News Archives
April 2007
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News Archives |
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April 2007 |
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April 30, 2007 |
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Call Me Left tells the life story of Mr. Left (Anthony Wong), a good-hearted Hong Kong projectionist, who has very strong faith in communism. The production studio, Hong Kong's Sil-Metropole Organisation Ltd., has launched a contest in the mainland China, for the best dialogue and review for each of six "online" posters, designed to look like propaganda posters during the Chinese Culture Revolution. Winners will be offered with a free trip to Hong Kong.
Related story:
CALL ME LEFT to Recap Hong Kong of the Past 30
Years
(MonkeyPeaches Exclusive)
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April 29, 2007 |
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According to Variety, Hong Kong direct Andrew Lau ( The Flock, Confession of Pain, Initial D, Infernal Affairs trilogy) will begin shooting his first period martial-art film Gold Bandits, this June or July. The script, penned by Gordon Chan (A-1 Headline, The Medallion, Fist of Legend), "follows an ancient imperial transportation company that teams with bandits to complete an impossible mission." The casting has yet to be finalized. Fox is co-producing the project alone with "Beijing's Ciwen Digital Oriental Film & TV Production and Fortune Star Entertainment, part of News Corp.'s Star TV offshoot in Hong Kong." The Variety article does not mention the story of Gold Bandits is original or adapted. In April last year, Lau talked about his plan of adapting Taiwanese comic artist Cheng Wen's Api Sword (aka. Api Magic Sword) series. I am not sure whether the project is related to Api Sword or not.
Related story:
Director Andrew Lau Talks Future
Projects - INITIAL D, THE TWIN CITIES and API SWORD
(MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) |
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April 28, 2007 |
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The Secret of the Magic Gourd is the first Disney movie made specific for kids in China. It is co-produced by China Film Group, the prime state-owned studio of the country and Hong Kong-based effect company Centro Digital Pictures Ltd. (Curse of the Golden Flowers, Kung Fu Hustle, Kill Bill), which also handles the CG works of the movie. I am not impressed by the design of the magic gourd. It looks a rubber glove and reminds me of Flubber, also made by Disney. The film is based on the same title children's book published in 1958 by novelist Zhang Tianyi. The story tells a young boy finds a magic gourd, which can do anything he wants. Then he comes to realizes the magic gourd has become his burden and decides to get rid of it, which proved not easy. The book was adapted to a black and white film in 1963, by Shangha-based Heavenly Horse Film Studios, now part of Shanghai Film Studios.
Click here for the teaser trailer.
Related stories:
Disney Tries out Chinese Market
with THE SECRET OF THE MAGIC GOURD
(MonkeyPeaches Exclusive)
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April 27, 2007 |
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Two girls, look the same, share the same boyfriend, are both hunted by a gang leader; two guys are desperate to learn lion dance, called "awaking lion", to please their boss and save their jobs; and a soon-to-be college graduate bikes around the island of Taiwan, which takes him seven days and six nights.
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Hou Hsiao-Hsien's LOOKING FOR THE RED BALLOON Added to Cannes Schedule (Cannes Film Festival) |
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April 26, 2007 |
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Three films have been added to Un Certain Regard selection of the upcoming Cannes Film Festival, including Taiwan director Hou Hsiao-Hsien's Looking for the Red Balloon (previously known as The Red Balloon / Ballon Rouge), which has also been selected as the opening film of the category.
Hou is also among directors who have been asked to make shorts films to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the festival. The story of his film, set in the southern Taiwan during the earlier 1960s, is about a married couple, played by Chang Chen and Shu Qi) and their two daughters going to a movie theater. (Shots from the set: A B)
Official festival press release.
Related stories: Trailer for Hou Hsiao-Hsien's BALLON ROUGE (aka. ORSAY) (...) February 18, 2007 Hou Hsiao-Hsien Does ORSAY in Paris (...) August 7, 2006 |
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April 25, 2007 |
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April 24, 2007 |
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YouTube is the devil every studio hates, because it frequently shows what studios are hiding from us. A trailer made for potential international buyers to The Warlords has been made available on YouTube. Retelling the same true incident inspired story told in Chang Cheh's Ci Ma, The Warlords shows friendship, bedrail and revenge among three sworn brothers, played by Jet Li, Takeshi Kaneshiro and Andy Lau, in the war-torn China during the late 19th Century. The clip shows three sworn brothers, in imperial uniforms, battling the Taiping rebels.
Click here. (Thanks to Twitch.)
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A Few Stills from TRIANGLE, by the Trio - Tsui Hark, Ringo Lam and Johnnie To (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) |
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April 24, 2007 |
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Several guys was given a treasure map by a mysterious man and the map is only the first of a series puzzle they need to solve. This is what Tsui Hark tells in the beginning of the story of Triangle. We do not know how Ringo Lam is going to develop the story and how Johnnie To is going to end the story. No one what the story is all about. Even the actors were kept in the dark when playing their roles. The mystery will not be revealed until the movie is released later this year.
