November 30, 2003

Other Releases:

Star Runner (Hong Kong)

Photos: G-film.com, Mov3.com, KingNet, Sina.com

INFERNAL AFFAIRS Official Site (Media Asia Group)

November 29, 2003

Only the Chinese site is available and the English edition is "coming soon". But there are so many good stuffs if you explore it.

The top-bar menu (from left to right): "Latest News", "Synopsis", "The Cast", "The Characters", "Stills", "Clips (incl. trailers)", "Downloads (wallpapers and screensaver), "Game", "Message Board".

Click here

Real Spy Photos From The Set Of SHI MIAN MAI FU (NetandTV.com)

November 28, 2003

A spy from NetandTV has successfully infiltrated into the indoor set inside Soundstage 3 of Beijing Film Studios and sent us tons of pictures. According to the spy, the scene is something like policeman Andy Lau visiting Peony Work (a brothel?) and seeing Zhang Ziyi dancing on the floor. Takeshi Kaneshiro has returned  to Japan due to his injured ankle and Anita Mui has yet come. A news conference will be held in a few days in Beijing. The indoor filming will wrap up by mid December and the production will immediately move to the last location - bamboo forest in Yongchuan of southeast China.

Andy Lau: A B C D E

Zhang Ziyi: A B C D

Zhang Yimou, Andy Lau and Ching Siu-Tung

Thanks to "Sarah"

John McTiemen Scotts Locations For JUDGE DEE In China (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive)

November 28, 2003

According to Chengdu Daily, director John McTiernan and an independent producer only known as "Roy" have made a visit to Hengdian World Studios (Hengdian Film & TV City) in China's Zhejiang Province. According to the paper, shooting of Murder In Canton will start in March. This US$30 million production is based on a on mystery novel series Judge Dee, by Dutch diplomat Robert Van Gulik. It is a fictional story about Di (Dee) Renjie, a real life minister served under the only female monarch of China, Wu Zetian. According to Screen Daily's reporting in May, "the basic story is a murder mystery but with adventure, fantasy, romance and martial arts," The character of Judge Dee will be played by a Chinese actor with a Westerner as his sidekick." Leasing the set of Hengdian, where Hero and The Emperor And The Assassin were made, is absolutely free. However, the gigantic studio plus theme park does not have houses representing the right period.

Related Story:

DIE HARD Director To Helm MURDER IN CANTON (ScreenDaily.com) May 23, 2002

Update On Chen Kaige's New Historical Epic - THE PROMISE (Various)

November 27, 2003

According to Chengdu Daily, the English title of Kaige Chen's upcoming historical epic is called The Promise. The story is still unknown but it should be another historical epic. Chen has sent his men to Hengdian World Studios (Hengdian Film & TV City), where his first historical epic  The Emperor And The Assassin  was made. So far only names of actor Ge You and Hong Kong action director Dion Lam are released to the public.

Related Story:

Chen Kaige Plans New Action, His First Martial-Art Piece?

(MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) November 14, 2003

Wong Kar-Wai Has Done His 1/3 Of EROS (Various)

November 27, 2003

According to an unknown source, Wong Kar-Wai has finished the post-production of his part of Eros. Set in Hong Kong during the 1960's (same as In The Mood For Love and possibly 2046), it stars Gong Li as a club dancer who falls for a tailor played by Chang Chen.

The other two parts of the film are directed by Michelangelo Antonioni and Steven Soderbergh. Eros is produced by Warner Independent Pictures and is aimed at a première at Cannes in May 2004.

Spy Photos Of Zhang Yimou's SHI MIAN MAI FU (Joyful City / Sina.com)

November 26, 2003

			Zhang Ziyi and five cast members walking out of the set. Joyful City / Sina.com

Chinese weekly magazine Joyful City has posted the first batch of spy photos with members of the cast and crew, including Zhang Ziyi. A dark spot on her forehead was clearly visible. Was it part of the makeup or a healing wound?

Based on various news articles, Shi Mian Mai Fu is also going to be styled with colors, just like how Zhang Yimou created Hero. The bamboo forest in Yongchuan provides the perfect green; 80 farmers worked months to cover the Ukrainian wilderness with a kind of mysterious flower, golden sunflowers according to some speculation; and the Ukrainian mountain snow offers the pure white.

