MICHELLE YEOH WEB THEATRE

Michelle Yeoh Web Theatre
News July - December, 2006

Current News  



HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Dec. 24th, 2006
[Note] There will be no more update on this site before Dec. 31st. Vacation time!   HAPPY HOLIDAYS Michelle and everyone!

- New in True North: a photo of Michelle's character (in the title pic) and a story sketch (spoiler).
Dec. 22nd
- Children of Huang Shi: a video clip of interviews with Michelle and Spottiswoode. More set photos!
Dec. 19th
- Photo at left: Puma advertisements at Orchard Road in Singapore, taken by "Little Leo".

While we are on Puma subject... the other day I tried out Puma's Holiday Heroes Michelle game. It was fun, making her deliver kicks and punches and so on. ;-)  Then eventually, it ended with the "Michelle" lying on the floor and a sad voice: "She's dead." Geez! Admit I'm not a gaming person but still... :-(  hope some of you can give better fate to the Puma Michelle!

- True North updates.
Dec. 18th
- Michelle has left Hengdian. More information and set photos (no Michelle) for Children of Huang Shi.
Dec. 16th
- Set photos for Babylon A.D.. No, no Michelle. Just Vin Diesel. Now another help wanted - I'm looking for someone who knows Czech and could help me in translation. The online translator I have works horribly with Czech. e-mail me please if you know Czech.
Dec. 14th
- Children of Huang Shi a behind the scenes video and photos - and yes, photos of Michelle!


Michelle at interview (video scan)
During a set interview, reporters asked whether she's considering turning herself away from action films since all three of her films after Silver Hawk are non-action. Michelle said that she does not have a preference on what types of movies she would choose - action or non-action - when she reads scripts. Asked how she feels working with Roger Spottiswoode again, Michelle said seriously: "We are all ten years older." Reporters commented that Michelle doesn't seem to have changed much during these ten years, since she looks quite similar to the time when she played Soong Ai-Ling in The Soong Sisters, who was also an upper-class woman in the 1930s/40s. Michelle said comparing herself to ten years ago, she feels she's more confident, quieter, and feels easier in front of the camera. Interestingly, even when she is not in action films, the roles she portrays are often "strong women". "Yes, including True North in Norway," said Michelle. "It's a strong character. But she is also fragile in certain sense - she does not chooses to but is forced to be strong." Would she consider playing a weaker woman sometime in the future? Michelle answered: "I would like to try if I get such a script."

- Sunshine: the film is completed.
Dec. 13th
- Children of Huang Shi: reporters visited the set and interviewed some cast and crew members including Michelle. More information on Michelle's character.
Dec. 12th
- Children of Huang Shi: Michelle is in Hengdian, and she will accept interview later today (the 13th in China).
Dec. 11th
- Children of Huang Shi: more information.

- Babylon A.D. updates.
Dec. 8th
- This new video clip (3:38. in Mandarin. use IE to watch) shows more of Michelle's interview in Hong Kong from the 6th. Michelle said she's going to meet Chow Yun-Fat and the rest of the production team of Children of Huang Shi in Hangzhou this Saturday. And she talked about her True North character and some of her filming experiences (see True North section for details). She also answered questions from reporters about Mr. Jean Todt's recent Datuk Seri award. She said Jean made huge contributions to Terengganu, including considerable help for the Monsoon Cup. He did it to help friends and did not expect he would receive such a big honor. Asked when they will get married, Michelle laughed: "I will let you know when it's time. I think what's most important for two people to be together is their happiness. Respect each other, sincere, and honest. What's so precious is to be together. Marriage itself is not the most important thing. I'm very happy now. Thank you for caring about me."
Dec. 7th
- Babylon A.D.: filming starts next week.

- True North: Michelle talks about the adventure of the Arctic filming.

- Children of Huang Shi: filming in Gansu province has ended.
Dec. 6th
- On December 6, Michelle attended the opening ceremony of a Boucheron store in Hong Kong as a special guest. A video clip of Michelle at the ceremony can be seen at 1 or 2   (use IE. 2:03. Mandarin).

Wearing a bright red Gucci dress and jewelry worth of HK$20,000,000, Michelle accepted media interviews. She described the hardship of the Arctic filming: "No TV, no newspapers, no telephone. We were filming at minus 20 Celsius on ice and snow." Michelle lost nearly 3kg. Reporters kept asking about her personal life, Michelle joked: "You made my face more red than my dress!" She thanked everyone and said she is now very happy.

