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The Banquet
An adaptation of "Hamlet" set in 10th century China. Coming Fall 2006.

Memoirs of a Geisha
A poor girl becomes the legendary geisha Sayuri.

Jasmine Women
A story of love and loss over three generations of women in a single family in Shanghai.

Princess Raccoon
2046
House of Flying Daggers
Hero
Purple Butterfly

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News Archives - September 2005 to October 2005

Memoirs of a Geisha HQ pictures and soundtrack samples

Some HQ Memoirs of a Geisha pictures, including the soundtrack cover and the pictures of the three geisha in a teahouse.

Soundtrack.net has an exclusive first look at the Memoirs of a Geisha soundtrack, including music samples from each of the 18 tracks that composer John Williams wrote for the film.

The USA Today has a short blurb about the Snow Dance scene

Ziyi Zhang's dance solo is one of the most riveting moments in the film. Choreographer John DeLuca's initial inspiration for the dance came when he saw a picture of 8-inch black lacquered platform sandals a courtesan wore in a Kabuki play. The shoes were difficult to dance in, but they forced the wearer into movements simultaneously beautiful and dramatic.

Finally, the Hollywood Reporter has an article about the California on Location Awards, where Memoirs location manager Mike Fantasia was recognized for his efforts in balancing filmmaking and natural conservation on the sets where Memoirs was filmed.

Thanks to Moses, CrystalGaia, and Daniel Zelter for the news.

10/29/05

First picture of Ziyi in Night Banquet

From a press conference today comes the first picture of Zhang Ziyi as the Empress in Night Banquet, the historical drama set in 10th-century China which Ziyi is currently filming.

Here are pictures from the press conference. Artwork for the film's title, based on ancient Chinese script, can be seen in the back.

Ziyi at the conference

Below is a low-quality video with the first production footage from the film, and it appears from the clip that the English title they are using now is simply "The Banquet." Alongside is a video of Ziyi at the press conference.

Banquet clips - 2 MB wmv	Press Conference - 7 MB wmv

Complete videos from the hour-long press conference can be found at Sina.

10/29/05

Ziyi at Van Cleef and Arpels opening

Last Friday, Ziyi helped promote the grand opening of luxury jeweler Van Cleef and Arpels' first store in Beijing. Here is a gallery of 25 news photos from the event.

Thanks to Fanqiemeimei for collecting these pictures.

10/25/05

Stills gallery from the Memoirs of a Geisha HD trailer

Here is a gallery of 105 stills from the new Memoirs of a Geisha HD trailer. If you don't have a computer powerful enough to play the the new trailers, then you need to see these pictures. Even if you can play the trailers, the pictures are still amazing. Go check them out.

10/22/05

Hi-Def Memoirs of a Geisha trailer online!

The Memoirs of a Geisha trailer is now available in HD over at Apple's trailer page. You will need to have the latest version of Quicktime installed and meet the hefty system requirements to view it. Here are direct links to the trailer in all it's hi-def glory.

1080p (Huge) - 175 MB
720p (Large) - 100 MB
480p (Medium) - 31 MB

The official site now mentions that Memoirs of a Geisha has been rated PG-13, which is what most people thought it would be rated.

The Santa Barbara Cinema Society will hold a benefit screening on December 2nd, a few days before the official US premiere on December 4th. According to the organizers, both Zhang Ziyi and director Rob Marshall will be attending. Tickets start at $250.

A final Memoirs tidbit, in a recent interview Ziyi mentioned that she thought Memoirs might be released in mainland China during January. This is the first time a date for the film's release there has been mentioned. Memoirs has been controversial in China, as some Chinese do not approve of having Chinese actresses play Japanese roles, especially since geishas are often incorrectly viewed as being no more than prostitutes. Ziyi's comments do not include a certain release date, but it reveals that a release is at least being planned.

Thanks to MarkR and Jin for pestering Apple the past few days to get this trailer up :)

10/21/05

New magazine scans

Here's a photoset that was published a few months ago in a Chinese magazine, Figaro I believe.

10/20/05

Princess Raccoon festival screenings

Ziyi's Japanese musical Princess Raccoon has two more festival screenings lined up. It will be shown at the Hawaii International Film Festival on October 22nd and 28th. It will also be the opening film at the Golden Horse Film Festival in Taipei, which begins on November 4th.

