Eric
Shoulder of Orion
Joined: 11 Jul 2005
Posts: 701
Location: Norway
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 Posted: Wed May 10, 2006 5:01 am Post subject: Misc tidbits |
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Upcoming Projects: (August 10th, 2005)
"Zhang Yimou's next project will be another period feature (English working tile: Autumn Remembrance), with Chow Yun-Fat and Gong Li. Producer Zhang Weiping told Beijing-based tabloid BigStar that 80% of the film would be shot indoor and it would contain a small amount of fight scenes. Zhang's second upcoming project will an untitled epic with Jackie Chan."
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Yimou Update: (June 29th, 2005)
"Following the huge success of martial arts movies Hero and House of Flying Daggers, heavyweight director Zhang Yimou will shoot another movie in the same genre, which is still untitled. The news was recently confirmed by Zhang's crewmen, who also denied the widely spread Internet rumor that Zhang’s latest project was titled Wu Zetian (a Tang Dynasty empress).
Preparations for filming are now in full swing. Some crew members have gone to Yunnan and Sichuan provinces to select places for the movie’s setting. However, the new movie wouldn’t depend as much on scenery as Hero and House of Flying Daggers did, an unnamed insider revealed. Most of the movie will be shot in a Beijing studio, he said.
Zhang has been famous for his passion for aesthetic perfection. How to use studio settings to create perfect visual effects will surely pose a great challenge for him.
The new movie will start shooting in early 2006 (Yimou is still working on his small-scale drama Qian li zou dan ji). Zhang will cooperate with his longtime partners, including screenwriters Wang Bing and Li Feng, cinematographer Zhao Xiaoding and art director Huo Tingxiao.
The movie is expected to recruit superstars Chow Yun-Fat and Gong Li, although neither of them has yet signed a contract. The cast will be finalized together by investors and the director. Zeng Jingchao, Gong’s agent, said it was still too early for Gong to make a final decision."
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Zhang Yimou Wants Chow Yun-Fat and Gong Li for his Third Martial-Art Piece? (June 27th, 2005)
"According to a Chinese newspaper called East Asia Economy and Trade News, Chow Yun-Fat is in talk to star in director Zhang Yimou's untitled third martial-art film, which is rumored to be set in Tang Dynasty, same as House of Flying Daggers. Gong Li, who took the lead in Zhang's first seven films, was mentioned for the role of Empress Wu Zetian, China's only female monarch. According to a separate report, the new film will focus more on the story and will have more characters than Zhang's previous two martial-art films. Several locations in China has been pre-selected and much of the film will be shot indoor in Beijing. Production is scheduled to start sometime next year."
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Update on Zhang Yimou's AUTUMN REMEMBRANCE: (January 12th, 2006)
"According to several Chinese newspapers, the Chinese title of Zhang Yimou's upcoming martial-art epic is Man Cheng Jin Dai Huang Jin Jia, which literally means The City Filled with Golden Armors. It is still unknown whether the current English title, Autumn Remembrance, will be kept or not. Producer Zhang Weiping said the production would begin early next month in a tourist spot called "Heavenly Pit" near the southwestern Chinese city of Chongqing. Zhang said the story was loosely based on the play Lei Yu (The Thunderstorm) by Cao Yu. It is set in the Tang dynasty (AD 618-907) and is about a power struggle involving the emperor, the empress and a general. It will feature several large war scenes, which would be shot with tens thousands of real people rather than CG extras. Zhang said the budget was about US$ 44.6 millions, which would make it the most expensive Chinese movie project. The cast Includes Chow Yun-Fat, who will play the emperor, Gong Li and a young actress whose name was not given."
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GOLDEN ARMORS Plot Speculation: (January 24th, 2006)
"Zhang Yimou's upcoming historical drama, Man Cheng Jin Dai Huang Jin Jia (literally meaning: Fill the City with Golden Armors) is based on four-act play Thunderstorm, written by Cao Yu in 1933. It tells the story of Zhou family during a summer day.