More pictures taken during the production: A B
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A New Round of THE SUN ALSO RISES (Movie World Magazine's Blog) |
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April 23, 2007 |
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Related stories: More Stills from Jiang Wen's THE SUN ALSO RISES (Sina.com) February 13, 2007China Okayed the Content of Jiang Wen's THE SUN ALSO RISES (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) February 12, 2007SUN RISES AGAIN Promotional Stills (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) March 29, 2006Emperor rises to take China's 'Sun' (Variety Asia Online) Jiang Wen's SUN RISES AGAIN in Production (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) March 1, 2006Jiang Wen's WHERE THE SUN RISES to Be Filmed in Shangri-La (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) September 30, 2005 Wong Chau-Sang Joints THE PAINTED VEIL Remake and Jiang Wen's THE SUN RISES AGAIN (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) August 13, 2005 Actor Director Jiang Wen Plans His Third Directorial Effort - THE SUN RISES AGAIN (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) June 30, 2005 |
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Butchered LOST IN BEIJING to Be Released in China (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) |
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April 22, 2007 |
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Click here for production stills.
Related stories:
Butchered LOST IN BEIJING
Greenlighted by Chinese Censors
(MonkeyPeaches
Exclusive)
LOST IN BEIJING Got Berlin Ticket,
but Stranded in Beijing
(MonkeyPeaches
Exclusive)
APPLE Is up to the Berlin Bear
Too
(MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) |
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THE PYE-DOG to Tell a Story of Lonely Teens (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) |
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April 21, 2007 |
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Hong Kong screen writer Kowk Chi-kin's (Leaving Me, Loving You; Dry Wood, Fierce Fire; 2002; Skyline Cruisers) directorial debut has premiered at Hong Kong International Film Festival and has scheduled hit Hong Kong theaters on May 17. The story starts with a 12 year old boy (Lam Jeun-fai), who has never spoke a single word since his mother threw herself off the rooftop of their crowed apartment building, when he was 6. A clumsy young man (Eason Chan) starts working at the boy's school as a cheap labor. He is looking for the son of a crime lord (George Lam), a mission assigned by his big brother (Eric Tsang). The young man quickly establishes strong bound with the boy and a substitute teacher (Lin Yuan), two very lonely persons just like him. Suddenly a man shows up. He is the crime lord and the father the boy has never met. The happy time the young man has enjoyed ends and for the first time, he decides to make a decision by himself alone. He does not know that a bloodbath is about to begin. The Chinese title (野.良犬 ) , which means "Wild, Good Dog" is created by putting a dot in between the first and the second character of the original title of Japanese classic Stray Dog (野良犬), which means "Stray dog."
Official website (Click around, then you would find a trailer, a making-off video and nine promotional stills.) |
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April 20, 2007 |
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A young woman meets her ex-boyfriend, whom she thinks is hurting her, just like what he did three years ago, when they broke up.
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In and not in the Cannes Line-Up, the 60th (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) |
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April 19, 2007 |
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Wong Kar-Wai's English language debut My Blueberry Nights, a film in competition, has been selected as the opening film. It tells, according to IMDB, a young woman takes a soul-searching journey across America to resolve her question about love while encountering a series of offbeat characters along the way. The cast includes Norah Jones, Jude Law, David Strathairn, Tim Roth, Natalie Portman, Ed Harris and Rachel Weisz.
Chinese director Li Yang's Blind Mountain is on the list of category Un Certain Regard. A few years ago, Li's debut Blind Shaft, uncovered the horrific working conditions in mines of China, through a fictional story of two minors plan of murdering co-worker to collect compensation on his death. The film was shown at multiple festivals around the world and collect many awards. As a follow-up, Blind Mountain, inspired by various real stories and shot in documentary style, tells a university girl being kidnapped and sold to a mountain villager as a bride. The villagers never thought human-trading was illegal or immoral and she was not rescued until many years later.
Chinese documentary director Wang Bing's new film Chronicle of a Chinese Woman will be presented as part of Special Screenings. This three-hour documentary tells a Chinese woman, He Fengming's bitter story during waves of political movements from early 1950s to the late 1970s. Wang's first project, West of the Tracks trilogy, about the collapse of a decades old heavy industrial district in Chinese city of Shenyang, was a favorite at festivals around the world.
The Sun Also Rises, a four-part stylish drama by Jiang Wen (Devils on the Doorstep, In the Heat of the Sun), until yesterday tipped as a sure Cannes competitor, failed to impress the festival organizers. Jiang's last film, Devils on the Doorstep, was the Grand Jury Prize winner of Cannes 2000. Jiang was a jury member of the festival in 2003.
Left, Right, by Wang Xiaoshuai (Shanghai Dreams, Drifters, Beijing Bicycle), about a divorced couple's painful decision of having a baby together to save the life of their daughter, who is dying from blood cancer, was once another potentially strong entry. Reportedly, the fossils who are running the censorship for the Chinese government disapproved some scenes, sex scenes as rumored, in the film, and as the result submitting it to Cannes was abandoned. Wang collected Jury Prize at Cannes two years ago, for Shanghai Dreams.
Taiwan director Hou Hsiao-hsien 's Le Ballon Rouge, about a little boy and his baby-sitter's chase of a red balloon in Paris, the first film he did outside of Asia, was also rumored to have a premier at Cannes.
Also worth noticing actress Maggie Cheung Maggie Cheung will be a Feature Films Juror and Cinefondation and Short Films Jury will be headed by Chinese director Jia Zhangke Jia Zhangke (Still Life, World, Unknown Pleasures). Olivier Assayas's crime thriller Boarding Gate , with Asia Argento, Michael Madsen, Carl Ng and Kelly Lin, will premier as a Midnight Screenings film. 60 short features have been done to cerebrate the festival 60th anniversary. Among the directors, there are Chen Kaige, Hou Hsiao-hsien, Tsai Ming-Liang, Wong Kar-Wai and Zhang Yimou.
