HKMDB Daily News

November 20, 2009

November 20, 2009

CRI: Li Yuchun Sings for ‘Bodyguards’ (video)

Rising pop singer Li Yuchun, who made her film debut in the new action thriller “Bodyguards and Assassins”, has been chosen to sing the movie’s theme song, “Fen Mo” (”Dust”).

With about 100 action films under his belt, kung-fu king Jackie Chan says he is not proud of all his movies.

Shu Qi turns down Zhang Ziyi film because of nude scene

Shu Qi has turned down a role in Chinese star Zhang Ziyi’s English movie “Snow Flower and the Secret Fan”.

Younger sister of Nicholas Tse is the new “Jing Girl”

Jennifer Tse latest Wong Jing protege

Banned director brings romance film to Hong Kong

Forget ‘Twilight: New Moon,’ John Woo’s Chinese epic ‘Red Cliff’ is the biggest film on the planet

John Woo’s ‘Red Cliff’: An Epic Cut Down To Size

John Woo exporting Hollywood values to China

Taiwan director plans Chen Shui-bian assassination movie

Vivian Chow, Sandra Ng two nights ago, shooting Ann Hui’s ‘Leisurely Fried Rice’(literally) in chilly weather. (Sina)

Sandra Ng on breaks from All’s Well Ends Well 2010

The article says that due to newcomers Angelababy and Lynn Xiong there are numerous NGs and extends the shooting day which leads to many cellphone breaks. (Sina)

Sandra Ng, Louis Koo

Sandra Ng and Louis Koo are helping Angelababy along but is wearying for the senior actors like Lee Heung Kam (Sina)

CRI: Fan Bingbing as A Femme Fatale

Fan Bingbing graces the cover of the November 2009 issue of “Madame Figaro” magazine.

‘Wheat’ star Fan Bingbing graces the cover of November’s issue of ‘Madame Figaro’ (MF), China, a special issue themed ‘Femme Fatale.’

Hello Kitty jewellery collectables

Hello Kitty turns 35

Taipei Times: Pop Stop

November 19, 2009

November 19, 2009

Filed under: News — Tags: , , , , , , , , — dleedlee @ 3:25 pm

New stills of Zhao Wei in Mulan released. A Nov.27 release is scheduled (HunanTV)

HD (Sina)

Kitty Zhang Yuqi - Jump

Zhang Yuqi stars in Stephen Fung’s story about a simple rural girl in the big city who loves to dance. The original story comes from Stephen Chow. (HunanTV) (Sina)

Nick Cheung is hoping to win a Golden Horse for Best Actor (Beast Stalker) (Sina)

Variety: Overheard

Quality casting down the line and a script that manages some characterization between its twists and turns make for an entertaining package that’s flawed only by a lack of sustained tension in the direction.

Variety: The Robbers

A pair of amoral thieves end up defending a tiny village they initially came to pilfer in “The Robbers,” a rambunctious black comedy in period duds that plays like a Chinese riff on “Seven Samurai.”

CRI: China Expects Most Crowded Spring Festival Film Season

“We will have a headache in February because the Valentine’s Day coincides with the Spring Festival (lunar new year) holiday,” He said. “There are too many films to manage.”

Cecilia Cheung previously suffered two miscarriages

Taiwan’s sexiest woman

Model-turned-actress Lin Chi-ling says reputation takes “a lot of maintenance”.

Fan Bingbing

(cri.cn)

Fan Bingbing magazine spread in HD (Sina)

Zhang Jingchu Beijing jewelry brand appearance in HD (Sina)

Zhang Jingchu GQ

(ChinaDaily)

Zhang Jingchu GQ launch in HD (Sina)

CRI: Michelle Yeoh’s New Role

“Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” actress Michelle Yeoh raises awareness on road safety.

Andy Lau lookalike is a porn star

More than 400 Taiwanese artistes on tax man’s ‘wanted list’

November 18, 2009

November 18, 2009

CRI: Classic Fantasy Film Storms back with Dazzling CG Effects

The sequel to 1998 fantasy/kung fu film ‘The Storm Warriors’ will hit cinemas across Asia on December 10.

CRI: ‘Mulan’ Premieres in Beijing

Three Guns poster features English title of A Simple Noodle Story. The title is reminiscent of the popular internet parody of Chen Kaige’s The Promise, The Bloody Case That Started With a Steamed Bun

(cri.cn)

CRI: Zhang Yimou’s New Film Is a Tribute to “Zhiqing” Generation

Director Zhang Yimou will begin shooting a heart-wrenching romance set in China in the 1970s.

