Fireworks herald the launch of an official Web site for the upcoming star-studded thriller "Painted Skin" on July 27, 2008. [Photo: sina.com.cn]

An official Web site for Gordon Chan's new movie, "Painted Skin," opened Sunday night, in an effort to warm up the climate for its September release, Beijing Times reported Monday.

Gordon Chan started the launch ceremony with a group of spooky stills, representative of the elements of the breathtaking thriller.

Fans who log onto the site can view the plot, character analyses, video clips and other details on the star-studded production.

Actress Zhao Wei and actor Chen Kun were present at the launch. Zhao, who usually takes on strong characters, challenged a traditional feminine role in the film. She has tried hard to change her style, and said at the press conference that she felt good about her new image in the film.

"Painted Skin" is adapted from the ancient novel "Liaozhai Zhiyi," or "Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio," written by Pu Songling in the Qing Dynasty.

The movie will be released on September 28.