Michelle at the ceremony
Michelle with models displaying the jewelry cutting the ribbon Michelle and Jean-Christophe Bedos, director of Boucheron
(click to enlarge. photos from "Tom" and "Xinhua")
Dec. 5th
- Babylon A.D. updates.
Dec. 4th
- Babylon A.D. updates.

- "Monsoon Cup" photo (L to R): Michelle's mother, Mr. Jean Todt, and Michelle at the Monsoon Cup final, Dec. 3. (click to enlarge)

- Video: Television teaser for the Monsoon Cup Terengganu featuring Michelle, November 2005. (00:29. Download)

- Children of Huang Shi updates and more photos.
Dec. 3rd
- On the evening of the 2nd, Michelle attended the Monsoon Cup charity PRIDE (Pink Ribbon Deeds) foundation gala dinner and George Benson concert, Kuala Terengganu, Malaysia.

Michelle at the Gala Dinner, hosted in conjunction with the Monsoon Cup
for the benefit of cancer-support programme PRIDE
Michelle at the Pink Ribbon Deeds dinner (L to R) Michelle, Jean Todt, ?, and Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi Prime Minister and Michelle
Michelle with Jazz legend George Benson (L to R) Michelle, ?, and Nori Abdullah, Prime Minister's daughter Michelle, Jean Todt, ?, and George Benson
at the gala dinner and George Benson concert

- Photos: Michelle with relatives/friends and Mr. Jean Todt at Pulau Duyong, Terengganu, Malaysia, December 2nd.



(click to enlarge. Photos from "Monsoon Cup Terengganu")
Dec. 1st
- Photo: Datuk Michelle arranging the ribbon for Datuk Jean Todt, who just received the honor of Seri Setia Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin of Terengganu (SSMZ), Malaysia, December 1st ("Sin Chew" photo. click to enlarge). On July 20, 2006, Mr. Todt was conferred the Datuk Paduka Mahkota Terengganu (DPMT). Michelle received her own Datukship honor, DPMP, in April 2001. (reference: Malaysia State Awards)

Michelle is expected to be at the Monsoon Cup in Pulau Duyong and attend on Saturday the Monsoon Cup Charity Gala Dinner of PRIDE (Pink Ribbon Deeds), a foundation for breast cancer awareness.
Nov. 30th
- Storyboard from 2006 Puma Ninja Fight. Thanks to "A Bird" for scanning some of the pics from video.

- More updates and photos for Children of Huang Shi. Having followed film productions involving Michelle for several years, this is the first time I want to complain about reporters saying TOO MUCH about the film - all kinds of spoilers (ok I will keep most of them to myself)! Plus, no Michelle so far.
Nov. 28th
- Photos: Michelle and Mr. Jean Todt attending the premiere of Arthur and the Invisibles (by French director Luc Besson), Novemebr 27th, Paris.


(click to enlarge. photos from "Sina" and "Hautetfort")

- For anyone who would like to send fan letters or Christmas/New Year cards (it's the season now) to Michelle, her postal mail contact has been added in Q & A section.

- French release date for Sunshine.
Nov. 27th
- Children of Huang Shi updates, including a bit information about Michelle's character.
Nov. 25th
- Michelle is in Paris and in rehearsals for Babylon A.D..

- True North: finally I've found out what that Norwegian sentence (11/15) is describing (a scene with Michelle)!

- Children of Huang Shi updates and more set photos.

- While Puma's site has put up the Michelle game, somehow the behind scenes video is taken down. But don't worry, you can see it in these links: 1 2. (thanks Tracey and Bobby)
Nov. 21st
- Puma's Holiday Hero game with Michelle is now up. Go have fun fighting as Michelle! :-D

- Sunshine: new video.

- Children of Huang Shi updates and set photos.
Nov. 20th
- Video: London premiere of Casino Royale. (1:11, Michelle appears at around 23 seconds.) The Chinese title of the report says "The elegant Michelle Yeoh is a media focus".
Nov. 19th
- True North: filming ended in London.
Nov. 17th
- New movie section created: Babylon A.D..

- Someone posted on Google groups several LARGE versions of Michelle's photos from the London premiere of Casino Royale: 1 2 3 4
Nov. 16th
- More production news and pics on Children of Huang Shi. Michelle will not join the shooting until mid-December.
Nov. 15th
- Updates on True North.
Nov. 14th
- Photos: Michelle attending the world premiere of the latest James Bond film, Casino Royale in London, on the evening of Nov. 14th.

Red-carpet arrivals
the Odeon Cinema, Leicester Square, London




"Casino Royale" after-show party
Berkeley Square, London


Photos from "Epoch Times", "Getty Images", "WireImage", "AP", "CE" and "Reuters".
(Click on photos to enlarge)

- Michelle is listed as one of the 10 Best Bond Girls by "Entertainment Weekly".

