director as well. Experience-wise, attitude-wise, and (with his) ability to collaborate with people, he has everything to be a good director.
PFF: Absolutely. The film is compelling with high stakes as well as amazing action. I like the fact that your two leads, played by Joe (Taslim) and Xie (Miao), had (high) stakes because (Navin’s (Taslim)) wife was in danger, and our mysterious dad’s (Miao) daughter, Rainy (Yang Enyou), was in danger. Also, a couple of the villains – we find out – have (high) stakes with family too. So, can you talk about including family to amp up the tension?
BK: The title of the film is “The Furious”, so you need to be really, really pissed off to be furious, okay. In order to really, really piss off people, have their close ones taken or (be) in danger. That’s how people will accept (and think), “Ah, he’s really furious.” You are right. We have many, many people with family members being abused. Kenji and (I) wanted to live up to this. We want to see the fire in (their) eyes.
PFF: Not only did our dynamic duo have to solve a problem, but there was a lot of emotion behind it. That’s terrific! Can you talk about our two (lead characters coming) from two different backgrounds? Joe is playing someone who is very accomplished, and Xie is playing someone who doesn’t have an employment history, he doesn’t have a (police) record, and he’s also (nonspeaking), which adds some mystery.
BK: Let’s talk about the Joe Taslim character. I think he fits Joe very well. (Navin) lost his wife. Because (he) was away, we saddled him, a husband, with guilt. “I should have been there.” That guilt lives with him. That guilt propels him along. There’s hope that she still may be alive.
Wang Wei (Miao) is a big mystery. We deliberately designed that. We don’t find out who he is. The reason he is (nonspeaking) is because of a bullet in his head. We deliberately wanted to make him a mystery person. I don’t think there’s a reason to tell the public (who he is). We believe it was a good idea to leave him as a person like that, a person with a mystery background with a daughter. He’s living very inconspicuously. He wants to stay out of trouble. Don’t rock the boat. (He lives his) life until he’s pushed to the limit.
PFF: I love that (Navin and Wang Wei) were paired together. There were so many amazing action scenes. I don’t want to give away all the different action scenes to our audience, but I do want to mention one, the police station setting. It reminded me, as a Gen Xer growing up in 1984, (of) “The Terminator”. I don’t know if that was a conscious choice or not. Can you talk about (choosing settings) and how important that is for the film?
BK: I think Kenji picked some of those locations. For example, we picked the ice factory. Actually, Kenji picked that because he wanted to play (a) tribute. That was the same ice factory (where) Bruce Lee’s first movie was shot. The police station is also familiar. I think there’s a little bit of history to that too. In a way, this film doesn’t ask for big sets. It’s not right for (this) kind of film. We were very careful about that. We didn’t exaggerate (the support) of the film, the production design. We wanted (the sets to be) very localized (and) very, very down to earth.
PFF: I love that. We only have time for one more question. With your incredible history in film, what are the ingredients for a great action film?
BK: The story and the characters are the most important of all, and then the action.
PFF: You’ve successfully delivered (with “The Furious”). Thank you. It was a pleasure. Good luck with the film, and I’m proud (that it played) at our festival.
BK: Thank you, Jeff. I hope that on my next production, you also invite me (for another interview).
