The grandson of a famous Chinese kung fu master is suing the producers and distributors of Jet Li's latest film, Fearless, for defaming his illustrious ancestor, Chinese state media have said.
The movie portrays Huo Yuanjia, born in 1868 and one of China's most accomplished martial arts heroes, but takes too much artistic licence, his grandson charges, Xinhua news agency said.
Huo Shoujin, Huo Yuanjia's only surviving grandson on the Chinese mainland, said the film contains "fabrications of his grandfather's life and character and it besmirches his reputation," according to Xinhua.
Huo is asking for an end to the worldwide release of the film and a written public apology, Xinhua said. He filed a lawsuit at the Haidian District People's Court in Beijing on Tuesday, according to the agency.
The defendants include Beijing Film Studio under the China Film Group Corporation, the producer of the film, and Beijing-based Anle Film Company, the distributor, Xinhua said.
Cyrus Man, marketing executive at Hong Kong-based distributor Edko Films, which has also been sued according to Hong Kong media, said the family so far had not contacted his firm.
"When we first made the movie, we hoped to bring a message to today's youth about self-strengthening and encourage them to never give up," he said, declining to comment specifically on the court case.
"We mentioned at the end of the film it's a fictitious story."
Robert De Niro, Michelle Pfeiffer, Claire Danes and Sienna Miller are set to appear in the movie version of the best selling novel Stardust, the trade magazine Variety reported Tuesday.
The movie, which also stars Charlie Cox, is to be filmed in Iceland and Britain starting in April by director Matthew Vaughn (Layer Cake).
The movie, based on a fantasy novel Neil Gaiman, tell the story of a young man that travels to an enchanted world searching for a shooting star in order to win the heart of the woman he loves.
The last time John Travolta appeared in a musical it was alongside Olivia Newton John as the smooth-operating matinee idol Danny in Grease, the most successful movie musical of all time.
Twenty-eight years later, the Hollywood star is going back to his toe-tapping roots to take on the role of Edna Turnblad in a new film version of Hairspray.
Due for release next year, the film will star Travolta in a role immortalised in the original film by the late transvestite actor Divine.
Edna is the downtrodden mother of the film's heroine, aspiring dancer Tracy Turnblad, who has yet to be cast. The producers of the film say they are looking for a newcomer to play the role. But Queen Latifah, who was nominated for a golden globe and oscar for her role in the musical Chicago, has been chosen to play the civil rights activist and dance show host Motormouth Maybelle.
"It's long been a desire of ours to work with John Travolta and to have the opportunity to produce his return to movie musicals after three decades," said producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron in a statement.
Japan is celebrated for its exceptional levels of customer service. But the behavior of a growing number of customers and clients leaves a lot to be desired. The rise of the abusive consumer has prompted authorities in Tokyo to introduce the country’s first ordinance — a locally approved regulation — to protect service industry staff from kasuhara — the Japanese abbreviated form of “customer harassment.” While the Tokyo ordinance, which will go into effect in April, does not carry penalties, experts hope the move will highlight a growing social problem and, perhaps, encourage people to think twice before taking out their frustrations
Two years ago my wife and I went to Orchid Island off Taitung for a few days vacation. We were shocked to realize that for what it cost us, we could have done a bike vacation in Borneo for a week or two, or taken another trip to the Philippines. Indeed, most of the places we could have gone for that vacation in neighboring countries offer a much better experience than Taiwan at a much lower price. Hence, the recent news showing that tourist visits to Pingtung County’s Kenting, long in decline, reached a 27 year low this summer came
From a Brooklyn studio that looks like a cross between a ransacked Toys R Us and a serial killer’s lair, the artist David Henry Nobody Jr is planning the first survey of his career. Held by a headless dummy strung by its heels from the ceiling are a set of photographs from the turn of the century of a then 30-year-old Nobody with the former president of the US. The snapshots are all signed by Donald Trump in gold pen (Nobody supplied the pen). They will be a central piece of the New York artist’s upcoming survey in New York. This
In the tourism desert that is most of Changhua County, at least one place stands out as a remarkable exception: one of Taiwan’s earliest Han Chinese settlements, Lukang. Packed with temples and restored buildings showcasing different eras in Taiwan’s settlement history, the downtown area is best explored on foot. As you make your way through winding narrow alleys where even Taiwanese scooters seldom pass, you are sure to come across surprise after surprise. The old Taisugar railway station is a good jumping-off point for a walking tour of downtown Lukang. Though the interior is not open to the public, the exterior
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