- Children of Huang Shi: production started in Dunhuang. (Dunhuang is one of the locations where Michelle's The Touch was filmed.)
Nov. 10th
- These photos were published recently by Chinese media (some of them were shown on this site in September). At least a few dozen online Chinese newspapers had some of the photos but no one mentioned an original source. I don't know if they are from any magazine, nor when and where the photos were taken. Nevertheless, enjoy. ;-)






(click to enlarge)
Nov. 9th
- Today I received an e-mail from Bobby, a Michelle fan in New York who has exchanged e-mails with me before. I think I would like to share it here:
"...this is not about Michelle, this is a video about Chinese persecution of Falun Dafa practioners. It actually made me cry... but I thought you might like to see it and pass it on to those visitors to your website who are interested... Even writing this email, I can still feel the pain. So many should see this video."
So I watched the video..... when I'm typing this, I still feel tears in my eyes, even though I already knew all these - knew them for years in fact. My best friend in China (from high school) was sent to one of those labor camps and was tortured, and some of her family members are still under detention simply because they practice Falun Gong...
Nov. 9th
- A Kung Fu Christmas
The latest chapter in Puma's continuing collaboration with director and photographer Andrew Zuckerman sees the action unfolding with award-winning actress Michelle Yeoh as the holiday heros, fending off villains with martial arts sequences in a white setting adorned with Asian-inspired design and decorative treatments. Coupled with traditional Asian music, the backdrop makes for suspenseful and scintillating visuals. The action scenes are reminiscent of those made famous by Yeoh on the big screen, including the hit Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.

The broadcast executions will air globally in Asia, Europe and North America in 30-second intervals, including such networks as MTV, VH1 and Comedy Central. The television and cinema spots finish with the tagline "Holiday Heroes," symbolising the gift tag attached to holiday surprises around the world. Seven print advertising executions will appear in magazines worldwide.   (from "Bizcommunity" Advertising news)
- Children of Huang Shi updates.

- More on True North.
Nov. 4th
- True North: Michelle talks to Norwegian media about her impression of the country, of FilmCamp, and a bit information on her next film Babylon A.D..
Nov. 2nd
- True North some new photos, a bit on a Michelle scene, and a new round of updates from Kaiser Clark.

- Children of Huang Shi updates and set photos.
Oct. 31st
- Children of Huang Shi updates.

- Sunshine updates: a new science video, and more.
Oct. 30th
- Children of Huang Shi updates.

- Various sources reported that Babylon A.D. is scheduled to start in December and not November. A Vin Diesel website quoted someone from a production company who said shooting starts mid-December and the film will be realeased early 2008.
Oct. 28th
- New movie section created: Children of Huang Shi

- Developments on Nanking (aka The Rape of Nanking or Nanking Massacre): a production team, including producer Gerald Green, has arrived in Nanjing. They will be discussing the technical issues for the pre-production with the Chinese production side, Jiangsu Culture Industry Corporation.

Hollywood's CAA Agency has been commissioned to look for the director and main cast for the film. Several Hollywood directors have shown strong interests in the revised script. Reportedly the first choice is director Simon West (Lara Croft: Tomb Raider). West arrived in Nanjing on the 27th and he is going to visit the Museum of Nanking Massacre, the Ming Dynasty City Wall, and other historical remains in the city. He will also interview some survivors from the Nanking Massacre. Main crew for photography, arts, production and costume design will be from China. The production is intended to be a drama like Schindler's List. Reportedly Steven Spielberg also expressed his opinions on the script.

Based on the 1937-38 Japanese siege of Nanking, China, the film will focus on a Chinese matriarch and an American missionary who unite to save 300,000 Chinese from being raped and murdered. For more reports please see News of Oct. 16. There is no new report on the possible cast as yet. When scriptwriter William Macdonald visited Nanjing in the spring, he said they hope to invite Michelle and Zhang Ziyi to play the mother and daughter in the film.
Oct. 26th
- It's officially confirmed by "Variety" - both Michelle and Chow Yun-Fat will star in Children of Huang Shi (Chinese title: The Bitter Sea), along with Irish actor Jonathan Rhys Meyers and Australian actress Radha Mitchell. Meyers will play a British journalist, George Hogg, who with the assistance of an Australian nurse, rescue a group of orphaned children during the Japanese invasion of China in 1937. Filming is set to begin on November 13 in the western province of Gansu, the studios of Hengdian in south-east China, and Melbourne, Australia. Hyde Park Intl., Sony Classics and Dendy Films will distribute the Chinese/Australian/German co-production.
Oct. 25th
- Michelle and Puma:



(click each image to enlarge)
The Michelle Puma commercials were shot in the middle of June. A person who worked on the Puma set said it was so cool to work with Michelle, "she is a true super star, she so all her actions and wiles, just as good as all the stunt man, and better!"

