Taiwan pop singer and actor Jay Chow will join in Chinese big shots Chow Yun-Fat and Gong Li in director Zhang Yimou's new martial arts project The City of Golden Armor. 

 

Director Zhang Yimou arrived in Hong Kong secretly on Saturday night with the film's producer Zhang Weiping to discuss the shooting matters with Jay Chow. The director showed highly praises to Jay's talent.

 

Producer Zhang Weiping said that the talk with Jay was satisfactory and Jay's pop music as well as his shy character and appearance in ancient costume fit the role in the film. He said Jay would play a silent and cool person.

 

A new actress will be found from school, said director Zhang Yimou, but some problems about the contract have not been solved so he refused to reveal more about the newcomer.

 

 

Chinese film star Liu Ye has also been confirmed to play the prince in the epic.

 

The US$ 44.6 million film will begin shooting in February and is scheduled to be wrapped up at the end of this year.

 

The new movie is inspired by the modern Chinese play Thunderstorm, a classic from famous playwright Cao Yu, is set in the Tang dynasty (AD 618-907). The theme involves a power struggle between the emperor, the empress and a general.

 

There will be several large war scenes which will be shot with tens of thousands of extras – real people rather than computer graphics.

 

(CRI February 13, 2006)