John Cena And Jackie Chan Collaborated On A Movie That We May Never See
Your ears would certainly perk up if someone told you a movie starring John Cena and Jackie Chan was about to hit theaters. Having two well-known action performers working together on a film has a lot of potentials, especially because Chan is still capable of amazing stunt work. Here's the thing: That movie does exist; it's called Snafu, and it was previously known as Project X and Project X-Traction. Production on it was completed years ago. Snafu, which was nearly exclusively financed by Chinese firms, was previously scheduled to make a noteworthy theatrical debut, but since then, there has been no information on when or even if the movie will ever be released. How did a film starring Cena and Chan end up being The Day the Clown Cried of the contemporary action movie dreck?
To understand what happened, we must go back to the inception of Snafu, precisely when the project began to take shape. In June 2018, Deadline claimed John Cena would co-star with Chan in the film, which would be shot in China. A lot has changed between then and now, including Cena's caliber as an actor. This casting took place months before the release of Bumblebee, let alone his more high-profile roles in The Suicide Squad or F9. Meanwhile, the decade-long love affair between Hollywood studios and China was only now beginning to show signs of strain as a result of stormy US-China trade relations.
While there were some warning indications of trouble ahead, these two film industries were still friendly, which made a movie like Snafu, which featured American filmmakers and actors, look appealing. Director Scott Waugh and principal actors Chan and Cena discussed their excitement for the project just before filming began in June 2018. "It's going to be something special," Cena told THR. "Not only are we going to make a good film, but I'm going to learn a lot." For his side, Chan was enthused about the project's potential to supply the Chinese cinema industry with new personalities. "China as a country is bigger and stronger now, so we really need heroes," Chan said.
According to the same source, the major actors decided that Snafu (then titled Project X) would aim to recreate the then-recent popularity of China's biggest homegrown action films, such as Wolf Warriors II. Waugh ended the story inadvertently frighteningly, expressing optimism that this production would become the new standard for US/China film partnerships. “Cross-pollination has always been a challenge,” Waugh noted. “But we want it to entertain audiences everywhere.”
Cena revealed his desire for residing in China while filming in September 2018 without incident. Snafu was completed by the end of the year. This is when the project went silent, with no word on when the action feature would be released in 2019. Cena alluded to Snafu while promoting Dolittle in January 2020, but only to discuss his feelings for Chan and how he handles his crew mates. The sympathetic antidote created a lovely portrait of his co-star, but Cena did not indicate when this film would be released.
The film's already dubious release schedule was thrown into further disarray when the COVID-19 epidemic shut down theaters in China, Snafu's key market, in January 2020, before the rest of the world's multiplexes followed suit just two months later. Snafu would not be able to reach the Chinese box office heights it desired if there were no cinema theaters in which to show it. There was still no word on Snafu when Chinese theaters reopened in July 2021, with multiplexes in this country instead focusing on films like the popular military drama The Eight Hundred.
That’s the other problem most likely stifling Snafu’s release. In recent years, and particularly in 2021, mainstream Chinese film has been increasingly interested in domestic projects starring Chinese movie stars. While the rare Avengers: Endgame can still rule the Chinese box office, titles like Wolf Warriors II and Hi, Mom have become the de facto titles that Chinese moviegoers flock to see. As a result, an action film starring John Cena on equal footing with Jackie Chan sounds like a marketing risk for Chinese distributors in 2021.
That's the second issue that's probably preventing Snafu's release. In recent years, and particularly in 2021, mainstream Chinese film has been increasingly interested in domestic projects starring Chinese movie stars. While the rare Avengers: Endgame can still rule the Chinese box office, titles like Wolf Warriors II and Hi, Mom have become the de facto titles that Chinese moviegoers flock to see. As a result, an action film starring John Cena on equal footing with Jackie Chan sounds like a marketing risk for Chinese distributors in 2021.
It's also unknown how popular a title like Snafu would be in North America. While Cena's Taiwan saga has had little effect on the domestic box office or the release of recent titles like F9 or Vacation Friends, the larger issue is that Chinese films rarely get huge pushes in the United States. Even a box office smash as Wolf Warriors II could only get distribution in the United States via Well Go USA.
Meanwhile, Skiptrace, a 2016 film starring Chan and Johnny Knoxville, received only a direct-to-video-on-demand release in the United States, demonstrating that even the presence of a notable American actor does not help native Chinese films gain substantial distribution. Despite featuring a pair of major stars and having an $80 million budget, it's unclear whether there will be much demand for a significant release of Snafu in the world's two largest movie markets.
What happens next for Snafu? It's difficult to say. The Chinese film industry provides few to no reasons for when films are abruptly shelved, as witnessed with The Eight Hundred, which was originally scheduled for a 2019 release before being suddenly pushed back a year. As a result, there won't be much clarity on Snafu's destiny, especially given its box office prospects in any big territory appear to be modest at best. The best hope John Cena and Jackie Chan have is that it will be picked up by a direct-to-video distributor and released digitally.
This puts Snafu in a difficult situation, especially given the great expectations that were formerly connected to it. The idea of Cena and Chan starring in an action film still sounds like it could be a good time, and the lasting popularity of both Chan and action movies in China made it seem like Snafu would be a box-office success in the world's largest moviegoing market. But a lot has happened between the time Snafu began filming and now. All of these events have put Snafu in such uncertainty that it appears unlikely that we will ever see this film.
