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.

Jackie Chan Has Fun With Friends And Fans On The Set Of NEW POLICE STORY (The Sun)

November 18, 2003

(From left to right): Kenneth Low, Sammo Hung's son Hung Tin-Ming, Stanley Tong, Jackie Chan and an unidentified cast member.

More pictures:

Jackie Chan and Ng Ho-Hong, who plays a small role in the film.

Is Jackie Chan still drunk?

Jackie Chan has never  run out of fans.

Jackie Chan Does NEW POLICE STORY And Plans JackieLand (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive)

November 17, 2003

Oriental Daily, The Sun

According to Hong Kong paper Oriental Daily, Jackie Chan's New Police Story is selling very well in Southeast Asia. Meanwhile, when he was promoting Shanghai Knights in Japan, Jackie Chan told two local papers that he would build a theme park called JackieLand in Hong Kong.

(Left) On location of New Police Story

(Right) What would the theme park look like. From left to  right: "Museum", "Theme Park", "Studio", "Theater".

INFERNAL AFFAIRS III Posters (Information Times)

November 16, 2003

More Spy Shots Of The SHI MIAN MAI FU Set (Photocome)

November 15, 2003

More pictures taken on the set inside Beijing Film Studios' giant soundstages have been released by Photocome.

According to Sina.com, the brothel is called "Peony Work", not " Peony Pavilion". This is where Zhang Ziyi's character, a blind singer (dancer as well?) works.

All pictures were taken on the set of the brothel, except the one at the southeast corner, which is an abandoned Buddhist temple.

First row: (left) a courtyard, (mid) an entrance, (right) another view of the courtyard;

Second row: (left) a view from the outside, (mid) curving on a column, (right) a corner of the abandoned temple.

Chen Kaige Plans New Action, His First Martial-Art Piece? (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive)

November 14, 2003

According to various reports, director Chen Kaige and his team just told Chinese media that Chen is planning something really big, which will be put into action as early as the coming February. Chen said the film was about freedom, love and fate, and is something with imagination. Chen Kaige and another writer have been working on the script for over two years. The action will be helmed by Dion Lam (The Storm Riders, Infernal Affairs, The Matrix sequels, Spider- Man 2); the CG works will be handled by one of the effect houses did Spider-Man (or the sequel, maybe); and the art director is from Japan (name has not been revealed). Dion Lam said the film's quality would be able to matching that of big-budget of Hollywood productions and it would own a "world class" cast. According to Chen Kaige's wife plus partner Chen Hong, we would know once  the poster came out.

As the two most shining stars of the Fifth Generation directors of China, Chen Kaige and Zhang Yimou always have some competition between them. They attended Beijing Film Academy together at the turn of 1970's and 1980's. In 1983, Chen made his directorial début The Yellow Earth with Zhang as the cinematographer. Three years later, Zhang directed his first film Red Sorghum , which instantly made him most acclaimed director in China. A year later, Zhang played the lead character in A Terracotta Warrior, a fantasy story involving The First Emperor of China. In 1998, Chen made the epic production The Emperor And The Assassin, about the well-known historical event of Jing Ke assassinating the soon-to-be First Emperor, with Gong Li, the only leading girl of the seven films by Zhang Yimou. In 2002, Zhang introduced his first martial-art epic Hero, a fictional story of assassinating the soon-to-be First Emperor. The film achieved the domestic revenue of 250 million yuans (US$ 30.2 million), 25 times of what The Emperor And The Assassin did. While Zhang's second martial-art film Shi Mian Mai Fu is currently under filming, Chen Kaige suddenly announced his own martial-art piece. Just less than a year ago, Chen said he was not interested in martial-art film at all.

SHI MIAN MAI FU Spy Photos - Costumes, Set At Beijing Film Studio, The Bamboo Forest... (Big Star / Chengdu Daily)

November 13, 2003

A photographer from newspaper Big Star has infiltrated into Beijing Film Studios and took a few pictures. The set includes a brothel called "The Peony Pavilion" at Soundstage 3, an abandoned Buddhist temple within the bamboo forest at Soundstage 1 and 2, and a dungeon at Soundstage 2. According to the paper, Tan Dun is no longer attached to the project and his job now belongs to Japanese composer Shigeru Umebayashi, who did the music for In The Mood For Love. (more photos: Another Emi Wada's sketch of Zhang Ziyi's dress, A military uniform)

Meanwhile, over a thousand miles southwest of Beijing, another photographer from another newspaper Chengdu Daily, has made a visit to the "Bamboo Sea" location in Youngchuan. 300 bags of bamboo leaves collected from nearby mountains have been put on two small paths in the forest. Several moss-covered rocks have been placed on the one of the path. A three-room cabin is currently under construction. (more photo: Another shot of the path through the bamboo forest)

Update On Zhang Yimou's SHI MIAN MAI FU (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive)

November 12, 2003

According to Chengdu Daily, the cast and crew, the size of over a hundred, and a cargo weights dozens of tons, have arrived in Beijing with a chartered plane from Ukraine. Three out of five biggest soundstages of Beijing Film Studios have been leased for indoor scenes. Among them, Soundstage 3 has been used for making various films, like Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Kill Bill. Construction of the indoor set is almost complete and shooting will restart soon. Filming in the bamboo forest of Yongchuan will start next month.

