Rumor: Jiang Wen to star in English-language Netflix series Midnight in Peking

Edit: Netflix has said this is false. Not sure if it’s The Paper or Paul French who made the error.

Paul French, the author of novel Midnight in Peking, has revealed in an interview to The Paper that actor-director Jiang Wen has been spending three hours per day practicing English for an upcoming Netflix series based on the book.   Jiang Wen,  known to the English-speaking audience as Baze Malbus in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, will likely play the Chinese detective of the leading pair of a detective duo.

Summary from Amazon:

Chronicling an incredible unsolved murder, Midnight in Peking captures the aftermath of the brutal killing of a British schoolgirl in January 1937. The mutilated body of Pamela Werner was found at the base of the Fox Tower, which, according to local superstition, is home to the maliciously seductive fox spirits. As British detective Dennis and Chinese detective Han investigate, the mystery only deepens and, in a city on the verge of invasion, rumor and superstition run rampant. Based on seven years of research by historian and China expert Paul French, this true-crime thriller presents readers with a rare and unique portrait of the last days of colonial Peking.

Looking forward to Upcoming Chinese films in 2014

Ge You and Jiang Wen as showmasters in the movie, Gone With the Bullets.

Ge You and Jiang Wen as show masters in the upcoming movie, Gone With the Bullets.

The year is almost a quarter over (I know!), but 2014 is a really exciting year for Chinese film and it would be a waste not to take a look at all the great stuff that’s going to be released soon. This year, as some have noted, will be the year of big director comebacks, from Red Cliff’s John Woo to Zhang Yimou and many others. (Thanks to Mookie for everything about this post, I’m just here to spread the word.)

(Also, you’ll soon realize that Huang Xiao Ming does not rest… I believe he has at least 4 films this year alone, excluding dramas!!)

This list is in no way exhaustive. Continue reading