10/20/05

Two Ziyi videos

Two Ziyi videos for today. The first is from the House of Flying Daggers premiere in Beijing, it is Ziyi singing the Beauty song from the movie (in much higher quality than the video up previously). The second is from the Hong Kong 2046 DVD, it is a feature titled "Ziyi Footage" with behind-the-scenes shots, including the Cuteone speaking (squeeking) "Happy New Year."

HOFD concert - 11 MB wmv	2046 "Ziyi Footage" - 24 MB avi

Thanks to Amanda for the concert video.

10/18/05

North American 2046 DVD

Sony has announced details of their 2046 DVD. It is set to be released on December 27th, and the most interesting new special feature is an audio commentary from director Wong Kar Wai. From Davisdvd.com

Sony Pictures has announced the acclaimed 2046 for release on December 27th. The film, starring the beautiful Zhang Ziyi, arrives with a 2.40:1 anamorphic transfer, Cantonese [and Mandarin I assume] Dolby Digital 5.1 audio and English subtitles. Extras will include an audio commentary with director Wong Kar-wai, deleted scenes, a making-of featurette, cast interviews and photo galleries. Retail is going to be $24.96.

10/18/05

Memoirs of a Geisha news

A preview screening of Memoirs of a Geisha was held on Tuesday and a couple of reviews from those who saw it are over at AICN. Here are some quotes

“Geisha” shows that Marshall, in only two films, has brought something missing from most of the recent years of film—elegance. The film flows marvelously as long as it can, until it hits a few notable but difficult-to-avoid story adaptation mishaps. It is helped along by some of the best art direction money can buy and unbelievably nuanced performances...

Ziyi Zhang is a wonder here. Left to her own devices without the spectacle of martial arts, she can elicit something very deep within us, as evidenced by her underplayed dramatic roles. From a physical perspective, she is the most perfect subject a choreographer like Rob Marshall can have. Her movements are something to behold, and her accent—a source of some controversy, as she is obviously not Japanese—is sweet yet unobtrusive.

Banana Republic is sponsoring a contest related to Memoirs. The prizes include a chance to attend the US premiere in Los Angeles and a shopping spree in Tokyo. They also have a new picture from the Snow Dance scene.

Here's a roundup of some Memoirs related merchandise. The soundtrack will be released on November 22 and will feature the music of John Williams with performers including Yo-Yo Ma and Itzhak Perlman. A photobook titled Memoirs of a Geisha: Images from the Film will be available on December 9 and will have over 150 images documenting the making of the film and the history of geisha. A wall-calendar will be available on November 1st. A line of makeup from Fresh is also available, below is a picture of a store display in New York.

Thanks to emacs and CrystalGaia for the news.

10/14/05

Zhang Ziyi in Elle, Esquire, and Entertainment Weekly

Last month Ziyi had a pictorial in Elle China titled Earth, Wind, and Fire. Now the same set has been published in this month's US edition of Elle. Below are a couple of scans I made; the first picture new to this issue, the second was in Elle China, but this is a larger scan. These are very nice pictures, click to enlarge.

Here is a quote from the short article accompanying the pics:

So tired of hearing about: "The language problem. Many people are concerned about my English. Frankly, learning a language is very, very difficult for me. But nothing in this world is easy - you can only rely on yourself to work hard bit by bit."

Professional epiphany: "After Memoirs of a Geisha, I suddenly felt as if I had really matured. I'm beginning to like the idea of acting in just one film a year."

Wishes someone would cast her in: "A comedy. We Chinese have a saying that it is easier to make people cry than to make them laugh."

Ziyi is in this week's Entertainment Weekly with a picture and brief article. A quote: ''Everyone describes Ziyi as the most beautiful creature in the world... She's too perfect, in a way.'' Z is also mentioned in this month's Esquire magazine, where they name her the sexiest woman in China.

Thanks to Crystal Gaia (AdmiringGongLi) for the tips.

10/10/05

News from Japan

Zhang Ziyi is on the cover of two Japanese magazines this month, Bazaar Japan and Colorful. Only thumbnail pics of the covers are available for now, hopefully larger scans will be coming soon.

Asience has released a new commercial today, following the hype created by the teaser ad from last month. It is a bit of letdown, as the ad is more about the now-famous red dress, while Ziyi only appears for a few seconds. Also of interest is this video (4 MB) of last year's "Max Illusion Night", when Asience projected giant images of Ziyi onto the Yokohama Grand Intercontinental Hotel. If you get a black screen while trying to play it, just right-click and choose "Play". Next to the videos below is a new picture.

