March 31, 2004

Taiwan born actress Shu Qi plays a mainland girl from the 70's and a  pregnant woman who could see dead people in the city of Hong Kong.

Click here for 8 movies released in March.

The China segment was shot at two locations - the backlot inside Beijing Film Studios with recreated streets of Beijing prior to the 1949 and the "Mausoleum of the Seventh Prince" at the northwest outskirt of Beijing city.

Click here

Thanks to L.C.

DonnieYen.com / DonnieYen.net

Shot in Guangzhou city, the scene involves an immortal general (Jackie Chan), who guards a secret weapon storage, and a general in exile (Donnie Yen), who needs those weapons for a rebellion against the evil empress.

More pictures: A B C D E F G H I

Thanks to Marie M

Hong Kong Film Critics Associated has announced the winners of the 9th Golden Bauhinia Awards tonight. Johnnie To's stylish cop and crook drama PTU sweeps away six awards.

Click here for the complete winners list

According to various sources, MiramAxe has already decided to call it "Jet Li's Hero". Forcing the director to chop his own creation, keeping silence while a bandwagon wad badly needed for the Oscar race, pushing it back again and again as the market flooded with imported DVDs, dumping it into the dog days of late summer, and most of all, ignoring the fans.., has MiramAxe become the rotten core of Hollywood?

S s s s s s t t t t t t u u u u u u p p p p p p i i i i i i d d d d d d ! ! ! ! ! !

Petition: Appeal to Disney for Respectful Treatment of Asian films

             Appeal to the Academy Awards for Fair Treatment of Foreign Films

Comment by Grg Dean Schmitz from Yahoo! Movies

Thanks to D. Mack, "Evolution" and L.C.

See Leung Ka-Fai In THE TWINS EFFECT 2 (Nanfang Daily)

March 26, 2004

More SHI MIAN MAI FU Production Stills - The House (Beijing New Picture Film / Takeshionline.com)

March 25, 2004

The General Suit From Chen Kaige's WU JI / THE PROMISE (Joyful City Magazine)

March 25, 2004

SHI MIAN MAI FU Production Stills - The Green (Beijing New Picture Film / Movie View Biweekly View)

March 24, 2004

More THE TWINS EFFECT 2 Shots From Guangzhou Locations (Information Times)

March 24, 2004

Left: Chan / Fong Cho-Ming and Leung Ka-Fai;

Mid: Leung Ka-Fai (right);

Right: action director Corey Yuen (white shirt).

 

(Information Times / photographed by Ding Dong)

KILL BILL Vol. 2 Japanese Trailer (Apple.com)

Click here

THE TWINS EFFECT 2: Some Detail On The Chan-Yen Battle (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive)

March 23, 2004

THE EYE 2, The Newest Horror From Hong Kong (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive)

If you have heard of The Eye, Tom Cruise and Paula Wagner’s production company has brought its the remaking rights, you may want to check out The Eye 2, which has caught some serious interest of New Line Cinema. The sequel has a brand new story with a brand new cast. It features a girl who starts seeing ghostly figures following pregnant women, including herself, and what is growing inside her womb is no ordinary baby.

Click here

Related story: New Line Cinema Eyes On THE EYE II Remake (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) March 9, 2004

Director Zhang Yimou May Work With Japanese Vet Actor Takakura Ken (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive)

According to Beijing based weekly entertainment newspaper Big Star, director Zhang Yimou may is eyeing on 73 year old Japanese actor Takakura Ken for his upcoming project. We do not know any detail on the film except that it has a contemporary setting.

Jackie Chan And Son Will Portray Yue Fei, A 11th Century Chinese General (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive)

During an interview did earlier in China, Jackie Chan said he would produce and play in a biopic on Yue Fei, a legendary Chinese general. He said the script was almost completed and he would let his son to play the younger General. Production will begin next year after he finishing another project (Rush Hour 3, Shanghai Dawn, or something else?). Jackie Chan said, "I think Yue Fei is a man with great sense of loyalty, so am I. I am blindly loyal to Golden Harvest , to friends and to my country." During the Southern Song Dynasty, Yue Fei commanded the army against the invasion from Jin, a state established by the nomadic Nüzhen. He won great victories and recovered many lost territories. However, General Yue's war effort made him the enemy no. 1 of Prime Minister Qin Hui, who only wanted peace with Jin. The emperor was also afraid that two former emperors, captured by Jin, might be freed and take his throne away. Finally Yue Fei was jailed and later executed, with fabricated charges. Traditionally, Yue Fei is the most talked symbol of patriotism among the Chinese and he is one of the most popular heroes in many Chinese folklores. Jackie Chan also said he would like to do Genghis Khan but he had yet come out a workable plan.