Just like John Cena himself, we can’t see this Jackie Chan action vehicle.
#1 What Happened to John Cena and Jackie Chan's 'Snafu'?
Source: essentiallysports
To understand what happened, we must go back to the inception of Snafu, precisely when the project began to take shape. In June 2018, Deadline claimed John Cena would co-star with Chan in the film, which would be shot in China. A lot has changed between then and now, including Cena's caliber as an actor. This casting took place months before the release of Bumblebee, let alone his more high-profile roles in The Suicide Squad or F9. Meanwhile, the decade-long love affair between Hollywood studios and China was only now beginning to show signs of strain as a result of stormy US-China trade relations.
While there were some warning indications of trouble ahead, these two film industries were still friendly, which made a movie like Snafu, which featured American filmmakers and actors, look appealing. Director Scott Waugh and principal actors Chan and Cena discussed their excitement for the project just before filming began in June 2018. "It's going to be something special," Cena told THR. "Not only are we going to make a good film, but I'm going to learn a lot." For his side, Chan was enthused about the project's potential to supply the Chinese cinema industry with new personalities. "China as a country is bigger and stronger now, so we really need heroes," Chan said.
Source: Fortune Star Media
According to the same source, the major actors decided that Snafu (then titled Project X) would aim to recreate the then-recent popularity of China's biggest homegrown action films, such as Wolf Warriors II. Waugh ended the story inadvertently frighteningly, expressing optimism that this production would become the new standard for US/China film partnerships. “Cross-pollination has always been a challenge,” Waugh noted. “But we want it to entertain audiences everywhere.”
Cena revealed his desire for residing in China while filming in September 2018 without incident. Snafu was completed by the end of the year. This is when the project went silent, with no word on when the action feature would be released in 2019. Cena alluded to Snafu while promoting Dolittle in January 2020, but only to discuss his feelings for Chan and how he handles his crew mates. The sympathetic antidote created a lovely portrait of his co-star, but Cena did not indicate when this film would be released.
#2 COVID-19 Pandemic Causes More Problems for the Film's Release
Source: Universal Pictures
The film's already dubious release schedule was thrown into further disarray when the COVID-19 epidemic shut down theaters in China, Snafu's key market, in January 2020, before the rest of the world's multiplexes followed suit just two months later. Snafu would not be able to reach the Chinese box office heights it desired if there were no cinema theaters in which to show it. There was still no word on Snafu when Chinese theaters reopened in July 2021, with multiplexes in this country instead focusing on films like the popular military drama The Eight Hundred.
That’s the other problem most likely stifling Snafu’s release. In recent years, and particularly in 2021, mainstream Chinese film has been increasingly interested in domestic projects starring Chinese movie stars. While the rare Avengers: Endgame can still rule the Chinese box office, titles like Wolf Warriors II and Hi, Mom have become the de facto titles that Chinese moviegoers flock to see. As a result, an action film starring John Cena on equal footing with Jackie Chan sounds like a marketing risk for Chinese distributors in 2021.
#3 Cena's Own Snafu May Have Further Delayed 'Snafu'
Source: Hulu
That's the second issue that's probably preventing Snafu's release. In recent years, and particularly in 2021, mainstream Chinese film has been increasingly interested in domestic projects starring Chinese movie stars. While the rare Avengers: Endgame can still rule the Chinese box office, titles like Wolf Warriors II and Hi, Mom have become the de facto titles that Chinese moviegoers flock to see. As a result, an action film starring John Cena on equal footing with Jackie Chan sounds like a marketing risk for Chinese distributors in 2021.
It's also unknown how popular a title like Snafu would be in North America. While Cena's Taiwan saga has had little effect on the domestic box office or the release of recent titles like F9 or Vacation Friends, the larger issue is that Chinese films rarely get huge pushes in the United States. Even a box office smash as Wolf Warriors II could only get distribution in the United States via Well Go USA.
#4 Do American Stars Help or Hurt Jackie Chan's Career?
Source: Saban Films
Meanwhile, Skiptrace, a 2016 film starring Chan and Johnny Knoxville, received only a direct-to-video-on-demand release in the United States, demonstrating that even the presence of a notable American actor does not help native Chinese films gain substantial distribution. Despite featuring a pair of major stars and having an $80 million budget, it's unclear whether there will be much demand for a significant release of Snafu in the world's two largest movie markets.
What happens next for Snafu? It's difficult to say. The Chinese film industry provides few to no reasons for when films are abruptly shelved, as witnessed with The Eight Hundred, which was originally scheduled for a 2019 release before being suddenly pushed back a year. As a result, there won't be much clarity on Snafu's destiny, especially given its box office prospects in any big territory appear to be modest at best. The best hope John Cena and Jackie Chan have is that it will be picked up by a direct-to-video distributor and released digitally.
This puts Snafu in a difficult situation, especially given the great expectations that were formerly connected to it. The idea of Cena and Chan starring in an action film still sounds like it could be a good time, and the lasting popularity of both Chan and action movies in China made it seem like Snafu would be a box-office success in the world's largest moviegoing market. But a lot has happened between the time Snafu began filming and now. All of these events have put Snafu in such uncertainty that it appears unlikely that we will ever see this film.
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