Singer Jay Chow Joints Tsui Hark's INITIAL D ? (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive)

November 11, 2003

Jay Chou	Edison Chen	Tsui Hark
Sina.com

According to an unknown source, Taiwanese singer Jay Chou has been offered with the title role of the big screen adaptation of Japanese manga series Initial D. Director  Hark Tsui has been planning the project for years and according to this source, shooting will finally start in March next year. Initial D is about a young guy, who is a tofu deliver by day and an underground street racer by night. Andy Lau was originally set to play the father of the main character, which once belonged to Edison Chen. Now Andy Lau is no longer attached to the project and Edison Chen is offered with another role, a rival racer.

Jackie Chan Did Spiderman-Like Stunt For NEW POLICE STORY, And Then Accident Again (Various)

November 10, 2003

Sina.com

The scene is: A bad guy rides a bicycle down through the outer wall of a tall building with help from a rope. Jackie Chan and Nicholas Tse start lower themselves with the same rope. During a shot only involving Jackie Chan and a stunt actor playing the bad guy, the wire holding them suddenly went loose. Jackie Chan's right waist got tangled with the rope and the stunt actor almost fell to the ground. Fortunately both of them were not seriously injured.

More pictures:

the stunt: A B C D E

Nicolas Tse: A B  C

Jackie Chan and the stunt double of the bad guy (right)

Interesting Fact About SHI MIAN MAI FU (IMDB)

November 9, 2003

According to Internet Movie Database (IMDB)  the English title of Shi Mian Mai Fu is House Of Flying Daggers. I do not like, or I should say I hate, the title because it was made deliberately sounding like the literal English title of an old Hong Kong kung-fu flick. In fact, the right literal title should be "Ambush from Ten Directions". I am hope this is just an early working title. Also according to IMDB, plot line of the film is: "A soldier and revolutionary fall in love during their epic journey together." This sounds like a plot description alternated for easy understanding to English speakers.

Click here for the page of the film by IMDB

Chinese Film NUAN Warms Up Tokyo Film Fest And Collects The Grand Prix (Tokyo International Film Festival 2003)

November 9, 2003

Chinese film Nuan (warm) has picked up the Tokyo Grand Prix, The Governor of Tokyo Award, of the Tokyo International Film Festival today. Japanese actor Teruyuki Kagawa is awarded with Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role for his performance in the film. This tearjerker tells the story of rural girl Nuan (Li Jia), her first love Lin Jinghe (Guo Xiaodong) and her husband (Teruyuki Kagawa). Directed by  Huo Jianqi, graduated from Beijing Film Academy in the same year as Zhang Yimou and Kaige Chen did, Nuan just won the Best Picture award (tied) of the Golden Rooster Awards of China a few days ago. Another Chinese tearjerker Shi Jie Shang Zui Teng Wo De Ren Qü Le (Gone is the one who held me dearest in the world) has been given "Special Mention" as part of "Asian Film Award".

More about Nuan:

Page by the official site of the festival

Special coverage by CCTV (clips from the film included) (Windows Media)

SHI MIAN MAI FU Wrapped Up In Ukraine (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive)

November 8, 2003

According to Chengdu Daily, the Ukrainian production of Shi Mian Mai Fu came to the end on Thursday. The cast and crew will return to Beijing and the filming will restart in... The production started two months ago near Ukrainian town Lviv. An unexpected one-week long rain slowed down the production soon after it started and when it got close to the end, snow started to fall. The final scene, according to a Chinese newspaper, was supposed to be shot on a field covered by flowers, and the scene has been made on a field covered by snow.

Chinese TV program Net and TV, has made a visit to the location in Yongchuan of southwestern China, a few days ago. The video clip (click here) shows two hotels of the cast and crew will stay at and a road being renovated in order to hold two hydraulic truck cranes.

Stanley Tong To Direct Past Tense (Variety)

November 8, 2003

According to Variety, Hong Kong director Stanley Tong is set to direct Past Tense for Emmett/Furla Films and Newman/Tooley Productions. Written by Paul J. da Silva, it is about a Hong Kong police cop teaming up with a San Francisco cop to bring down an international crime ring. (Quite a cliché idea, though) The production is scheduled to start during the first quarter of 2004 and casting is currently under way. Tong has already committed to Jackie Chan's Time Breaker with no date announced.

