On May 14, 2018, when Sichuan Airlines flight 3U8633 was flying from Chongqing to Lhasa, the right front windshield of the cockpit shattered, causing injuries to the first officer and forcing the crew to have to make an emergency descent. Facing the dire situation, captain Liu Chuanjian and his crew calmly dealt with this situation. They overcame the harsh conditions, including low pressure at high altitude and low temperature. Thanks to the close cooperation and collaboration of multiple departments, the flight successfully made an emergency landing at Chengdu Shuangliu Airport, ensuring the lives of the 119 passengers and 9 crew members on board. The windshield shattering on a plane is such a dangerous situation and that captain Liu Chuanjian handled it so well, he has been dubbed "China's Captain Sully."
Pre-production
On August 8, 2018, National Film Board publicly released the late July Chinese film script for the record and project approval. Beijing Bona Film Group Co., Ltd. applied for filing of the film "The Captain," whose scriptwriter is Xu Zhiyong, and its review status is "agreed to shoot in principle." On November 16, Sichuan Airlines 3U8883 returned to the blue sky. Director Liu Weiqiang, producer Li Jinwen, leading actors - Zhang Hanyu and Yuan Quan, also took this flight and witnessed this special moment together with Liu Chuanjian and all members of the "CAAC hero crew." Director Liu Weiqiang said in an exclusive interview that the selection criteria for extras were quite strict. In essence, people with diseases such as hypertension and heart disease were not allowed to participate in the film. The film was shot with the support and assistance of the CAAC. Under the coordination and organization of the China Civil Aviation Promotion and Education Center, hundreds of professionals from various departments of the civil aviation system participated in the production and shooting of the film. To better shape, the characters, Zhang Hanyu, Yuan Quan and other main actors, went to the spot to collect information, met with those who were involved in the event, and listened to the hero crew to restore the situation. To make the real "flying experience" available for the big screen audience, Bona Film Company invested nearly 30 million yuan in building a 1:1 airbus A319 simulator, used the motion platform to simulate the bumpiness and dizziness caused by the plane falling sharply at the height of 9800 meters, and brought in Hollywood team who produced special effects for the series of "Star Wars" and "Captain America" and "Thor 3". The cast has all received specialized training before shooting. The three actors who play the role of "pilot" have completed specialized training for professional driving. The crew Yuan Quan, Zhang Tianai, Li Qin, Ya Mei and Yang Qiu have also received all-round training from theory to practice. To play the role, Ou Hao had to wear three hours of makeup with special effects to present the role's injury after the accident. His right eye was almost entirely covered by special effects makeup. By the end of the shooting, his facial allergy was severe, with many small red rashes on the face, but he still insisted on shooting. To genuinely experience the role, during the training, the "flying trio" Zhang Hanyu, Ou Hao and Du Jiang learned theory in the classroom in the morning and practiced the plane driving skills in the simulation cabin in the afternoon.
Production
The Captain was supported and assisted by the Civil Aviation Administration of China, hundreds of professionals from the civil aviation system participated in the film creation and filming. Shooting began on January 3, 2019 and ended on March 4, 2019. On January 3, 2019, "The Captain" was booted in Wuxi. On February 17, the film was transferred to be shot in Chengdu. On March 4, the film shooting was completed.
International releases
Release
The first poster was released on May 5, 2019 and the first official trailer was released on August 5, 2019. The film premiered in Beijing on September 25, 2019 with wide-release in China on September 30, 2019. The Captain was the opening night film at the 15th Chinese American Film and TV Festival in Los Angeles where it won Best Feature Film. Producer Yu Dong also won Best Producer.
Box office
On October 3, 2019, the box office of "The Captain" collected another 263 million yuan in one day, and the cumulative box office exceeded 1 billion yuan. The Captain grossed 55.15 million yuan on the second to last day of its presale.
Reception
"The Captain" focuses more on the spirit and professional integrity of the crew in the face of danger, which is a disaster film with Chinese characteristics. The film also shows the efforts made by Control Tower, Air Traffic Management Bureau, the military and other relevant departments, which plays a useful role in the popularization of science.
Soundtrack
"The Wild Goose That Flies Far" Singer: Alan "I Love the Blue Sky of the Motherland" Singer: Mao Amin "Soaring In the Sky" Singer: Hu Xia "Fearless" Singer: Gao Ge
