HONG KONG - The producers of Oscar-winning boxing drama "Million Dollar Baby" said Friday would produce the first Chinese musical in 40 years in collaboration with Hong Kong director Peter Chan.
"Perhaps Love", a passionate Hong Kong love story, will be directed by Chan and produced by Andre Morgan, maker of Kung Fu legend Bruce Lee`s "Enter the Dragon".
Although he has produced 15 to 20 Chinese films and has brought martial arts movies to the West, Morgan said it was time to try a brave new line instead of signature high-kicking Kung Fu flicks that have dominated Chinese cinema.
"Kung Fu films are becoming commercial and have become a necessity but that also gives other people the opportunity to try new things," he said.
Bringing Bruce Lee and Kung Fu to the West was difficult enough, and Morgan was not concerned about the difficulties involved in attracting new breeds of movie-goers to see Chinese films.
"It`s all about being brave enough to try something new," he told reporters.
Currently shooting in Beijing and Shanghai, the 10 million US dollar film will bring together Asian star Takeshi Kaneshiro and mainland Chinese actress Zhou Xun. Farah Khan, "Bombay Dreams", is in charge of choreography.
The Sino-American joint venture, two years in the making, is aimed at bringing the vast Chinese and Western markets onto an ambitious course for the future in film development, Morgan said.
The film is scheduled for completion in May and release in August in Hong Kong, China and other major Asian cities.
Chan`s other production credits include Hong Kong horror "The Eye" which is being remade by Tom Cruise`s Cruise Wagner Productions and Paramount Pictures. Its sequal "The Eye 2" is being produced by New Line Cinema.
Chan is also collaborating with Morgan and his partner and co-producer of "Million Dollar Baby" and "Godfather" Albert Ruddy.
The pair have bought the film rights to "Waiting", winner of America`s 1999 National Book Award by acclaimed novelist Ha Jin. It tells the story of a Chinese prisoner during the Korean War.
Shooting of that film will begin at the end of this year.
03/04/2005 10:12 GMT