Another picture of Jet Li has been posted on his official site. We can see Jet Li is wearing a different black jacket and standing in front of the entrance of a city or a fortress.

22 set pictures were up on SuperHeroHype.Com. Click here

Thanks to Cass

Dayoo.Com has posted six production stills of HERO, three are never being seen before and the black and white version of the other three has been posted on July 13th.

The website also revealed how the story will be told:

WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD! HIGHLIGHT TO READ.

Among the seven kingdoms, Qin was the strongest. To stop its aggression, warriors from the other six countries were planning their own plans of assassinating the king of Qin (Chen Daoming). Among them, there were three heroes from the kingdom of Zhao, Can Jian (Leung Chiu-Wai), Fei Xue (Maggie Cheung) and Ru Yue (Zhang Ziyi). But they were killed by a mysterious swordsman who had no  name (Jet Li). (Note: earlier report including words from Zhang Ziyi herself suggest Ru Yue survived.) The king called the swordsman to his palace to thank him personally. When he finally approached the king up to a distance of ten steps, he started to tell the king a story, a very true story... Once the swordsman finished the story, he pulled out his sword...

SPOILERS END.

Yesterday, director Zhang Yimou was awarded with the 13th annual Fukuoka Asian Culture Prize. At the award ceremony, he said his films (including HERO) are influenced by Kurosawa Akira, the legendary Japanese director who made RASHOMON, THE SEVEN SAMURAI, THE SHADOW WARRIOR and RAN. He also highly praised the work of Emi Wada, the costume designer, who also worked in RAN. He said all fibers used to make the costumes were dyed by her own hands with dyes purchased from Britain and Japan. Onetime Zhang Yimou asked her for a kind of red color fiber, then within a month she made over 100 red colors for him to choose.

When being asked about HERO's odds of getting a few Oscars, Zhang Yimou said, "I like Ang Lee's CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON. Generally speaking, he explored the overseas market for Chinese films. No doubt, HERO got financed because of him. Since the beginning of the shooting, HERO has drawn so much attention and has become an excellent combination of stars and backstage talents. For the commitment to the investors, I have to succeed. But whether (HERO) can make it to the Oscar, I am not sure, because CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON was a miracle (for getting four Oscars). History can never be repeated and I am not expecting another miracle either."

Zhang Yimou's latest film HAPPY TIMES has performed very well in the US. During the first week of release (started last Friday), it has managed to earn $34,575 with just six locales, averaging $5,763 per theater.

More production photos of THE TOUCH were up on Sina.Com. Click here

Starting today, THE TOUCH will be shown in the mainland China, Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia. At about 28 theaters in 28 Chinese cities, the first screening will start at 0 o'clock Beijing Time. THE TOUCH will arrive in Taiwan and Thailand in about two weeks.

The teaser of SHANGHAI KNIGHTS is finally online.

Click here

Yahoo! Movie just posted ten production stills and the trailer we have already seen. Click here

This British action flick, directed by Ronny Yu (THE BRIDE WITH WHITE HAIR 1 & 2) and staring Samuel L. Jackson and Robert Carlyle, will be released in North America October 25th.

Someone from the Chinese distributor of THE TOUCH told Shanghai Youth that Miramax has promised to release the movie in North America by the end of December in order to make it eligible for bidding the Oscar. Michelle Yeoh, director Peter Pau and producer Thomas Chung are hoping THE TOUCH can repeat CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON's Oscar triumph.

Many people, including Jason Powell, have asked me to comment on the report posted on AICN on July 25. The one wrote the report, only known as "The Devil's Halo", probably works for Columbia Pictures Film Production Asia or knows someone working for Columbia, because all titles being mentions in the report are somehow attached to Columbia Pictures.

KUNG FU COLLEGE - Stephen Chow is working on his next project, which will be another kung-fu plus comedy and will be set in the 1950's. According to his manager Tin Kai-Man, shooting is expect to begin early next year and will be released by the end of that year. They are still working on the script and Tin Kai-Man has refused to say more. No word on the title and if KUNG FU COLLEGE is the English title being pre-picked, I would say: change it!

GOLDEN ZENITH - Zhang Ziyi is currently working on PURPLE BUTTERFLY and as what I know this is the only project she is attached with. However PURPLE BUTTERFLY is only the literal title and possibly GOLDEN ZENITH is the official English title of the film. I am hoping it is not. However GOLDEN ZENITH could be one of so many projects have drown her attention.

SO CLOSE 2 - This is the first report on Columbia Pictures talking about a sequel of SO CLOSE. However, calling back all three female leads and director Corey Yuen could be somewhat difficult because they all have their own busy schedules. SO CLOSE is financed by Columbia Pictures and is scheduled to be released this fall.

WARRIORS OF HEAVEN AND EARTH - Same as HEROES OF HEAVEN AND EARTH. Possibly, Columbia Pictures has replaced "HEROES" with "WARRIORS" to avoid any confusion with Zhang Yimou's HERO. This is another Chinese production financed by Columbia Pictures and the post-production will end in September. A world-wide released will happen sometime next year.

