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NEWS ITEMS APRIL - JUNE 2009 June 12: Steven Zeitchik of The Hollywood Reporter wrote earlier this week that the release date for “Shanghai” will be moved “likely to sometime in October.” From his Risky Business Blog: “Ever since word that it [The Weinstein Co.] was seeking a refinancing hit in the WSJ last week, there's been lots of scuttlebutt about what happens to some of its releases. Turns out not much has changed, though it looks like ‘Shanghai,’ that expensive wartime epic starring John Cusack is moving yet again - though not that far. After being dated for last Christmas, it's now moving off its planned September 4 date, likely to sometime in October.” A new release date has not yet been confirmed, but Gong Li’s manager assured me yesterday that the film is on the way and that the new cut is very “powerful”. June 8: Nikki Finke is reporting on her Deadline Hollywood Daily site that the release of “Shanghai” will be delayed. In an article about The Weinstein Co. financial restructuring, she included the unconfirmed info that one of her sources told her, "They will push that film to another date in the distant future." May 30: The Beijing Soundwalk audio tour, sponsored by Louis Vuitton, has been awarded the "Audie" in the category “Original Work”. From the press release: “The Audio Publishers Association (APA) announced the winners of the 2009 Audies(R) at a formal Gala at the New York Historical Society on May 29th in New York City. The Audies are the only awards program in the United States honoring spoken word entertainment… Original Work -- Louis Vuitton Soundwalk: Beijing; By: Stephan Crasneanscki; Read by: Gong Li; Publisher: Louis Vuitton/Soundwalk; Executive Producer/Director: Stephan Crasneanscki; Producer/Production Supervisor: Clementine Duzer.” Congratulations to all involved in the production. -> Visit the Soundwalk site. May 5: Midea (home appliance company) advertising photos (thanks to "tiali" for 2-5):
April 27: Four of the wonderful Zhang Yimou/Gong Li film collaborations will be screened during May at the George Eastman House International Museum of Photography and Film: "Raise The Red Lantern" (May 5), "To Live" (May 12), "The Story of Qiu Ju" (May 19), and "Shanghai Triad" (May 26). All screenings begin at 8:00 p.m. The Dryden Theatre is located at 900 East Avenue, Rochester, New York. Advance ticket information: 585.271.3361 x295. Link: Calendar of Events April 19: It was reported in a French magazine a few days ago that Gong Li was scheduled to attend the Cannes Film Festival this year. I emailed her manager about the report because he had previously indicated to me that she probably would not attend. Mr. Tseng confirmed for me today that the folks at L'Oreal invited Gong Li to attend the festival; however, due to her schedule and other factors, she decided to not attend this year. A New Jersey Nets fan has translated an entry from Yi Jianlian’s blog: “Gong Li came to the game to support me! …I always saw her in movies and I never thought that the first time I would actually meet her in person would be in the stadium. How can I describe it... She's different than what I imagined. She was like a girl next door. She's not a diva and was very friendly and easy-going. She's generally a happy person. She said it's her first NBA game. She felt very excited. I wanted to tell her if she came to the game often, there would be a huge increase in our ticket sale! LOL. She looked so serious in most movies, but she’s actually a very fun, interesting person off-screen. She asked if I heard her shouting 'Jia-yo' (means 'Go Team') during the game. I told her I heard it but I didn’t know that was from her and that made her laugh really hard." April 16: An article on the “Voici” French magazine website claims that Gong Li will attend the Cannes Film Festival this year. I translated a portion of the article: “Soon the 62nd Cannes Film Festival: the mobs of tourists armed with cameras, its crowded café terraces, its parade of stars on the red carpet… L'Oreal has therefore asked its ambassadors to represent the luxury brand on the Croisette. The 1994 Miss World and Bollywood star, Aishwarya Rai, will open [the festivities], along with actress Elizabeth Banks, on 13 and 14 May. Eva Longoria will take over on 14 and 15 May, followed by Gong Li, 16th and 17th, the beautiful Doutzen Kroes on 17th and 18th, Michelle Yeoh on 19th and 20th, and Noémie Lenoir on 22 and 23 May. To close the Festival with a flourish, the spectators and photographers can see Milla Jovovich and Kerry Washington on 23 and 24 May.” I emailed Gong Li’s manager to request confirmation or denial of the report.
Update: Yi Jianlian wrote on his blog about meeting Gong Li. He wrote that he had been told that she might attend the game, but he didn't expect to see her for the first time at his home arena. He described her as the girl next door type, friendly, cheerful and easy-going.
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