For size, the Asian Games are enormous. They feature about 11,500 athletes, which is about 1,000 more than a typical Summer Olympics.
For diversity, they offer many sports that are unseen at the Olympics but native to Asia. How about the Indian sport of kabaddi, or kurash, a traditional martial art from Uzbekistan, or pencak silat, an Indonesian martial art?
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For size, the Asian Games are enormous. They feature about 11,500 athletes, which is about 1,000 more than a typical Summer Olympics.
The games, which open Saturday and run through Sept. 2, also showcase sports climbing and skateboarding, two events being added to the schedule for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Jakarta has had less than the normal amount of time to prepare. It was selected four years ago after Vietnam, the original host, pulled out because of financial problems. There are sure to be problems as Indonesia tries to show it could hold even larger events. But there's also gratitude from the Olympic Council of Asia — which oversees sports in the region — for stepping in.
"We are asking that people come to see the Asian Games, but please come to see them using public transportation," Herryanto said, calling this a chance to change habits and a possible "legacy" of the quadrennial event.
Despite its quirky qualities, the Asian Games are also a serious proving ground for powerful teams from China, Japan and South Korea, and a chance for smaller nations to win medals that are out of reach at the Olympics.
Esports will also get a look as a demonstration sport, and jet ski is on the schedule
Combined Koreas Park Hyejin shoots the ball during their women's basketball match against Taiwan at the 18th Asian Games in Jakarta, Indonesia on Friday, Aug. 17, 2018. (AP PhotoAaron Favila)
The games, which open Saturday and run through Sept. 2, also showcase sports climbing and skateboarding, two events being added to the schedule for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
And — get ready for this — there's competition in contract bridge, which should attract a slightly older demographic than gymnastics or swimming. The oldest card player is reported to be 81.
"We have really worked hard to prepare this," Eris Herryanto, the secretary general of the local organizing committee, told The Associated Press. "I think we are ready."
Combined Koreas Kim Hanbyul shoots against Taiwan's Yuting Lin during their women's basketball match at the 18th Asian Games in Jakarta, Indonesia on Friday, Aug. 17, 2018. (AP PhotoAaron Favila)
Jakarta has had less than the normal amount of time to prepare. It was selected four years ago after Vietnam, the original host, pulled out because of financial problems. There are sure to be problems as Indonesia tries to show it could hold even larger events. But there's also gratitude from the Olympic Council of Asia — which oversees sports in the region — for stepping in.
Jakarta is famous for some of the world's worst traffic jams, with a river of swerving motorbikes trying to beat the congestion. Getting athletes to venues on time is sure to be challenging. Some schools along transportation routes have been closed, and the city is also using an odd-even license plate scheme to reduce traffic.
But no one is being asked to stay home. Just the opposite.
Japanese players bow to their supporters following their 4-0 win over pakistan in their men's soccer match at the 18th Asian Games at Wibawa Mukti stadium in Cikarang, Indonesia, Thursday, Aug. 16, 2018. (AP PhotoVincent Thian)
"We are asking that people come to see the Asian Games, but please come to see them using public transportation," Herryanto said, calling this a chance to change habits and a possible "legacy" of the quadrennial event.
Security will be heavy. Organizers say 100,000 police and military will be on guard with another 100,000 in reserve.
Indonesia is certainly large enough to think of itself as an Olympic country. With 260 million people, it's the world's fourth-most populous nation after China, India and the United States. It's comprised of about 13,500 islands — the government says 922 are permanently occupied — that stretch about 5,100 kilometers (3,200 miles), which is greater than the distance from east to west in the continental United States.
China players pose for photographer before their men's soccer match between China and Syria at the 18th Asian Games at Si Jalak Harupat Stadium in Bandung, Indonesia, Thursday, Aug. 16, 2018. (AP Photo Achmad Ibrahim )
Despite its quirky qualities, the Asian Games are also a serious proving ground for powerful teams from China, Japan and South Korea, and a chance for smaller nations to win medals that are out of reach at the Olympics.
Forty-five nations are entered from Afghanistan, Bahrain and Bangladesh to Uzbekistan, Vietnam and Yemen.