Zhou Puyuan is a mid-age wealthy mine owner. Thirty years ago, he was in love with a maid named Shi Ping and shortly after she gave birth too their two sons, Zhou Puyu, decided to protect his reputation, expelled Shi Ping and their younger son from his house. Fan Yi is Zhou's second wife and she has a son named Zhou Chong. Zhou Puyuan treats Fan Yi very badly because he cannot forget his first love. Fan Yi had an affair with her stepson Zhou Ping. The affair is over now and Zhou Ping is deeply in love with a maid named Si Feng. Looking for her daughter Si Feng and husband Lu Gui, now both work at Zhou family mansion, Shi Ping makes a surprise visit and meets Zhou Puyuan for the first time in thirty years. Lu Dahai, now leading a miners' strike, comes to Zhou Puyuan's mansion for a talk and clashes with Zhou Ping...
To adapt the play into a movie, Zhang Yimou has shifted the backdrop of the story from the 1930s to Tang Dynasty (AD 618-907). Zhou Puyuan the mine owner has become the emperor, wich will be played by Chow Yun-Fat and his second wife Fan Yi has become the empress, which will be played by Gong Li. The emperor had two sons with a lower class girl when he was still a prince. He later expelled her from the court before he inherited the power. The older son remains at the palace and the younger son was taken away by the girl. She then married to someone, a rebel leader, khan of a foreign nation, or just an ordinary man. Years later, two brothers finally meet on battlefield. Liu Ye is in negotiation to play the older brother, the prince, and the young actress whose name is not given is up to the role of an imperial bodyguard, the prince's lover and half-sister.
According to a Chinese newspaper, play writer Cao Yu's daughter Wan Fang has approved the script of Golden Armors. She said it was very faithful to the original play, except the ending, which was changed creatively.
Major cast members from Hero and House of Flying Daggers will also be involved in Golden Armors, including action director Ching Siu-Tung, art director Huo Tingxiao, cinematographer Zhao Xiaoding and sound designer Tao Jing. Bill (William) Kong, the powerful film financier behind Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Hero, House of Flying Dagger and Jet Li's Fearless, is also involved in the project."
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GOLDEN ARMORS Preproduction Update: (January 29th, 2006)
"According to various sources, the war scenes of Golden Armors would be shot on locations in China's Yunnan Province and Hengdian World Studios of Zhejiang Province, because these locations are perfect for such gigantic scenes. He has reached an agreement with the military over borrowing 20,000 men to "fight" for the ancient war. Director Zhang Yimou just came back from the US with a few deals. An American company is commissioned to do the aerial shots of the war scenes and all equipments have to be shipped to China.
Zhang Yimou has also signed a contract with an effect company and the price, counts the largest portion of the overall budget, is "ten times" of what he could get from a mainland Chinese or Hong Kong company. This effect company, which name was not given, is described as "the best in America."
A construction team is redecorating Qing Ming Shang He Tu sector of Hengdian World Studios. This sector contains streets and houses in the architectural style from Song Dynasty (960 -1279). Story of Golden Armors is set in Tang Dynasty (618 - 907). A large number of lavish costumes were also made. An emperor's robe prepared for by Chow Yun-Fat is more expensive than all costumes of Jet Li, Leung Chiu-Wai and Maggie Cheung worn in Hero.
Director Zhang Yimou is known for casting actresses with little or no acting experience, like Gong Li and Zhang Ziyi, as the lead roles and subsequently making them famous. As usual, newcomer is going to be selected from 63 candidates to be the second female lead. Producer Zhang Weiping said she had to have the right look, a distinctive personality and be able to dance.
As original planed for House of Flying Daggers, an action sequence was supposed to take place on a field filled with flowers. The flowers planted on Ukrainian location never grew and the scene had to be shot with some wild flowers. Director Zhang Yimou wants to redo the scene in Golden Armors, with planted golden chrysanthemum flowers, which are metaphoric for golden armors."