Adapted from a 2008 bestselling novel “Hawthorn Tree Forever”, the story revolves around a great unfulfilled love in around 1975 between two “zhiqing,” or young, educated urban people sent to the countryside for re-education during China’s decade long “cultural revolution.”

Zhang will embark on a Nanjing massacre-themed film following “Hawthorn Tree,” the report said.

THR: Zhang considers war drama, romance as next project

THR: ‘Chen Zhen’ starts shooting near Shanghai

Leon Lai - Frozen

Leon Lai has begun work on Derek Kwok’s Frozen. The storyline is unknown. (HunanTV) (Sina)

CRI: Jet Li Acknowledges Singaporean Citizenship

Kitty Zhang gives her two cents on mentor Stephen Chow

The demure 23-year-old actress revealed her tendencies to quarrel with Stephen during filming due to their differences in personality. Despite that, she expressed her utmost respect for the latter and shared that she is filled with awe and admiration for him.

Panda Express Premiere

Deng Jiajia

Jane Zhang sang the theme song

Liu Hua

Panda Express Premiere photos (Sina)

Charlene Choi attending a Christmas lighting ceremony at Times Square (Xinhua)

Gillian Chung

Gillian Chung celebrates 15th anniversary of Toughjeans brand

(Xinhua)

November 17, 2009

November 17, 2009

Filed under: News — Tags: , , , , , , — dleedlee @ 2:56 pm

CRI: First Timer Li Yuchun Fights like A Kung Fu Panda

Singer-turned-actress Li Yuchun believes her role in “Bodyguards and Assassins” corresponds to Po.

Jiang Wen aims for commercial success (Let The Bullets Fly)

I will make a film that everybody understands,” he said at a Beijing press conference last week.

Danwei: Tian Zhuangzhuang: The film world as mafia and commerical models of film

Taiwan’s Lam[Lin] Chi-ling stars in new film

Taiwan’s top model-turned-actress Lam Chi-ling stars in “The Treasure Hunter”, due for release next month. Another one of her films will be released next summer. In that film, she plays opposite mainland actor, Sun Honglei.

Jay Chou’s Pandaman estimated to rack in S$50 million

Chen Kun

Chen Kun, Luo Haiqiong

New Huayi Brothers TV series set in Republican era. Cast includes Chen Kun and Cheng Pei Pei

(Cri.cn)

Taipei Times: Empire of the rising sun ‘

‘Pattenrai’ tells the story of the Japanese engineer whose projects turned an arid wilderness into one of Taiwan’s most important agricultural regions

Taipei Times: Pop Stop

Rainie Yang, Terri Kwan, A-Mei, Jay Chou making news and more…

Carol Chu, a prisoner of fame?

HONG Kong superstar Andy Lau has barred his Malaysian wife Carol Chu from going out, Sin Chew Daily has reported.

Secret spouses

November 16, 2009

November 16, 2009

Stool Pigeon - On location with Nic Tse and Kwai Lun-Mei

Nic Tse

Kwai Lun-Mei

(12) (HunanTV)

To Live and Die in Mongkok - Nick Cheung and Monica Mok

Nick Cheung’s hot scene with Monica Mok. Film opens Thursday in Hong Kong. (HunanTV)

CRI: Jackie Chan Reunites with ‘Little Fortunes’

THR: Chan marks Peking Opera school anniversary

Chan, Hung, Yuen celebrate half-century of institute

CRI: Fan Bingbing Promotes “The Last Night of Madame Chin”

CRI: Jiang Wen Reveals Details about New Film

Actor turned director Jiang Wen’s upcoming film Let the Bullets Fly is still in production, but Jiang and his cast discussed the film recently with reporters in Beijing.

Carina Lau skipping Golden Horse awards because of Maggie Cheung?

Hong Kong actress Carina Lau is reportedly skipping this year’s Golden Horse Film Awards in Taiwan because of rumoured love rival Maggie Cheung.

Five-time Golden Horse award winning actress Cheung has agreed to be a presenter at the November 28 award show, her first appearance in nine years. The awards is seen as the Chinese-language “Oscars”.