The commercials are being released for the holiday season. Visit Puma's "Holiday Heroes": Michelle Yeoh VS. The Ninjas and enjoy the wallpapers, the cool high-kicking videos and behind the scenes footage with Michelle!
Oct. 24th
- True North updates with a set photo.

- Sunshine updates: video release schedule.
Oct. 23rd
- True North updates.

- Updates on Children of Huang Shi (Chinese title: The Bitter Sea): It is being reported that Irish actor Jonathan Rhys Meyers and Australian actress Radha Mitchell have landed the lead roles of this film, based on the true story of British journalist George Hogg, who rescued scores of children during Japan's 1937 invasion of China and who led them on an arduous trek to safety (previously, when the filming was scheduled to start a year ago, it was announced that Brendan Fraser would play the main lead). Roger Spottiswoode (director of Tomorrow Never Dies) has been preparing the film for years and finally it's ready to go.

Earlier reports said Michelle and Chow Yun-Fat would also star in the film. On a recent phone interview Chow Yun-Fat told reporters that the official contract hasn't been signed yet but very likely he will be joining the shooting next month in China. Chow said he will only play a supporting role in the film, "not much screen time. But the script is very good and the director really wants me. So I considered accepting it. I have time now." According to Chinese media, Chow will play the leader of a guerrilla force which is fighting against the Japanese. Michelle will star in the film as a village woman who helps the children escape from the Japanese. Reportedly she may also have a relationship with Chow in the film.

The co-production of Australia, Germany and China is scheduled to start next month in China and Australia with a release next year. (for earlier reports see older news in July - September)
Oct. 19th
- True North: updated with more information and a set photo - no, not our Michelle.

- Image at right: L'Oreal "Color Riche Star Secrets" No° 711, limited edition with Michelle's signature (click to enlarge).

- Neither Michelle nor Maggie Cheung will be in Shanghai 1976 (see News Aug. 16) due to their busy schedules. But Chinese news reported that Johnny K., a Michelle fan from Shanghai, will be one of the main actors in the film. :-)   (yes it is the Johnny who has provided many images to this site, including the fan poster of Michelle for Memoirs of a Geisha.)
Oct. 16th
- True North: news on production.

- Developments on Nanking (aka The Rape of Nanking): the film, based on Iris Chang's bestselling book "The Rape of Nanking," will look at the experiences of a Chinese family during the massacre. Producer Gerald Green told "Variety" that the pre-production is due to start in November, shooting will begin in March and the planned release date is December 2007 in time for the 70th anniversary of the Japanese invasion. The budget of the film is said to be US$50 million - $60 million. Although local media have mentioned the names of potential stars, including Michelle, Zhang Ziyi, Clint Eastwood and Meryl Streep, Green insists that casting (either in China or the United States) has not started yet. For earlier reports on the project please see News of June 30 and Aug. 14.
Oct. 12th
- True North updates: production moved to mainland Norway. (thanks Anja for the help in translation and some information!)

- Sunshine: a video scan is added.
Oct. 10th
- Sunshine: new behind-scenes video. Yes it has Michelle.

- This month, Michelle's Memoirs of a Geisha and Silver Hawk are showing on the U.S. TV (cable). (Schedule)
Oct. 4th
- While trying hard looking for reports on the filming of True North, I discovered that Kaiser Clark, a new assistant of Michelle's for the project, has created a blog!! See True North for more details and photos.

Photo at left: Michelle with Mr. Jean Todt and Kaiser Clark (right) took a private helicopter from Balongia to Milan on August 27th. Michelle and Kaiser connected from Milan for a flight to Norway for start of the film preparation. (click to enlarge)

- Sunshine updates.
Oct. 2nd
- Audio of a half-hour interview of Michelle, by NPR, on December 5, 2000. See Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon -> "Trailers & Clips". (thanks Tracey!)

- True North: added two images for the last update: book cover and Norwegian reindeer.

