Filming of director Chen
Kaige's biopic of the late Peking Opera master, Mei Lanfang, began
on Saturday in Beijing.
Filming of director Chen Kaige's biopic of the late Peking opera
master, Mei Lanfang, began on Saturday in Beijing, one day earlier
than had been announced, Sina.com reported.
Actors Chen Hong, Sun Honglei and Wang Xueqi attended a ceremony
in the Beijing Film Studio. But leads Leon Lai and Zhang Ziyi never
showed.
The film production team once announced shooting would start on
July 15. The report said the director held the ceremony ahead of
schedule to avoid any disturbance from the media.
However, a press conference will still be held on July 19, the
report added, and will feature lead actors Leon Lai, Zhang Ziyi and
Gillian Chung.
Born in 1894, Mei Lanfang was considered to have pioneered the
tradition of males depicting female characters in Peking opera.
Director Chen Kaige has assembled a star-studded cast including
Japanese star Masanobu Ando.
Veteran actor quits Mei Lanfang
role
Veteran actor Feng Yuanzheng, who was invited to star as Mei
Lanfang's cousin in director Chen Kaige's new film Mei
Lanfang quit his role on Thursday, a report said.
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The Chinese star said he had to resign because of a tight work
schedule, but rumours suggest the real reason was low pay and a
relatively long shooting period, the Information Times
reported.
At the same time, the Mei Lanfang production team also
denied a rumor Zhang Ziyi will be paid as much as US$2 million for
her role, the report added.
However, it added the team didn't reveal how much they will pay
the international acclaimed actress, famed for her roles in
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Memoirs of a
Geisha, but said Zhang Ziyi had cut her fee in support of the
Chinese production.
Feng Yuanzheng, a multi-talented actor, is known among Chinese
for his role in a TV series Don't Talk to Strangers, in
which he played a jealous husband.
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(CRI.cn July 15, 2007)
