Red Cliff
By ChinaFilm.com Published: 2008-03-20
Although still unfinished, the new war epic Red Cliff directed by veteran John Woo has attracted tons of attention from the top three European film festivals in Cannes, Berlin and Venice, whose organizers all hope that the world premiere of the film would be screened in its venue.
Red Cliff is still in post production and will be released in two parts in Asian territories for the sake of its huge scale and rich story lines. The first part of the film is slated to open in Asia in July, 2008. However, because audiences in the other territories are rarely familiar with the story of Three Kingdoms, the film is going to be released in just one complete part outside Asia in 2009. Under such circumstances, the Venice festival in September, 2008, as well as Berlin fest in February and Cannes festival in May, 2009, are all wooing John Woo for the premiere of the film s international version.
According to the film s producer Terence Chang, the festival directors of Berlin, Venice and Cannes have all invited the film for its premiere and promised that the film will be treated with top priority. Terence Chang will have to talk to John Woo before making any decisions. But he is very happy about the situation because this clearly shows that John Woo has regained his power and popularity in world cinema.
Even before its completion, a grand press conference and banquet for the film will be held at this year s Cannes Film Festival to attract attention of international buyers. Leading actors Tony Leung Chiu Wai (Zhou Yu), Lin Chiling (Xiao Qiao), Takeshi Kaneshiro (Zhuge Liang), Chen Chang (Sun Quan) and Zhang Fengyi (Cao Cao) will all join John Woo and Terence Chang in the trip to Marche du Film.
Red Cliff is still in post production and will be released in two parts in Asian territories for the sake of its huge scale and rich story lines. The first part of the film is slated to open in Asia in July, 2008. However, because audiences in the other territories are rarely familiar with the story of Three Kingdoms, the film is going to be released in just one complete part outside Asia in 2009. Under such circumstances, the Venice festival in September, 2008, as well as Berlin fest in February and Cannes festival in May, 2009, are all wooing John Woo for the premiere of the film s international version.
According to the film s producer Terence Chang, the festival directors of Berlin, Venice and Cannes have all invited the film for its premiere and promised that the film will be treated with top priority. Terence Chang will have to talk to John Woo before making any decisions. But he is very happy about the situation because this clearly shows that John Woo has regained his power and popularity in world cinema.
Even before its completion, a grand press conference and banquet for the film will be held at this year s Cannes Film Festival to attract attention of international buyers. Leading actors Tony Leung Chiu Wai (Zhou Yu), Lin Chiling (Xiao Qiao), Takeshi Kaneshiro (Zhuge Liang), Chen Chang (Sun Quan) and Zhang Fengyi (Cao Cao) will all join John Woo and Terence Chang in the trip to Marche du Film.