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Jay Chou Joins Zhang Yimou's GOLDEN ARMORS? (February 13th, 2006)
"According to Shanghai Youth Daily, Taiwan-born singer Jay Chou has been cast to play a supporting role in Zhang Yimou's upcoming period epic Golden Armors (Fill the City with Golden Armors). Reportedly, he will play the son of the emperor (Chow Yun-Fat) and the empress (Gong Li). Jay Chou just had his acting début last year in the silver screen version of Japanese comic series Initial D."
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GOLDEN ARMORS in Lavish Preproduction: (February 18th, 2006)
"According to several Chinese newspapers, there are about 3000 workers are now working on the preparation of the movie at Hengdian World Studios. Some big scenes will be shot at the sector which contains full-scale replicas of all major buildings of Beijing's Forbidden City. Certain level of modifications on these building are needed because the Forbidden City, which was the imperial palace compound during the Ming Dynasty and Qing Dynasty, was built in the 14th Century and the story of the movie occurred during the Tang Dynasty (7th - 9th Century). The architectural styles of these two periods are different. Three walls decorated with large numbers of frescoes are in construction and at the center of the courtyard in front of the replicated Hall of Supreme Harmony, a large size and round shape stage is being built. About 3 million gold color chrysanthemum flowers and about 1.1fake chrysanthemum flowers have been ordered to fill the replicated Forbidden City. The production team has promised to properly dispose these flowers after the shooting is done. They will be put for other uses, which will cause no harm to the environment. About 20,000 suits of armors have been manufactured for the imperial soldiers and horses. The art department built four combat vehicles, each of which is 6 meters long and 2 meters wide. Number of such vehicles will be increased to 40 through CG effect. In this historical epic, Chow Yun-Fat will play the Emperor, Gong Li will play the Empress, Liu Ye will play the older prince Yuanxiang, Jay Chow will play the younger prince Yuanchao and an unidentified young actress will play Jiang E. Shooting will begin next Monday or Tuesday inside a soundstage at Beijing Film Studios."
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The last cast member of GOLDEN ARMOR:
"Beijing New Picture Film Co. has revealed the identity of the last major cast member of Zhang Yimou's The City of Golden Armor, 17 year old Li Man. She will play character who falls in love with the older prince. Li is currently a student at Beijing Drama Academy, the same school both Gong Li and Zhang Ziyi attended. Zhang Yimou is known for casting young women with little acting experience and making them household names instantly."
Thanks to http://www.monkeypeaches.com/
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Set Videos - Chow Yun-Fat, Gong Li / Visit by Oliver Stone:
http://ent.sina.com.cn/m/c/2006-03-02/21231003425.html
http://ent.sina.com.cn/m/c/2006-03-02/02161002183.html
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More design sketches from The City of Golden Armor: (March 7th, 2006)
"The design sketches that are coming out for Zhang Yimou's The City of Golden Armor continue to impress.
Left is a sketch of the younger prince. Click for the Minister, the Older Prince, older prince's birth mother, and two of the general here: http://www.twitchfilm.net/archives/005372.html I like the regality of some of the images and that they aren't afraid to suggest fantastical action in the others. Here's hoping for good things from this film."
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THE CITY OF GOLDEN ARMOR Set Photos: (April 19th, 2006)
"A replica of Beijing's Forbidden City, located at Hengdian World Studios, is undergoing a major modification to make it look like a different imperial residence from a different time."
http://www.monkeypeaches.com/thecityofgoldenarmor.html
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A new English title for City of Golden Armour? (May 9th, 2006)
"It is not uncommon for films from other countries to get name changes when they're introduced to Western markets. Sometimes the literal translation is well, too literal. This isn't neccessarily a bad thing but it can lend to some confusion when sitting around the table with your mates attempting to one up each other with film knowledge. Nobody likes playing Scrabble with the guy who keeps a dictionary nearby.
Curse of the Golden Flower may just be the title that Focus Features is using to shop around Zhang Yimou's City of Golden Armour at the Cannes market next week. Focus has just sold the movie to 13 European territories and hopes to expand that during the market, hopefully getting a sale for North America."
Thanks to http://www.twitchfilm.net/
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"Man fears the darkness, and so he scrapes away at the edges of it with fire." |
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