Hi all. My name is sammy . I am a newbie, I am a big fan of the gorgeous Chinese actress Gong Li(If you have never heard of her, she is amazing)

Anyway, a story broke today in the Chinese press where her spokesperson said she just signed a contract to star with Jon in a "Epic. drama/Love story" called "Shanghai" directed By Mikael Håfström ("1408", "Derailed"). starting to roll in Feb 08. This Is NOT official and has not been confirmed .

If I find out more I will Post

More from the director(MF) about the plot

"

Anybody out there?

Can't wait to see Grace is Gone too.

I'm here.

I'm sorry I missed your intro, didn't expect any under this topic....

Welcome to the board and thanks for the info!

Yes, welcome to the board and thanks for the info too

Hi All. It was confirmed by Gong Li's people today. So all we have to do is wait for a annoucement in the American trades.

http://www.variety.com/article/VR111797 ... 1&nid=2563

He's officially in negotiations.

They are going to make a smokin couple

Here is a pic of Gong http://tendances.vogue.fr/images/diaporama/page_812.jpg




Looks like he will have to drop "Talking with Dog"(March Startd date) and Stopping Power"(April start date)

Here is the article in English

Welcome to the board and thanks for the info.
Good to hear that there is another John project on the way.

Any idea when?

Variety


Li, Cusack on 'Shanghai' trip
Weinstein Co. to film period drama in China

The Weinstein Co. has locked in Gong Li and is negotiating with John Cusack to star in "Shanghai," a period drama the studio hopes to make in China early next year.

Mikael Hafstrom, who helmed Cusack in the Dimension hit "1408," will direct a script by Hossein Amini.

Cusack is in talks to play an American who returns to a corrupt, Japanese-occupied Shanghai four months before Pearl Harbor and discovers his friend has been killed. While he unravels the mysteries of the death, he falls in love and discovers a much larger secret that his own government is hiding.

Phoenix Pictures topper Mike Medavoy and Barry Mendel will produce, with Arnie Messer exec producing.

Project, which will shoot in Shanghai, is a longtime passion for Medavoy, and for Harvey Weinstein, who almost pulled the picture together in 2001 as director John Madden's follow-up to "Shakespeare in Love." Li last starred in "Hannibal Rising" and the Zhang Yimou-directed "Curse of the Golden Flower."

Medavoy, who also has an early 2008 start date for his Paramount project "Shutter Island," which Martin Scorsese will direct and Leonardo DiCaprio will topline, was born in Shanghai and spent his childhood there until his parents fled to Chile before the Japanese invaded.

TWC declined comment.

Hello Sammy, Welcome!

Thanks for bringing this news to the board for conversation! Anything you'd like to tell us about the leading lady you're so fond of, any work she has done that you would recommend that we see so that we can get acquainted?

This is exciting since the last really good love story I watched was Kiera Knightly in Doctor Zhivago, and the only reason I sought out that film was because of the comments made in Must Love Dogs. I LOVED it, I hated it... I cried I was a serious mess of a million emotions... haha, yeah I exaggerate a lil' at times. However, it was pulling all kinds of emotion out of me. I guess I get a little involved in the films I watch

I hope that this film is as big and beautiful as that one was. I remember for several months afterward I was looking for MY Yuri! (OMG Miranda... I had my Yuri and I let him go! LOL.. weird, really weird!)

I agree i will be great t see him in a Period drama/ love story..and Gong Li is exqusite and amazing actress.

Where do I start, Um she is a icon in Asia and the most famous movie star in China. She has only done three Amercan films. Miami Vice, Memoirs of Geisha, Hannibal Rising. She has won many awards for her Chinese films.

This sums up her biography and career

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gong_Li#Biography

According to productioncharts, the status of "shanghai" is back to "Active Development", no start-date available

http://www.productioncharts.com/charts/ ... nghai.html

and John is still attached to "TALKING WITH DOG", the filming starts April 2008 in Australia

http://www.productioncharts.com/charts/ ... th-do.html

He confirmed on A@E Private Sessions that he was doing Shanghai. Gong Li is already preparing for her role . It was stated in a chinese interview the Filming was pushed back till April. Pretty sure this movie will happen....
He alo said he was doing two film before June. Factory and Shanghai, He never mentioned "Talking with Dog".