Shortly after the news made headlines, Lau who was invited to represent husband, actor Tony Leung, at the film festival’s executive committee meeting, declined the invitation, citing work commitments as an excuse.

Leung, 47, is unable to attend the prestigious event as he is busy filming martial arts movie “The Grand Master”, which is scheduled to be released next year, while Lau, 43, is involved in Chinese film “Let The Bullets Fly”.

Lau’s manager has played down the matter, saying, “Things are fine between Carina and Maggie. Carina would very much like to attend the meeting but the crew refuse to let her go. She is still trying to fight for it.”

The long-running feud between love rivals Lau and Cheung, 45, over Leung is no secret and a rendezvous between Leung and Cheung in August this year has reignited rumours of the love triangle.

Exposed: The Real deal on Miriam Yeung’s hubby

Lin Chiling faces resistance on her return as a TV host

Memoirs of a travel host - Zhang Ziyi Travel Series

Joey Yung diagnosed with degenerative knee condition

Andy Lau and wife make pact to thwart media

Lau and Choo in ‘theatre of dreams’

Vivian Chow

(Sina)

Gong Mi (Little Cecilia Cheung) endorsing a Shenyang mall (Sina)

November 13, 2009

November 13, 2009a

Filed under: News — Tags: , , , , , — dleedlee @ 4:32 pm

Donnie Yen

Zhao Wei

Wu Zun

Qi Yuwu

Kate Tsui

New posters released at a recent Hong Kong press conference.

(cri.cn)

November 13, 2009

19 Confucius posters released at Beijing press conference (Sina)

The posters are meant to show 8 lesser known sides of Confucius’ life and his disputes with ten characters.

(cri.cn)

Huang Yi

CRI: Huang Yi as Jet Fighter Maintainer

Actress Huang Yi plays a captain-ranking jet maintainer in the upcoming Chinese film “Jian Shi Chu Ji” (literally “J-10’s Sortie”), which focuses on pilots of China’s homemade J-10 fighter jet. The film is slated to open in theaters later this month. (Related article)

Fan Bingbing

‘Bodyguards and Assassins’, an all-star film about a group of bodyguards protecting Sun Yat-Sen from assassins, has premiered. (Sina photos) (2)

Stool Pigeon - Kwai Lun Mei

Nic Tse

Filming Stool Pigeon in the streets of Tsimshatsui

(Sina)

Variety: Snowfall in Taipei

WSJ: An Asian Epic Is Cut in Half

John Woo’s smash hit ‘Red Cliff’ gets an American haircut

Harvard Crimson: Red Cliff

HDNet Movies to Sneak Preview John Woo Film

THR: Jackie Chan marks Peking Opera school anniversary

Gillian Chung photo shoot for a large chain electronic store (HD Sina)

November 10, 2009

November 10, 2009

Treasure Hunter posters

Lin Chi-Ling

Chen Daoming

Eric Tsang

(Sina)

CRI: Jia Zhangke to Finance ‘Mr. Tree’

CRI: Stills from ‘Once Upon a Time in Tibet’

Variety: The Sword With No Name (South Korea)

THR: Yen enjoyed playing villain

Yen explored transformation in ‘14 Blades’

Action star Donnie Yen says he signed on to play an ancient Chinese secret service agent in his new film — even though it was another kung fu epic — because he wanted to tackle the role of a villain who discovers his humanity.

THR: ‘Bullets’ women still secret

Jiang film’s full male cast revealed, but female leads unknown [?][Well, readers here know that Carina Lau is in it! Puzzling.]

Chow Yun-fat hospitalised

BEIJING - CHOW Yun-fat says he had to check himself into a Beijing hospital earlier this week after catching a cold while shooting an US$18 million (S$24 million) Chinese frontier film.

The Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon star told reporters at a press conference in Beijing on Tuesday that he took a two-day break from filming Chinese director Jiang Wen’s upcoming movie Let the Bullets Fly for treatment.

In a self-deprecating joke about his age, the 54-year-old Chow said he had to receive medical treatment after filming scenes with younger male Chinese actors.

‘I couldn’t take it any more,’ Chow said, adding the younger actors were ’simply too brilliant.’ Hong Kong’s Emperor Motion Pictures publicist Yip Kin-ping later said Chow was put on an intravenous drip after catching a cold from shooting in and near Beijing.