Click here for more information on Yue Fei

MiramAxe Updated Its Site For SHAOLIN SOCCER (MiramAxe)

March 20, 2004

Click here

Also thanks to "Paul"

MiramAxe Pushed Back SHAOLIN SOCCER And HERO Again (Hollywood Stock Exchange)

March 19, 2004

D. Mack (aka. "Antiboy") has dropped me a note concerning the new dates of these two films:

Shaolin Soccer	April 2, 2004 (NY/LA/SF)

Hero		August 20, 2004 (National but not wide)

The original report

Also thanks to "Paul"

Note: Infernal Affairs is also scheduled for August 20, 2004. Ridiculous! (Thanks to Daniel Zelter for the reminder).

SHI MIAN MAI FU On-Location Production Stills, The Second Round (Sina.com / Youth Times)

March 19, 2004

Beijing based production company New Picture has released the second batch of production stills today. They were taken during the filming last fall in Ukraine. Producer Zhang Weiping told Beijing Youth Daily  Soprano Kathleen Battle had performed the theme song for the film. Director Zhang Yimou has just completed the sound remixing in Japan.

John Woo Wants Hugh Jackman And Jude Law For His Action-Musical (APP)

March 19, 2004

Stills: KONG QUE (PEACOCK) By Gu Changwei (Sina.com)

March 18, 2004

Kong Que (Peacock) tells a growing-up story of three brothers and sisters in the China during the 1970's and 80's. It is the directorial début of Hou Yong. As a cinematographers, Hou Yong has made 11 films since 1987, including Zhang Yimou's Red Sorghum and Ju Dou, Chen Kaige's King Of The Children, Life On A String and Farewell My Concubine, Jiang Wen's In The Heat Of The Sun and Devils On The Doorstep, and indie films - Last Chance Love, The Gingerbread Man, Hurlyburly and Autumn In New York. The role of "sister" was originally reserved for Zhang Ziyi, but she has already committed to Mo Li Hua Kai (Jasmine Flower) by the time Kong Que went into production. The role later landed on Zhang Jingchu, who looks very much like Zhang Ziyi. Kong Que will be premièred at the coming Cannes Film Festival in May.

Who Are Producing Chen Kaige's WU JI / THE PROMISE (Various)

March 17, 2004

Production continues at Beijing Film Studio. Click here for more (Photocome / Sina.com)

The gentleman (click here) visited the set two days ago was very likely producer Ernst Etchie Stroh, sometimes credited as Etchie Stroh. According to Variety, he has teamed with director Chen Kaige "to create a production company that will produce produce both Chinese- and English-language features", and Wu Ji (The Promise) is their first project. "Financing for the as-yet-unnamed company will come from Chinese sources (note: possibly Century Hero Film, which is producing the film) as well as Stroh's production-sales shingle Moonstone Entertainment." Chen Kaige's wife Chen Hong and Han Sanping, the manager of Beijing Film Studios, are also producing. Financing of this US$30 million film is partially from Japan and South Korea. According to Variety, Wu Ji (The Promise) "is a love triangle fantasy between a general, a princess and a slave."