- Help Wanted: if any of you (or your friends) know Norwegian and could help me to understand some Norwegian articles on True North filming, it would be really great. The Norwegian to English translator I use doesn't always work well. If you could help, please contact Jane. Thanks in advance!   [updated 10/06] thanks Anja for providing help!
Sept. 30th
- Another film that may potentially re-unite Michelle with Chow Yun-Fat: Chinese media reported that a project, entitled "Qi Pao" (Cheongsam), is under development. The film tells the story of a cheongsam maker, Mr. Lin Wenxun, and three women in his life, from 1930's Shanghai to the Japanese invasion to the Cultural Revolution and onward to the 21st century. A Hollywood studio and an Oscar-winning director are very interested in the story and initialized the co-production project. The Hollywood side thinks Chow Yun-Fat is the perfect actor to portray the cheongsam master, and they think Michelle and Gong Li are ideal to play two of the lead women. (Jane's note: if this is really going to be made, they should get Maggie Cheung for the third woman!). According to a spokesperson for the Chinese production side, they have already contacted Chow Yun-fat and Chow showed strong interest in the unfinished script.

- True North: from the novel to the film.
Sept. 27th
- True North updates: more details on filming locations and some landscape photos.
Sept. 21st
- Sunshine: new video.

- Children of Huang Shi (a.k.a. The Bitter Sea): last week (Sept. 13) "Sina" (China) published an advertisement saying Chinese "Ming Productions" is looking for a 14-15 year old boy to play a leading role in the production. The boy will play the leader of a group of starving orphaned children who are the subject of the film. The announcement says production will begin November 1 this fall and be complete February 16, 2007. Filming is planned to take place at Hengdian World Studios and Gansu Province (for earlier reports see News of Sept. 5).

Meanwhile according to Sydney Talent Company, their search on the 13-15 year old Chinese boy is complete.
Sept. 18th
- Sunshine updates.

- Memoirs of a Geisha: the film will premiere on North American TV on Saturday, October 7 on Starz.

- A set of photos from Chinese media, published last month.




(click to enlarge)
Sept. 13th
- This photo was taken last Wednesday, September 6, in Monza, Italy, at the Formula 1 World Championship. ("Crash" photo. click to enlarge)
Sept. 12th
- True North - new movie page created. The film begins shooting this week.

- "Variety" reported that Michelle will appear in Babylon A.D. (see News of Sept. 5) as a nun who becomes caretaker to the young woman who might have been injected with a deadly virus. The US$60 million film is set to begin filming in November with a 2007 release.

- L'Oreal "Color Riche Star Secrets". Limited edition with Michelle's signature. (click photos to enlarge)

Sept. 8th
- Photos during the practice sessions of the Italian Formula One Grand Prix, Monza racetrack, northern Italy, Friday September 8.


Michelle with Ferrari principle Jean Todt


hugging with German Ferrari driver Michael Schumacher
(click to enlarge. photos from "F1Racing", "MotorSport", "Getty Images", "Reuters" and "Yahoo")

- Director Ang Lee started filming Lust, Caution, in Ipoh, Malaysia two days ago. He told local media that he got interested in Malaysia while making Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon with Michelle, since that's where Michelle is from. Lee chose some buildings in Ipoh (Michelle's hometown) and Penang (a part of The Touch was filmed there) to double as 30-40's Hong Kong. Lee said Ipoh has retained many of its pre-war buildings with their unique architecture. "The old buildings here are still standing, many of them cannot be found in Hong Kong or Shanghai... and Ipoh is a nice place," he said.
Sept. 7th
- Michelle's North Pole film is called True North. Directed by British director Asif Kapadia (The Warrior) and written by Asif Kapadia and Tim Miller, the story is based on Sara Maitland's short story with the same title. Besides our Michelle, the cast also includes Sean Bean and Chinese American actress Michelle Krusiec (aka Yang Yahui). The filming team has headed to Norway. True North will be filming in Svalbard during September and will move to the FilmCampen in Malselv in October.
Sept. 6th
- New photo of Michelle in Sunshine!
Sept. 5th
Hi I'm back ;-). Some updates:

- It's been reported on French news that Michelle may star in Babylon A.D.. (Is it the French actioner Michelle mentioned in June?) The film is to be directed by Mathieu Kassovitz. Actors Vin Diesel and Vincent Cassel have confirmed to star. Inspired by the futuristic French novel "Babylon Babies", the tale is set in the near future where genetic manipulation occurs. Diesel will play a hard-boiled leatherneck veteran mercenary named Toorop who is hired by a mysterious source to escort a young woman, Marie, from Russia to Canada. The woman is carrying genetically modified embryo which an American cult hopes to use in producing a genetically modified Messiah.