The official press conference document with complete line-up. |
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Zhang Ziyi's Involvement in Chen Kaige's MEI LANFANG Biopic Confirmed? (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) |
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April 19, 2007 |
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Shanghai Morning Post says yesterday Zhang Ziyi signed the agreement for playing Meng Xiaodong (Meng Hsiao-tung) in Chen Kaige directed biopic of Peking opera artist Mei Lanfang (1894 - 1961), who is known for playing women's roles onstage. Zhang‘s character Meng Xiaodong (1907 - 1977) was another Peking opera artist, always played bearded men. In 1925, Shanghai-born 18 year-old Meng Xiaodong met Mei for the first time while performing on stage together during a minister's birthday part in Beijing. Over a year later, she married Mei and became his third wife. They had a daughter together just before their marriage ended in 1931. They had never spoken to each other again.Mei Baojiu, one of Mei Lanfang's sons, is actively involved in the casting and pre-production of the project. Just like his father, Baojiu also plays women's roles in Peking opera plays and he has portrayed his father in several movie and TV productions. Mei Baojiu said he was satisfied about Leon Lai playing his father. Lai has been under intense training with several Peking opera performers. However, actors in the movie will not do their own singing.
Related stories: Zhang Ziyi Wants to Be a Cowgirl in LAUNDRY WARRIOR and Wife of MEI LANFANG? (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) April 2, 2007Leung Chiu-Wai, Leon Lai Are Frontrunner to For Chen Kaige's MEI LANFANG Biopic (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) March 2, 2007Chen Kaige Gets to Direct Mei Lanfang Biopic (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) August 6, 2006Leung Chiu-Wai Might Portray Peking Opera Legend Mei Lanfang in Director Stanley Kwan's Next (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) January 19, 2006 |
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Edmond Pang to Uncover a Girl's Husband-Killing Plan in EXODUS (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) |
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April 19, 2007 |
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Have you ever wondered why your wives or girlfriends often walked into a lady's room together and stayed there for a long, long time? Hong Kong writer director Edmond Pang has the answer. In his newly completed Chu Ai Ji Ji (Exodus), he claims women always meet inside lady's rooms to discuss their plan of terminating their men. Taiwan-born Annie Liu (Black Night, Ah Sou) plays one of such women, a yoga instructor married to a police office (Simmon Yam), a man much older than her. Cast of the dark comedy also includes Cheung Ka-Fai, Maggie Siu, Irene Wan, Eric Tsang, Chapman To, Chim Sui-Man and Lam Ka-Tung. This project is co-produced by Hong Kong-based Filmko Pictures and a French studio.
34 year old Edmond Pang is known for making dark comedy with ridiculous while entertaining plots. In his debut You Shoot, I Shoot (2001) he tells how a nearly bankrupted professional killer turns his business around with all sorts of marketing tricks, with helps from a low-end assistant director. His second film, Men Suddenly in Black (2003) is about four men's operation of cheating on their wives while covering the traces like professional criminals. In his third project, Beyond Our Ken (2004), a girl teams up with his ex's currently girlfriend to let the man pay for what he has done to them. His next, A.V. (2005), tells how a group of teenagers use all their brain cells to fake a porn film production in order to have sex with a Japanese AV (adult video) star. Isabella (2006), however, unlike any film he made previous, is a simple drama about a down on his luck cop's encountering his daughter he never knew existed. Pang's next project will be Now Showing, a new comedy tells the story of a movie star and his wife act like a couple completely different from their real life in front of their new Filipino maid, who might sell stories of the couple's real life to tabloids. Hong Kong registered Sundream Motion Pictures has decided to toss in HK$10 million (US$1.3 million), which made it the only one successful secured full funding among 25 projects at the Asian Film Financing Forum closed last month in Hong Kong. Edmond Pang has a plan to make a martial-art film, just like everybody else and he runs into some script problem, just like everybody else.
It is worth a notice that there is another Hong Kong project title Exodus (Pang's project is called Exodus in Chinese but the English version is unknown.) The other Exodus, is a US$12.8 million opening installment of the sci-fi trilogy, according to hkfilmart.com. (Thanks to Twitch.) Story of the CGI-laden thriller is set in a post-apocalyptic Hong Kong when the prosperous Island City treats the working class natives of Kowloon as slaves. It is rumored that a Kowloon army will attack the Island and free all slaves. Writer director Daniel Chan called his project " Ten Commandments meets Blade Runner shot like 300." |
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Leung Chiu-Wai Re-Joined RED CLIFF? (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) |
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April 18, 2007 |
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According to Sina.com, producer Terence Chang just said Leung Chiu-Wai agreed to come back. He would play general Zhou Yu, the role Chow Yun-Fat abandoned. Last month Leung resigned from the project and his role, Zhuge Liang, the top advisor to warlord Liu Bei, was assigned to Takeshi Kaneshiro.
Click here for 29 snapshots of nearly completed sets and prop ships.