THE MISSING GUN - This mainland Chinese film has already been released in China in May. Columbia Pictures will distribute it in North America with no release date confirmed.

MONKEY KING - Columbia Pictures is planning a big screen adoption of the classic Chinese novel Xi You Ji (Journey to the West) with Hong Kong actor Cheung Wai-Kin (Dicky) attached to play the Monkey King. Cheung said the Columbia Pictures will spend at least HK$60 million (US$7.7 million) on it. An unidentified "well-known" Chinese director is currently in talk to helm the film. Cheung said he wanted the movie being made from Chinese perspective. The Hallmark production THE LOST EMPIRE, which is partially based on the novel, really pissed him off. The TV adoption of the novel staring Cheung Wai-Kin will soon be shown in Hong Kong, mainland China and Taiwan.

NO THIEVES - If I were right, the literal title of the movie is NO THIEVES UNDER HEAVEN. This project, with director Fen Xiaogang and Stephen Chow attached with, is now dead or at least in coma.

UNDERWEAR GODFATHER (YAKUZA SIDE STORY) - Sounds like a Japanese production.

VERY VERY STORY - My guess is this is the English title of STORY OF FIRST LOVE being produced by Hsu Li-kong, one of the producers of CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON. It is set during the World War 2 and tells a story of a young Chinese girl falling in love with her French music professor. Hsu has been working on the project for two years and when he showed the script to Ang Lee, the answer he got is "Interesting but I don't have time". Then Hsu picked Yin Chi, whom he has worked with on YE BEN, to direct the film. Shooting is expected to begin in Paris and Shanghai this fall. Release date is set in September next year. Ang Lee may be listed as one of the producers, but only in name.

Beijing's Morning Post reports Oliver Stone has made a short trip to Beijing yesterday. He said his next movie would be partially shot in Dunhuang region of the northeast part of China. According to a Variety's report on July 24, Oliver Stone has planned to start his Alexander biopic on October 16 with Colin Farrell. With breathtaking scenery of desert, mountains and the Yardang ridges, Dunhuang has received the visits of HERO and THE TOUCH last year. We know the mighty army of Alexander the Great never reached China, but Dunhuang's scenery could be used to double many lands he conquered. Oliver Stone will soon go back to China to scout locations. If everything goes according to plan, Oliver Stone may win the race of making an Alexander the Great biopic the first. Director Baz Luhrmann (MOULIN ROUGE) and producer Dino De Laurentiis (HANNIBAL) are hoping to start shooting their version of the Great biopic in January, with backup from Universal, 20th Century Fox and Mohammed VI, king of Morocco. Martin Scorsese (GANGS OF NEW YORK) had announced his Alexander with Leonardo DiCaprio a while ago, but somehow the project is temporarily on hold. While in Beijing, Oliver Stone has also discussed the possibility of making a movie about people's life in China adopted from a novel. He has flied to Thailand today. Another Vietnam War movie?

Script Review: KILL BILL (Positive, Massive Spoilers) by Sebastian Haselbeck

Thanks to Sebastian Haselbeck

During an interview conduced by China's New Daily, screenwriter / director Lee Gang (?), the younger brother of Ang Lee, said "Ang Lee is very likely not going to direct the CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON prequel and he will probably just executive produce it." He said after the "Family Trilogy" (PUSHING HANDS, THE WEDDING BANQUET, EAST DRINK MAN WOMAN), Ang Lee's each movie was his one more attempt of trying a brand new subject.

This is a report done by NetandTV.Com on the première of the remake of XIAO CHENG ZHI CHUN (SPRING IN A SMALL TOWN). It shows director Tian Zhuangzhuang and Wei Wei, the leading lady in the original.

Video: Première, film clips and behind-the-scene

Script Review: KILL BILL (Positive, Major Spoilers) by Spongebob Durden

Reviews (Rotten Tomatoes)

Official Site (SONY)

For more information, visit the special section of HAPPY TIMES

Director Tian Zhuangzhuang's first feature film in nearly a decade, XIAO CHENG ZHI CHUN (SPRING IN A SMALL TOWN), has been released in China today. The film is a remake of the 1948's same name classic by director Fei Mu.

In a small town, housewife Zhou Yuwen and her husband Dai Liyan lived in normal but boring life. Dai Liyan was suffering from severe depression, after lost his family fortune during the war. When a young doctor, Zhang Zhichen, old friend of Dai Liyan and ex-lover of Zhou Yuwen, came to visit them, the young couple's life could never be the same. Meanwhile, Dai Liyan's younger sister Dai Xiu started to fall in love with the charming doctor.

Tian Zhuangzhuang is known his works ON THE HUNTING GROUND (1984), THE HORSE THIEF (1986) and THE BLUE KITE (1993).

For more information, visit the special section of SPRING IN A SMALL TOWN

Review: THE TUXEDO (Positive, Minor Spoilers) by Darkwind

The one really came out of nowhere and is moving faster than all other Jackie Chan projects in development, TITANIUM RAIN, BELLBOY, RUSH HOUR 3, NOSEBLEED...

