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Watching: The Family 幸福一家人 Song on repeat: Roof on Fire 屋顶着火 - Victoria Song Qian

Chen Feiyu in The Forbidden Palace, someone cast him as The Last Emperor!

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This photoshoot of Chen Feiyu in The Forbidden Palace is not only visually stunning but gives me so much Puyi (China’s last emperor) vibes that after starring at the photos long enough, I decided Chen Feiyu could definitely pass for a better-looking Puyi. Someone hurry and make another drama or film about him while Chen Feiyu is still young. Hey Chen Kaige, here’s your chance for a great Puyi bioepic.

Chen Feiyu just finished up filming for  Legend of Awakening and has been seen at auditions for the Beijing Film Academy. He was also studying for the SAT’s last year, so he may also come back to the US for college.

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Will sci-fi disaster Warriors of the Future be Hong Kong’s Wandering Earth?

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With giant mechas, alien invasions, and a planet to save, will Warriors of Future be a milestone for Hong Kong sci-fi?

When a meteor strikes the Earth in 2055, an alien biological plant is rapidly growing,  killing all other life along with its spread. The fate of the Earth depends on a team of elite forces who must battle both alien and homegrown attacks.

An ambitious launch for Hong Kong-based special effects firm  天下一 One Cool,  science-fiction disaster film Warriors of Future 明日战记 released its first official trailer (on top of a previous teaser trailer) recently.  Directed by award-winning visual efects supervisor Ng Yuen Fai (Tai Chi Zero, Painted Skin), the film stars Louis Koo, Sean Lau,   Carina Lau, Nick Cheung Ka-fai, and Tse Kwan-ho.

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Xu Kai, Li Yitong, Tan Jianci cast in Tang dynasty panorama

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Not caving into the recent trend of looking to Japan for inspiration for Tang Dynasty aesthetics is a focus of the drama, how well do the first stills do?

Aiming to be a panorama of early Tang dynasty life, the latest Yu Zheng-produced drama features merchants, pirates, the military, and princes finding love and success in the early Tang dynasty.  Based on the script by author Fengnong, Journey of a Tang Dynasty Woman 大唐女儿行 began filming earlier this month with a young cast consisting of Xu Kai (The Legends) , Li Yitong (Bloody Romance), Tan Jianci (Secrets of the Three Kingdoms) , Fan Shiqi (Where the Lost Ones Go), Wu Jiayi ( Untouchable Lovers), and Jiang Mengjie (Sword Master) . The series has already been brought by Hong Kong channel TVB.

Xu Kai plays Cheng Chumo, the son of Cheng Yaojin and a profligate youth who chooses to make a name for himself after falling in love with Fu Rou (Li Yitong).    While he goes to fight pirates in the open waters, Fu Rou leaves behind her merchant family to become a master weaver in the palace.  There, she meets Prince Li Ke (Tan Jianci) and Marines General Yan Zifang and becomes entangled in the fight for the Crowned Prince. Fan Shiqi plays Cheng Chumo’s brother while Wu Jiayi plays his love interest, the Princess Qinghe.  Ma Yue and Miao Pu play the Emperor Li Shimin and the Empress Zhangsun. Together, the protagonists must fight on all fronts to save their families and the future of the Tang Dynasty.

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Song Qian, Song Weilong rom-com releases first trailer

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Should she follow her heart or marry someone who seems suitable?

In Find Yourself 资深少女的初恋, a 30-year-old designer ( Victoria Song Qian) must choose between a younger, financially unstable beau (Song Weilong) and a more “suitable” relationship with an exec (Wang Yaoqing) in this rom-com.  The series released its first trailer today in time for the Hong Kong Film Festival.

What happened to Song Qian? I feel like all her projects since Moonshine & Valentine have been really good fits for her and have pretty unique set-ups. Even her acting doesn’t seem that out of place anymore. Her other projects includes The Broker with Luo Yunxi and The Moon Knows Not My Heart with Ou Hao.

 

Suddenly Seventeen is now free on YouTube legally w/ English subs

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One of my favorite chick flicks, Suddenly Seventeen 28岁未成年, is now available with English subtitles for free on YouTube legally.  The directorial debut of Zhang Mo stars Ni Ni, Wallace Huo, Wang Ta-lu, and Ma Su in a charming tale of finding yourself.

Friday Photos

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The Legends‘ two female sect leaders have their own poster and theme song  to celebrate their friendship.

Posters, stills, photoshoots, and random photos that caught my eye this week.

Photos this week includes Angelababy, Cai Xukun, Liu Haoran, Wu Lei, Bai Jingting, Dilraba, Chen Wenqi, Ouyang Nana, Guan Xiaotong, Zheng Yecheng, Zhang Yunlong, Xu Kai, as well as Bai Lu X Xiao Yan for The Legends, Song Qian X Song Weilong for Love Actually, Chen Feiyu and He Landou for film With You.

First moving look at Song Qian X Song Weilong for Love Actually

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Ju Jingyi’s The Legend of White Snake releases MV

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Happy White Valentine’s Day! Hopefully your romance is more smooth than theirs.

New The Legend of White Snake 新白娘子传奇 released its theme song MV. Starring Ju Jingyi and Yu Menglong in the timeless tale of a forbidden romance between humans and demons, the series is one of at least four retellings of the story made within the past two years, but I”m not going to complain since The Destiny of White Snake and the White Snake animated feature have both been good.

The CGI background when they first meet on the bridge is gorgeous and has a Chinese watercolor touch to it. Also, where do these fictional girls find all these boyfriends who can perfectly do their eyebrows without practice? I need one.

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Marvel’s Shang-Chi Dream Cast

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screencapture-cfen-si-2019-03-13-marvels-shang-chi-dream-cast-2019-03-13-23_40_34

Alternatively, how about all of them as Shang-chi since he can multiply.

Given that Cfensi got its  top choice for Disney’s Mulan, let’s do some dream cast for Shang-chi, Marvel Cinematic Universe’s first lead Asian superhero (unless The Eternals miraculously cast an Asian). Shang-chi is a master of wushu who was born in Hu’nan and moved to NYC.  He is half-white  and looks just like Bruce Lee in the comics, but MCU probably has plenty of of freedom in terms of what age and exact background he’ll be. There’s also a bunch of Chinese characters who could be in the film.

Who would you like to see cast?  Leave a comment and I’ll add them to the polls.  My current list including young-ish actors who either have martial arts backgrounds or who look the part and are “American/Canadian/etc” since Hollywood seems to be averse to casting people of Chinese nationality given Mulan and Crazy Rich Asians.

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The Crossing to get U.S., Canada, Australia, Auckland release on Mar. 15

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Photoshoot for the film by Zhong Ling

Coming-of-age story about “a schoolgirl’s rite of passage as a rookie smuggler”, The Crossing 过春天 will be screening in the usual overseas spots this week.

The directorial debut of  Bai Xue  is the produced by veteran director Tian Zhuanzhuang.  I don’t know what it is, but the trailer  looks very different from all the other Chinese films.   It reminds me a bit of the best Thai coming-of-age films. Newcomers Huang Yao, Sun Yang join Carmen Soup to star in the film.

Reviews: Hollywood Reporter ; Screen Daily

Theme songs by Tan Weiwei and Liu Xijun. Trailer below:

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