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April 17, 2007 |
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These pictures, taken by Tianjin Daily, shows the set of warlord Cao Cao's commanding center and one of five battle ships built with steel and wood. A reservoir is used to double for the Long River (Yantze River), where the real battle occurred.
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RED CLIFF Producer Terence Chang Says Something about Chow Yun-Fat’s Leave (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) |
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April 17, 2007 |
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Producer Chang made an emergency interview with Sina.com last night, to provide his explanation of why Chow Yun-Fat left The Battle of Red Cliff. He said both John Woo and him were very upset about Chow’s quitting. Woo has said many times that he wanted to work with Chow Yun-Fat again and several years back Chow had agreed to play the role of General Zhou Yu, which was tailored for him. Chang said some of the financial backers and distributors did raised the issue of how could Chow play a young general but Woo and him insisted that Chow was the right choice. Chang said the real reason for letting Chow go was some conditions demanded by Chow and his lawyer could not be accepted by the production and the US-based issuance company. Many of these conditions were against the usual industrial practice, both in China and in Hollywood. Chang said Chow was given the screenplay last year and the one he received last week was actually a version revised based on Chow’s comments. Chow’s pay, more than he earned from his last four projects, includes US$500 millions plus a percentage of worldwide box-office revenue, according to Chang. Chow asked the 500 mills to be paid as down payment, according to his rule for taking any independent project (project produced by non-Hollywood studios.) Only after Chang’s begging, Chow later agreed to drop the down payment to 50% and the other 50% to be paid when the production was halfway through.
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Chow Yun-Fat Talks about His Departure from John Woo’s RED CLIFF (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) |
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April 16, 2007 |
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According to a statement Chow Yun-Fat sent to Sina.com, Chow resigned from John Woo’s The Battle of Red Cliff last Friday not because of some unrealistic demands from him. Chow received the screenplay just one week before and the production had already begun. This gave him very little time to prepare for his role as he had to deliver his lines in Mandarin. Chow said he had agreed to take a pay cut for playing his role. Also, he did not believe the US-based insurance company played any role in his departure. Chow also hoped this incident would not affect his friendship with John Woo and producer Terence Chang.
More about Red Cliff. |
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Chow Yun-Fat Is Leaving John Woo's RED CLIFF? (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) |
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April 15, 2007 |
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Not sure how credible this one is. According to Sina.com, Chow Yun-Fat is no longer attached to John Woo's US$80 million war epic The Battle of Red Cliff. Reportedly, out of the objection of an US-based incurrence company, financial backers of the costly project have decided not to accept some demands, including a lump-sump payment of an unknown figure, from Chow Yun-Fat. Another reason for his departure is that he is too old for play her role, Zhou Yu, who is supposed to be a young man. Please wait for further update.
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The 26th Hong Kong Film Awards Winners Announced Tonight (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) |
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April 15, 2007 |
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Patrick Tam’s After This Our Exile (Chinese title: Father and Son), a low-budget drama about a trashy father and his abused son, has triumphed again and again tonight. It collected five awards, including Best Film, Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Supporting Actor and Best New Performer. Gong Li is honored for her leading role in Zhang Yimou’s Curse of the Golden Flowers. This period drama also wins Best Art Direction, Best Costume and Make-Up Design and Best Original Film Song. Lau Ching-Wan is named the Best Actor for his performance in My Name Is Fame. Zhou Xun is selected as the Best Supporting Actress for The Banquet. She was the Best Actress winner last year for playing the lead in Perhaps Love. Supernatural flick Re-Cycle takes Best Sound Design and Best Visual Effects. Zhang Yimou’s Riding Alone for Thousands of Miles is picked as the Best Asian Film. Run Run Shaw, the co-founder of Shaw Brothers, and makeup artist Man Yuen-Ling (Sis Chun) are also honored tonight.
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Official Hong Kong Film Awards website.
Related story:
The 26th Hong Kong Film Awards
Nominees
(Hong Kong Film Awards)
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Shooting of John Woo's 80 Million Dollar (US) red cliff Begins Today (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) |
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April 14, 2007 |
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Production of John Woo’s meg-budget historical drama Red Cliff (The Battle of Red Cliff) has officially begun with a short ceremony held on CCTV’s studio in Zhuozhou of Hebei Province, about 40 miles southwest of Beijing. Several pictures were distributed to the press. The first scene shot is about warlord Cao Cao (Zhang Fengyi) meeting with the puppet emperor and imperial ministers to discuss his plan of attacking other warlords I the south. Shooting will take place in CCTV’s studio in Zhuozhou (to utilize some existing set built for several TV series, including a TV adaptation of “Romance of the Three Kingdoms”), two reservoirs in Hebei (for most war scenes) and Beijing Film Studios (for some interior scenes).
More pictures: Tim Yip, art director and costume designer. Han Sanping, president of China Film Group Corp. Other attendees of the ceremony.
