Legend of Mulan

[GeneChing]

This comes off the Chollywood Rising thread. Not sure how it got by me. According to the CR announcement, this will be in 3D.

Jan de Bont Will Direct Zhang Ziyi’s Mulan
Author: Nix


Well, he’s not Chuck Russell, but he’ll do.

While previous reports on the Zhang Ziyi version of “Mulan” had Chuck Russell directing, the latest from THR has “Speed’s” Jan de Bont (left) officially boarding the independently financed, English-language production, which will star Ziyi as Hua Mulan, a young Chinese woman who joins China’s all-male army in place of her father in order to fight the country’s invaders. The character was first popularized in the West in the 1998 Walt Disney animated movie of the same name, and it’s quite the popular story in the East.

Speaking of Disney, despite previous reports, the Mickey Mouse club will have nothing to do with this live-action version of “Mulan”. Instead, the money will come from a joint venture consisting of Movie Plus Productions of Canada, Global Film Finance of the U.K., Beijing-based Bona International Film Group and SIMF Pictures.

“Mulan” will be shot entirely in English from a script by John Blickstead, and production is expected to commence this fall outside of Shanghai.

The idea behind shooting it in English with a notable Hollywood director, of course, is to sale the film to a Western audience. In that respect, Zhang Ziyi (below) is probably the best face to front this thing (she’s certainly easy enough on the eyes, natch), but it’ll be very interesting to see if it does, as it were, translate.

[doug maverick]

she might be the best face but i dont even know if people here remember her(talking about general public) i wonder who will play captian han. i know it would be awesome to donnie yen in that role, but thats an unlikely hood. they should get sammo hung to play either the emperor or mulans father. takeshi kaneshiro is my other pick for han. but theyll probably end up going with rain, or if green hornet does well jay chou.

[GeneChing]

It's sort of in the wake of Zhao Wei's version of Mulan. Honestly, I have a hard time envisioning Z in the role, as she's so girly. Brigette Lin would have rocked Mulan in her day.

You have a good point about Z, Doug. I think Z is still relevant in Hollywood. She's definitely a megastar in Asia. Check this out:

CineAsia Wraps with 'Decade' Awards for Zhang Ziyi, Feng Xiaogang
12:24 PM 12/9/2010 by Jonathan Landreth

HONG KONG – Eleven years after she got the CineAsia Star of Tomorrow award, actress Zhang Ziyi, the 2010 CineAsia Actress of the Decade told guests of the annual regional distributors and exhibitors convention on Thursday how proud she was to meet the men and women who have helped illuminate her work.

“In 1999, CineAsia’s award was the greatest encouragement I could have. Now, memories are flashing before my eyes,” said the star best known outside China for her starring role in Ang Lee’s 2000 hit Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon. “Much has changed, but my passion and curiosity for the humanity of the characters I play remains.”

Clad in a form-fitting black and red dress with her raven hair drawn back and up, Zhang addressed a roomful of admirers from a less sexy part of the movie business, the buyers and sellers of projectors and silver screens, popcorn machines and movie seats: “I want to thank everyone in the room as you all play a very important part in bringing movies out to the world.”

The room applauded Zhang, just as it did a clip of her forthcoming, and tentatively titled film Life is a Miracle, director Gu Changwei’s story of a Chinese village stricken with AIDS.

Zhang closed the final night banquet and awards ceremony of the 16th edition of CineAsia, a trade show owned by Prometheus Global Media, owner-publisher of The Hollywood Reporter.

The show drew more than 1,000 guests from the Hollywood studios, global equipment makers and regional distributors and theater chains to the Hong Kong Trade and Convention Center for three days of business driven mostly by talk of China’s booming box office, up 86% in the first half of this year alone.

Much of that success was tied to Aftershock, by director Feng Xiaogang, whose short and sweet acceptance of the Filmmaker of the Decade award -- presented to him by longtime producer Peter Lam of Hong Kong’s Media Asia -- had the house laughing out loud.

Feng, who removed his trademark black baseball cap, dived out of his comfort zone to address the international audience in English, saying simply and with an uncharacteristically big smile: “Enjoying shooting films. Thank you, my boss. Continue give money. Thank you. Goodbye.”

Feng has plenty to be happy about. Aftershock has grossed more than 660 million yuan ($100 million) this year in China, making it the country’s most successful homemade film of all time.

Part of Feng’s success and that of the Hollywood studios, whose products, such as Avatar (which grossed $207 million in China this year) definitely spilled into the room and onto the balance sheets of companies such as Harkness, one of the biggest manufacturers of movie theater screens in the United States.

“We can’t meet our Chinese orders demand is so high,” Harkness Beijing representative Allan Xing told The Hollywood Reporter at the end of the wine-fuelled gala dinner. “We’re increasing the size of our Beijing factory and will move up from cheap white matte screens to silver screens next year.”

Harkness sold 600 professional movie screens in China in 2010, Xing said, a number that now makes up more than half the market share among those Chinese theaters using top-of-the line equipment. The country’s current 6,000 screens are expected to double in number with government- and real estate developer support in the next few years. Yet many of those theaters can’t yet afford the 40,000-yuan investment for a professional screen, Xing said. “The good news is that they’ll put up a cheap screen and replace it in a year when the box office gets even bigger.”