In the film, Jiang plays a bandit chief who tries to take over a remote provincial town in 1920s China, only to meet resistance from a tyrannical local businessman played by Chow.

Chow made his name with stylish Hong Kong gangster thrillers like A Better Tomorrow before making his Hollywood debut with the 1998 action movie The Replacement Killers. His other American credits include Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End and Dragonball Evolution. — AP

China’s recently-listed film conglomerate Huayi Brothers has come on board Dante Lam’s now in-production crime thriller “Stool Pigeon.”

November 9, 2009

November 9, 2009

Filed under: News — Tags: , , , , , , — dleedlee @ 3:57 pm

New Midnight Taxi poster released

(HunanTV)

Mulan’s world premiere has been announced in Beijing for Nov.16. at the Worker’s Stadium.

Zhejiang Satellite TV has acquired the hotly contested live broadcast rights to the event. Beginning on the 7th Zhejiang will begin a massive publicity campaign. (Xinhua) (HunanTV)

CRI: Mulan’s Release Date Set for November 27 (Sina)

Huang Yi, To Yuhang - Ip Man Prequel

Cast for Herman Yau’s Ip Man Prequel at Hong Kong press conference. The prequel covers Ip Man’s adolescence and studies in Hong Kong, his return to Foshan and how he met his wife played by Huang Yi. It’s scheduled for a May release ahead of Wilson Yip’s Ip Man 2.

Xu Jiao will play Ip Man’s younger sister (ifeng)

(Sina)

CRI: First Look at Sun Honglei in Treasure Hunt Movie

Another treasure hunt comedy starring popular actors Sun Honglei and Lin Chi-ling is now filming in the vast desert of northwestern China’s Gansu province. (HD version - Sina)

Tony Leung Chiu-Wai Sleeper?

Sun Honglei (Sina)

Lurk/Sleeper (Sina)

Yao Chen

Yao Chen, Shen Aojun

Tony Leung Chiu-Wai and Shu Qi are reportedly interested and in the running for the movie remake of a recent popular TV series ‘Sleeper’. Sun Honglei and Yao Chen played the originals in the story of a Communist sleeper agent in the KMT’s top intelligence agency after Japan surrendered in 1945. While his wife joins the Communist Party, he takes on a temporary wife. Sun Honglei is also open to the possibility to return to reprise his role. (HunanTV)

Wang Baoqiang

Jia Zhangke

Wang Baoqiang will star in a Jia Zhangke produced film, ‘Hello, Mr Tree’ to be directed by Han Jie. (Sina)

November 6, 2009

November 6, 2009

Divaasia: Vivian returns to her roots

Actress Vivian Hsu will soon start work on the new Taiwanese movie Seediq Bale, directed by Wei Te Sheng, who also directed last year’s Cape No 7.

Vivian plays the lead role in the movie that portrays the Wushe Incident, a 1930 Seediq uprising led by Mona Rudao against the Japanese when Taiwan was colonised.

The Seediq are Taiwanese aboriginal people who, along with the Truku people, were previously classified as the Atayal tribe.

She said: “I won’t be speaking any Mandarin in the movie at all. Instead, I would have to speak Japanese and Seediq.”

The movie is due to film for half a year and will be completed in 2011.

It is budgeted at $21 million.

Treasure Hunter poster featuring Jay Chou

(HunanTV)

Bodyguards and Assassins main poster

The difficulty in fitting all the cast took three months before finalizing the poster.

World premiere will be in Nanjing Nov. 12 where Sun Yat-Sen’s mausoleum is located.

(HunanTV)

THR: Tang Wei returns in ‘Manchu’ remake

‘Lust, Caution’ actress coming off ban, stars in English film

“Full Autumn” in Korean — by Kim Tae-yong (“Family Ties”) will start shooting later this month in Seattle, and will travel to other cities across the United States, the Korean producer said…

THR: Hong Kong movies make a dramatic showing at the boxoffice

Four local films got into the top 10 in the summer: the Shaw Brothers’ comeback “Turning Point” (HK15.7 million), “Overheard” from the “Infernal Affairs” team (HK15.5 million), Edko’s Aaron Kwok thriller “Murderer” (HK11.7 million) and period comedy “On His Majesty’s Secret Service” (HK8.8 million). Only two made the cut last summer…Although the number of local releases rose slightly in 2009, what’s staggering is the upcoming Chinese New Year public holiday slot, which will see 10 Hong Kong/Chinese-language high-profile projects competing in three weeks in February. It’s something the which hasn’t been seen since the 1990s….

