GONG LI NEWS JANUARY-APRIL 2010

April 30: More from the Shanghai Expo -- Gong Li toured the France Pavilion and museum with actor Alain Delon and attended the Expo opening ceremony.

Photos:   One    Two

Video One      Video Two

April 28: Gong Li attended the opening ceremonies of two Louis Vuitton stores in Shanghai today. 

Slideshows from store openings:  One    Two    Three    Four    Five

Video One      Video Two

April 26: From an announcement on the official site of the Shanghai World Expo 2010:

"The France Pavilion recently invited Gong Li, well-known and renowned film star in China and around the world, to be its Ambassador of Charm. The presentation ceremony will be held on May 1, 2010, the day of the opening of the Shanghai Expo, in the presence of numerous VIP's."  It was announced earlier that LVMH is a co-sponsor of the French Pavilion.   -> Announcement

April 22: During an interview with Mickey Rourke, Roger Moore of the Orlando Sentinel asked about "St. Vincent, a re-teaming with his 'Johnny Handsome' director, the great Walter Hill."  He said Rourke responded, “Not gonna happen.”

April 6: Will Gong Li appear at the opening ceremony of the new Louis Vuitton store in Shanghai later this month? A sohu.com reporter posted the news on his blog recently.

Previous news about the store from a Shanghai Daily reporter: "French luxury brand Louis Vuitton said it plans to open a 2,000-square-meter flagship store, one of the largest in the world, in Shanghai next year as it continues to expand its presence in the world's second-biggest market for luxury goods. The store, which will be the largest in China, will be located at Lippo Plaza on downtown Huaihai Road and is due to open before the Shanghai Expo starts in May." From luxury-insider.com: "LMVH reported last year that Chinese consumers had overtaken their Japanese and American counterparts to become the world's top buyers of Louis Vuitton handbags and apparel." The store opening is scheduled for April 28.

Most recently, Gong Li has been in France, studying English. One of the people associated with the school has posted on a forum her observations about Gong Li: "It's a nice feeling when you meet someone whose work you've enjoyed and admired from a distance, and they turn out to be a pleasant, by all appearances nice person, who happens to have a sense of humour, is clever, makes progress, doesn't expect you to treat her special... She is really low-key and does not make any kind of splash around herself, she doesn't act like a diva or anything remotely like that... we barely see her arrive or leave... I'm now convinced that she is truly a good person with a very kind heart. [From March 24] She told me she'll be with us for another month."

March 5: "Shanghai" is currently scheduled to be released in Asia in April, according to a report in Variety about Phoenix Pictures. Dave McNary writes: "Upcoming Phoenix releases include ... Mikael Hafstrom's WWII spy thriller 'Shanghai,' starring John Cusack and Gong Li and released through the Weinstein Company. Medavoy was born in Shanghai in 1941, and it's clear that he has a deeper personal interest in that pic. The film will open in Asia in April ahead of the domestic launch, and Medavoy says he's keen to see what Harvey Weinstein's marketing skills will do to make 'Shanghai' stand out."

February 26: There is an opportunity for fans to vote for Gong Li. "Green Globe Film Awards, Hollywood's Largest Celebration of People, Planet & Motion Pictures. 100 Viewers' Choice Awards. You Cast The Vote. You Make the Decision. Join us on March 23rd at the Westin Bonaventure Hotel in Los Angeles for the 2010 Green Globe Film Awards and Dinner Gala featuring surprise performances by Hollywood’s and Asia’s most celebrated entertainers."

-> Link to online ballot -- scroll to the bottom of the page to vote in the category "10 Best International Actresses of the Decade (Asia)".

February 20: From Secret Handshake Entertainment, LLC -- "Their next feature, St. Vincent, directed by Walter Hill and starring Mickey Rourke, Ray Winstone, and Gong Li is scheduled for production May 2010."

January 12:  Thanks to NewPath for the tip on a new L'Oreal commercial advert. Follow the link; then, when the page loads with Gong Li's photo, click on the first of the four links at the bottom of the screen to watch the commercial.    ->Watch

January 7: A photo taken of Gong Li at a previous Berlin International Film Festival will be included in a special exhibition this year. Other celebrities to be included in the exhibit, according to WeltExpress.info: Cate Blanchett, Kate Winslet, George Clooney, and Mick Jagger.

From the Berlinale official site: "The Berlinale star portraits, taken by our photographer Gerhard Kassner and signed by the portrayed stars before their gala premieres at the Berlinale Palast, are familiar to every Festival goer. As part of the celebration of the 60th anniversary of the Berlinale, a selection... will be displayed in a comprehensive photo exhibition in public space throughout Berlin in numerous City Light Poster display cases."

The photo of Gong Li was taken in Berlin on February 14, 2003.

    ->Video clip of Gong Li speaking about the festival (scroll about half-way down the page)

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