Chinese film makers are catching up with the strong momentum of China's film industry. A variety of movies will meet audiences in 2011.
China's leading cinematic visionary Zhang Yimou's latest project is about 13 young prostitutes who help save compatriots from Japanese troops rampaging Nanjing. This latest film explores a World War II-era atrocity that stirs up nationalism in China.
Hollywood star Christian Bale will lead the cast. Bale will portray an American priest in the movie, which will start filming in Nanjing this month.
The US$90 million production is slated for global release in December. It's being filmed with a mix of English and Chinese language.
Zhang said he hopes to bring a fresh approach to the story of one of the worst atrocities during WWII.
Zhang Yimou, Film Director, said, "For many years, our movies have only been targeting the Chinese audience. The movies aren't relevant to most western audiences. I wanted to shoot a film, which would also be of interest to the west. By doing this, the film could reach an extra 1 - 2 hundred million in western countries and most importantly, the film can show them what happened in Nanjing during 1937."
Martial arts movie action is heating up in China again in a big way. Kung Fu super star Jackie Chan along with Andy Lau and Nicolas Tse star in "Shaolin", an updated version of Jet Li's movie debut, "The Shaolin Temple" in 1982.
Jackie Chan and his crew built their own "Shaolin Temple" in Zhejiang Province that cost 10 million yuan, about 1.5 million US dollars to avoid damaging the actual temple, which is one of the most historical significant locations for the martial art world for the last 1500 years.
The near future is looking bright for martial arts movies. It looks like Chinese filmmakers are finally beginning to find their next generation of screen fighting talent while finding the right place for veterans to support them.
Jackie Chan, Actor, said, "Kung Fu movies are extremely popular in foreign countries. So I've been insisting on shooting the traditional Kung Fu films. Through shooting what we are better at, we can enter their markets. Let them learn from us then we can learn from them."
The upcoming film "My Own Swordsman", hits cinemas just in time to bring audiences more fun and laughter as they celebrate the Chinese Spring Festival in early February.
It's a sequel to one of the hottest dramas on China's small screens since 2006. The TV series "My Own Swordsman" has gained many fans and become one of the most popular TV series among young audiences because of its exaggerated performance and spirited dialogue.
But it was not until the latter half of 2009 that the writer Ning Caishen decided to shoot it as a film. After that, Director Shang Jing got the original cast to continue his parody of social issues through the stories of everyday life in a small inn.
