By Keen Zhang for China.org.cn

World famous Chinese actress Zhang Ziyi is set to collaborate with Wendi Deng, wife of News Corp. boss Rupert Murdoch, in order to establish a brand new film studio of her own.

Sources told China.org.cn that in latest issue of the Vogue magazine, there's a big interview on Wendi Deng. The astute housewife of the media mogul, revealed in her interview that she planned to establish a DreamWorks-esque film company together with friends Zhang Ziyi and Florence Sloan.

The first film production, according to various reports, will probably be a film adaptation of the Empress by Shan Sa, a French-Chinese author. Gladiator director Ridley Scott may be invited to direct.

Zhang Ziyi's reps didn't deny the report when the Chinese media sought comments.

Ji Lingling, Zhang's publicist, carefully said, "There are always many plans, but I can't say anything before everything is finalized."

The friendship between Wendi Deng and Zhang Ziyi began about 5 or 6 years ago. Mrs. Murdoch once noted that Zhang didn't speak English well when they first met, but later Zhang significantly improved. Zhang also met her present boyfriend Vivi Nevo, a mysterious Israeli tycoon holding major shares of Time Warner, on Deng's yacht.

Zhang Ziyi has just finished shooting Mei Lanfang, a Chen Kaige-directed biopic about a very famous Chinese Peking Opera master. Even though she was absent from film and the public eye for a whole year, she still managed to find a place as No.5 in the Chinese richest celebrities rankings (click HERE to see detailed story), published by Forbes yesterday.

You can contact Keen Zhang via zhangr@china.org.cn.

(China.org.cn March 12, 2008)