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April 14, 2007 |
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Raymond Wong, president of Hong Kong studio Mandarin Films, recently told a reporter that Tsui Hark's new film Mi Li (roughly means "Lost") would go into production by the second half of this year. Shooting of the big-budget project, as what Wong said, would be done in Okinawa and would feature an ancient under water city. Wong said he was not worried about over-budgeting because Tsui's movies were often well valued. Not sure this one will tell a fantasy or sci-fi story. His last fantasy movie is The Legend of Zu (2001) and his last sci-fi project is Black Mask 2 (2002). Tsui has just completed his share of Triangle, a thriller he wrote and directed alone with Ringo Lam and Johnnie To. |
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THREE KINGDOMS: RESURRECTION OF THE DRAGON Has Gone into Production (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) |
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April 14, 2007 |
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Shooting of Three Kingdoms: Resurrection of the Dragon began quietly in China's northwestern province of Gansu earlier this week, reported several Chinese newspapers. The scene has been shot involves Andy Lau played Zhao Yun (Zhao Zilong) fighting with an enemy warrior. Directed by Daniel Lee (Dragon Squad, Star Runner, Black Mask), this movie tells the life story of Zhao Yun, a warrior loyal to the kingdom of Shu. The story is loosely based on classic historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms. The cast will also include Sammo Hung (also works as the action director) and Maggie Q (Live Free or Die Hard, Mission: Impossible III, Naked Weapon).
More images from the desert location: Crew members took a rest between takes. The road was blocked by local police. Tents built as temporary home of the crew.
Related stories: THREE KINGDOMS: RESURRECTION OF THE DRAGON Pre-Production Photos (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) April 1, 2007THREE KINGDOMS: RESURRECTION OF THE DRAGON: Teaser Post and Character Design Sketches (Xiao Pang's Blog) February 7, 2007Plot Update on Andy Lau's THREE KINGDOMS: RESURRECTION OF THE DRAGON (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) October 18, 2006 THREE KINGDOMS: RESURRECTION OF THE DRAGON in Pre-Production (...) October 15, 2006Andy Lau to Star in Two Period Films - STRATEGE and ZHAO ZILONG (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) July 2, 2005 |
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MEI LANFANG Biopic Cast List Partially Revealed (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) |
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April 13, 2007 |
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It is announced that Leon Lai, Sun Honglei (Blood Brothers, Triangle, Seven Swords) and Wang Xueqi (Warriors of Heaven and Earth, In the Heat of the Sun, Yellow Earth) had signed up for Cheng Kaige’s next project, a biopic of Peking opera artist Mei Lanfang (1894 – 1961), who is known for playing women’s roles onstage. Beijing-born Hong Kong actor Leon Lai will portray Mei on the screen. Sun Honglei will play an army officer (another report suggests his role is a theater owner) and Wang Xueqi will play Tan Xinpei (1847- 1917), another Peking opera artist, who always portray old men in various plays.
Other unconfirmed cast members include Zhang Ziyi (to play Meng Xiaodong (1907 – 1977), a Peking opera actress once had an affair with Mei), Chen Hong, Chen Kaige’s wife (to play Mei’s second wife Fu Zhifang), Feng Yuanzheng (to play Wang Huifang, Mei’s cousin), Ying Da and Chen Daoming.
The script was written by Chen Kaige and woman writer Yan Geling (Xiu Xiu: The Sent-Down Girl, Shao N?Xiao Yu. An interior of a theater house is being built inside a soundstage at Beijing Film Studios. Shooting will start this summer and release in Asia, at least, is aimed at sometime next year. ChenKaige's Farewell My Concubine (1993)was based on a novel, loosely inspired by Mei's career.
Related stories: Zhang Ziyi Wants to Be a Cowgirl in LAUNDRY WARRIOR and Wife of MEI LANFANG? (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) April 2, 2007Leung Chiu-Wai, Leon Lai Are Frontrunner to For Chen Kaige’s MEI LANFANG Biopic (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) March 2, 2007 (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) August 6, 2006Leung Chiu-Wai Might Portray Peking Opera Legend Mei Lanfang in Director Stanley Kwan's Next (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) January 19, 2006 |
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April 13, 2007 |
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A Mongolian herdswoman is searching for a new husband who would agree to support her entire family, including her disabled current husband; and a lady's man is haunted by the ghost of a girl he was in love with thirty years ago...
Related stories: A Golden Berlin Bear for TUYA'S MARRIAGE (...) February 17,2007TUYA'S MARRIAGE and to Be Premi鑢ed At Berlin Fest MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) January 21, 2007 |
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April 12, 2007 |
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This is a new crime thriller from Hong Kong directed by Lo Chi-Leung (Bug Me Not, Koma, Inner Senses). Three years ago, a woman’s (Karena Lam / Silk, Ah Sou, Koma) younger brother was kidnapped and the case was handled by a woman detective (Rene Liu / A World without Thieves, 20 30 40, Double Vision). Now the detective is assigned to solve a new kidnapping case, which is somehow interrelated with another kidnapping case. It seems the suspect knows the detective very well and skillfully plays a cat and mouse game with her.
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Live Action Version of BLOOD: THE LAST VAMPIRE Is in Production (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) |
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April 11, 2007 |
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Photos of suspected set pieces discovered inside a gymnasium in Kunming: A B |
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The Jackie Chan / Jet Li Project Is Called THE FORBIDDEN KINGDOM Now (...) |
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April 11, 2007 |
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According to Variety and The Hollywood Reporter, “The Forbidden Kingdom” has been picked as the title for the formerly untitled J&J Project. It is probably inspired by “The Forbidden City”, the commonly known English name of the former imperial palace complex in Beijing. Don't know why it is referred as "Kings of Kung Fu". Lionsgate has acquired the distribution rights, with Weinstein Co., in the US (also include Canada?) Lionsgate’s UK branch will distribute it in the UK and Weinstein Co. will release it in Spain, France and Latin America. Relativity Media, which financed the project, will handle the international sales (excluding east Asia?). The reports confirm Yuen Wo-Ping’s (Fearless, The Matrix trilogy, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon) role as the action director and identify Peter Pau (The Promise, Perhaps Love, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon) as the director of cinematography. Shooting will start on May 2 at an unknown location in China.
