Assessing the challenge of distilling one of the four great epics of Chinese literature for the big screen, Gaiman hesitated: “To the West, there’s nothing inherently not interesting aboutJourney to the West. It has the best bad guys. That’s absolutely universal." (Sina)
My Wedding and Other Secrets is the second time she has told her true love story of how a Chinese girl falls for a white boy and dares not tell her conservative Hong Kong immigrant parents (Kenneth Tsang and Cheng Pei Pei). New Zealand Film To Be Released In Chinese Version
"Punished," which is scheduled to make its world premiere at the upcoming Hong Kong International Film Festival on April 4, features veteran Hong Kong actor Anthony Wong as a ruthless property tycoon who uses intimidation tactics to confiscate land from local villagers only to be humbled after his rebellious daughter is kidnapped and murdered.
More pictures from boot ceremony for Lu Chuan's King's Feast held yesterday
Qin Lan, Yang Mi
Liu Ye, Stellar Media chairman, Han Sanping (China Film Group chairman), Lu Chuan
Front: Berlin Chen Bo-Lin, Carrie Ng, Michelle Ye, Pat Ha Man-Jik, Calvin Poon
Calvin Poon and the cast of Hi, Fidelity (lit.Derailed Women) promote the film at a press conference for the HKIFF which will premiere on the 20th. (Sina)
Gao Yuanyuan - Don't Go Breaking My Heart
Daniel Wu
Louis Koo
Johnnie To's Don't Go Breaking My Heart will have a preview screening in Shanghai on the 11th. Reaction to the premiere in Beijing on March 2 has been positive.
The completion of one of those projects, Wong Kar Wai’s The Grandmasters, starring actress Zhang Ziyi (Memoirs of a Geisha), has been delayed until the fourth quarter.
Addressing queries about another delayed picture, Mulan, Bona’s planned English-language international co-production of the story of China’s most famous woman warrior, Bona CFOMason Xu told The Hollywood Reporter: “Yu Dong our CEO is now talking with potential investors both from China and overseas.”...the project’s finance fell apart just before Mulan was due to go into production outside Shanghai last fall, members of the production team told The Hollywood Reporter on condition of anonymity. One described how they had been asked to gather at Hengdian Studios then all been sent home.
Zhang Yimou, submitted a proposal to the ongoing annual session of the National Committee of CPPCC, together with other five members, including Zhang Huijun, president of Beijing Film Academy, and other famed directors Feng Xiaogang, Yin Li, Feng Xiaoning and Chen Guoxing.
Even more notably, the movie has some of the liveliest and best-staged action-comedy seen so far in a Mainland movie without any offshore help: the finale in the booby-trapped inn is the equal of anything in a similar Hong Kong movie.
Alas, the 1966 film is incomplete. S.F. International Asian-American Film Fest caps Anna May Wong: In Her Own Words Almost Perfect with Kelly Hu and Edison Chen
Edison Chen, a fine young talent, has been effectively banned from Hong Kong films because of a nude photo scandal; their loss is our gain, at least for this feel-good indie film.
In April the Hong Kong Film Archive's (HKFA) "Morning Matinee" will screen four Cantonese and one Mandarin film starring renowned Cantonese opera stars Yam Kim-fai, Fong Yim-fun, Sun Ma Si-tsang, Lam Kar-sing and film idols Connie Chan Po-chu, Josephine Siao Fong-fong, Patsy Kar Ling and Helen Ma.
Kiwi-Asian marriage in film-making
Despite it being an important milestone for New Zealand cinema, director Roseanne Liang is modest about the film's achievement.My Wedding and Other Secrets is a romantic comedy telling a classic tale of forbidden love between a Chinese girl and a Kiwi boy.
The film is based on Liang's own romance, which was also the subject of a 2005 documentary called Banana in a Nutshell. The storyline attracted acclaimed Chinese actors, Cheng Pei Pei and Kenneth Tsang to take key roles in the production
According to this report of Faye Wong's first Hong Kong concert, Faye sang mainly in Cantonese, but also in Mandarin and English. As is typical, Faye spoke very little to the audience, not until 35 minutes into the first night's concert, she uttered only a brief 'Hello' and 'Thank you'. Later, when singing a cover of an Eason Chan song, Faye said a few more 'Thank yous' in both Cantonese and Mandarin. (Xinhua-gallery)
Director Yan Ran held a joint press conference as he has two film releases to promote, Together and Sweet Journey. Both films are scheduled to be released on the 8th of this month.
Ni Dahong, Daniel Chan (Chen Xiaodong), Yan Ran
Li Feier - Together
Zhang Hanyu - Sweet Journey (lit. Under the Clouds) opens March 8.
Xu Jiao is being sent to school in Taipei to prepare for her unconfirmed upcoming role in Tom Lin Shuyu's Star. Among the goals are to not delay her studies, to experience life in Taiwan, and to change her Mainland accent. Shooting for Star is set to begin in early April. (Sina)
Huang Yi - Sky Fighters
Huang Yi
Li Guangjie
Sky Fighters held a grand premiere ceremony at the Tianjin Air Force Base on the 5th. Coproduced by the August 1st Film Company (the PLA-backed film studio) the event included a flight demonstration by Air Force fighter jets. (Sina), 2,(Sina-gallery)
Shu Qi and Carina Lau were among the celebrities in Taiwan to help launch a new entertainment company. The article notes that Shu Qi dressed in a sexy dresss] while Carina looked like an ordinary white-collar office worker. Lee Hsing, Hou Hsiao-Hsien, Andrew Lau, Doze Niu also attended. (Xinhua-gallery)(Sina-slide show)
Lau said he was barely spending any time in Hong Kong these days, instead busy belting out his hits for mainland fans and capitalizing on his stardom among entertainment-hungry Chinese audiences that accounted for a total box office of $1.55 billion last year. Lau has been the front man for most Chinese blockbusters in recent years, most recently a remake of the kung fu classic "Shaolin" and the fantasy-mystery "Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame."
Ann Hui is one of the local directors who has sort of fallen by the wayside amid the rise of big-budget Chinese productions. She excels in Hong Kong-set family and domestic dramas that win critical acclaim, but struggles to find viewers on the mainland.
Latest poster for the J-10 film, now called Sky Fighters
As Lock Destination, last month
Whatever it's called, it's Huang Yi in a flight suit! Take that, Kelly McGillis. (Sina), 2
Sky Fighters costar Li Guangjie and Huang Yi attend the Beijing premiere of Johnnie To/Wai Ka-Fai's Don't Go Breaking My Heart.
(Mar.2)
Tony Ching Siu-Tung, Tsui Hark with Johnnie To, Wai Ka-Fai
Tony Ching Siu-Tung, Tsui Hark with Johnnie To, Wai Ka-Fai
Appearing in Beijing with a "marriage certificate" Life is a Miracle announced a new Chinese title (lit. Favorites) for the Gu Changwei film openinng May 10.
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