CineAsia will return to Hong Kong in 2011 on Dec. 5, 6 and 7, managing director Robert Sunshine said.

[GeneChing]

Posters || by Louis Virtel || 02 14 2011 1:20 PM
Zhang Ziyi’s Mulan Poster Looks Awfully Familiar

Zhang Ziyi’s new movie Mulan, the Legend of a Woman Warrior (Jin Guo Ying Xiong) may be based on a sixth-century Chinese folk story, but the poster would lead you to believe it originated in 1998 alongside a dragon played by Eddie Murphy. Since I want this movie to be great (and since Speed director Jan de Bont will direct an English-language version), let’s take a look at this poster and point out some strange likenesses.



It looks a little hand-drawn anyway, but match up the title font and color scheme and I’d say we have a Dinsey-riffic poster on our hands. Plus, is that really Zhang Ziyi?

We should compare it to the Zhao Wei's poster too, which is more blue...

[GeneChing]

But I did get distracted by this website...

Zhang Ziyi Takes On 'Mulan'
03/09/2011

Zhang Ziyi, 32, who broke onto the scene in the 2000 Ang Lee hit, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, has been wowing American and Chinese audiences ever since, starring in acclaimed movies like Hero, Memoirs of a Geisha, and Mulan: The Legend of a Woman Warrior, which is in production this year.

The anticipated film version of Mulan, adapted from a famous Chinese legend about a woman who poses as a man to fight in the army, will be brought to the screen in 3D. Speed director Jan de Bont will direct an English-language version of the film.

In the meantime, Ziyi, is promoting Gu Changwei's Life Is a Miracle in Beijing. The film, which costars Aaron Kwok (of Divergence) is about an HIV-infected couple in a small Chinese village who are brought back together after being estranged because of their illness. Changwei hopes that the film will raise awareness and discourage discrimination against people who are infected with AIDS/HIV.

Ziyi has recently been raising some eyebrows, as she was seen sharing a romantic meal with a new mystery man earlier this month, following her split from Israeli venture capitalist Vivi Nevo last year, according to Asia One News.

The release date for Mulan, which is currently in production, has yet to be determined. —KIMBERLY STEELE

[doug maverick]

heard this movie just lost its financing and has fallen apart. ill try and find some news articles on it.

[enoajnin]

Once Upon a Time is based on the European Grimm's Fairy Tales. Although they did bring in some of the characters from "Alice in Wonderland" . Which is why it makes perfect sense to bring 'Mulan' into the cast.

Originally Posted by Entertainment Weekly

A legendary warrior is joining Once Upon a Time‘s second season.

Hangover 2 and Sucker Punch actress Jamie Chung has been cast as the Chinese fighter Mulan in the show. The character is expected to have a recurring role in the ABC hit’s eagerly awaited second season.

The character originates from an ancient Chinese poem about Hua Mulan, a young woman who takes her elderly father’s place in the army. ABC’s parent company Disney adapted the story for a well-received 1998 animated musical film starring Ming-Na and Eddie Murphy.

UPDATE: Some more details about Mulan’s character. She’s described as having been trained in weaponry, tracking and riding, but “has a spirituality that enhances
her tactical and strategic abilities. She has suffered past betrayals, so her trust is hard-won, but once she gives her oath of friendship her loyalty knows no boundaries.” Also, “when she falls in love, she falls hard.”


How will Mulan fit into the show’s current storyline? Perhaps the showrunners will give us some clues at Comic-Con next week.

[doug maverick]

Originally Posted by enoajnin

Once Upon a Time is based on the European Grimm's Fairy Tales. Although they did bring in some of the characters from "Alice in Wonderland" . Which is why it makes perfect sense to bring 'Mulan' into the cast.

it irritates me that she is now the go to asian, for female martial arts, when she has no skill to speak off... acting or otherwise.

[bawang]

zhang ziyi should stick to playing cold emotionless prostitutes.




all the mulan movies comepletely miss the point of the story. this is the closest thing representing the spirit of mulan


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkt4AzXC3eM

[JamesC]

Zhang Ziyi has to be the worst kisser i've ever seen too. She always looks like she's having a seizure in her scenes.

It's pretty gross.

[Hebrew Hammer]

Originally Posted by GeneChing

But I did get distracted by this website...

Remember Ziyi...once you go Jew nothing else will do....

Originally Posted by JamesC

Zhang Ziyi has to be the worst kisser i've ever seen too. She always looks like she's having a seizure in her scenes.

It's pretty gross.

LOL completely agree!

[GeneChing]

None of you have ever kissed Z.

Originally Posted by doug maverick

it irritates me that she is now the go to asian, for female martial arts, when she has no skill to speak off... acting or otherwise.

If you mean Jamie Chung, I feel ya, doug. I'd love to see a celebrity death match between her and Lucy Liu. Heck, if there was nacho sauce involved, that would be a real treat.