French sites said Michelle's role is going to be "Sister Helen". Production on Babylon A.D. is set to commence this November in Prague, the picturesque capital of the Czech Republic. Some shooting may also take place in Canada. The film is set to release in 2007 by 20th Century Fox.

- On August 20th, Michelle was seen with Mr. Jean Todt at the 56th Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance in Pebble Beach, California. As many as 175 vintage cars from around the world were on display during the show. (photo from "Getty Images". click to enlarge)

- Children of Huang Shi (a.k.a. The Bitter Sea. see older report on Aug. 8): Hong Kong media quoted a spokesperson from Haiyue, a Taiwanese company, who said they are optimistic about their investment in the project. "The names of Michelle Yeoh and Chow Yun-Fat alone could easily get $1.5 million in distribution sales in Taiwan," they said. The Taiwanese company has invested US$2 million. Filming is aimed to start around the end of the year. The film will be in English.

- Hua Mulan: may not start for another year or two.
Aug. 16th
- [Note] I'm going for a vacation. No update on this site is expected before September 5. You may visit Yahoo or Google news search for any major news on Michelle. See you later guys/gals!

- Here is a scan from the current edition of "Life & Style Weekly" (August 21), sent in by Laurie (thanks!). I've seen another dress "competition" on some Chinese newspapers (this is one link). The comment says the same GUCCI on the model looked far less classy than on Michelle.

- According to Chinese media, director Hu Xueyang, a several time award winner at various international film festivals, is planning a new film, Shanghai 1976. The story is about two mothers and their mixed-race children living in Shanghai during the special period of 1976 (the year when many major political events took place in mainland China). Filmmakers wish to invite Maggie Cheung and Reika Hashimoto to play a mother and daughter pair in the film. Reika Hashimoto is flying to Shanghai this month to meet with the director. Maggie has accepted the script but it's not clear whether she will agree to star. Reports also said they are trying to invite Michelle to play the other mother in the story.
Aug. 14th
- Update on the film Nanking, about which we reported on June 30: The American investor will inject no less than US$20 million into the planned film, the Chinese side will invest 50 million yuan (US$6.25 million), and the British side, US$2 million. On the Chinese side, aside from Luo Guanqun as the art director, Chinese director Lu Chuan (The Missing Gun) has been named as one of the executive producers (on art). So far no director or cast have been officially announced. The investors hope to invite Michelle and Zhang Ziyi to star.

New reports (Aug. 14):
    Reuters: China unveils plans for Japanese war atrocity film
    CBC: Rape of Nanking to be war film 'classic'

At the same time, when "Xinhua", the Chinese government news agency, officially released the film news to the foreign press, the phrase "Nanjing Massacre" ("Nanjing Da Tu Sha") has been blocked on mainland Chinese search engines. Trying to search for the expression will result in errors and the connection to the search engine will be interrupted for a short time.

- In Gallery -> Magazines: article and photo scans from last November's "Player" magazine. Interview was conducted in London during Sunshine filming last year. (thanks Mike for the scans!)
Aug. 8th
- The Sydney Talent Company describes the young actor they are seeking for Children of Huang Shi (a.k.a. The Bitter Sea) as: "13-15 yr old Chinese boy. Speaks fluent English. Charismatic, gutsy, confident." Send photo and bio to: sydneytalentco@tpg.com.au . The advertisement was put up a month ago and it is still open.

With a script written by Jane Hawksley, the film will be produced by Arthur Cohn, Jonathan Shteinman, Peter Loehr and Wieland Schulz-Keil. When the production was aimed to begin last year, it was officially announced that Brendan Fraser would star as George Hogg. However, after the production date was re-set to this fall, no cast has been officially announced. (for ealier reports see News of July 26)
Aug. 6th 2006

Our Birthday Greetings to Michelle

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MICHELLE
Aug. 5th
- A new Sunshine photo of Michelle - a treat for everyone! :-)

- The time is here. This year we received 210 messages at our Birthday Special 2006 (Music warning) - 209 Birthday Greetings to Michelle were sent in by fans from at least 29 countries/regions: Australia, Canada, Chile, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Madagascar, Malaysia, Netherlands, Nigeria, Norway, P.R.China, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, U.K., U.S.A., and Venezuela. And one is from our very Michelle to us. ;-)

Michelle, hope our messages bring you more happy times. Happy Birthday!
(P.S. all messages have been sent to Michelle, as promised.)

