Leap (film)

Leap is a 2020 Chinese biographical sports drama film directed by Peter Chan and starring Gong Li and Huang Bo. The film is based on the China women's national volleyball team's stories spread over more than 40 years. The film was released in mainland China and the United States on September 25, 2020. It had been slated for release in China on January 25, 2020, the first day of the Chinese New Year, but was withdrawn due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The film's Chinese title was originally named "China Women's Volleyball Team" ("Zhong Guo Nu Pai") but due to regulatory issues, was renamed as Duoguan ("to take the crown") one day before pre-release sales started. Leap is the Chinese entry for the Best International Feature Film at the 93rd Academy Awards, but it was not nominated.

Cast

 * Gong Li as Coach Lang Ping
 * Lydia Bai as Young Lang Ping
 * Huang Bo as Chen ZhongHe
 * Peng YuChang as Young Chen ZhongHe
 * Wu Gang as Yuan Weimin

Lang Ping the player is played by her real-life daughter Lydia Bai (Chinese name: Bai Lang), a former Stanford Cardinal player. Lydia Bai herself is played by Audrey Hui (Joan Chen's daughter) in the film.

2013–16 Chinese national team

 * Zhu Ting as herself
 * Xu Yunli as herself
 * Hui Ruoqi as herself
 * Yuan Xinyue as herself
 * Yan Ni as herself
 * Gong Xiangyu as herself
 * Ding Xia as herself
 * Lin Li as herself
 * Zhang Changning as herself
 * Liu Xiaotong as herself
 * Yao Di as Wei Qiuyue
 * Zeng Chunlei
 * Liu Yanhan
 * Zheng Yixin
 * Wang Mengjie
 * Wang Yuanyuan
 * Yang Hanyu
 * Wang Lujia as the player who quit

The cast consists of ten out of the twelve Olympic Gold medalists from the 2016 Rio Olympics squad appearing as themselves. As Wei Qiuyue was pregnant at the time of filming, Yao Di (who was cut before the Olympics) was cast to act as Wei. (Despite Wei's absence, her husband Yuan Lingxi, who has been an assistant coach on the team, appears in the film as himself.)

1980s Chinese national team

 * Lydia Bai as Lang Ping
 * Li Dongxu as Chen Zhaodi
 * Liu Mintao as Old Chen Zhaodi
 * Chen Zhan as Sun Jinfang
 * Luo Hui as Zhou Xiaolan
 * Ling Min as Zhou Lumin
 * Ma Xuechun as Zhang Rongfang
 * Liu Chang as Yang Xi
 * Liu Chenxi as Zhang Jieyun
 * Li Ziwei as Chen Yaqiong
 * Mao Wen as Cao Huiying
 * Liu Zhenhong as Liang Yan
 * Li Yangyi as Zhu Ling

Others

 * Kaori Kodaira as Miyoko Hirose
 * Hitomi Nakamichi
 * Logan Tom as herself
 * Halle Johnson as Flo Hyman
 * Jarasporn Bundasak
 * Sutadta Chuewulim
 * Anongporn Promrat
 * Tapaphaipun Chaisri
 * Jaqueline Carvalho as herself
 * Marianne Steinbrecher
 * Juliana Nogueira
 * Paula Pequeno
 * Bárbara Kozonoe
 * Alexandre Rivetti de Azevedo as José Roberto Guimarães
 * Liu Tao as Feng Kun
 * Zhao Chenlu as Wang Yimei
 * Li Shan as Lai Yawen
 * Li Xian (special appearance)
 * Zhang Hanyan as Lang Ping's mother
 * Audrey Hui as Lang Ping's daughter

Production
Hong Kong American director Peter Chan was signed to direct the film. Gong Li plays the female lead, Lang Ping, the current head coach of the China women's national volleyball team. Filming began on April 16, 2019, and wrapped up in August 2019.

Soundtrack
The theme song "River of Life" (生命之河) is a duet by Faye Wong and Na Ying, and produced by Zhang Yadong.

The promotion song "Day and Night" (不分昼夜) is sung by Jackson Yee, and produced by Radio Mars

Release
Leap was scheduled for release on January 25, 2020, in China, but was withdrawn due to COVID-19 pandemic. The film debuted in China on September 25, 2020, a few days before the National Day of the People's Republic of China. That weekend, theaters were allowed to sell up to 75% of available tickets, compared to 50%, due to a loosening of COVID-19 restrictions. It made its United States debut on the same day across 80 theaters in select cities.

Reception
On its first day at the Chinese box office, the film earned $8.2 million. It went on to earn 700 million yuan (approximately $104 million) through the Golden Week holiday.