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-- Missing --
Tsui Hark's Missing DVD will be surfacing on July 28. Not a typical horror-suspense-mystery-romance, since Tsui Hark takes a rather different approach to writing a horror, with a big twist towards to end that may or may not appeal to genre fans.

Never short of creativity and often ahead of his times, Tsui Hark is perhaps often overflowing with too much ideas that can sometimes spell disasters for his movies as he keeps changing the script and adding more scenes on the fly, resulting in a lack of focus or coherence at times; even the actors having no idea what's going on at times. Perhaps, a little bit of rein in would make his movies more compelling and successful.

Anyhow, the 2-disc DVD edition of Missing, with information on special features missing at the moment, is now available for preorder at YesAsia.

-- Missing --
Missing gala premiere was held in Beijing yesterday, graced by Tsui Hark, Guo Xiao Dong and Angelica Lee Sinjie, while Isabella Leong was unable to attend.

Missing, which starts with horror and suspense high on shock factor that has the audience screaming, and changes drastically, with a purposeful mismatch in look and feel, into romance in the last 20 minutes that the audience finds a bit slow yet heartbreaking, is about a marriage proposal underwater that goes awry as the would-be groom Guo Xiao Dong goes missing while the would-be bride Angelica Lee loses part of her ROM, RAM, harddisk, memory card and suffers from mental breakdown. Missing opens in theatres in Asia on June 12.

-- Missing --

The underwater ruins off Yonaguni coast are exquisite, invaluable, and captivating beyond imagination. The ruins show the advancement of the civilisation over 10 thousand years ago, before the city was flooded, remaining submerged under the sea to the present day. It makes Tsui Hark wonder why no one has given a serious thought about how the priceless treasure could serve as a warning to us on avoiding a repeat of history.

"Actually, it isn't in my element to do a suspense/mystery. However, as I took a keen interest on the ancient citadel, and also thought that weaving a romantic tale with it would be meaningful, I came up with the story." In Missing, Tsui Hark wishes to show the ancient civilisation, the relationships between (Wo)Man and environment, the thoughts and concerns of people dwelling in city.

Looking at the gradually evanescing remnants of the historical civilisation inevitably reminds Tsui Hark of the crisis the Earth is facing in the 21st century - global warming: melting of Arctic ice at an alarming rate that results in release of methane from the seabed and rising sea level... The Earth is facing such serious global threats. What are the causes. What would happen to our world 50 years later? How could we change our lifestyles to salvage the situation?

-- Missing --

Filming of Missing took place in four major locations - Hong Kong, Shanghai, Japan and Taiwan. Apart from Yonaguni Island, underwater photography was also carried out off a few Taiwanese coasts.

Training in scuba diving began in March 2007. In April, the production arrived in Okinawa, spending a week acclimatising themselves with the water conditions and climate. A Taiwan scuba diving coach Xie and his four assistants were employed to assist in filming, for they are familiar with the underwater conditions in Japan and Taiwan.

-- Missing --
Four Missing posters have been uncovered at a press conference marking the launch of Sina Missing site on May 15. Missing will be released on June 12 and proceeds from its premiere on June 8 in Beijing will be contributed towards Sichuan earthquake relief. In addition, Tsui Hark and Guo Xiao Dong have each donated 100 thousand yuan.

Both tried to contact their friends in Sichuan but telephone lines were cut off. Tsui Hark says that it's imperative to monitor psychological problems of the victims who have gone through such traumatic experience. He would give some help when there's a chance.

More donation links may be found at Jet Li's Blog and AliveNotDead.

Related Links:

Missing Official Site

Missing @ Sina

-- Missing --

Missing trailer may be viewed at Sina. A better quality trailer is now available at MTime.

The suspense mystery, starring Angelica Lee Sinjie, Guo Xiaodong, Tony Leung Ka Fai, Isabella Leong, Chang Chen, is set for release on June 20.  Photos: MTime

In the meantime, She Ain't Mean, another work directed by Tsui Hark, is wrapping up towards the end of this month. Tsui Hark says that in order to return Kwak Jae Young's favour for writing She Ain't Mean, he'd write a script for him too.

-- "Chen Zhen" --

Beijing Enlight Pictures held a press conference yesterday, announcing its plan to produce/co-produce/distribute 30 films in the next three years. Gordon Chan, Kirk Wong, Joe Ma, Dante Lam, Lee Chi Ngai have all signed collaboration deals with it.

Gordon Chan's first deal with Beijing Enlight Pictures is "Chen Zhen" which is still in scripting stage. He'll be working on it in full force after completing another film in Japan. Donnie Yen has already verbally agreed to play the eponymous character. Gordon Chan says that this is a very difficult subject since stories concerning Chen Zhen have been adapted countless times, including Fist of Legend that Gordon Chan directed in 1995. However, as one with keen interests on Chen Zhen, he has confidence of creating something different. He says that "Chen Zhen" is tailor made for Donnie Yen and hopes to begin production at the end of this year.

Kirk Wong would be working with Beijing Enlight Pictures on Five Venoms remake, possibly with Jay Chou and Wong Lee Hom in the leads. Other films in the works include Flowers of Apocynum, Codex of Weapons, Chinese Warriors, Special Task Force, etc (all tentative titles).

Since Confession of Pain, Beijing Enlight has been involved in producing/distributing Wonder Woman, Flash Point and Triangle. The movies they are distributing this year include Tsui Hark's Missing aka The Eye 3 (May), Jeffrey Lau's Fantastic Water Babes with Gillian Chung, Eva Huang Shengyi, Charlene Choi, Alex Fong, Stephen Fung, Tian Liang (July).  Beijing Morning Post, Beijing Times | Video: Sohu

-- Seven Swords 2 --

Sun Hong Lei reveals that Seven Swords 2 film is still an on-going project and Tsui Hark has been working on the script. He estimates that production might possibly begins next year. Charlie Yeung, who's invited, along with Sun Hong Lei, to a ribbon cutting ceremony, would not say anything about the script other. She believes Tsui Hark would give her a role that would be a delightful surprise. On the hand, Ciwen Pictures, the studio behind the TV version of Seven Swordsmen, is putting the TV sequel on hold due to high costs involved as well as the audience's declining interest on ancient series.

Tsui Hark had recently completed filming of Missing, a mystery about one of a couple gone missing at an ancient underwater ruins off Yonaguni Island. He also has several other projects ahead including 《女人不坏》 She Ain't Mean, which is a somewhat modern version of Peking Opera Blues, and Di Ren Jie. In addition, he has just acquired the rights to Jing Xu Feng's suspense novel 《天眼》 Divine Eye which deals with cracking of an enigmatic case in the recent 100 years.  Chengdu Evening News