Commercial - 3 MB swf	Max Illusion Night - 4 MB swf

Purple Butterfly, Ziyi's 1930's historical drama, will be released in Japan on November 12. A nicely designed official site went online today, and it includes a new trailer. Below are some promotional photos from the site.

Finally, here are some nice pictures from a Japanese news article. The first is a great picture from Asience's Max Illusion Night. The second shows banners for Cotton Harbor Towers, an upscale, $400 million Yokohama real-estate development Ziyi used to promote (pics, video). The bottom two pictures are from the Tokyo premiere of House of Flying Daggers.

Thanks to Fanqiemeimei and Minako for the news.

10/07/05

Princess Raccoon at the 2005 AFI Film Festival

Ziyi's Japanese musical, Princess Raccoon, will be shown at the AFI Film Festival next month on November 8th and 10th. This is great news for those living near Los Angeles. While the Japanese DVD will be coming out on Oct 21, it still appears to be without English subtitles.

Princess Raccoon was also screened last week at the Vancouver International Film Festival, and in related news Jasmine Women was shown last week in Korea at the Gwangju International Film Festival.

Thanks to Richard for the news.

10/07/05

Wallpapers

Some new Ziyi wallpapers, all 1280x1024. Thanks to Wangerlai for making these

10/03/05

"Ziyi Says She's Wary of Hollywood Action Roles"

From an article at CRI,

Zhang Ziyi says she's wary of Hollywood action roles... Zhang said she hasn't been offered new roles in Hollywood she likes, the South China Morning Post reported.

"Frankly, I think we have the ability to handle more complex characters, not just playing in action movies or some stereotyped characters," Zhang was quoted as saying. "I've been waiting and looking for a quality production. I don't have to take every offer from America," she reportedly said.

Zhang's better known roles in the West have been action roles. Other than "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon," Zhang played a feisty villain in "Rush Hour 2." But Zhang has signed up for director Feng Xiaogang's new drama "Ye Yan (Night Banquet)," which has started filming in Mongolia, the Post said. Zhang reportedly said she was asked not to take on any new projects this year to focus on promoting the U.S. film "Memoirs of a Geisha," but she ended up agreeing to appear in "Ye Yan."

"I really wanted to come back to make a film,' she was quoted as saying. "I'm Chinese and need to make Chinese movies. It's that simple."

There's another article at the Village Voice titled "Ziyi/Icon" which discusses an image from 2046.

Before Wong Kar-wai's 2046 opened here last month, it was heralded by a still of Zhang Ziyi espousing the kind of tantalizing erotic mystery that movies themselves seldom project these days.

And a final article from CRI, which I only point out because the news it reports is incorrect. Ziyi is not committed to the film with Takeshi Kaneshiro mentioned in the article.

09/28/05

Old Asience ads

Here are a couple of Ziyi's early Asience commercials. I think these are the first commercials she made for them, from early 2004. If you get a black screen while playing these, just right-click and choose "Play".

Asience 1 - 3 MB swf	Asience 2 - 1 MB swf

All 10 of Ziyi's Asience commercials can be found on the Videos page.

09/28/05

New Asience ads

Asience has put Ziyi on a large billboard in the Shibuya shopping district of Tokyo. The red dress that she's not wearing in the picture is hanging beneath the ad. A similiar display went up in the Harajuku district yesterday.

A new commercial accompanies the ad campaign. I believe this is actually just a preview of a longer commercial coming next month. Short and sweet, just Ziyi tossing away her dress - 1 MB swf.

Also a couple of small new pictures

Finally, an article from the Los Angeles Times that talks about advertising trends in Japan mentions the Asience ad campaign.

And Asiance, a shampoo brand built on defining beauty with a pan-Asian look, has seen its market share grow after an ad campaign featuring China's Zhang Ziyi, who starred in "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon." Asiance's rival Lux is known in Japan for using a string of Western actresses, including Jennifer Connolly and Charlize Theron.

"In the 1990s, it was still impossible to use Chinese or Korean stars," said Tatsuo Sekine, chairman of CM Data Bank/CM Research Center, which measures the impact of ads in the greater Tokyo region (a market the size of California). "Now we are in the beginning of an Oriental boom."