More spy photos:

Zhang Ziyi: A B C

Crew members and visitors to the set: A B C D E

NEW POLICE STORY Over-Budgeted And Over-Timed (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive)

November 25, 2003

According to Hong Kong's Oriental Daily and The Sun, the production of Jackie Chan's New Police Story is severely over-budgeted and over-timed. The budgeted HK$100 million (US$12.9 million) has almost run out. Last week Jackie Chan asked his long-time partner Willie Chan to add 20 million more and the answer he got was "no". To ease the tension between them, Yeung Sau-Shing the big boss of Emperor Group which is co-producing the film, personally pumped in 20 million. According to these two papers, Jackie Chan has designed lots of expensive big scenes. A two minutes scene alone would burn three million on location. He has added a few more car-blowing-up-in-street scenes, which required another month to complete.

Thanks to Mark Singh

PAYCHECK Stills (Various)

November 24, 2003

From Film Rotation

More from the official site

Thanks to Mark Singh

Ang Lee To Helm BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN (The Hollywood Reporter)

November 23, 2003

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Ang Lee "is circling a big-screen adaptation of the epic love story 'Brokeback Mountain' for Focus Features." Based on the same name short story by E. Annie Proulx, the "epic love story set against the sweeping vistas of Wyoming and Texas and centering on two young men -- a ranch hand and a rodeo cowboy -- who meet in the summer of 1961. Unexpectedly, the two forge a lifelong connection, with

complications, joys and tragedies that provide a testament to the endurance and power of love." Sounds perfect for Ang Lee's talent.

Click here for the original report by The Hollywood Reporter

Thanks to Mark Singh

Jackie Chan's NEW POLICE STORY - Official Synopsis And Stills (Emperor Multimedia Group)

November 22, 2003

Jackie Chan and Nicolas Tse	Daniel Wu	Charlie Yeung
Emperor Multimedia Group

According to EMG, plot of New Police Story is something like a veteran cop (Jackie Chan) teaming up with a rookie cop (Nicolas Tse) against the Gang of Five, led by the main villain (Daniel Wu). Click here for the plot

More stills: A , B

Teaser Trailer Of Michelle Yeoh's SILVER HAWK (Official Film Site)

November 22, 2003

Teaser of the futuristic martial-art superheroine flick is finally online, along with the re-launched official site.

Click here for the Silverness!

Shots From 2046 Set In Shanghai (Joyful City)

November 21, 2003

Dong Jie		Crewmembers are preparing the set.	(Left to right) cinematographer Christopher Doyle, art director Chang Shu-Ping, and director Wong Kar-Wai

According to the Joyful City, a newspaper, actress

Dong Jie has been spotted on the set. She started her acting career by playing the lead character in Yimou Zhang's Happy Times. Her surprising appearance made several newspapers to conclude that she was brought in to replace Zhang Ziyi.

Jackie Chan Will Join THE BIRTH OF THE PINK PANTHER? (Dark Horizons)

November 21, 2003

	wireimage.com, PinkPanther.com

According to Dark Horizons, Jackie Chan is in talk to play Cato in the newest big screen version of the series called The Birth Of The Pink Panther. So far only Steve Martin is on board and Herbert Lom is also in talk to retake the role of Dreyfus. Will Jackie Chan take the supporting role, something he has not been doing for a long time (he did a few cameos in a few movies, though)?

Click here for the report by Dark Horizons

INFERNAL AFFAIRS III Stills (G-Film)

November 20, 2003

Leung Chiu-Wai	Andy Lau	Chen Daoming	Leon Lai	Kelly Chen
Media Asia

16 stills

Official site.

Teaser Trailer Of DARK OCTOBER (Jin Chuan Pictures)

November 19, 2003

Click here (QuickTime)

Set in 1905's Hong Kong, the film will tell a fictional story of five martial-artists protecting Dr. the later founding father of republic China against the most deadly assassins sent by the corrupt Qing government. According to the website of Jin Chuan Pictures, shooting will start in April next year.

Official film site (temporary)

Thanks to Hiroshi Fukazawa.

ZI YU ZI LE Starts Rolling (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive)

November 19, 2003

According to Chinese media, shooting of "kung-fu comedy" has started in the Zhejiang Province a week ago. Directed by Li Xin and starring John Lone and CoCo Lee, it is about how a group of villagers making a martial-art epic of their own. The crew also includes producer Peggy Chiao, director of cinematographer Wong Ngak-Tai (The Medallion, Purple Storm, Iron Monkey, New Dragon Inn, Once Upon A Time In China), action director Tung Wei (Bulletproof Monk, Hero, Scooby-Doo, A Better Tomorrow), and sound director Wu Lala.

Photo: John Lone and director Li XIn at a news conference in Shanghai.