There are things that you’d never imagine going together in life.
Tom Cruise and John Woo is easily one of them. But when you consider John Woo’s newest project announcement, a movie about a little known side of World War II, in which the Americans helped the Chinese. Check out what Woo said in a recent interview:
“It’s based on a true story in WWII, about a group of American volunteer fighter pilots who worked with the Chinese Air Force fighting with the Japanese and they won the war. Also, it’s the story of Clair Chennault, and they did a great contribution for the Chinese, and the Chinese people love and respect them. The whole story is about a friendship between a Chinese and an American and they worked together.”
That’s not something you’d expect to go together either–the Chinese and the Americans. Especially not lately! But is this story going to be too obscure for World War II buffs? Or will it be a shot in the arm for Cruise’s career, currently flagging under a weight of Scientology and insanity?
Time to weep and sigh for Jackie Chan, folks, because the man’s career is not what it once was. Even back around a year or so ago, when he was frantically telling anyone who’d listen that Chinese communism was the bee’s knees and that too much freedom is bad for people (okay, comrade, I said it–can you puh-leeese point the flamethrower AWAY from my baby’s head now?), it wasn’t doing very well except IN China. Now, it’s even worse.
Apparently a trailer has just emerged for Jackie Chan’s upcoming slow head-shake of a role, The Spy Next Door. Chan will be playing a secret agent stuck babysitting his neighbors’ kids for the night and at the same time fending off a horde of rival secret agents, hopefully without waking the babies.
I want to believe that this will be one of Chan’s excellent comedy / action fusions, but with a setup like that, and a career like his has been lately, I just can’t see it.
What a beautifully told story! If you know anything about the trail and tribulations of living under Chairman Mao and his with wife Madam Mao regime, then you know this story is about the survival of an artist – Lin Cunxin.
I have the impression that this movie has a limited release, but if it’s in your city I recommend you see it. It’s based on a true story that made headlines — autobiography by Lin Cunxin at age 11 was taken from his Chinese family and trained by his government to become a great ballet dancer and defected to the United States.
Jackie Chan is by no means a popular figure in Hollywood now. But while he has worked his way towards the hearts of American admirers, it looks like some comments have made him the black sheep in his own land.
The controversy all started when Jackie Chan said that “China may need to be controlled” for now. On freedom, he said he is uncertain if it should be given at this point. Apparently he was referring to guidance to which decision-making in China may sorely be lacking.
“I’m not sure if it’s good to have freedom or not,” Chan said Saturday. “I’m gradually beginning to feel that we Chinese need to be controlled. If we’re not being controlled, we’ll just do what we want.”
He went on to say that freedoms in Hong Kong and Taiwan made those societies “chaotic.” Chan’s comments drew applause from a predominantly Chinese audience of business leaders, but did not sit well with lawmakers in Taiwan and Hong Kong.
“He’s insulted the Chinese people. Chinese people aren’t pets,” Hong Kong pro-democracy legislator Leung Kwok-hung told The Associated Press. “Chinese society needs a democratic system to protect human rights and rule of law.”
The Dark Knight is an amazing film and has been a global success, save for one country: China. AFP is reporting that despite the film’s tremendous popularity, Warner Brothers has opted not to release it in China.
In an official statement, the company has stated that “based on a number of pre-release conditions that are being attached to ‘The Dark Knight’ as well as cultural sensitivities to some elements of the film, we have opted to forego a theatrical release of the film in China.”
China is notorious for its stingy censors through which a handful of movies pass every year. The Dark Knight has a couple of factors that denies its access to China: its plot involves Batman illegally kidnapping a Chinese fugitive from a Hong Kong skyscraper, and there’s a rather non-flattering remark about Chinese gun manufacturing.
Coming from the holy-shit department is word that Xinhua Media Entertainment and China Film Group have scrounged up $30 million to make a live-action feature based on the life of Mulan.
Mulan’s legend has been popularized in western culture through Disney’s excellent 1998 animated movie of the same name. She was a heroic Chinese girl-warrior.
The film is set to begin shooting in China this spring. It is being produced by MoviePlus and Arclight.
From Screen Daily comes word that Maggie Q has signed on to star in Chinese director Tian Zhuangzhuang’s epic drama The Warrior and the Wolf.
The film will be based on a novella by Japanese writer Inoue Yasushi. Q will play a tribal woman who offers shelter to a general and his army units from a blizzard.
Japanese and Taiwanese actors Joe Odagir and Tou Chunghua, respectively, are also slated to star.
Filming for the project is currently underway in China’s Xinjiang Province.
Maggie Q can be seen in Need for Speed Undercover, the latest installment in the long running racing series, this November.
With the Chinese Emperor as the protagonist, it was certain that Mummy 3 would piss off China somehow, and it has, but the only question is "how". Censors in the country are requesting cuts to be made to The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor, but further details aren’t known at the moment.
Universal’s rep seems optimistic about things working out, but the studio’s distributor in Hong Kong and China is taking a "it’s too early to talk about it" stance.
The movie opens in the US on August 1. It stars Jet Li, Brendan Fraser, Maria Bello, Michelle Yeo and Luke Ford.
John Woo’s film about the final days of Han Dynasty, in 208, covering the war that established the Three Kingdoms periods in China is ready for viewing in Asia.
Red Cliff is based on the book “Romance of the Three Kingdoms.”
The $80 million dollar film is 4 hours long and will be presented to Asia in two parts. The first part bows this coming Thursday in China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Korea.
When Red Cliff comes to the states in January, the film will be edited down to 2 1/2 hours.
Woo made a name for himself in Hollywood, and then returned to China to make Red Cliff, a 20 year dream.
Director John Woo is back filming in China with a film called “1949,” an epic on modern China from the end of World War II to the formation of People’s Republic, budgeted at $40 million.
Film is to take place on location in China and Taiwan and is set to begin production by the end of 2008. Â
Politically, Beijing considers Taiwan — which split off from China in 1949 and has been self-governing ever since — as a renegade province.
The film will star Seong Hye-kyo (”Fetish”) and Chang Chen (”Red Cliff”) and was scripted by Wong Hui Ling (”Lust, Caution”).
The Chinese-language project is based on true events and features a love story set against the backdrop of the final years of China’s civil war before the rise to power of Mao Zedong’s Communist Party.
Woo was in Cannes promoting his first Chinese-language film, “Red Cliff,” which is being sold by Summit Entertainment. It was his first film in China since he left Hong Kong years ago for work in Los Angeles.
There are things that you’d never imagine going together in life.
Time to weep and sigh for 
The Dark Knight is an amazing film and has been a global success, save for one country: China. AFP is 
Coming from the holy-shit department is 
From Screen Daily comes 
With the Chinese Emperor as the protagonist, it was certain that Mummy 3 would piss off China somehow, and it has, but the only question is "how". Censors in the country are 