- Here are links to some Chinese sites celebrating Michelle's birthday:
    Star Portrait
    from fans of Baibu Club
(thanks "A Bird" for lending one of her creations for this site)

- Dean of the MYOFC will be holding the annual birthday chat at the chatroom, starting Saturday 6:00PM Pacific time.
Aug. 2nd
- OK, these are not photos of the real Michelle but her "double". In "Gallery" -> Event Photos, there are new photos taken by Kinky at the Madame Tussauds Wax Museum in Shanghai. Also some stories about her visit written by Kinky. (thanks Kinky!)

- The Birthday Special signing will be extended for one more day - you may still send your messages on the 3rd. The form will be closed sometime during the day of 4th. I'm sorry about the downtimes as well as the misbehaving of the website caused by all the host server problems lately. Believe or not, during the past two weeks, the host service which this website uses has suffered from a long string of bad luck - power outages, disk failures, memory failures, a dead network card, broken routers, a broken edge switch, ... let's hope they have sorted out all the problems.
Jul. 29th
- The host server has been having major problems and you may have experienced some downtime. And again, the "Birthday Special" form had problem and "dropped" some messages. If you signed on the "Birthday Special" but didn't see a "thank you" page when you did, please re-send it or contact me. I apologize for the trouble.
Jul. 27th
- Two video clips have been added in "Download" -> Video Clips -> "Michelle In Commercial". One is the Anti-Piracy Advertisement Michelle filmed in Taiwan in 2002 (she breaks a priated disk - literally). And the other one is the WildAid Advertisement for saving wildlife in Asia. It was filmed in the Singapore zoo. If the cute "teddy bear" panda was actually hard to play with, you may be amazed how gentle the giant elephant is! (thanks Frida, BAM, and Bobby)

- The Birthday Special board is back and fully functional again. All new posts from 25th and 26th have been updated. Unfortunately we lost all the messages from 23rd and 24th. The Guestbook had not been working properly either and all messages from the past few days are lost. I apologize for the trouble and thank you everyone for your patience and understanding!
Jul. 26th
- Update on another WWII project, The Bitter Sea (aka Children of Huang Shi (Guangxi)): last year we reported this historical drama, to be directed by Roger Spottiswoode (director of Tomorrow Never Dies) and stars Brendan Fraser as British journalist George Hogg (see News of Aug. 1, 2005 and Sept. 29, 2005). Earlier this month an Australian Chinese language newspaper published an advertisement on behalf of Anousha Zarkesh Casting looking for a young actor. The paper said they are inviting Michelle and Chow Yun-Fat to star.

The actor they are looking for will be a 15 year old boy, Chinese, fluent in English and able to understand some Mandarin. No acting experience required. If interested, email picture and resume to heidi@chinatown.com.au .

The film will be a co-production of Australia, China, and the UK. It is scheduled to be filmed in China from October to February 2007. Based on what is from the paper it seems the film will be in English.

While I'm eager to see these upcoming epics on the subject, I'm also worried. I hope the film will not be used for pleasing the Chinese communist authority. Remember that the Chinese official government at that time was led by the Nationalist party (the KMT), and it was the KMT who led the country, with international assistance, in defeating the Japanese invaders. The Chinese communist party (the CCP) has been trying hard to change this part of history and make people believe it was they who saved China from the invaders and not the KMT (who retreated to Taiwan in 1949 when the CCP seized the power), in order to "prove" their legitimacy over the country.

Director Ang Lee is preparing his next film, Lust, Caution, also a Chinese story set during Japanese occupation, based on Eileen Chang's short novel with the same title. I heard that Lee was asked by the Mainland Chinese authority to change the background of some of the characters due to "political" issues. (Lust, Caution will be filmed this fall in Shanghai and Hong Kong, as well as in Penang and Ipoh, Malaysia - yep, Michelle's hometown Ipoh.)

Fact Sheets:
1. During the Japanese invasion, the central focus of the CCP was to sustain its own power rather than ensuring the survival of the nation. After the Japanese occupied the city of Shenyang on September 18, 1931, thereby extending their control over large areas in northeastern China, the CCP fought shoulder to shoulder with Japanese invaders to defeat the KMT. Even at the most critical moment of national calamity, it incited people to oppose the KMT government.
2. The KMT army was essentially alone on the frontlines while fighting the Japanese, losing over 200 marshalls in the war. The CCP only had a few battles with Japanese away from the frontlines and the commanding officers on the CCP side bore nearly no losses. The CCP did not make much of a contribution to the war against the Japanese at all. Instead, they spent their energy expanding their own base. However, the textbooks of the CCP constantly claimed that the KMT did not resist the Japanese, and that it was the CCP that led the great victory in the anti-Japanese war.
Jul. 25th
- [NOTICE] The host server for the "Birthday Special" is having problems and no post had been accepted for the past two days. While they are working on the problems I've put a temporary signing form - by using this form new posts are saved but will not show on the Birthday board until the system is restored.