Singapore, one of the smallest nations, has one of the biggest names in swimmer Joseph Schooling, an Olympic gold medalist who defeated Michael Phelps in the 100 butterfly two years ago in Rio de Janeiro.
South Korea's swimmer An Sehyeon adjusts her swim cap during a training session the 18th Asian Games in Jakarta, Indonesia, Thursday, Aug. 16, 2018. (AP PhotoBernat Armangue)
China has the largest delegation with 845 athletes. But it's a young team. It includes only 214 who have been in previous Olympics or Asian Games, and only 19 Olympic gold medalists. The most famous is three-time Olympic gold-medal swimmer Sun Yang.
South Korea and Japan are not far behind.
South Korea has 807 athletes, a number that includes 38 North Korean athletes. The Koreas are entering several combined teams, following up on a combined team in women's hockey at this year's Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea.
Japan has traveled with 768 athletes, which is more than double the size of the team it sent to the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics. That reflects the size of the Asian Games, and Japan's push to win 30 gold medals in two years in Tokyo.
Shawn Levy is no novice when it comes to rumors around his projects. Years on “Stranger Things” taught him how to tune out the noise. Yet even he’s found himself astonished by the sheer volume of speculation around “Deadpool & Wolverine.”
“The rumors around this movie are overwhelming," Levy said in a recent interview with The Associated Press. “But so is the anticipation, which is a nice situation.”
Anticipation might be an understatement for a movie that is poised to be the theatrical event of the summer, when it opens on July 26. The first trailer, which aired during the Super Bowl, was viewed a record 365 million times online in its first 24 hours. The second, which dropped this week, broke another record – for the most “F-bombs” in the MCU (six in less than three minutes).
Much of that excitement is because this film marks the first time Ryan Reynolds’ foul-mouthed Deadpool/Wade Wilson and Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine are being folded into Kevin Feige’s Marvel Cinematic Universe. Both properties existed previously under the 21st Century Fox banner.
When Disney acquired the studio’s film and TV assets in early 2019, Wolverine had already died in “Logan,” a third “Deadpool” was in development and Marvel was still firmly in the PG-13 business, a rating that allows for only one F-bomb.
On a call with investors as the deal was going through, Walt Disney Company CEO Bob Iger was already reassuring people that a Disney Deadpool would remain R-rated. Soon after, Reynolds also posted a photo on social media showing his character with Mickey Mouse ears on a yellow school bus labeled “Disney." The meta humor, it seemed, was also firmly intact.
But what would the story be? Levy was announced as the film’s director in early 2022, coming in as a fan of Reynolds’ snarky tone and fourth wall breaking.
“There was no way I was going to reinvent a wheel, a tonal wheel, that works so beautifully,” Levy said. “Both Disney and Marvel, up and down the food chain, empowered Ryan and I to make this movie exactly as we dreamed.”
Things really started to really take shape when Jackman signed on that fall, however. It would mark the first time that the characters would be together in a movie since 2009’s “X-Men Origins: Wolverine.” In the years since, Reynolds and Jackman have staged a very tongue in cheek, very funny “feud” with one another on social media, dancing around the idea of sharing the big screen again.
The dream seemed to have died after “Logan” and Jackman’s retirement as Wolverine. But death is never exactly final in the multiverse, and, they promised, this film would not interfere with “Logan.”
“It’s a really interesting duo,” Levy said. “They’re built for huge conflict with each other because they’re so different individually. But that makes for a very interesting story, because the best two hander stories, whether it’s ‘Midnight Run’ or ‘48 Hours’ or ‘Planes, Trains and Automobiles,’ yes, it’s littered with conflict. But it’s ultimately about something more as well and that’s what audiences will see.”
The dynamic was also fueled by the real-life friendship between Levy, Jackman and Reynolds that goes back a decade off screen and includes films like “Free Guy” and “Real Steel.”
“The real benefit of being friends off set is that you can try crazy stuff without fear of falling. Because some of it won’t work and that will be momentarily embarrassing, but if you’re among friends, it’s okay to make a fool of yourself in the pursuit of something surprising and something unexpected,” Levy said. “This movie is filled with moments, both comedic and character based, that we didn’t expect and were the result of a freedom that that came from being friends.”
