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View Full Version : hollywood to make a film on Mao


yoMAMA
05-20-2007, 08:42 PM
last year it was the last king of scotland, now the last emperor of china ;)

http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117965461.html?categoryId=1061&cs=1

Mao film eyes China OK
Project focuses on rise of former Chinese premier
By PATRICK FRATER"

I need an army," says Steven North ("Vukovar"), who is producing "Challenging Heaven," a birth-of-a-nation picture focused on the rise of former Chinese premier Mao Zedong.
Mixing Asian and American leads, pic is being put together with a $40 million-$60 million budget.

Lensing will start after next year's Beijing Olympics in China and other Asian locations.

Pic interweaves the stories of poet-cum-revolutionary Mao, who between 1911 and 1949 achieved supreme power, and Sidney Rittenberg, a soldier who was twice incarcerated by him. Screenplay by John Goldsmith is an adaptation of two books: "Mao," by BBC journo Philip Short and Rittenberg's "The Man Who Stayed Behind."

"Heaven" is being set-up as an assisted co-production and North is negotiating with Chinese authorities concerning use of extras needed for military shorts.

"This is a very positive portrayal of Mao, and we are hoping that one the script clears the approval process, China will come up with services and support," North said.

mr. x
05-20-2007, 09:31 PM
well, so much for the famine scenes

what exactly do they mean by "American leads?" Are they gonna get Ashton Kutcher to play him or is he simply the fictional American party missionary who teaches Mao how to loosen up?

yoMAMA
05-20-2007, 09:34 PM
well, so much for the famine scenes

what exactly do they mean by "American leads?" Are they gonna get Ashton Kutcher to play him or is he simply the fictional American party missionary who teaches Mao how to loosen up?

LOL

AK as Mao.

:biggrin:

but then again they got that doctor guy playing kublai khan.

Paradox
05-20-2007, 10:18 PM
well, so much for the famine scenes

what exactly do they mean by "American leads?" Are they gonna get Ashton Kutcher to play him or is he simply the fictional American party missionary who teaches Mao how to loosen up?
Maybe they will resurrect John Wayne so he can do another yellowface impersonation of a historical asian character.

Better yet they can get Mickey Rooney from Breakfast at Tiffany's to reprise his role.

Either way, i'm not going to have much actual faith in a film that is already plugging "American leads" in a biopic about a Chinese leader.

stonedasian
05-21-2007, 04:17 AM
All I want to know is, who's going to be the white boy that's gonna save the day for China?

SunWuKong
05-21-2007, 09:09 AM
I need an army," says Steven North ("Vukovar"), who is producing "Challenging Heaven," a birth-of-a-nation picture focused on the rise of former Chinese premier Mao Zedong.
Mixing Asian and American leads, pic is being put together with a $40 million-$60 million budget.

Mao was never the Premier. Zhou Enlai was the Premier.

anyway, i'm always weary when a non-Chinese movie portrays Mao, let alone an entire American movie based on him. but on the other hand, you're never going to get any historical accuracy with a Chinese movie about him, with the CCP still wanting to tip-toe an official line on what kind of a person Mao was.

yoMAMA
05-21-2007, 09:30 AM
anyway, i'm always weary when a non-Chinese movie portrays Mao, let alone an entire American movie based on him. but on the other hand, you're never going to get any historical accuracy with a Chinese movie about him, with the CCP still wanting to tip-toe an official line on what kind of a person Mao was.

Exactly.

On the other hand, I’m troubled by the so-called "positive portrayal" of Mao.

I mean the guy is in the league of hitler and stalin.

yoMAMA
05-21-2007, 11:19 AM
Mao was never the Premier. Zhou Enlai was the Premier.



aka Chew and Lie.

Mao's loyal servant for life.

:wink:

Faithless
05-22-2007, 08:24 PM
Exactly.

On the other hand, I’m troubled by the so-called "positive portrayal" of Mao.

I mean the guy is in the league of hitler and stalin.
Carefullll. We don't want to resurrect what's his name (http://forums.yellowworld.org/member.php?u=3183). :rolleyes:

Any of those guys that played Charlie Chan way back when still alive?

SunWuKong
05-22-2007, 11:37 PM
aka Chew and Lie.

Mao's loyal servant for life.

:wink:

hey he did a lot of good for China, and really kept Mao in check sometimes.