“Spider-Man: Brand New Day,” a collaboration between Sony Pictures and Marvel, has been a massive hit since its release. However, Chinese media reports and critics have attributed the film’s success solely to the Eastern martial arts fight scenes crafted by a renowned stunt team. The director of the film clarified in an interview that Jackie Chan’s stunt team, also known as “Jackie’s Family,” was not involved in the action design and direction of the movie, debunking previous rumors.
With a budget of 225 million dollars, “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” has broken multiple box office records since its release at the end of July, currently reaching 1.053 billion dollars worldwide. Within just three days of its North American premiere, the film grossed 360 million dollars, surpassing “Avengers: Endgame,” setting a new record for the highest North American opening box office. The movie has also received praise for its reduced use of computer-generated effects and emphasis on fight choreography.
During the film’s promotion in Shanghai, lead actor Tom Holland mentioned that he underwent three months of action training for the role and paid homage to a classic sliding shot from Jackie Chan’s film “Who Am I.” His co-star Zendaya revealed that Jackie Chan personally visited the London set and watched rehearsals. However, online rumors in China falsely claimed that “Jackie’s Family” was involved in the action direction of the film, leading to misconceptions about the film’s success.
According to a report by “The Wrap,” director Destin Daniel Cretton clarified in an interview on August 4th that while Jackie Chan and his team did visit the set to show support, they were not officially part of the crew and did not participate in the production. The action direction of the film was led by Peng Zhang, an independent action director who signed a contract and supervised his personal studio team for the movie.
The perception of the film’s Hong Kong-style martial arts aesthetics stems from Peng Zhang’s background as a former member of Jackie Chan’s stunt team and his training under the late legendary stunt coordinator Bradley James Allan. Allan, a key figure in “Jackie’s Family,” was also the action director for Cretton’s previous work “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.”
Industry insiders familiar with Hollywood’s regulations regarding credits and crew signings emphasize that Peng Zhang was contracted as an independent action director, and any disputes regarding credits, rights, and services could arise if the false narrative of “Jackie’s Family joining the production” continues to spread.
While “Jackie’s Family” did not directly participate, it is clear that Peng Zhang’s guidance has carried on the spirit of traditional Hong Kong action films, reducing reliance on CGI and delivering realistic and powerful fight sequences. Particularly, lead actor Tom Holland performing challenging stunts and close combat scenes personally, hanging on steel wires, has brought a fresh and well-received dynamic to the film for many fans.