News Roundup 7/12/09 – 7/24/09

Argh I waited too long to post this…massive pileup of news. This was such a headache to all get in here.

BOBO was kept busy recently with the release of their show, NONSTOP, and celebrated their two year anniversary with the release of a new photo diary that I’ve already added to my list of goodies to buy. They also wrote loving speeches to each other.

Will Smith in Beijing with Family to film Karate Kid Remake

It’s been a while since I posted on stars that weren’t Chinese, but Will Smith’s family is just too precious to pass up. They recently attended the first press conference of the movie, Kung Fu Kid, a remake of the 1984 Karate Kid movie, but with a name change to befit the location change. Jackie Chan will be taking up Pat Morita’s role, changed from Mr. Miyagi to Mr. Han.

Epic Post 3: What Jackie Chan Was Really Talking About

Jackie Chan: "I slowly feel like we Chinese need to control [note that he says "yao guan/should control," not "yao bei guan/should be controlled")

This is a transcript of the interview that people have been having a field day with reporting on left and right, getting wrong, and generally taking out of context. First of all, keep in mind this was all in response to a question about film regulation in China. Second, remember that in Jackie Chan’s perspective, Taiwan/Hong Kong/Singapore = ethnically mostly Chinese, so it has nothing with racism.

Big Soldier Small General Begins Production

L-R Yoo Seungjun, Lin Peng, Jackie Chan, Wang Leehom, Ding Sheng (Director), Xu Dongmei

This is a week late, but I’ve got about half a dozen half-written articles, more I want to write but no time for, and thus nothing actually gets published, because I don’t finish writing one before starting on the next one.

Jackie Chan showed off his cast for his new movie “Big Soldier Small General” (with a script that he himself penned) at a press conference about a week ago. The movie is set during the Warring States Period and is an action-comedy road movie about  an old solider who kidnaps the younger general played by Leehom.

Cast set for The Myth and Legend of Daiyu

The casts for the TV version of  The Myth and The Legend of Daiyu has been announced, with the female leads all being newcomers and Hu Ge and Ma Tianyu being the respective male leads.

Searching for the Dream of the Red Chamber seems to be like the Super Girls of acting. Even before the completion of the drama itself, actresses from the competition have already began to flourish. Lin Xinru of Ugly Wudi was the first. Ying Yezi, who plays Xue Baoqin, then signed on as one of the lead actresses in Meteor Shower. More are coming their way. Bai Bing, who plays Xue Baochai in Red Chamber, signed on to Hong Kong’s EGM and will star in The Myth alongside Hu Ge. Meanwhile, two other actresses from the competition will star opposite Ma Tianyu in an “idol” version of the Dream of the Red Mansion. Min Chunxiao will play Lin Daiyu and Deng Sha will play Xue Baochai.

When life gives you mangoes, make news

Updates on the New Meteor Garden, Zhang Jie and Jackie Chan, Chen Chusheng, Guo Jingming and other EE Media/Hunan TV aka Mango TV related news.

Hunan TV's logo

Everything about the New Meteor Garden is still undecided, so here are the latest “news” flying around. The announcing of the casting of F4 has been moved back again, but the female lead has been chosen. She’s a nineteen-year-old from the Beijing Film Institute. The story will be significantly changed, with different names and backgrounds of each of the characters. For example, Rui might play the piano instead of the violin. Being forever Chinese, the drama will also be less violent and more inspirational. Domyouji has pretty much been confirmed as not from the Super Boys. But of course, as CFensi should’ve pounded into you by now, you can’t always trust what you read.

Jackie Chan passes the plate to Hu Ge

Jackie Chan giving his bodyplate that he wore in the Myth to Hu Ge

Even the confidant Hu Ge had his knees shaking in front of Jackie Chan.

“As a younger artist, I’m far from Jackie Chan. Earlier, when I saw Jackie Chan, I was so nervous that my knees were shaking. But I will try my hardest to follow his lead,” Hu Ge said today.

The executive producer of the drama version of “The Myth,” Jackie Chan just announced his pick of the male lead -Hu Ge.

Jackie Chan wants to make a movie for his parents

Jackie Chan’s company’s spokesperson says that Jackie would like to make a movie about his parents. He would like to invite Gong Li and Jiang Wen to act as his parents, although it’s still undecided.

Are you in Olympics withdrawal?

I think Jackie Chan is. He posted massive amounts of pictures on his blog about the good times he had as a volunteer for the Olympics, and the famous people he got to meet. Feast your eyes on this quartet you boyband lovers.

These guys know no generation boundaries: L-R Emil Chau Jackie Chan Liu Huan and Andy Lau

But unlike most of us, Jackie doesn’t have to go cold turkey. He will be performing at the first concert event of any kind held at the Birds Nest, along with people who can actually sing/make music, including world famous pianist Li Yundi, old school Chinese singer Song Zuying, and Supergirl Li Yuchun. This is a show for charity.

Tickets will be tight probably since they’ve covered a broad range of fans from the classical to folk to pop to “other” (whatever Jackie Chan’s music would be called) , but don’t worry, if you can’t make the Birds Nest, you can still get tickets for the Musical Watercube Extravaganza.

Jackie Chan and Wang Leehom may team up for Period movie

I’m wondering if Jackie Chan is overextending himself. He’s got three young potential action stars from reality show “The Disciple” waiting for their big break, and least two other movies lined up, and now this, “Big Soldier, Small General.” (*I have no idea what this means). This is a movie twenty years in the making, from when Jackie first started work on the script. Now it is basically complete, and one of Jackie’s biggest wishes may come true. The story is described by Jackie as an “Ancient Costume Road Movie”.