Saving General Yang (忠烈杨家将) marks the return of director Ronny Yu (于仁泰) of making period drama wuxia genre film after his 2006 top box office Fearless (霍元甲) starring Jet Li (李連杰). The film will be premiere worldwide this year on October 26th. Saving General Yang’s impressive cast includes screen legend Adam Cheng (鄭少秋), Ekin Cheng (郑伊健), Wu Chun (吴尊), Raymond Lam (林峰), Vic Zhou (周渝民), Li Chen (李晨 ), Yu Bo (于波), Fu XinBo (付辛博), and Xu Fan (徐帆). Joining the male ensemble is the beautiful Ady An (安以轩) as Princess Chai.
Painted Skin 2: Resurrection World Premiere in June
Huayi Brothers’ Painted Skin 2: Resurrection (画皮2) will premiere in Chengdu, Sichuan on June 15th. Worldwide release of the film will be on June 28th. The movie features a love triangle storyline involving the characters portrayed by Chen Kun (陈坤), Zhao Wei (赵薇) and Zhou Xun (周迅), and the main plot focuses upon a war which takes place between an army led by Chen Kun’s character and a country named Sirius. Director Wu Ershan (乌尔善) said he hoped to present a mysterious nation that possesses its own unique cultural and religious beliefs. Actors were required to speak in a new hybrid Sanskrit language created by Wu Ershan.
Michael Huang – A New Dream of An Affectionate Butterflies
A New Dream of An Affectionate Butterflies is the ending theme song of CTS’s 1993 TV serial of Justice Bao (包青天) starring Kenny Ho (何家劲) as Zhan Zhao (展昭) and Jin Chao Qun (金超群) as Bao Qing Tian (包青天). The lyric of the song was based on the a poem titled Chuang Tzu and the Butterfly (莊周夢蝶) by a famous poet Li Bai (李白, 701 – 762 CE) during the Tang Dynasty era (唐朝, 618 CE to 907 CE).
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3rd Installment of Ip Man Confirmed
Four years after the box office blockbuster Ip Man (葉問), producer Wong Bak-Ming (黃百鳴) and director Wilson Yip (葉偉信) are set to shoot its third installment at the end of this year. The latest sequel will focus on the master-disciple relationship between Ip Man and kung-fu megastar Bruce Lee (李小龍). It will be filmed in 3D format. Donnie Yen (甄子丹) will once again play as Ip Man. The role of Bruce Lee has yet to be decided.
The Grandmasters Release Date
It has been more than two years since Wong Kar-Wai’s (王家衛) the Grandmasters (一代宗師) finished filming. Just recently, Fang Zedong Film announced December 18th as the official release date. It is also announced by Wild Bunch film distributor that the Grandmasters will not participate in this year’s Cannes Film Festival, Venice and Toronto Film Festivals. The Grandmasters has been 13 years in the making. Wong Kar-Wai discussed the film project with Jeffrey Lau (劉鎮偉) as early as 1997 and in 2001 he began to write the script. Continue reading “The Grandmasters Release Date”
Tai Chi 0 Teaser Released
The first of a Huayi Brothers’ trilogy, Tai Chi 0 (太极), teaser is released for promotional marketing. Directed by Stephen Fung (馮德倫), Tai Chi 0 is starring Tony Leung Ka Fai (梁家輝), Angelababy (楊穎) , Eddie Peng (彭于晏), Shu Qi (舒淇), and Daniel Wu (吳彥祖). Sammo Hung (洪金寶) will direct the action choreograph. Material posters have been unveiled in Beijing’s busiest subway station at World Trade Center. Tai Chi 0 is scheduled to release later this year. Continue reading “Tai Chi 0 Teaser Released”
The Four Marshals Will Be Unveiled at BIFF
Director Gordon Chan’s (陈嘉) adaptation of the Four Marshals (四大名捕) by Wen Rui’an (溫瑞安) will be unveiled at Beijing International Film Festival on April 23rd. The Four Marshals features Liu YiFei (刘亦菲) as Heartless (无情), Deng Chao (邓超) as Cold Blooded (冷血), Collin Chou (邹兆龙) as Metal Hand (铁手), and Ronald Cheng (郑中基) as Life Chaser (追命). Set during China’s Northern Song Dynasty, the film is about four detectives with unique professional skills. In the film, Liu YiFei takes on the role of a man in the original novel, who has affinity with animals. The film’s co-stars include Anthony Wong (黄秋生), Sheren Tang (邓萃雯) and Jiang YiYan (江一燕).
Bronze Sparrow Pavilion Gets New English Title
The Assassins is the new English title for Bronze Sparrow Pavilion (铜雀台). The cast and stars for the Assassins will be at the Beijing International Film Festival on April 23rd to promote the upcoming October release of the movie. The Assassins features Chow Yun Fat (周潤發) as the famous strategist Cao Cao (曹操) of the Three Kingdoms period. Cao Cao built the structure known as the Bronze Sparrow Pavilion, upon which lived a large number of beautiful women, singing and dancing just for him. Director Zhao LinShan (赵林山) mentioned the film will focus on Cao Cao’s later life, including his military affairs, love and relationship with his sons.
The Last Supper Trailer Released
First trailer of the Last Supper (王的盛宴) is released to promote its upcoming mainland China nationwide premier on July 5th. The Last Supper is based on the well-known historical event the HongMen Banquet, which took place in 206 BCE. The film is directed by Lu Chuan (陸川) and starring Daniel Wu (吳彥祖) as Xiang Yu in addition to Liu Ye (劉燁) as Liu Bang. Lu Chuan mentioned that the Last Supper is not about the event on the Hong Gate Banquet, but it’s rather revolved the fate of the group of people. Produced by the China Film Group, Stellar Mega Films Ltd., and Emperor Motion Pictures, and it is regarded as one of the most anticipated period drama of the year. Continue reading “The Last Supper Trailer Released”
Bronze Sparrow Pavillion Finished Filming
Bronze Sparrow Pavilion is a mainland China’s Changchun Film Studio production featuring directorial debut of Zhao Lin-Shan. The majority of the filming was done in Hebei, which just recently completed. The script is written by renowned Chinese director Zhang YiMou, the writer for Hero, the House of Flying Daggers and Riding Alone for Thousands of Miles. Bronze Sparrow Pavilion is a historical romance film revolves around a love story between Cao Cao, a renowned warlord during the Three Kingdoms era, and a beautiful young woman named Ling Ju. According to Zhao Lin-Shan, the character of Ling Ju was inspired by the recent discovery of a young woman’s bones in the newly excavated of Cao Cao’s tomb in Henan Province. Continue reading “Bronze Sparrow Pavillion Finished Filming”