HERO News 295 - Quentin Tarantino Fights MiramAxe On Behave Of HERO (Fangoria Magazine)

March 16, 2004

More Shots From Chen Kaige's WU JI / THE PROMISE (The Sun / Youth Times)

March 16, 2004

Director Lau Wai-Keung Talks About The INFERNAL AFFAIRS' US Remake (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive)

March 16, 2004

Chen Kaige's WU JI / THE PROMISE To Begins Today (Various)

March 15, 2004

Filming Of 2046 Still Drags On (Various)

March 15, 2004

JIANG HU Wrapped Up In Hong Kong (Various)

March 14, 2004

Chen Kaige's WU JI / THE PROMISE To Start In Two Days (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive)

March 13, 2004

Corey Yuen To Direct DEAD OR ALIVE (Variety)

March 12, 2004

More THE TWINS EFFECT 2 Location Photos (Oriental Daily / Singpao Daily News)

March 12, 2004

Right: Gillian Chung with Action director Corey Yuen

THE TWINS EFFECT 2 Location Photos (TungStar / Ben / Sina.com)

March 11, 2004

These pictures were taken, possibly last month, at an unknown location near Guangzhou city. According to Tungstar, filming will wrap up next month and the Asian release has been aimed at August.

Click here for more

Thanks to Marie M

March 10, 2004

Youth Times

A reporter from Youth Times sneaked into the set on Monday, the last day of filming in Shanghai. One of three scenes were made that day involved Stephen Chow being chased by the Axe Gang leader (Leung Siu-Lung), a crime boss (Tin Kai-Man) and more than 20 Axe Gang members. Tin Kai-Man told the reporter that Stephen's next project would be the sequel to God Of Cookery.

More: Tin Kai-Man, Stephen Chow's assistant and actor

Cast List Of Ang Lee's BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN (The Hollywood Reporter)

March 9, 2004

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Michelle Williams from Dawson's Creek has been cast to play the wife of Heath Leger's character, who "form a bond and love that spans 20 years" with a fellow played by Jake Gyllenhaal.

Click here for the story by The Hollywood Reporter

Thanks to Mark Singh

New Line Cinema Eyes On THE EYE II Remake (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive)

March 9, 2004

Hong Kong newspaper Oriental Daily reports New Line Cinema is in negotiation for getting the remake rights to Hong Kong horror The Eye 2, which was put for sale at the American Film Market just ended last Wednesday. The first The Eye was a box-office hit in Hong Kong as well as the southeast Asia two years ago. Tom Cruise and Paula Wagner’s production company currently owns the remaking rights and writer Ryne Pearson has been commissioned to pen the remake. The original The Eye is about a blind woman who starts seeing some horrific sprits of the dead after being transplanted with corneas from Thailand. The sequel, also directed by the Pang brothers and features a new cast including Shu Qi and Eugenia Yuan, will be release in Hong Kong and the southeast Asia later this month. The Eye 10 is going to be the second sequel, followed by The Eye 3 - 9.

March 8, 2004

Hangzhou Daily / Big Star

The set originally built for The Emperor And The Assassin and later used during the filming of Hero, has been given a complete facelift. (Click here and here for what it looked like before the facelift).

March 7, 2004

***1/2

When exploding population pushed cities throughout China to the limit of what they could handle, a solution was came out. Millions of teenage boys and girls were systematically sent to the countryside to work, with their bare hands. They were told it was for making better contribution for the nation and they were there for re-education. The movement started in 1955 and reached the climax during the late 1960's. They were known as Zhi Qing, meaning intellectuals youths.

The Foliage is set in 1974, at a rubber tree plantation near Vietnamese boarder, where hundreds of zhi qing from the cities live and work in militarized units. As the film starts, Ye Xingyu (Shu Qi) is asking the regiment leader to allow her returning home to take care of her almost paralyzed father. She gets no answer.  On the bus to her unit, she meets Liu Simeng (Liu Ye), a handsome guy who seems having very positive attitude toward the life in largely uninhabited mountains. She already has a boyfriend, Yuan Dingguo (Fang Bin), a friend since childhood, and he is from a rival platoon. As the romance between them is building up day by day, the conflict between their platoons is also elevating. When everything finally settles, their relationship has also run into a sudden crash-end.

Ye Xingyu is allowed to return to her city and later marries to Yuan, who also returns home along with most zhi qing, after the end of the Cultural Revolution. However, a family and a daughter cannot make Ye Xingyu forget the time she spent with Liu Simeng.

