VARIOUS: Chinese movie star Chow Yun Fat visits Singapore to promote his latest movie 'The Curse of the Golden Flower'

Record ID: 744624

  • Title: VARIOUS: Chinese movie star Chow Yun Fat visits Singapore to promote his latest movie 'The Curse of the Golden Flower'
  • Date: 14th December 2006
  • Summary: SINGAPORE (DECEMBER 12, 2006) (REUTERS) CHINESE ACTOR CHOW YUN FAT ENTERING NEWS CONFERENCE ROOM REPORTERS SEATED VARIOUS OF CHOW YUN FAT ON STAGE
  • Embargoed: 29th December 2006 12:00
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  • Reuters ID: LVAAL6WO7QSO0UI220BOZH2SMZSU
  • Story Text: Chinese actor Chow Yun Fat visited the Island state of Singapore on Tuesday (December 12, 2006) to promote his latest movie, "The Curse of the Golden Flower" directed by acclaimed Asian director Zhang Yimou.
    Chow Yun-Fat and Gong Li (Memoirs of a Geisha) both act as an embittered emperor and empress during the later Tang Dynasty. Set in the 10th century, the film is a colourful re-make of Cao Yu's 1934 drama "Thunderstorm" and is well-known among the Chinese -- but audiences elsewhere will now be introduced to its story in an action-packed blockbuster, which at 45 million U.S. dollars (USD) is the most expensive film to come out of China yet.
    In the film, Chow Yun-Fat plays a greedy emperor in the Forbidden City who is humiliated by his wife's infidelities, and orders to have her killed by ingesting poison several times a day and disguising it as herbal medicine.
    Gong Li who plays the empress, catches on to his scheme and goes along with it as not to seem suspicious. Meanwhile she is planning a coup during the chrysanthemum festival.
    Both characters stop at nothing to achieve their goal of the other's defeat, and the result is a soap opera-worthy drama of the ages, complete with tabooed romances, familial power struggles, and ghosts from the past that manage to sneak in to the imperial palace late at night.
    The movie is China's official selection for "Best Foreign Language Film" at the Academy Awards and although Chow Yun Fat is very pleased for the film crew and production, for him personally, the Oscars are not a priority.
    "I don't care, I don't care, you, this is, I mean the film company, the director, of the a lot of people they are concerned about this question, as an actor not at all, for me you know, I'm easy you know," said actor Chow Yun Fat.
    Director Zhang Yimou, whose films "Hero" and "House of Flying Daggers" became huge international hits, strove to create a film that regardless of language, would appeal to people everywhere.
    He believes that while the film's content may be highly dramatic and known only to Chinese audiences, people will be able to see the human element of the story.
    The production was meant to impress with elaborate costumes and set design.
    Chow Yun Fat will also feature in the third instalment of the Disney franchise "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End" to be released in 2007. In the movie he plays a new enemy, Captain Sao Feng.
    Playing two dark characters in a row ("Curse of the Golden Flower" and "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End") has been enjoyable for him.
    "Both, both, heavy metal jacket, a lot of good actors surrounding me, good food, good directing, good cast, yeah I enjoy a lot," Chow Yun Fat said.
    "The Curse of the Golden Flower" will be released in China on December 14th and in the United States on December 22nd.
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