Father Geek here with yet another interesting report from Ye Meng...
Ye is here!
Who Will Play the Leading Role in MGM's New Flick Sai Jin Hua, Zhang Ziyi or Zhou Xun?
Both Zhang Ziyi and Zhou Xun have finished their testing shots recently. Zhang Ziyi was well-known for her performance in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, and Zhou Xun's performance in Suzhou River has been praised by people from MGM. Whoever got the role, she would have to play it from a 14 year old girl to an old lady and speak English all the time. Sai Jin Hua is a former high-class prostitute who had become very influential among China's political circuit and foreign diplomats in Beijing a century ago.
According to the producer Shi Haiwei, who has secured $23 million US so far, the director, quite possibly, will be Anthony Minghella from The English Patient and The Talented Mr. Ripley. Some early report has suggested that it would be co-produced by Oliver Stone.
Jet Li to be Yue Fei, a 11th Century Chinese General?
According to some reports, Jet Li will probably replace Aaron Kwok for the leading role in Yue Fei. Aaron Kwok and Norika Fujiwara, both played in the new flick China Strike Force, and the director Stanley Tong (Supercop, Rumble in the Bronx, Martial Law, etc.) got involved in a love-triangle. China Film Release Corp. has agreed on $8 million US investment as long as Jet Li was in. (for more info, see my January 1st report: Ye Meng on Stanley Tong & CHINA STRIKE FORCE).
Titanic, the Animation
An Italian cartoon, Titanic, has just been released in Hong Kong. It is suspiciously similar to James Cameron's one except the ending. Here is a site containing description of the storyline, images of main characters and some very cool wallpapers: Just Click Here
Ye Meng
