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| NEWS ACHIEVES |
| HERO News 07 - Some Inside Story (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) |
| September 19, 2001 |
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China's Daily New, under the banner of Tianjin Daily, has just published an article by Shi Yu. Here are some of the highlights: Nine Digit Production
with Only Seven Characters Who Is the Hero? How the Story Is
Going to Be Told? A Martial Art Movie
or A Drama? How Is the Production
Going? |
| HERO News 06 (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) |
| September 5, 2001 |
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At a news conference yesterday in Hong Kong, Maggie Cheung has briefly talked about the shooing. So for all she did are fighting scenes with Jet Li, which were handled by deputy directors and choreographers. Therefore she has not been able to have a taste of Zhang Yimou's directing style. She said, "the weather in the desert is very bad and got wind filled with sand. (I'm) afraid of getting high-altitude illness. It's already very hard to breath, (I) have to make fighting scenes, that's even more challenging. But I feel I must endure (the pain) when necessary. She said Zhang Ziyi is very loveable and Leung Chiu-wai has a lot of non-fighting scenes. |
| HERO News 05 - Two More Pictures (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) |
| August 24, 2001 |
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| Photo courtesy: Xinhua News Agency |
| Hero News 04 - Shooting Is Halted (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) |
| August 22, 2001 |
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Three days ago, the entire production has vanished from Akesay location. Some reports suggested that the Dunhuang Tour Festival is coming and Zhang Yimou does not want the location being jammed with tourists. Other reporters said that shooting was suspended because there are too many "casualties" of the hash weather and environment. Either way, we may see all quiet on the western front for up to several weeks. Days ago, Jet Li was
spotted in Mogaoku (Mogao Caves), the historical Buddhist relic. Locals
have seen Maggie Cheung cycling in the street. Two reporters have talked
to Zhang Ziyi and even got her autographs. |
| Hero News 03 (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) |
| August 20, 2001 |
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| An entire battalion was "borrowed" from the Armed Police |
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Hero T-shirt |
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| An officer | ||
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| Foot soldiers | More than 80 horses, have been in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Musa, were shipped from Beijing. | Crossbow carts. All carts have been patented. |
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| Crossbow carts from another angle | Officer's commending cart |
| All photos were shot by Wang Tieshu from Nanfang Daily except the one with special notice. |
| All major stars have arrived including Leung Chiu-Wai. However, only their doubles were used in the shooting of large scenes. Apparently, all cast and crew members are avoiding contact with the media and security is done by the Armed Police. Yesterday's shooting involves scenes with one group of army attacking a city. In one scene, 50 cavalries, carrying red flags, encircling a legion, was shot for almost two hours. Zhang Ziyi was spotted wearing a red silk dress, later changed to an orange one under Zhang Yimou's order. The production is huge, dozens of military vehicles were on location and nine to ten trucks are used each day just for supplying food. The location is more than 2000 meters above the sea level. Low level of oxygen, high level of ultra-violet radiation, as well as windy and chilling weather have knocked down at least five crew members yesterday. The budget is over 100 million Yuan ($12 million US). Considering the low production cost in China, same project will probably cost almost ten times of that, if done by Hollywood studios. |
| Reference: Ning Zuiqin's reports from Nanfang Daily, Yu Ji's report from Chinese Business View, Fei Yu's report from www.21dnn.com and Zhu Bo's report from Tianjin Daily. |
| Hero News 02 (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) |
| August 18, 2001 |
| Zhang Yimou has been spotted on location of Akesai County of Gansu Province. According to a riding coach, Zhang Ziyi and Maggie Cheung have practiced riding for two days and Zhang Ziyi's riding skill is pretty good. A black horse the coach was riding will be rode by Jet Li in the film. Shooting for Jet Li and Maggie Cheung's scenes has started yesterday. All major stars have arrived except Leung Chiu-Wai, who currently has no scene to shoot. |
| Based on Yu Ji's report from Chinese Business View. |
| Hero News 01 (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) |
| August 17, 2001 |
| Despite
Zhang Yimou order of total blackout against the media, something still leaked
out.
