Focus Features has picked up North American distribution rights for Jet Li’s latest FEARLESS. As you all know, their division Rouge pictures released DANNY THE DOG (aka UNLEASHED) successfully last year. Director Ronny Yu just reduced the length of the film from 143 minutes to 103 minutes to speed up the pacing of it and caused the subplot involving Michelle Yeoh to be deleted. Supposedly Jet has personally apologized to Michelle for eliminating her from the film and she has said she could understand the reason of Ronny Yu’s decision. Visit the official FEARLESS site for more info including the theatrical trailer.

While Stephen Chow is plannning to start KUNG FU HUSTLE 2 in early 2006, there might be a change of plan. Chow may shelve the project and tackle a sci-fi film about a relationship between an astronaut and an alien. Supposedly Chow was saying “Apart from ‘Kung Fu Hustle,’ I’m indeed also working on a sci-fi movie. I haven’t decided which one to film first, but it isn’t very appropriate to reveal details now. I’ll wait until the time is riper”. Supposedly Chow has already found American investors for the sci-fi film. Whichever comes fiirst, we will see it!

The film is called ROUGE.  The story revolves around Jack Crawford, whose partner Tom and his family are killed by an assassin Rouge for the crime family. Crawford becomes obsessed with finding the assassin.
Jason the Transporter plays Jack Crawford and Jet the Dog plays the assassin Rouge.
Philip Atwell music video director will make his feature helming debut while Corey Yuen is choreographing and directing the action scenes.

The year 2005 was good for films, in my humble opinon anyway. Of course there are tons of pieces of ***censored*** every year but last year seemed to have more good films than craps. So I will give my top 10 favorite films of 2005. This is always hard because some of the films have already released in its country in 2004 or earlier before it comes to the US. So I will do my best to pick the ones actually came out in 2005.

RIDING ALONE FOR THOUSANDS OF MILES (千里走单骑) has just released in theaters in Hong Kong last month and will be opened in Japan in a few weeks, Chinese director Zhang Yimou is preparing to begin shooting his new film entitled THE CITY OF GOLDEN ARMOR (满城尽带黄金甲).

The new film is inspired by the modern Chinese play “Thunderstorm,” and it will reunit him and Gong Li for the first time in ages. The film is set in the Tang dynasty (AD 618-907) and it revolves around the emperor, the empress and a general in a time of power struggle. The film will be cranked up before the end of year, and slated to hit theaters before 2007.