Click here for the Variety article. Click here for the Hollywood Reporter article.
(Thanks to Jet Liang.)
Related Stories: Zhang Ziyi Is Interested in the Jackie Chan / Jet Li Project (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) March 30, 2007The Kid for Jackie Chan / Jet Li Project Is Found (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) March 25, 2007A Little Bit More about the Jackie Chan / Jet Li Project - Part 3 (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) March 17, 2007A Little Bit More about the Jackie Chan / Jet Li Project - Part 2 (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) March 13, 2007The Jackie Chan / Jet Li Project Is Titled KING OF KUNG FU? (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) March 6, 2007The Jackie Chan / Jet Li Project Will Happen This Month (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) March 2, 2007A Little Bit More about the Jackie Chan / Jet Li Project (Variety) October 31, 2006Rob Minkoff Got to Direct the Jackie Chan / Jet Li Project? (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) August 24, 2006The Jackie Chan / Jet Li Project to Be Directed by Peter Jackson? (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) August 12, 2006Rumored Plot of the Jackie Chan / Jet Li Project (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) August 9, 2006The Jackie Chan / Jet Li Project Will Tell a Journey to the West-Inspired Story? (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) August 3, 2006Jackie Chan's Update on the Long-Awaited Jackie Chan / Jet Li Project (AP) August 1, 2006Jackie Chan and Jet Li to Announce The J & J Project (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) May 16, 2006 |
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April 10, 2007 |
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Online entertainment news agency TungStar just release a few pictures taken on one of multiple locations of the Triangle (Chinese literal title: The Iron Triangle) while David Bordwell, film theorist and author, was visiting. Tsui Hark, Ringo Lam and Johnnie To take turns to write and direct the thriller set locally in Hong Kong. Three independently made parts will eventually be combined together to form one complete story. Johnnie To is currently approaching the end of his part, the last one third of the movie.
Photos: cast and crew promoting the movie during Hong Kong International Film Festival - A B
Related stories: TRIANGLE' First Promotional Still (Celluloid Dreams) March 5, 2007JIGSAW / THE IRON TRIANGLE Shooting Update: Tsui Hark Hands the Cast and Crew to Ringo Lam (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) August 4, 2006Tsui Hark Fires the First Shot of THE IRON TRIANGLE (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) July 23, 2006 Update on the Tsui / Lam / To Jigsaw Project, THE IRON TRIANGLE (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) July 13, 2006 Simon Yam Turns down BOARDING GATE for To / Tsui / Lam Jigsaw Project (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) June 29, 2006 |
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Ching Siu-Tung to director KINGDOM AND THE BEAUTY with Leon Lai and Kelly Chen (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) |
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April 9, 2007 |
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According to an unknown source, master Hong Kong choreographer Ching Siu-Tung ( Curse of the Golden Flower, House of the Flying Daggers, Hero) is set to direct Jiang Shan Mei Ren (The title literally means “Kingdom and the Beauty” and is not a remake of Li Han-Hsiang's Kingdom and the Beauty). The story is about an exiled warrior princess (Kelly Chen) trying to restore her fallen country, with the help from a traveling warrior (Leon Lai). Director Peter Chan is on board as the producer and Yee Chung-Man (The Warlords, Curse of the Golden Flower) will work as the art director. This would be the first movie Ching directs since Naked Weapon, released in 2002. Leon Lai has rarely starred in martial-art movies. He played one of the leading characters in Tsui Hark's Seven Swords. This one will also be Kelly Lin's first period martial-art project. Shooting will start next month in Beijing and the production will move to the Chinese Inner Mongolia. |
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April 8, 2007 |
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From Taiwanese director Ho Ping ( The Rules of the Games, Motel Erotica), Sweet Revenge (Chinese title: Parasite Man) tells a terminally ill young woman (Fan Bingbing) discovers a alcoholic shop owner (Anthony Wong) is selling a camera belongs to his father. More than ten years ago, her parents died in a house fire and his adopted brother (Nick Cheung) disappeared along with the camera. Through the shop owner, she reunites her long-lost brother, who is about to marry her best friend. More shockingly, she discovers there is another man living inside her brother's head.
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April 7, 2007 |
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Directed by Tian Zhuangzhuang (Delamu, The Blue Kite, The Horse Thief, On the Hunting Ground), this is a biopic of Wu Qingyuan (played by Chang Chen), a master player of ancient Chinese board game weiqi or qi (pronounced as "go" in Japanese). Born in China, Wu traveled to Japan to study the game. While achieving the impossible on the game board, Wu is struggling to deal with Japan's escalating aggression against his home country. Went into production about two years ago, this biopic was premiered at the New York Film Festival last year. It will be released in Hong Kong on May 24.
Click here for a poster and eight promotional stills.
