After long years of development and some tricky Hollywood
dealmaking, a movie version of the best-selling novel Memoirs of
a Geisha is headed into production. The lead role of Sayuri
will go to Zhang Ziyi, the Chinese actress who starred in
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.
After long years of development and some tricky Hollywood
dealmaking, a movie version of the best-selling novel Memoirs of
a Geisha is headed into production.
The book became a sensation around the world when it was first
published in 1997. The story chronicles a young girl's rise from
poverty in a Japanese fishing village to life in high society.
The lead role of Sayuri will go to Zhang Ziyi, the Chinese
actress who starred in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and
appeared in the comedy Rush Hour 2, her publicist said
Thursday.
For those unfamiliar with the story, a geisha is a Japanese
woman schooled in the art of dance, singing and conversation to be
a companion for wealthy men.
Zhang, 25, has been working to perfect her English for several
years and now speaks the language with little difficulty.
"This is the first time that I will play the lead in an
English-language movie. It will be a big challenge, but the
studios, producers and director have shown great confidence in me.
I will continue to do my utmost to make this the best role I've
ever played," she told reporters.
Ken Watanabe, an Oscar nominee for The Last Samurai, will
portray the chairman, a high-powered executive with whom Sayuri
falls in love.
Another Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon co-star, Michelle
Yeoh, has signed to portray Mameha, the elegant and experienced
geisha who becomes Sayuri's mentor.
Geisha will be directed by Rob Marshall, the
Oscar-nominated director of Chicago.
Marshall has long wanted to make this his next project, but was
locked into a contract with Miramax Films, while Columbia Pictures
and DreamWorks SKG held the rights to Geisha. After lengthy
negotiations that threatened to block his participation, a deal was
eventually reached among the studios.
"We could not be more excited about the extraordinary cast that
we have in place for Memoirs of a Geisha," said Marshall,
who's also a Tony-winning director and choreographer. "We are
adapting a beloved piece of literature that has become a worldwide
sensation, which made it important to me to assemble a cast with a
prestigious international profile."
For many years, Steven Spielberg was interested in directing the
film. He will now serve as a producer.
"From the time I first read Arthur Golden's novel, I wanted to
see this as a film," Spielberg said. "It's a uniquely compelling
story rich with characters who take you into a world you have never
experienced before."
Production is set to begin in the fall, but the release date has
not yet been specified.
(China Daily August 22, 2004)