CURRENT PROJECT: Gong Li has been taking a well-deserved break from filmmaking after working back-to-back on four films: 'Curse of the Golden Flower', 'Hannibal Rising', 'Miami Vice' and 'Memoirs of a Geisha'. Meanwhile, fans have been waiting for an announcement about her next projects. A Shanghai newspaper included a report on November 21, 2007 that Gong Li's spokesperson said her next film project is 'Shanghai'. The Phoenix Pictures project is directed by Mikael Håfström and will be distributed by the Weinstein Co. Håfström described the story: 'It takes place there during the war, just before the Japanese invasion of China. It's sort of an epic drama, a love story set with the war as a backdrop. It's a great piece of material.' A United Daily News (Taiwan) reporter wrote on January 27 that Gong Li's manager confirmed other cast members. He reportedly said: 'John Cusack plays an American journalist, Chow Yun-Fat plays Gong Li's gang leader husband, Ken Watanabe plays a Japanese military officer, they revolve around Gong Li.' Shooting was scheduled to begin March 10 in Shanghai, but director Håfström confirmed during a phone interview with a Swedish newspaper on February 8 that the Chinese film bureau did not grant a filming permit. Gong Li said during a March 7 appearance in Shanghai that filming will begin in April, but did not disclose the production locations. Harvey Weinstein told a Variety reporter on March 18 that production is being relocated to Thailand and England.

CELEBRATION:  Gong Li celebrated her birthday on December 31 in China. Fans on the Admiring Gong Li and Baidu forums posted birthday and New Year greetings to her. She responded with photos in which she held signs that read, 'Wishing friends in the Gong Li forums Happy New Year! Thanks for the blessings you gave me!' The photos are posted on our January 2008 News page.

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