There outdoor sets has been built, located in the old Dunhuang city (10 km from current Dunhuang city), Dangjin Mountain in Akesai (150 km from Dunhuang) and Yandan (?) area, all around Dunhuang city of Gansu Province on the silk road. Dangjin Mountain has very unique looking. About 4000 meters above the sea level, it is in pure white. Director Zhang Yimou and Zhang Ziyi currently stay at a hotel in Dunhuang. Director of cinematography Christopher Doyle and cinematographer Hou Yong have arrived in Akasai. Jet Li, Maggie Cheung and Leung Chiu-Wai have not come because shooting of their scenes have yet to start. The production is huge with hundreds of crew members. Plus hundreds of extras provided by the Army, there are almost one thousands people are working on the project in those very remote areas. Under strong ultraviolet radiation, many people faces were severely tanned after only one day. Scarves were issued to protect them from the sun. There is a very interesting scene: a man called No Name told the King of Qin, actually one man's pain is not pain compared to people's pain; enmity between Qin and Zhao is not enmity to people's enmity. The King said, the one knows me the most is you. |
| Based on Yu Ji's reports from Chinese Business View. |
| Shooting of Hero Begins (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) |
| August 13, 2001 |
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On August 11, shooting of Hero has officially begun. The first set of shots were done in Akesai, outside of Lanzhou, capital of Gansu Province and a historical city on the Silk Road. According to Yuan Ying, a reporter from Lanzhou Early News, the shooting involves cavalries and possibly chariots. One crew member said they had been Akesai four times already and the shooting at there will last for a month. No words on any cast member or the director Zhang Yimou. Looks like they did not show up, at least not yet. |
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| "Hero Shooting Starts" |
| Hero Plot (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) |
| August 10, 2001 |
| Before became the First Emperor of China, Ying Zheng (played by Chen Daoming), King of the state of Qin, brutal and ruthless, was the target of many assassins. Among them, Can Jian (Broken Sword, played by Tony Leung Chiu-Wai), Fei Xue (Flying Snow, played by Maggie Cheung) and Liu Zhi Tie Shou (Six Finger Iron Hand) are the best. However, their plan was challenged by Ying Zheng's bodyguard Wu Yu (Silencer, played by Jet Li). He rarely spoke and no one knew what he was up to, but something was hidden behind this eyes. Three assassins fought their way into the king's place and were killed by Silencer in front of the king. He told the king his enemies had been wiped out but the king did not trust him. When Silencer finally start to fulfill his wish, killing the king, something more deadly was waiting for him ... |
| Jiang Wen Confirmed For Hero (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) |
| July 20, 2001 |
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During the news conferece of The Heroes of the Heaven and Earth, Jiang Wen has confirmed that he will play the First Emporer in Zhang Yimou's Hero. |
| Hero Goes To Dunhuang (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) |
| July 18, 2001 |
| Director Zhang Yimou has chosen Dunhuang County on the Silk Road to shoot his new film Hero. According to crew member, choosing the location is not only because of the beautiful landscape but also because it has not been used for Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. He said, the red Flame Mountain, white salt filed and dark blue mountains have met Zhang Yimou's demand for colors of the film. A huge set will be built and Dunhuang County has promised to re-pave a road to the set. The local government has planed to pay the meal and board expense for all cast and crew members in exchange for the set and props after the shooting. |
| Hero News: Jet Li Axed The First Script and Zhang Ziyi Took A Minor Role (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) |
| July 16, 2001 |
| Last Sunday, Jet Li has
secretly arrived Beijing to meet director Zhang Yimou. During their last meeting
in June, Jet Li's idea for the film has almost completely axed Zhang's script.
They will have the second talk based on the second script due to be out by the
end of July and will go to Inner Mongolia, Xinjiang and Qinghai to look for
locations.
Zhang Ziyi will only have a small role in the film. She will play a maid of Leung Chiu-Wai (Tony)'s character. The maid, in love with her master, attempted to kill the First Emperor using twin knives. Zhang Yimou said to her, "I want to see can you really fight or not." She took the role for repaying Zhang Yimou whom discovered her. Zhang Yimou picked her as the lead for The Road Home and later she was cast for Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon after Ang Lee knowing she was in a Zhang Yimou's film. Although their family names are both spelled as "Zhang", they are not the same. |
| Secret Behind Jet Li Joining Hero - Two Letters From Director Zhang Yimou (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) |
| July 11, 2001 |
| Jet Li has told Hong Kong's Ming Pao that he made his mind after reading two letters from director Zhang Yimou, sent along with the script. One letter is for him and another one is for his wife Li Zhi. He will reveal the content of these letters when he is doing the promotion for the film. Right now he will focus on Kiss of the Dragon. |
| Newest On Hero (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) |
| July 9, 2001 |
| Jet Li has officially signed on for Zhang Yimou's upcoming Hero. Shooting
will start in early August and the location is probably the Inner Mongolia of
China. The pay is the lowest for Jet Li in recent years. For not diminishing
his pay in the future, both sides have agreed not to unveil the exact amount.
Japanese designer Emi Wada has started to work on the costume since May. Her work on director Akira Kurosawa's Ran has earned an Academy Award for her in 1985. After trying on, Jet Li said it was the best costume he has ever worn. Here is what Jet Li said about Hero during the Hong Kong premiere of Kiss of the Dragon: "A man should not expect too much. Expecting too much will bring you pain. Higher the expectation more the disappointments. Cherishing every single opportunity and doing my best are my rules of selecting projects. I just finished the test shots in the mainland (China). This script is very special, which explores the definition of "hero". Shooting will start in (Inner Mongolia) early August and will last five months." |
Director Zhang Yimou
Another picture of him
Jiang Wen played The First Emperor in 1996's historical epic The Emperor's
Shadow