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.[5]
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.
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.)
Zhang Ji wrote the screenplay for Leap, which later earned him Best Writing at the 33rd Golden Rooster Awards.
Hong Kong American director Peter Chan was signed to direct the film.[12] Gong Li plays the female lead, Lang Ping, the current head coach of the China women's national volleyball team.[13] Filming began on April 16, 2019, and wrapped up in August 2019.
The promotion song "Day and Night" (不分昼夜) is sung by Jackson Yee, and produced by Radio Mars
Instrumental music
No.
Title
Length
1.
"Leap (中国女排登场)"
2.
"Facing the Wall, Attacking the Wall (备战世界杯)"
3.
"New Year's Dinner (年夜饭)"
4.
"Get Up! Watch the Ball (千锤百炼)"
5.
"Tomorrow We Can Win (我们会赢的!)"
6.
"1980, Beijing (北京1980)"
7.
"1981 World Cup, China vs. Japan (中国 vs. 日本)"
8.
"All for the Day (一切只为今天)"
9.
"Believe in the Future (相信未来)"
10.
"Jumping Up One After Another (一鼓作气)"
11.
"2008 China vs. USA (中国 vs. 美国)"
12.
"My Daughter My Lucky Charm (女儿,我的幸运星)"
13.
"The Funeral (You Never Stopped Fighting) (别掉队,都跟上)"
14.
"Back to China (回来吧!)"
15.
"Be Wrapped in Confusion (新旧磨合)"
16.
"Long Table Meeting (迎来的改变)"
17.
"No One Will Be Here Again (这就是我们)"
18.
"Truthful Words (打出自己的排球)"
19.
"2016 China vs. Brazil (中国 vs. 巴西)"
20.
"Rio, Quarter Final (里约赛点)"
21.
"In the Moment of Victory (夺冠时刻)"
22.
"Leap Reprise (中国女排的荣耀)"
Release
Leap was scheduled for release on January 25, 2020,[14] in China, but was withdrawn due to COVID-19 pandemic.[15] The film debuted in China on September 25, 2020, a few days before the National Day of the People's Republic of China.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.[3][4]
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.[3][16]
^Beijing News, Reporter (28 September 2020). "Every smash and block in "Leap" is a real game" 《夺冠》每次扣杀、拦网,都是玩真格的_文娱新闻_新京报电子报. The Beijing News (in Chinese). p. A18. Retrieved 30 December 2020. In the movie, Li Xian played a role as IT technician, wearing a pair of black-rimmed glasses and wearing a tunic suit. He told the coach that the future of sports depends not on people, but on computers. The United States has developed such computers.
^Fang Jialiang (房家梁) (18 November 2019). 前国手饰演电影《中国女排》队长 变身“最佳二传”. Chinanews (in Chinese). Retrieved 19 November 2019.