Thanks to Hiro at Ziyifan.com for the pictures.

09/26/05

Ziyi in Bazaar China

Below are pictures of Ziyi from the October issue of Bazaar China. The last picture is a Maybelline ad from the same issue. Thanks to Fanqiemeimei for the scans.

09/23/05

Night Banquet opening ceremony

Pictures from the set of Night Banquet, where a little ceremony was held to mark the start of filming on the Beijing set with the main cast (some outdoor scenes without the main cast were filmed earlier this month.) In the background of these pictures you can see what I believe is the set of the Main Hall, where much of the film will take place.

Thanks to Fanqiemeimei for collecting these pictures.

09/22/05

Ziyi interviewed by... Natalie Portman

In the October issue of Interview magazine Zhang Ziyi is interviewed by Natalie Portman. It's a good interview, Z and Natalie joke around a bit and seem to get along well. Here is the interview: Page 1, Page 2. Below are pictures from the magazine, scanned by myself

From the interview:

NP: I understand you're learning English... Do you have a favorite word?

ZZ: The swear words! [both laugh] Today in class I said something like, "What the hell?!" and the teacher said, "Oh, you're really getting into it!"...

NP: So what did you do to prepare [for Memoirs of a Geisha]?

ZZ: We has very intense training for two months and we rehearsed every scene before we started shooting. I have a solo dance performance in the movie, so I had to learn a special dance called the "Winter Dance." It's like a little theater within the theater. It's quite dramatic. I had to dance in like 12-inch platform shoes. The first time I saw the shoes I thought maybe they were a prop. And then they told me, "You have to dance in them." I said, "No way!" [Portman laughs] But I got used to it.

Thanks to Priscilla and Rachel for telling me about the interview, and to "DoubleD" for the article scans.

09/20/05

Sophie Marceau talks Ziyi

French actress Sophie Marceau was in China to promote one of her new films, and while being interviewed she was asked about Zhang Ziyi and how she is controversial in China. I like what she has to say. Here is the video, it is in English.

"Well...In France we say "Nobody profits in her own country." And we also say, "He who loves well, hits well." ["You punish those you love most."]

And I think it's typical. Because she's Chinese, you have to be bitchy about her... is it true? Kind of. Yeah, she's too cute, she's too nice, she's too successful... and the ones who will be the worst with her would be the Chinese, of course. Haha! You know, they were like this with me too in France. Yes! That's why I come to China, because people are very nice with me. But in France, it's... ooow oow!

She's young. She's doing a beautiful career. It's difficult to keep your head on the shoulders. But I met her twice. I can tell you she's very simple person. Very nice, very polite. I think she's smart. She knows how to listen; to be distant but she has good taste.

I think she make good choices. I presume that she must have lot of pressure. So that's why it's difficult for her. Especially when you are young, and I know, when you are young, you feel you must be defensive all the time. To prove that you are deep and a good person, and intelligent. You have to prove a lot of things that you are not ready yet to be. But the future will say whether I was right or wrong.

Thanks to Liuyameng for the transcript.

09/20/05

More from the Starbucks press conference

Here is a gallery with 19 more pictures from the Starbucks press conference, a few are below

An official press release from Starbucks quotes Ziyi:

Described as the face of modern China and selected by Time Magazine as one of the world's 100 most influential people in 2005, actress Ziyi Zhang, a Beijing native, was present at the press conference to congratulate Starbucks for its growing success and social commitments in China.

“Upon learning about Starbucks decision to support education initiatives in China, I was moved,” said Zhang. “As a Chinese national, I am deeply grateful to global companies such as Starbucks for their philanthropy. I applaud them and support them and am always eager to be an advocate for caring that is borderless.

"Today, in every corner of the world, there are still those who are in need of aid,” added Zhang. “I hope more people and businesses will pay attention and get involved in charitable work. It will enable those who are helpless to receive the needed care and make our world a more compassionate place.”

Thanks to Cocohuu for the pictures and FaraZ for the press release.

09/20/05

Ziyi attends Starbucks charity press conference

Starbucks held a press conference in Beijing to announce a $5 million donation to promote education in China, and Ziyi was in attendance to help publicize the event. She gave a speech expressing her support and encouraged other companies make a similar commitment to international philanthropy. Here's a six-minute video of Ziyi's speech at the event and an interview afterwards, all in Mandarin: Starbucks press conference - 16 MB wmv

Incidentally, several people have said the US trailer for Memoirs of a Geisha is being shown before the film "Proof", so if you want to see it on the bigscreen, that is your bet.

