The CCP is going all out this year to mark the 60th anniversary of the founding of the PRC. The first announcement involved back-to-the-future plans for the largest military parade ever held in the country. Now comes word that China’s film community will celebrate the occasion with an equally grand (though hopefully less Freudian) event of their own: a major motion picture featuring “the most powerful lineup in the history of Chinese film.”
You know what that means, right? Yep, they’ve already booked Andy Lau:
Infernal Affairs star Andy Lau is set to appear in a major new film to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the communist revolution in China, reports Variety.
The feature, which will be directed by Huang Jianxin, boasts “the most powerful lineup in the history of Chinese film”, according to its state-backed producers. It will also star directors Chen Kaige and Feng Xiaogang in acting roles, with Tang Guoqiang and Zhang Guoli playing the first chairman of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), Mao Tse-tung, and his civil war rival “Generalissimo” Chiang Kai-shek.
No budget details have been made available but producers said those involved in the film, to be titled The Great Cause of China’s Foundation, were offering their services at cut-price rates to support the 60th birthday celebrations.
While I’m not a huge fan of cross-ethnic casting, I still think the producers of the film are missing a major opportunity here. They need an overweight, follicly-challenged, self-involved, monomaniacal womanizer consumed by his own thirst for power. This should be a no-brainer, right?
PRC: The Movie!: The CCP is going all out this year to mark the 60th anniversary of the founding of the PRC. Th.. http://tinyurl.com/bh52ub
I’m guessing Gong Li and Zhang Ziyi will not be making appearances….
That’s a shame. I don’t know HOW they could POSSIBLY miss the stunt casting possibilities of having Gong Li as Wang Guangmei facing off against Zhang Ziyi as Jiang Qing…I visualize a wire-fu climax along the trees and rooftops of Zhongnanhai.
I understand He Kexin has been selected to play the part of one of Mao’s concubines in order to dispel the notion that the chairman ever bedded an underage maiden. Official records can’t be wrong.
I remember watching a few Hong-Kong-style all-star cast event productions, mostly as post-disaster benefits. Massive suckage. Too many big names that all need screen time, and the audience is playing “spot the celeb” instead of following whatever thin plot they chose to hang the movie on. Granted, I’ll end up watching this one to see how exactly they’ll handle the KMT now that friendship has blossomed again.
Off topic, I find it charming how the Guardian style guide has yet to decide on a single way of writing the name of Mao Zedong (Mao Tse-tung).
I think I am IN this movie! Didn’t get to see Andy Lau, though.
Who’s playing Deng Xiaoping, that’s what I want to know.
I think they missed an excellent opportunity to do a joint venture with Taiwan. This could’ve been a “Tora Tora Tora” style of movie — “Once they did battle against each other. Now, they come together to bring you the greatest motion picture of all time!”
The Taiwanese could film all the scenes of the Generalissimo (why is this in quotations in the article?), and the Chinese could film all the scenes of the Chairman. Both sides could then come off looking noble. The cause of the fighting would be a tragic misunderstanding that’s never quite explained in the movie.
“Who’s playing Deng Xiaoping, that’s what I want to know.”
Chain-smoking little person?
Anyone know the phone number of Verne Troyer’s agent?
Second choice: Tom Cruise.
““Who’s playing Deng Xiaoping, that’s what I want to know.”
Chain-smoking little person?”
danny devito?
Ha ha! Mao and Tony! Nice photos and great juxtaposition. Made my day…unless I lose the pool competition tonight.
[...] by the current regime and is to include the country’s biggest military parade ever and even a motion picture. Other anniversaries are less welcomed; 50 years ago, a revolt rocked Tibet and the Dalai Lama fled [...]