Related Stories: Tian Zhuangzhuang's WU QINGYUAN (aka. THE GO MASTER) Gets No Release in China (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) October 14, 2006Another WU QINGYUAN (aka. THE GO MASTER) Review from NY Fest (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) October 7, 2006The First, and a Very Enthusiastic Review of Tian Zhuangzhuang's WU QINGYUAN (aka. THE GO MASTER) (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) September 30， 2006Director Tian Zhuangzhuang Begins Making Weiqi Master WU QINGYUAN's Biopic (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) September 18, 2004 |
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Ridley Scott Wants to Tell Stories of The First Emperor of China (with Zhang Yimou) and Genghis Khan (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) | ||||||||||
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April 6, 2007 |
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Producer and director Ridley Scott just had a short conversation with a Chinese reporter, as his Tristan + Isolde is set for a theatrical release this month in China (with about 12 minute of shots deleted). He said he had purchased two scripts, one is about the First Emperor of China and the other one is about Genghis Khan. No words on who were the writers. He would like to do two projects in the following five years and the First Emperor Project would probably come first. He had discussed the first Emperor Project with Zhang Yimou several times and Zhang was very much interested. However, Zhang is working on the opening and close ceremonies of the Beijing Olympic and he is not expecting to work on any movie project until the games are over next year. The first emperor of China has been featured on the big screen for several times. Zhang Yimou played the lead character, an imperial soldier, in supernatural actioner A Terra-Cotta Warrior (1990), directed by Ching Siu-Tung. It tells the imperial soldier, buried more than 2000 years ago, woke up in the 1930s and reunited with the woman he loved. Zhou Xiaowen directed the less known The Emperor’s Shadow (1996), about the real incident of a blind musician’s attempt on the emperor’s life. Chen Kaige made The Emperor and the Assassin (1998), a mega-budget historical drama, chronicled the emperor war of unifying China and the most famous unsuccessful assassination of him. Zhang Yimou shot his first martial-art film Hero (2002), featured a fictional assassination on the real ruler. Most recently, Jackie Chan starred in another supernatural actioner The Myth (2005) directed by Stanley Tong, with a plot somewhat similar to that of A Terra-Cotta Warrior. |
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Opening This Week: March 31 - April 6 (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) |
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April 6, 2007 |
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A guy looks for a girl he once met on the city train, four ninja turtles are fight against the evil force, and a meets another girl she really likes...
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Liu Yifei and Li Bingbing have officially onboard of the Jackie Chan / Jet Li Project (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) |
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April 5, 2007 |
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According to several Chinese newspapers, 20 year old Liu Yifei and 32 year old have officially signed on. Born in Beijing, Liu Yifei (aka. Crystal Liu) immigrated to the States when she was ten. She returned to Beijing in 2002, and enrolled Beijing Film Academy. She has starred in six mainland Chinese TV series (three of them were in martial-art genre) and Love of May, a Taiwan-made movie. She will play Golden Sparrow, the sort of love interest of Jason the New York kid (Michael Angarano). Li Bingbing was born in Harbin of the northeast China and graduated from Shanghai Theatre College. She has appeared in tens of Chinese-made movies and TV series, including Zhang Yuan’s Seventeen Years, Lou Ye’s Purple Butterfly and Feng Xiaogang’s A World without Thieves). She will play the White-Haired Demoness.
Related Stories: A Little Bit More about the Jackie Chan / Jet Li Project - Part 3 (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) March 17, 2007A Little Bit More about the Jackie Chan / Jet Li Project - Part 2 (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) March 13, 2007The Jackie Chan / Jet Li Project Is Titled KING OF KUNG FU? (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) March 6, 2007The Jackie Chan / Jet Li Project Will Happen This Month (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) March 2, 2007A Little Bit More about the Jackie Chan / Jet Li Project (Variety) October 31, 2006Rob Minkoff Got to Direct the Jackie Chan / Jet Li Project? (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) August 24, 2006The Jackie Chan / Jet Li Project to Be Directed by Peter Jackson? (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) August 12, 2006Rumored Plot of the Jackie Chan / Jet Li Project (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) August 9, 2006The Jackie Chan / Jet Li Project Will Tell a Journey to the West-Inspired Story? (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) August 3, 2006Jackie Chan's Update on the Long-Awaited Jackie Chan / Jet Li Project (AP) August 1, 2006Jackie Chan and Jet Li to Announce The J & J Project (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) May 16, 2006 |
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(Sina.com) | ||||||||||
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April 5, 2007 |
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Simon Yam (Left) plays the captain of a Hong Kong Police surveillance team, which is playing a cat and mouse game with a gang of jewelry thieves, headed by a man (Leung Ka-Fai), who knows everything about how to avoid being watched.
