Curse of the Golden Flower, director Zhang Yimou's long-awaited martial arts action flick, will preview on September 23 in Shenyang, capital city of China's northeast Liaoning Province.

 

The US$45 million project stars celebrities Chow Yun-Fat and Gong Li, as well as Taiwan pop king, Jay Chou. It is scheduled to premiere across China on December 23.

 

Beijing-based Morning Post reports producer Zhang Weiping, also Board Chairman of New Picture Film, is confident the film will gross more than 300 million yuan (US$38 million), at the box office.

 

Zhang also disclosed that Curse of the Golden Flower has been entered for Best Foreign Film category at next year's Academy Awards.

 

(xtrachina.cn September 19, 2006)