09/19/05

Ziyi Receives Gift From Geisha

Ziyi was in Japan promoting Memoirs of a Geisha earlier this month (pictures) when a former geisha presented her with a gift of several kimonos, according to The Star Online

It is every actor’s dream to be recognised and appreciated for their work. For Zhang Ziyi, the highest accolades came not from a seasoned critic or a film aficionado, but a little old lady who is once a geisha. According to the entertainment website Yahoo! Hong Kong, Zhang had, during a recent trip in Tokyo to promote her Hollywood feature Memoirs of a Geisha, received a parcel with an accompanying letter handed over by a Japanese journalist.

The sender, as the curious actress found out, was this Japanese woman who once worked as a geisha. The old lady had caught the trailer for Memoirs and was moved by the Chinese native’s intense and heartfelt portrayal of a beautiful geisha. She expected the movie to bring back fond memories of their geisha days for her and her friends.

Zhang, 26, was further touched when she found several lovely kimonos in the parcel, some of which were truly intricate and exquisite. The lovingly preserved gift brought tears to Zhang’s eyes and she immediately wrote a thank-you note to the sender and invited her to attend the premiere of Memoirs in Tokyo. She also promised to wear one of the kimonos to the event.

Thanks to Zphenom for the news.

09/18/05

Zhang Ziyi in iLook Magazine

Three pictures of Ziyi from the June 2005 issue of iLook, a Chinese fashion magazine. These were scanned by Bunni and retouched by myself, click to enlarge

Ziyi is also on the cover of the October issue of Bazaar China, here's a thumbnail of the cover, hopefully larger pics will be coming soon.

09/17/05

Memoirs of a Geisha trailer stills and cast pics

Here's a gallery with 130 stills from the US trailer for Memoirs of a Geisha, it's quite a big page. Also, here is a collage of cast pictures of the eight main actors.

09/17/05

Memoirs of a Geisha US Trailer

The US trailer for Memoirs of a Geisha was released today at Yahoo Movies. It has a few scenes not in the Japanese trailer, and in general focuses more on Ziyi's role. Here are direct links to the highest quality versions in Quicktime

Large - 34 MB mov
Medium - 20 MB mov

For Windows Media and smaller Quicktime versions, see the trailer page at Yahoo.

09/15/05

Rumor news: Director Rob Cohen says Ziyi in Sinbad

In a recent interview given to a Belgian journalist, Rob Cohen, director of upcoming film Sinbad, said the film will have Zhang Ziyi starring beside Keanu Reeves. Previously, Cohen had said he wanted Ziyi for the film, but here he states unequivocally that she will be in it. Official word is that Ziyi is not committed to the film as of yet, but I think Cohen's expectations remain of interest. Here is a translation of the Dutch-language article, as published in the Gazet Antwerpen:

Interviewer: What will you to next?

Rob Cohen: I am going to make the 8th Voyage of Sinbad with Keanu Reeves and Zhang Ziyi. This movie will be almost entirely about visual effects, and will take place in the 10th century. I want to see the voyage through the eyes of Sinbad, but at the same time make an accurate acount of history. I wanted a big star like Keanu Reeves, because he fits in all times. I can’t help it, but my movies seem to get bigger a the time.

Thanks to Nancy for the news and the translation. Here is the entire interview, as translated by Nancy, along with a scan of the part quoted above.

09/14/05

Night Banquet - Pictures and Plot summary

Zhang Ziyi's next movie, Night Banquet, began filming last week in Inner Mongolia with outdoor scenes featuring large armies. None of the main cast members was needed for the filming there. Today, director Feng Xiaogang has returned to Beijing to begin filming indoor scenes with the main cast, and recently both he and the actors gave interviews to the media.

Below are pictures of the Main Hall, one of the 20 sets designer Tim Yip (Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon) made for the film. The first picture is a design sketch, the others are actual photos of the set. At 180 meters long and 60 meters wide, it is by far the largest set ever built in Beijing (actually located in Xiaotangshan, just north of Beijing.) According to reports, the color scheme will be dark coffee with touches of burgundy and gold, under dark, atmospheric lighting.