Click here for the full article

March 6, 2004

Chinese newspaper Nanfang Daily has announced the nominations for the 4th Chinese Film Media Awards, the only film awards recognizing all Chinese language films. Mainland actress Xu Jinglei's directorial début My Father And I received nominations in 10 out of 11 categories. Cell Phone has 11 nominations in 8 categories, Cala, My Dog! grabbed 8 and Purple Butterfly Got 7. Hong Kong films have a near complete domination on the Hong Kong / Taiwan side, mainly Running On Karma against Infernal Affairs 2. First time Taiwanese director Lee Kang-Sheng is nominated for Best New Director (Hong Kong/ Taiwanese), a competition-free category. Japanese actor Nakai Kichi is nominated for Best Actor (Mainland China) for his role in Warriors Of Heaven And Earth.

Click here for the complete nomination list

March 6, 2004

To make it simple - I don't like the title House Of Flying Daggers, which is what the film has been referring to outside of Asia. It sounds like a directly translated title of a cheaply produced Hong Kong kung fu flick, but actually it's not. And Lovers, exclusively picked for the Japanese market, is also not my favorite. There are so many movies being called Lover or Lovers. More importantly, the film is not just a simple love story.

The original Chinese title is Shi Mian Mai Fu, meaning "ambush from ten direction". The film was written as a thriller under the cover of a love story. Every character, Xiao Mei (Zhang Ziyi), Officer Jin (Takeshi Kaneshiro) and Officer Liu (Andy Lau), has some unspeakable secret. You wouldn't know what each one of them is up to until the final moment.

I am asking everyone of you to come out an English title for the film and share it with us on this message board:

click here

More cover on Shi Mian Mai Fu

March 5, 2004

According to Variety, Focus Features put Shi Mian Mai Fu (still referred as House Of Flying Daggers outside of Asia) for sale at the American Film Market from February 25 to March 3. Focus, an art house division of Universal, has already owned the European rights to the film (excluding UK) since October last year. Anyone got any inside story?

Click here for the report by Variety

According to Chinese media, Zhang Ziyi may sing a song for the film.

More cover on Shi Mian Mai Fu

SHI MIAN MAI FU Is Ready For Final Assembling While Director Zhang Yimou Eyes On His Next One 

(MonkeyPeaches Exclusive)

March 4, 2004

Producer Zhang Weiping told Beijing Youth Daily that he just  watched the complete rough cut of the film with director Zhang Yimou and the final remixing process was about to begin. Meanwhile he told another paper, Youth Times, that the script of Zhang Yimou's next project was almost done. This one, in a genre other than martial-art, will have Zhang Yimou and Andy Lau for the second time.

More cover on Shi Mian Mai Fu

March 3, 2004

According to Hong Kong media, producers of the remake have been seeking advice from Lau Wai-Keung and Mak Siu-Fai, who directed the original trilogy. Lau Wai-Keung, now in the US, told The Sun that Brad Pitt will play the gang member infiltrating the police force (played by Andy Lau in the original) and Leonardo DiCaprio will play the cop working undercover inside the gang (played by Leung Chiu-Wai in the original).  is waiting for the script to be sent to him. Writer William Monahan has done the first draft of the script, which will be sent to Mak Siu-Fai, now staying at home in Hong Kong. Story of the remake will be set in Boston and center on the struggle between the police force and the Irish gang. Does this mean the story may not be set in the present days? It is still unknown whether the remake will be based on the first installment of the trilogy solely or all three films. Brad Pitt, Jennifer Aniston and Brad Grey's Plan B production and Columbia Pictures have shown interest in remaking it as early as December 2002, in which the original Infernal Affairs was released in Hong Kong. Later the rights were sold to Columbia for US1.75 million. Last month, Martin Scorsese was brought in as the producer and the director.

March 2, 2004

"Whichever way you slice it, "Baober in Love" is a remarkable, vibrantly inventive picture from middle-generation Mainland director Li Shaohong"

by Derek Elley

Variety

"An effects-packed, surrealist fantasy that manages to explore a strange inner wourld while also commenting on China's rapid modernization"

by Richard James Havis

The Hollywood Reporter

Related story:

Review Of The Week: BAOBER IN LOVE (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) February 15, 2004

March 1, 2004

In the month of Valentine, love is the dominating subject.

Click here

(Thanks to Patrick Y)