Unfortunately, all posts signed between Saturday July 22, 6:00pm and Tuesday July 25, 10:00am (Pacific Time) are lost due to the server error. If you sent your message during that period, please re-send it. I apologize for the trouble.
Jul. 24th
- Sorry I'm publishing it too late - VIVA Foundation for Children with Cancer (Singapore) held an online celebrity auction from July 7 to 21 for fund raising. Some "Bulgari" items (picture can be seen in the link) donated by Michelle were on the auction.
Jul. 20th
- Photo scans from another Chinese magazine, the recent July issue of "Ming", have been put in Gallery -> Magazines. Thanks again to "A Bird"!

- Ferrari's F1 team principal Jean Todt honoured with Datukship in Malaysia
Jul. 19th
- Memoirs of a Geisha: three publicity photos of Michelle, Gong Li, and Zhang Ziyi.

- Battle over the rights to the original "Crouching Tiger" book series: BBC Report. (more history on the prequel development can be seen at CTHD Prequel.)
Jul. 16th
- July 16. F1 Grand Prix of France.


(photos from "GrandPrix", "MotorSport" and "Yahoo". click to enlarge)
(1) Michelle in France
(2) L to R: Michelle, Hisao Suganuma (JPN), Bridgestone technical manager, and Jean Todt, Ferrari team manager.
(3) celebrates the victory of the Ferrari team.
Jul. 14th
- New in Gallery -> Magazines: Photos and articles/interviews from three older Chinese magazines. Many thanks to "A Bird", a Michelle fan from Chengdu, China, for providing the scans!

- Photos of July 14: (1) - (4) Michelle inside the pits during free practicing of the F1 Grand Prix of France at the Nevers Magny-Cours racetrack; (2) Michelle and Ferarri director Mr. Jean Todt at the welcome party.


(click on photos to enlarge. from "Getty Images", "OSports", "Sina" and "Crash")

Jul. 13th
- In case anyone doesn't know, the languages Michelle used for her ten "thank you" are: English (thank you), French (merci), Japanese (arigato gozaimazu), Malay and Indonesian (terima kasih), Spanish (gracias), Korean (kamzahamida), Filipino (salamat), Mandarin Chinese (xie xie), German (danke), and Hawaiian (mahalo).   :-)
Jul. 12th
- Everyone will be very happy to see this -- our dearest Michelle visited the Birthday Greetings board and left us a message!
Name: michelle
Location: world
--------------------

My dearest friends,

thank you...merci...arigato gozaimazu...terima kasih...gracias....kamzahamida....salamat...xie xie...danke...mahalo

everyday is a special day for me because i have your friendship, love and support.

i love you all too...thank you taking the time to send sweet kind wishes.

and my dearest Jane, my smart, kind Jane, a special kiss to you.

love,
michelle...

big hugs to 'old friends' and hello to new ones!

( posted on July 12th 2006, 08:47AM Pacific Time, from Italy )
THANK YOU Michelle for taking the time to write to us!   ( A special kiss for me! Blush...   you are so sweet Michelle. :-)   )

You can view Michelle's original post at the Birthday Greetings board. Don't worry if you haven't signed on yourself yet. All greetings signed by August 2 will be forwarded to Michelle for her birthday (August 6). She will get them.

P.S. Due to the increasing internet blocking by the Chinese government, people in Mainland China may not be able to visit the Birthday signing form directly (I'm told by fans from China that they have no trouble entering this website, but the greeting board which hosted on a different server is apparently blocked). Several friends in Mainland China managed to write their messages by using certain anti-blocking software. If you need help please contact Jane.
Jul. 11th
- New video clips in the Video section of Silver Hawk: "Making of Silver Hawk" and a shorter one which shows filming of Michelle and the panda. The seven month old panda cub may looked like a cute teddy bear but she was definitely not easy to "play" with! (thanks Bobby for providing the clips!)
P.S. Ya Xing, the panda featured in the film, is turning 4 next month. She and her twin sister have been the stars at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding.
Jul. 7th
- In Memoirs of a Geisha: transcript & audio clip of the BBC interview with Michelle in January; also more information on the Japanese "Sayuri" DVD.

- Kityi's YeohFanz.com (English version) is re-opened.
Jul. 3rd
- Photos from the Formula One U.S. Grand Prix at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Sunday July 2nd.



Celebrating a great day for Ferrari
(click on photos to enlarge. photos from "F1 Racing","MotorSport", and "Getty Images")

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