The Marvel multiverse has gotten a bit overwhelming in recent years for the more casual fans who may have seen most of the films but only dabbled in the Disney+ offerings that regularly introduce new concepts and characters that eventually find their way into the films. “Deadpool & Wolverine,” for instance, uses the Time Variance Authority (TVA) — a major part of “Loki” but new to the movies — to help get Deadpool to the MCU. But Levy promises that enjoyment of “Deadpool & Wolverine” requires no bingeing or studying beforehand.
“I was a good student in school. I’ll do my homework as an adult. But I am definitely not looking to do homework when I go to the movies,” Levy said.
“I very much made this film with certainly a healthy respect and gratitude towards the rabid fan base that has peak fluency in the mythology and lore of these characters and this world. But I didn’t want to presume that. This movie is built for entertainment, with no obligation to come prepared with prior research.”
Like many productions, “Deadpool & Wolverine” was affected by the strikes. It was “pencils down” when the writers walked out, including for Reynolds who is credited on the script, and a complete shutdown when the actors went to the picket lines.
“The impact was real,” Levy said. “For me as the director, and the producer, the multi-month pause happened right in the middle of filming. All I could do was edit and review the footage. But it taught me about my movie, and it really revealed what was working and what the movie wanted to be.”
When they resumed shooting post-strike, Levy wasn’t panicked about rushing to the finish. Instead, he felt like he’d come back with a deeper knowledge of what they needed to do.
“It really focused our work and I think improved our work in the second half,” Levy said. “That’s not a luxury we ever get in live-action filmmaking.”
So, what about what’s IN the film? Well, that’s something that Levy can’t really talk about. For one, he’s busy finishing the movie (“it’s coming together nicely,” he said). Also, “Deadpool & Wolverine” doesn’t need to tease out plotlines to stoke enthusiasm, what when there are near daily articles speculating about a Taylor Swift cameo (and a Wikipedia page that’s nearly 5,000 words). It’s unclear what the Venn Diagram overlap is for Swifties and Marvel fans but one thing is apparent: United, they’re a powerful bunch.
Marvel has had some Phase 5 bumps, with films like “The Marvels” underperforming financially and others underwhelming critics. And outside of the MCU, the industry is feeling the pains of so-called “superhero fatigue” that has sent DC back to the drawing boards to start anew. But “Deadpool & Wolverine” is not to be underestimated.
It could be the first MCU movie since “Spider-Man: No Way Home” to crack $1 billion, which would also put it in the running to become the highest grossing R-rated film of all time. That title currently belongs to “Joker” with its $1.08 billion.
“Audiences are hungry for a great time at the movies,” Levy said. “They want to be delighted, transported and entertained. And when they are given that, whether it’s ‘Barbie,’ ‘Oppenheimer’ or any number of other recent movies, they show up.”
He added: “The movie is built for audience delight. I think that (they’re) in for a very fun ride.”
Shawn Levy, left, director of the upcoming film "Deadpool & Wolverine," and Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige wave to the audience during the Walt Disney Studios presentation at CinemaCon 2024, Thursday, April 11, 2024, at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
Shawn Levy, director of the upcoming film "Deadpool & Wolverine," discusses the film during the Walt Disney Studios presentation at CinemaCon 2024, Thursday, April 11, 2024, at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
This image released by 20th Century Studios/Marvel Studios shows Morena Baccarin as Vanessa and Ryan Reynolds as Wade Wilson in a scene from "Deadpool & Wolverine." (20th Century Studios/Marvel Studios via AP)
This image released by 20th Century Studios/Marvel Studios shows Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool/Wade Wilson in a scene from "Deadpool & Wolverine." (20th Century Studios/Marvel Studios via AP)
This image released by 20th Century Studios/Marvel Studios shows Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool/Wade Wilson and Hugh Jackman as Wolverine/Logan in a scene from "Deadpool & Wolverine." (20th Century Studios/Marvel Studios via AP)