Decorations, including a palace lantern.

And concept sketches of the Emperor, Empress, and Prince (played by Ge You, Zhang Ziyi, and Daniel Wu.) As you can see, Ziyi's costume will be similar to what she wore in the dance scenes of House of Flying Daggers.

Here is the plot of Night Banquet, with details taken from the various articles and interviews:

The Emperor (Ge You) usurped the throne by murdering the previous Emperor. He marries the Empress (Zhang Ziyi), wife of the previous Emperor and stepmother to the Crown Prince (Daniel Wu). At first the Empress seeks only to protect herself, but as the new Emperor grows suspicious of all those around him, she realizes that only by helping the Crown Prince kill the new Emperor can she hope to survive. Together with the Chief Minister (Ma Jingwu) she tries to carry out this plot. But when the Prince is wracked by indecision, she devises a new plan and seeks the throne for herself.

The Crown Prince was never interested in court politics and did not look forward to becoming emperor. He instead pursued a life of art. When he faces the need to kill the man who murdered his father and usurped the throne, he is torn between his desire for revenge and his instinct for peace. The princess (Zhou Xun) he is engaged to loves him unreservedly, but as she watches him drift away into melancholy and confusion, she falls into unreasoning passion.

As all these plots move towards their climax, the emperor calls for a lavish royal banquet, where each will seek the end of their enemies.

Night Banquet differs from Hamlet in that it does not focus on the prince, but examines the feelings of each character. According to director Feng Xiaogang: "If Hamlet is about a prince who must make a choice involving life and death, then Night Banquet is about how each character must face a choice of life or death... All are motivated by desire, but as soon as they have begun their plans must grow more extreme, and they move step-by-step towards the abyss... They do not intend evil, but turn to it out of self-preservation and ever-growing ambition."

The Empress was originally to be the Prince's mother, rather than stepmother, but when Ziyi chose to take the role, they made the switch since she is too young to play a woman old enough to be Daniel Wu's mother.

09/13/05

USA Today article on Memoirs of a Geisha

Memoirs of a Geisha director Rob Marshall was interviewed by USA Today in an article titled "Geisha is more art than realism." Below is a quote along with a new picture of Sayuri and the Chairman (Ziyi and Ken Watanabe.)

Director Rob Marshall concedes that he might be breaking some rules in his depiction of 1930s Japan for his upcoming movie Memoirs of a Geisha. "I wanted a fictional impression of a world as opposed to a documentary vision, which gave me the license to break rules," says Marshall.

He also broke away from authenticity when he cast Chinese actress Ziyi Zhang as Sayuri, a fictional woman who became the most celebrated geisha of her day. When Zhang was cast, some complained that the director did not choose a Japanese actress. "I saw many actors from around the world: It was so obvious that this was the one woman on Earth who could play this role,"

One correction to the article, in Princess Raccoon Ziyi does not play a "Japanese person" as her character is Chinese, not Japanese; and nor is she a person, but a giant tap-dancing raccoon (tanuki, to be exact).

09/13/05

Memoirs of a Geisha news

A new behind the scenes picture for Memoirs of a Geisha, from an article in the New York Times. Zhang Ziyi (Sayuri), Michelle Yeoh (Mameha), and director Rob Marshall appear below.

The scene seems to be when Sayuri is to be cut on her leg, so that she will have an excuse to visit Dr. Crab. From the book

"You must place the cut exactly there", Mameha said to the cook.
I opened my mouth, but before I could even speak, Mameha told me, "Just lie down and be quiet Sayuri. If you slow us down any further, I'm going to be very angry."
I'd be lying if I said I wanted to obey her; but of course, I had no choice. So I lay down on a sheet spread out on the wooden floor and closed my eyes while Mameha pulled up my robe until I was exposed almost to the hip.
"Remember that if the cut needs to be deeper, you can always do it again," Mameha said. "Start with the shallowest cut you can make."

And a bit of news about the narration from Hollywood Elsewhere

There's apparently some concern at Sony/Columbia about Rob Marshall's Memoirs of a Geisha... Research has apparently indicated that the exotic story elements (the film is set in Japan in the 1930s and '40s) aren't being understood and/or absorbed as clearly as Sony would like, so Cold Mountain director Anthony Minghella has been brought in to write some voice-over narration. Adding narration to a film isn't an absolute guarantee that the movie isn't telling its story well enough on its own terms, but let's face it -- it usually means trouble. Then again, it could mean that the test audiences who've seen it are perhaps a tad too provincial and could use a bit more schoolin' about other cultures.

