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-- Tai Chi Tiger --

While in Seoul promoting his latest movie Street Kings, Keanu Reeves, during an interview, becomes especially excited on the mention of Yuen Wo Ping. He says he met Yuen Wo Ping, whom he addresses as master or Eighth Master in Cantonese, in Beijing around half a year ago to discuss a kungfu movie, tentatively called Tai Chi Tiger. He'd play a villain character. Tiger Chen Hu will play the lead as a Tai Chi master.

Keanu Reeves says that it's still in scripting stage and that the film will be shot on location in China. He'd show the script to Yuen Wo Ping upon completion and hopes that Yuen Wo Ping would direct it. A few months back, Keanu Reeves was in Sichuan scouting locations with Tiger Chen.

On being enquired, Yuen Wo Ping says that he's very happy and look forward to collaborating with Keanu Reeves, but clarifies that he'd only be the martial arts director. The film will be directed by Tiger Chen himself, in other word, its going to be directorial debut of this young member of Yuen Clan. Yuen Wo Ping adds that he has also invited Keanu Reeves for another project to be shot next year.  Sina

Background on Forbidden Kingdom

Jackie Chan and Jet Li, the two most revered martial arts superstar actors in the world today, have come together for the very first time in filmmaking history to pit their skills in The Forbidden Kingdom as Lu Yan and the Silent Monk respectively.

In this one-of-a-kind project, producer Casey Silver has not only succeeded in bringing together an exceptional group of people, including some of the best talent in Asian and Western cinema, for the first truly international Asian blockbuster movie. He has also pulled off a great feat in making the entire film in China.

This epic production is written by veteran screenwriter John Fusco, whose past works include the Academy Award®-nominated Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron, and directed by Rob Minkoff of The Lion King fame, who brings his unique blend of character, comedy, drama and storytelling to the enthralling and innovative time-traveling story structure...

-- Fearless --

Fearless is soon to open in theatres across in most Asian countries on either Jan 25 or 26. In the movie in which Jet Li nearly exhausted all the Eighteen Arms of Martial Arts, most of Jet Li's martial arts exchanges take place in the arena. The movie, with an initial cut amounting to around 3 hrs, was edited down to 1 hr 40 mins for theatrical release, thanks to Jet Li's insistence on tightening up the pace.

In particular, a scene that was removed (or drastically reduced) that might be a killjoy is Jet Li's exciting duel with a Thai fighter. [Another reports says that it was the director Ronny Yu's decision to axe some scenes and reduce the movie length, including the removal of the cameo appearance by Michelle Yeoh as an Olympic committee member who narrates the story of Huo Yuan Jia.] Apart from providing his lifetime worth of insights on wushu and spurring today's youths not to give up life (after seeing reports of high suicide rate in China), Fearless is a reflection on the path that Jet Li had walked on - from the aspiring youngster who aims at becoming number one, through the various ups and downs in life, to his final realisation of the purpose of wushu.

-- Yuen Clan : Father and Sons --

The Yuen Clan consists of the five sons of Yuen Siu Tien (Yuan Xiao Tian). Their names are (as they are normally written, with pinyin between brackets) Woo Ping (He Ping), Cheung Yan (Xiang Ren), Shun Yi (Xin Yi), Chun Yeung (Zhen Yang) and Yat Chor (Ri Chu). On one occasion the clan is credited as 'The Peace Group' or to say it better, as the 'Woo-Ping group' as 'Woo Ping' actually means 'peace' in cantonese. His production company is called 'Peace' or 'Woo-Ping Film Production Company'. The activities of the brothers varied from extra and stunt double to scriptwriter, director and producer, though it's difficult soemtimes to say who was responsible for what, when the collective tag "Yuen Clan" is used.  HK Cinemagic >>More<<

Director Feng Xiao Gang and Huayi Brothers' Wang Zhong Jun and Wang Zhong Lei announce that 《夜宴》 The Evening Banquet (tentative) which has been in pre-production since last year, will begin filming in mid-September this year. The first draft of the script was out right after Feng Xiao Gang finished A World Without Thieves. Feng Xiao Gang denies the movie being related to the ancient serialised painting of Han Xi Zai's Evening Banquet. He says this movie deals with human desires, which can create and destroy everything, and concerns palace intrigues, with some fresh approach to interpersonal relationships.

The Evening Banquet will contain action scenes and dances, but is not strictly a kungfu movie, it is mostly drama-oriented and won't be very humorous. Budgeted at US$15 million, Tim Yip and Tang Dun will be the artistic director and music producer respectively, with Yuen Wo Ping serving as the producer. Feng Xiao Gang elaborates, "The Yuen Clan will also be choreographing the action sequences, we hope Yuen Wo Ping will bring in the experiences he gained from working on international titles." There will be five main actors in the film but Feng Xiao Gang is withholding their names on the account that they haven't inked the deal formally. Filming and post-production for The Evening Banquet will take five months each, with release being aimed at summer or China's National Day.  Xiaoxiang Morning Post, Xinhuanet

-- Seven Swords of Mt Tian --

As Seven Swords of Mt Tian TV series is about to begin production this Saturday at the foot of Mt Tian, Ciwen Digital's President Ma Zhong Jun shed some light on the project. He said the first 36 episodes of Seven would be filmed first. Each episode is budgeted at 1 million yuan.

Tsui Hark, Cheung Sing Yim, Cheung Chi Leung and Clarence Fok would work hand in hand on this work. Zhao Wen Zhuo, Sang Wei Lin, Ji Chun Hua, Wang Xue Bing, Qiao Zhen Yu, Wang Li Kun and Yu Cheng Hui will play the first Seven Swordmasters. Other cast members include Ada Choi, and Ray Lui. Liu Ye and Guo Jin An will play cameo roles.