Thanks to Mark Singh

Jackie Chan Is Still With TIME BREAKER, Said Director Stanley Tong (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive)

November 7, 2003

Director Stanley Tong has denied that Jackie Chan has been replaced by Korean TV star Won Bin. He told Hong Kong paper The Sun, that Won Bin will only play a supporting role in the upcoming project. Nothing has changed and it is just a false alarm.

INFERNAL AFFAIRS III Stills (Various)

November 6, 2003

A , B, C , D, E.

TIME BREAKER: Jackie Chan Replaced By Korean Soap Star Won Bin? (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive)

November 6, 2003

According to Tianjin Daily, Jackie Chan is no longer attached to Time Breaker and the leading role now belongs to Korean TV star Won Bin. Director Stanley Tong told the paper that some disagreement between Jackie Chan and Media Asia Group, which is producing the movie, led to his departure.  This project is originally tailored for the US market, and now without Jackie Chan, it will be made to a more traditional Hong Kong production aiming at east and southeast Asian market. Time Breaker has been in planning for at least two years, and during this time, the title has been changed from Titanium Rain to the present one, and script has been completely rewritten several times. Stanley Tong said he had been talking to Won Bin five times since this year and he praised Won's performances in his previous works. Now the script will be rewritten again to let Won Bin fit in.

First PAYCHECK Review Surfaces (...)

November 5, 2003

Click here

Thanks to Mark Singh

Wong Kar-Wai Starts Talking 2046 (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive)

November 4, 2003

2046 is the continuation of In The Mood For Love. The idea of the film started as the time of In The Mood For Love, or even a month in ahead, and it's a sci-fi story. The main idea is 'nothing will last forever, not even commitment.' Some commitments will change along with time. Story of the film is told as two parts, one is about the past and the other one is about the future.

- This is what Wong Kar-Wai said about 2046, which has been in production for over four years.

More Accidents On Location Of SHI MIAN MAI FU (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive)

November 4, 2003

Andy Lau	Jin Chengwu / Takeshi Kaneshiro	Zhang Ziyi	Ching Siu-Tung	Anita Mui
Beijing New Picture, Sina.com

Andy Lau has also been wounded on location on location of Shi Mian Mai Fu, he told Hong Kong paper Oriental Daily and The Sun. It happened a while ago in Ukraine. During a fight scene, Andy Lau's right eyebrow and nose (click here) were cut by a prop sword held by Takeshi Kaneshiro. In an earlier accident, action director Ching Siu-Tung's left cheek was stabbing by a by Takeshi Kaneshiro with a sword (the same one maybe), and he was treated with six stitches at a local clinic. During yet another accident, Zhang Ziyi's eyebrows got swollen. Andy Lau said Takeshi Kaneshiro had also been injured.

According to Andy Lau, Anita Mui's weapons are flying daggers, or something like those, and she will not be involved in any fight scene.

Shots From 2046 News Conference In Shanghai (Sina.com)

November 3, 2003

A news conference is held this morning in Shanghai:

(From left to right) cinematographer Christopher Doyle, Wong Faye, Leung Chiu-Wai, Chang Chen, Takuya Kimura, director Wong Kar-Wai, and art director / costume designer Chang Shu-Ping.

Missing from the picture: Maggie Cheung , Zhang Ziyi and Carina Lau. They are not part of Shanghai production.

Click here for more shots.

Plot Of INFERNAL AFFAIRS III - END INFERNO (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive)

November 2, 2003

The following plot description of Infernal Affairs III - End Inferno (literal) is assembled based on various news reports.

(Spoilers Alert! Highlight to Read.)

Infernal Affairs III is both a prequel and a sequel, because it will start three months before and end two months after, the final moment of the original Infernal Affairs. New plotline, along with new characters, were introduced in parallel with the original plot. Dr. Lee Sum-Yee (Kelly Chen), the shrink assigned to help Chan Wing-Yan (Leung Chiu-Wai), is a very minor character in the original film, and in the the third film, she is a key figure in between Chan Wing-Yan and Lau Kin-Ming (Andy Lau). Chen Daoming plays a mysterious business man from the mainland and Leon La plays a high-ranking police officer, whose investigation eventually leads to the arrest of Lau Kin-Ming (Andy Lau).

(Spoilers End Here.)

November 1, 2003

Other Releases:

The Death Curse (Hong Kong)

The Floating Landscape (Hong Kong)

Hulk (USA)

Infernal Affairs 2 (Hong Kong)

My Big Fat Greek Wedding (USA)

Princess D (Hong Kong)

Sky Of Love (Hong Kong)

The Spy Dad (Hong Kong)

T.R.Y. (Japan)

Turn Left Turn Right (Hong Kong / Taiwan)

Trailer (QuickTime)

Directed by Lau Wai-Keung; starring Chan Men-Yun, Siu Jing-Nam, Lei Lung-Yi, Jang Gwok-Yeung.

Trailer (QuickTime)

Official site

Trailer (QuickTime)

Official Site

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