Related Stories: Nine Month Long Production of EYE IN THE SKY Comes to an End (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) September 2, 2006The Latest from HK - EYE IN THE SKY, LOVE UNDERCOVER 3, LOVE@FIRST NOTE, WUSHU (hkfilmart.com) August 5, 2006 |
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April 4, 2007 |
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In Invisible Target (Nan Er Ben Se / literal title: True Color of Man), directed by Benny Chan (Bob-B-Hood, New Police Story), Nicholas Tse, Shawn Yue and Jacyee Chan play three cops, whose life lives are all messed up by a gang. While the gang is getting very violent, three cops are desperate to catch the man heading the gang (played by Wu Jing (Sha Po Lang)). Related Stories: INVISIBLE TARGET Stills (Sina.com) March 22, 2007 |
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April 3, 2007 |
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Related Stories: THE ASSEMBLY Promotional Stills (Sina.com) March 26, 2007 January 20, 2007More Videos from Feng Xiaogang's THE ASSEMBLY (CCTV / Sina.com) January 13, 2007More Videos from Feng Xiaogang's THE ASSEMBLY (CCTV / Sina.com) January 8, 2007 Feng Xiaogang's THE ASSEMBLY Opened for the Press (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) January 4, 2007THE ASSEMBLY Location Video (Sina.com.cn) November 28, 2006Props Burnt Before Feng Xiaogang Launches His War for THE ASSEMBLY (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) November 27, 2006 Pictures from a Muddy Location of Feng Xiaogang's THE ASSEMBLY (Sina.com.cn) November 20, 2006Spy Photos from the Set of Feng Xiaogang's THE ASSEMBLY (...) October 31, 2006More Detail on Feng Xiaogang's THE ASSEMBLY CALL (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) September 26, 2006Feng Xiaogang to Blow an ASSEMBLY CALL for a WWII Epic (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) August 10, 2006 |
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Zhang Ziyi Wants to Be a Cowgirl in LAUNDRY WARRIOR and Wife of MEI LANFANG? (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) |
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April 2, 2007 |
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These are straight from her mouth. She is not in negotiation to join the Jackie Chan / Jet Li project as reported previously. Her next project would be English-language South Korean project. It will tell an Asian girl’s story in the American West. Love, action, adventures and relationship among brothers (friends?) are some elements of the project. The male lead will be Korean star Jang Dong-Gun and the project will be helmed by a first-time South Korean director, whose name is not revealed. According to a report by The Associated Press, which quoted her manager’s comment, the title is Laundry Warrior and the principal shooting is expected to start in May. She also said in July or August, she would do another movie with a “very good Chinese director.” According to “fanqiemeimei”, who tipped me, the director is probably Chen Kaige and the movie is the biopic of late Peking opera artist Mei Lanfang. She would play Meng Xiaodong, one of Mei’s wives. She told several fans a few days ago that she liked the script and the role very much, and there was a great possibly that she would take the role. She just completed her duty in the production of The Horsemen with Dennis Quaid and director Jonas 舓erlund.Zhang Ziyi has re-launched her official site (http://www.helloziyi.com) yesterday, with an alliance with Sohu.com. The website was previously maintained by Sina.com and was shut down a while ago. |
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Jia Zhangke Announced TWENTY-FOUR CITY (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) |
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April 2, 2007 |
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Venice Golden Lion winner Jiang Zhangke ( Still Life, The World, Unknown Pleasures) has announced his next project - TWENTY FOUR CITY, at a press conference yesterday. It will focus on the stories three generations of women workers during the rise and fall of a state-run factory, to show how the life of many Chinese cities and city residents life have changed since the 1960s. Jia said he ha the idea of making a movie about a factory for many years. The factory he picked is a plane engine manufacturer called Factory 420 located in Chengdu of southwestern China . In 2005, real estate developer CR Land purchased the land the factory was built on. The factory buildings are about to be demolished, workers and their relatives who live on the factory land are about to be relocated, and a series of apartment buildings, named "24 City" is about to be built. Simultaneously, Jia will also shoot a 200 - 260 minute long documentary titled The Story of 24 City (literal title) to record the whole process. CR Land is producing the project, along with Shanghai Film Group and Jia Zhangke's Hong Kong-based Xinghui Production Company. Twenty-Four City is also the first movie Jia did not write alone. His writing partner is Zhai Yongming, a woman poet from Chengdu. Jia is now finalizing the script and looking for actresses to play the three workers. He also admitted that he needed more time to prepare for both The Age of Tattoo and Shuang Xiong Hui and works on these two projects would not start until the end of this year. Shooting of both would be completed by next January.
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THREE KINGDOMS: RESURRECTION OF THE DRAGON Pre-Production Photos (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) |
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April 1, 2007 |
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Pre-production of period actioner Three Kingdoms: Resurrection of the Dragon is under way in China's northwestern province of Gansu. Hundreds of locally recruited extras have been trained, sometimes by Sammo Hung. A wooden structure is built in Subei County. It is surrounded by hundreds of tomb plate. Loosely based on part of classic Chinese historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms, this US$25 million Chinese-Korean co-production, will focus on Zhao Yun (also known as Zhao Zilong), a relatively minor character in the novel. The story is about Zhao Yun (Andy Lau), the last surviving general of the Shu kingdom, making the last stand against the invading army from Wei. A series of flashbacks will chronicle Zhao Yun’s whole life. The cast also includes Sammo Hung and Maggie Q. John Woo's Red Cliff (aka. The Battle of Red Cliff) is also based on part of the novel.
Related stories: THREE KINGDOMS: RESURRECTION OF THE DRAGON: Teaser Post and Character Design Sketches (Xiao Pang's Blog) February 7, 2007Plot Update on Andy Lau's THREE KINGDOMS: RESURRECTION OF THE DRAGON (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) October 18, 2006THREE KINGDOMS: RESURRECTION OF THE DRAGON in Pre-Production (...) October 15, 2006Andy Lau to Star in Two Period Films - STRATEGE and ZHAO ZILONG (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) July 2, 2005 |
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