Hey folks, Harry here... Well we should be excited about Michelle Yeoh's THE TOUCH, but it looks now like it'll probably be delayed due to marketing considerations by Miramax... Check out the wonderful trailer for the film here!!! Meanwhile, Ye also provides a link to an exact break down... in terms of SECONDS CUT and where from SHAOLIN SOCCER. All of which sound completely unnecessary, especially if you've seen the film, and some... frankly bizarre. Also hearing about the planned MULAN film that Michelle Yeoh is developing based upon the same stories that the Disney film drew upon... only... more badass I take it... because, um... it's Michelle Yeoh! PLUS some Zhang Ziyi news! Very cool! So here ya go...

Hi, Harry and the rest gang of AICN!

Ye is back!

THE TOUCH's North American Release

The original plan is to release the movie simultaneously in Asia and North America this summer. But now only people in the East and Southeast Asia (except Japan, South Korea and a few other countries) can take the thrill-ride on August 1. Yesterday Michelle Yeoh told Hong Kong media it was because in America promotion for a movie usually started three to four month prior to the release date but the movie was not done yet at that time (three to four month ago). So (the North American release date) might be pushed to next summer (by Miramax). But Miramax may still try to make a rush release before next summer.

Michelle Yeoh also said Miramax had asked her to make a sequel of it and they had already started to work on the script. However, she is more interested in making HUA MULAN first (not related to the Disney animation MULAN though both of them are based on the same Chinese folklore).

Detail Report of Miramax's Cut of SHAOLIN SOCCER FranÁois Tissandier from Cinemasie.com has sent me a very detail description of all the cuts and alternations of what Miramax did to the movie (detail to second) based on the French version (Cantonese with French subtitle) he saw at a press screening in Paris three days ago.

Because he only authorized me to post his report on my site, I can't send the report to you. But you can read it on my site. Here is the link: CLICK HERE

Zhang Ziyi in PURPLE BUTTERFLY and possibly the remake of A TOUCH OF ZEN Zhang Ziyi is currently working on PURPLE BUTTERFLY with screenwriter and director Luo Ye from SUZHOU RIVER. The story happened in Shanghai during the time of Japanese occupation (1937-1945) and she played the leader of an assassin gang working on eliminating the Chinese who were collaborating with the Japanese including the one being responsible for the death of her boyfriend. Japanese actor Nakamura Tooru played her former classmate and later a Japanese agent assigned to hunt down Zhang Ziyi. Her former classmate from Central Drama Academy Liu Ye played a guy accidentally jointed the assassin gang.

Taiwan's Mun Sang Poh reports Hsu Feng has announced in Shanghai that she would indeed produce a remake of her martial art classic HSIA NU (XIA N‹ / A TOUCH OF ZEN) and the only candidate for the role she had played in the original is Zhang Ziyi.

Zhang Ziyi has reportedly expressed her respect to the original while on her way to a new location of PURPLE BUTTERFLY in Nanjing. She said the movie was a classic and the martial art shown in it was very special - a kind of "jumping" style. Hsu Feng is currently expecting to meet Zhang Ziyi for the first time and her partner Li Bi-hua is currently working on the script.

That's all for today!

Have a nice weekend!

Ye Meng

MonkeyPeaches.com