Martial arts film star Jackie Chan wants to be a lover not a fighter, and he says he will take the plunge into romance on the silver screen next year.

In "The Medallion," Jackie Chan plays a Hong Kong cop who comes across a medallion with magic powers -- and has to keep it out of the wrong hands.

The Hong Kong fighter and slapstick comedian, known for punching his way through Hollywood hits like "Rush Hour" and "Shanghai Noon," plans next year to star in a low-budget love story opposite an unnamed major Hollywood actress.

"Pure drama -- not even one punch," Chan said in an interview, describing the outline of his pet project.

Aiming to be more than a funny tough guy, Chan has paired himself with female partners in his latest flicks. On Friday, he takes to the screen with British actress Claire Forlani in his latest film, a $35 million Hong Kong production called "The Medallion."

The two throw almost as many dewy-eyed glances at one another as punches at bad guys in the film. Chan, known for doing all his stunts by himself, resorts to some movie magic to fly and leap over shipping containers like a low-tech version of Keanu Reeves in "The Matrix."

Over the top

Claire Forlani, who plays a character who works for Interpol, is Chan's love interest and partner in the film.
Chan plays Hong Kong police inspector Eddie Yang, who teams up with Interpol to stop arch criminal Snakehead, played by Julian Sands, who is trying to nab an ancient medallion that can make one immortal and give super powers.

Claire Forlani, who plays a character who works for Interpol, is Chan's love interest and partner in the film.

Forlani plays Interpol agent Nicole James and British comedian Lee Evans plays Chan's Interpol sidekick Watson.

Chan said that he likes to experiment between the Hollywood blockbusters that have made his name in the United States. He certainly has the pedigree for serious theater work, having begun training at Hong Kong opera school China Drama Academy when he was a mere 6 1/2 years old.

The actor excelled at stunts and fighting, but he broke the mold for Asian action stars by creating a new type of hero, adding Buster Keaton-style physical comedy to martial arts, that helped him replace Bruce Lee as the region's top star after Lee died.

"When everybody want to be a Bruce Lee, I don't want to be Bruce Lee. When I became famous, everybody wants to be Jackie Chan. When everybody want to be Jackie Chan, I want to be other Jackie Chan," the actor told Reuters.

Singing, too

Chan does not just talk about love -- he sings about it. He wrote a song, which he loosely translated as "Please Understand My Heart," that he said was a karaoke hit.

"In China there are at least 1.2 billion people. At least 1 billion people know how to sing my song," he said.

When I became famous, everybody wants to be Jackie Chan. When everybody want to be Jackie Chan, I want to be other Jackie Chan. -- Jackie Chan

Although he says producers in Hong Kong are ready to give him whatever money he wants to make a martial arts film, next year's love story will be extremely low budget.

Chan is forgoing his normal salary to keep the cost of the project down to $4 million, he said, declining to give more details. By comparison, "Rush Hour 2" brought in $226 million at the U.S. box office.

The studios prefer he keep fighting, Chan added.

"They don't like to take the risk to make a love story film," he said.

But reviewers might be cheering for him to change. The Hollywood Reporter thrashes "The Medallion," suggesting that the time is ripe for Chan to try something new:

"From the looks of his latest formula action flick, it appears that age is finally catching up with the previously ageless Jackie Chan. Now well into his late 40s, his days of leaping down buildings and hanging off speeding buses appear to be history," the trade journal wrote.

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