THR: AFM Special Report: Hong Kong

Boxoffice may be up, but the outlook is troubled

“If there (were) enough films to make in Hong Kong, I’d rather not go anywhere else,” says [Herman] Yau, the hugely prolific Hong Kong director who works with three crews simultaneously — even while many technicians have followed the helmers to the mainland. “Although a large number of Hong Kong filmmakers are now working in China,” he says, “they can’t bring all the film crews with them, so there’re still a lot of local crew members stranded here, unemployed.”

THR: ‘Bodyguards and Assassins’ sells at AFM

Cinema Popular also is shopping its action-romantic comedy “The Return of the Incredible Wu Xia Couple,” directed by Vincent Kuk, and Dante Lam’s period actioner “Flying Guillotines” at AFM.

Screen Daily

THR: Jung to star in ‘Rain of Swords’

Film co-stars Michelle Yeoh, co-produced by John Woo

Screen Daily: TF1 buys Media Asia’s Chen Zhen for France

Hong Kong’s Media Asia Distribution has sold The Legend Of Chen Zhen, directed by Andrew Lau and starring Donnie Yen, to France’s TF1.

Leading Hong Kong action star Yen plays Chen Zhen in the film, a folk hero who fights the Shanghai mafia and occupying Japanese. Shu Qi and Anthony Wong also star…Meanwhile, Dream Movies also took rights for Australia and New Zealand to Pang Ho-chueng’s Love In A Puff, a comedy starring Miriam Yeung and Shawn Yue, and Johnnie To’s new project, Death Of A Hostage, starring Lau Ching Wan.

Zhang Yimou’s remake of Blood Simple [Amazing Tales: Three Guns] has bought its release forward from December 18 to December 11, while Hong King Universe’s The Storm Warriors has shifted its release to December 10. Jay Chou-starring Treasure Hunter will be released on December 9 instead of mid-month as originally planned, and Ning Hao’s road movie Wu Ren Qu [No Man's Land] will move back its release by three months to March next year…

Variety: CineAsia honors Zhou Xun

Actress to receive star of the year kudo

Variety: The Laughing Policeman (Japan)

Wheat (長平大戰之麥田)

What first might appear to be another tiresome period costumer about one of the millions of battles in China’s history turns out to be something rather different. Two deserters from the Qin army in the Warring States period lucklessly find themselves in an enemy town whose men are away fighting. Their lies and ingratiations with the women gradually wear thin — especially as others arrive with contradictory news. This meticulously photographed drama-comedy is structured around elemental themes, of which wheat, the local crop, is prominent. Directed by He Ping (何平), who made The Swordsman in Double Flag Town

Meat Grinder

(雙旗鎮刀客).

A coming-on-middle-aged street vendor projects her madness and history of abuse onto (mostly) unsuspecting, sleazy men — and cooks up a storm. Surprisingly good reviews greeted this gory Thai drama, which is right up there with Hong Kong’s The Untold Story (八仙飯店之人肉叉燒包) as a boundary-pushing, gag-inducing Asian incarnation of Sweeney Todd; it’s also a perfectly timed essay for people who think US beef is the sign of the Devil. Abstruse political subtexts (it’s set during student riots in the 1970s) and class and gender commentary … or blood, guts and torture for their own sake? Take your pick. Taiwan’s censors have let this one through without cuts, though it isn’t clear if this is the version originally banned in Thailand. Either way, here’s the question: Why doesn’t Taiwan make movies like this?

4 new Three Guns images in HD (Sina)

CRI: Stefanie Sun Sings for Mulan

Let The Bullets Fly

Ge You

Carina Lau plays Ge You’s wife

(Xinhua)

CRI: ‘Bullets’ Go Stylish (HD version Sina)

Gong Beibi and Aaron Kwok

Oxide Pang has started shooting B+Detective, the sequel to C+Detective (aka The Detective) in Thailand. (HunanTV)

Li Xiaolu and Alfred Cheung (actor, director, writer)

Love At Seventh Sight (lit.Seven Days To Fall in Love)

(HunanTV)

All’s Well Ends Well 2010 costumes - Angelababy

Lynn Xiong (Sina)

Hot Summer Days - Daniel Wu

Vivian Hsu (Sina)

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