According to Paramount Pictures, the film will be "executive produced by Jackie Chan's longtime Hong Kong based managers, Willie Chan and Solon So. Legendary producer Edward Saxon ('Silence of the Lambs', 'Philadelphia'), has also joined the project."  Principal shooting will start in Prague this October..

The original news release by Paramount Pictures

Note: the report of Paramount Pictures announcing the project at a news conference in Montréal with Jackie Chan in attendance is false. Thanks to Marie M for the correction.

Really nothing new. Everything from the dairy has been said in Jackie Chan's diary posted on his own website and the video clip has already been shown on Entertainment Tonight. Jackie Chan is doing a much better job on promoting the movie than Disney is. (Note: the movie is produced by Disney)

Click here for the official site

Shooting of the new feminine action movie NAKED WEAPON is currently underway in Hong Kong. We do not know much about the story. However, it is a sorted of sequel of NAKED KILLER even though no one from the original returns, therefore this one should have the same gene - feminism, a little bit lesbianism, and lots of actions. Action director of HERO, Ching Siu-Tung (Tony), helms this film produced by Wong Jing. Two leading roles are filled by Maggie Q and Anya. The cast also include Wu Yin-cho (Daniel), Emily Lo and Li Fei (playing a female killer). What really unusual it the movie is made completed in English and will have a worldwide release starting the end of this year.

Thanks to Cass for the photo

Photo: The Sun (Hong Kong)

Related Report:

Wong Jing Holding NAKED WEAPON (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) June 13, 2002

This over four minute long video contains scenes mostly we have never seen before:

THE TOUCH Video (clip and behind-the-scene) (Windows Media) - if the link does not work, try again.

And, here are a few statistics of the movie:

- Scenes contain special effects: 900+

- Scenes shot with wires: 11 minutes

- Scenes with martial art fight: less than 15 minutes

- Origins of the cast: 12 countries

- Production cost: US$20 million

- Cost covered: US$14 million (by selling distribution rights and loyalties)

Photo: SINA.COM

Not much today except an on-location snapshot of Nakamura Tôru, who plays a Japanese secret police.

From the website of Hong Kong's TVB:

(Left) Kar (Seann William Scott).

(Mid) Kar and Bad Girl (James King).

(Right) Kar and The Monk (Chow Yun-Fat) running in the street. This is a close-up of a pictures previousely posted on this site (May 23, 2002).

photos: TVB.Com

According to Taiwan's United News, Miramax has decided to finance THE TOUCH sequel, which is currently at the script-writing stage. In the sequel, Michelle Yoeh's character and her team will fight the bad guys over a precious diamond, again in China . Michelle Yeoh told this paper this US$20 million dollar movie would cost a Hollywood studio 60 to 70 million to make. Her next project, HUA MULAN, has also received money offer about US$30 million from another studio.

Hong Kong media report shooting of WU WEN XING ZHE, a new cop/gang drama from director Lau Wai-Keung, will start by the end of this month. Andy Lau will played a cop going undercover as a gang member and Leung Chiu-Wai will play some bad cop. This is the first time they work together in eleven years. Wong Chau-sang (Anthony) will also have a role in the movie, probably a crime boss or something like that. The fourth male and the female leading roles remain uncast.

The production company is looking for two teens who looks like Leung and Lau to play the younger version of them. With a budget of HK$ 40 million (The movie will be produced by Base Production and distributed by Media Asia during the coming Christmas.

Photos: SINA.COM

According to Greg's Previews, the Miramax has pushed the North American release SHAOLIN SOCCER to the first quarter of 2003. Just not very long ago, Miramax announced to release it in Los Angles and New York on August 30 and then gradually expand to other cities. The application submitted to MPAA is indeed for SHAOLIN SOCCER not KUNG FU SOCCER.

Greg's Preview on SHAOLIN SOCCER

With less than two weeks away from release, a new poster has been revealed, featuring four leads Michelle Yeoh, Ben Chaplin, Richard Roxburgh and Brandon Chang. Meanwhile the official site  just had another round of update. New features include two shots of giant outdoor billboards and three small sample of the soundtrack, each is attached with a nice slideshow.

Almost a year ago, Michelle launched a worldwide contest to choose the right girl to play the younger version of her character. Now we finally know who actually won. According to Hong Kong media, she is 20 year old Zuo Xiaoqing from China's Hunan Province. Have been practicing rhythmic gymnastics since young and once a national champion, she is perfect for the role, an acrobat in the movie.

A note was sent to Aintitcool.com claiming there would be a woman Hulk, died short-after hulked due to too much gamma radiation. First Hulk father, then Hulk rat, and now a Hulk girl?

Click here for the original report

12 pictures are up on Super Hero Hype:

Click here

Thanks to Cass

Jackie Chan's diary has been updated through June 23.

Click here

Script Review: KILL BILL (Positive, Minor Spoilers) by Honest Abe