Thanks to Daniel, Tong Ly, and CrystalGaia (AdmiringGongLi) for the news.

09/12/05

Princess Raccoon pics

Four new scans of pictures from Princess Raccoon

Thanks to Xiao Hu.

09/12/05

New Wallpaper Gallery

Here's a gallery with 36 great new wallpapers. Many thanks to Wangerlai.for continuing to create the best Ziyi wallpapers anywhere.

Wangerlai has mentioned this Wallpaper Changer program by Microsoft that will rotate through a list of wallpapers periodically, so you can have a different Ziyi wallpaper each day. This is a recommended way of getting your daily dose of cuteness.

09/11/05

Zhang Ziyi in Japan

Z arrived in Japan yesterday to promote Memoirs of a Geisha. She was met at the airport by 500 fans and 40 reporters. According to reports she will be in Japan until the 9th. This first picture below can be clicked to enlarge.

09/08/05

2046 Update

2046 continues to open in new theatres around the country. Check the release schedule to see if it's playing near you.

I've added a few more reviews to the collection of critical praise Ziyi has won for her performance. Below are a couple of the most recent.

The actresses, in contrast, seem passionately alive. Gong Li has a quiet pensiveness, Faye Wong a slightly selfish intelligence. But Ziyi Zhang delivers "2046's" most powerful performance. Her Bai (not to be confused with the real-life actress Bai Ling ) is a blasé, high-priced hooker who falls in love with philandering Chow, tells him she doesn't mind his outside affairs and then has her heart broken anyway—and Zhang plays the part with a jewel-like mix of hardness and radiance. When she loses herself to passion, it overwhelms us too. - Chicago Tribune

In a film that likes teasing mysteries, the greatest revelation is Ziyi Zhang. As Bai Ling, the star of the upcoming "Memoirs of a Geisha" brings a clarity to the movie's themes of desire and missed opportunities. - Denver Post

The New York Daily News has an article titled "10 Great Star Performances of the 21st Century", and coming in at number two: "Zhang Ziyi as an impossibly alluring empress of Eros in '2046' "

Some 2046 wallpapers, made by Wangerlai.

09/06/05

Zhang Ziyi CCTV Interview

A few days ago Ziyi was interviewed on CCTV, China's main television network. The interview is in Mandarin, of course, so I'm only posting this three minute clip (8 MB wmv) from the half hour interview. If you want to download the whole thing, see this forum thread.

Below are a couple of pictures, of higher quality than the video.

Xinhua published an article based on the interview, here are some quotes from it

"My success was not by chance, instead, it's paved by hard work, pains and tears," said Chinese actress Zhang Ziyi said here Wednesday. "I want to tell you I didn't rely on luck." Hailed by Time magazine as "China's gift to Hollywood" and included in People magazine's list of "50 Most Beautiful People", Zhang has been regarded as a child of fortune during her seven-year career. Since her first film, "The Road Home", she has cooperated with many prominent directors, including Zhang Yimou, Ang Lee, Wong Kar-wai and Spielberg. "But you didn't see that I overcame many failures on my way to success," said Zhang.

Enrolled in the Central Drama Institute in 1996, Zhang felt like a fish out of water on the first day of class. "She was very nervous at first, and didn't know how to perform," recalled Chang Li, a teacher in charge of Zhang's class in the institute. "I lost myself and felt pain for the whole year," said Zhang. "Teacher Chang was very strict with us. I usually prayed to God before going to bed to tell me how to accomplish my homework the next day."

During the performance at the graduation ceremony, Zhang acted as a wife eager to meet her husband. When she rushed to the stage, she crashed into a large piece of glass, seriously wounding her hands. "My father and mother cried off the stage, and I cried on the stage. And then I was sent to a hospital," said Zhang, showing the deep scar on her hand. "But I discovered my passion in performance at that time," she said.

Thanks to Claudi and Skippy for the news.

09/03/05

Zhang Ziyi in Venice Magazine

Last year Venice Magazine published an interview with Ziyi, along with some nice pictures, in their December/January issue. Thanks to Richard for sending in these scans of the article.

09/02/05