Thanks to the tremendous box-office success of several recent blockbusters, the struggling Chinese movie business is regaining its confidence and making up for lost time.

 

In terms of yearly output, China including the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and Taiwan Province ranks third in movie production, only trailing Hollywood and Bollywood.

 

In 2006 the movie business will continue on the fast track with more big-budget movies in production than in previous years.

 

The following are the major productions scheduled for release this year and early next year.

 

The City of Golden Armor (Mancheng Jindai Huangjinjia)

 

Directed by Zhang Yimou, this movie is a loose adaptation of a 1933 play by Cao Yu (1910-1996), one of the greatest modern Chinese playwrights.

 

With a budget of 360 million yuan (US$44 million), the movie, to be released late this year, will rewrite the budget record for a Chinese film.

 

Shooting in Southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, the movie is due to get under way later this month.

 

It seems The City of Golden Armor is set to outshine Zhang's signatory kung fu epic Hero. The battle scenes will involve an estimated 20,000 extras, while Hero used 1,200.

 

Chow Yun Fat and Gong Li are joining Zhang for this mega-budget epic. It will be Chow's movie of return after Hong Kong's emperor of performance arrived in Hollywood in 1995, and will mark the first time in 11 years that Gong has worked with Zhang, who introduced her to international fame.

 

Gong plays an imperial bodyguard who falls in love with a prince, played by Chow, in a tragic tale of star-crossed lovers.

 

The movie's Chinese title, which means "Golden-armored warriors fill the city," comes from a poem written by the leader of a peasant uprising in the late Tang Dynasty (AD 618-907). But the title was chosen only for its splendor, and the poem has little to do with the story.

 

Battle of Wits (Mo Gong)

 

This film is an adaptation of a popular Japanese cartoon series but the story takes place during China's turbulent Warring States Period (475-221 BC).

 

It centers on the exploits of Ge Li of the Mo Family, known for their non-aggressive ideology. When the Dukedom of Zhao invades the sparsely populated Dukedom of Liang with a 15,000-strong army, Ge alone comes to the rescue.

 

The historical action film, with a budget of US$16 million, stars Hong Kong superstar Andy Lau.

 

The director, Jacob Cheung from Hong Kong, is traditionally labeled an art house movie helmsman, with Battle of Wits being his first action movie.

 

Dragon Tiger Clan (Long Hu Men)

 

With a budget of 80 million yuan (US$9.9 million), this presentation is also adapted from a popular cartoon series. It is currently being produced in Hengdian, a film and TV production base in East China's Zhejiang Province.

 

Nicholas Tse, a self-proclaimed martial arts film fanatic, promises to put extra effort into the fight scenes, to produce what he calls "a pure martial arts movie."

 

Shawn Yu, who takes on a kung fu role for the first time, has been training intensively with Nicholas Tse for the past two months. He hopes to meet the strict demands of Donnie Yen, who he considers to be a very professional martial arts director.

 

Donnie Yen is hoping to capture realistic action scenes that do not rely on the use of wires for flying effects.

 

He insists on creating his own look and feel for the action scenes, hoping to reflect the mood of the comics, but without making the fights as exaggerated as on the page.

 

Nicholas Tse plays Wang Xiaohu, who is a zany kicker. Donnie Yen plays Wang Xiaohu's brother, best known for his shattering palms.

 

The movie revolves around the Dragon Tiger Clan, founded by the Wang brothers. They face challenges from many fighters from overseas and even tackle a criminal organization.

 

The Aunt's Post-modern Life (Yima De Houxiandai Shenghuo)

 

This is Hong Kong female director Ann Hui's latest flick starring Chow Yun Fat. The two movie veterans' last cooperation was more than 20 years ago, when Chow starred in Hui's The Story of Woo Yuet in 1981 and Love in a Fallen City in 1984.

 

Mainland actress Siqin Gaowa plays the intellectual aunt that falls in love with an artist played by Chow.

 

There are six other female characters and each is involved in a sad or happy story related to the aunt.

 

Shooting began in October and the movie is to be released at the end of 2006.

 

Project BB (Baobei Jihua)

 

Jackie Chan's new kung fu comedy continues his trademark style. Three thieves, one of whom is played by Jackie Chan, kidnap a baby in order to complete a deal with a gang.

 

But none of them knows how to take care of the little hostage who, after giving them headaches at home, makes them give up bad deeds.

 

A familiar face from Project A and other Chan movies, Yuen Biao is on board with the baby.

 

The movie is directed by Benny Chen, whose New Police Story was a big box-office success and helped Chan shrug off the lows of his acting career.

 

The movie stars mainland actress Gao Yuanyuan. Shooting is expected to be completed in March, with release due in October.

 

The Sun Rises Again (Taiyang Zhaoyang Shengqi)

 

After In the Heat of the Sun and Devils on the Doorstep, actor-director Jiang Wen is getting ready to direct for the third time.

 

The story relates how a group of total strangers meet on an ancient road and recall tales of what has gone on there.

 

Shooting is scheduled to begin in October in Beijing and Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

 

The War of the Red Cliff (Chi Bi)

 

John Woo is developing his first Chinese-language film in more than a decade, which will star Chow Yun Fat.

 

The War of the Red Cliff is based on historical events that took place in the Three Kingdoms Period (AD 220-280).

 

Shooting will begin later this month.

 

Kung Fu Hustle II

 

The filming of the sequel to the 2004 martial arts blockbuster Kung Fu Hustle will begin in May.

 

The sequel will recruit all of the original casts, except Huang Shengyi, who fell out with Stephen Chow after widely publicized disputes last year.

 

(China Daily February 14, 2006)