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Fri/Sat/Sun August 17~19, 2018

Disney shares fi rst look at ‘Mulan’

CHINESE actor Huang Xiaoming, who is known for his lavish lifestyle, has denied being involved in stock price manipulation and investing in a substandard vaccine maker on his social media account Wednesday.

Huang’s statement on weibo.com came after domestic media reported that the actor was questioned for three hours by China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC) investi-gators since his stock trading account was related to Gao Yong, a private wealth manager who has been found guilty of manipulating stock prices.

In the statement, Huang said his stock trading account was managed by his mother who in turn delegated the account to an agent surnamed Lu to manage. Huang added that Lu assigned Huang’s account to Gao who was found cashing in 897 million yuan (US$130 million) by manipulating stock prices with 16 stock trading accounts between 2014 and 2016. Gao has been confi scated 897 million yuan and was also fi ned another 897 million yuan by CSRC.

In CSRC’s announcement, one

of the 16 accounts was owned by a person surnamed Huang and Chinese media has identifi ed him as Huang Xiaoming.

Huang also claimed that he had never taken part in the pur-chase of Changsheng Bio-tech-nology’s stocks, denying reports that he was a key investor in the vaccine maker which has been found to have falsifi ed data and sold ineffective vaccines, a case that has ignited public anger.

However, stock fi ling records show Huang was a major share-holder of Huanghai Machinery in the third quarter of 2014, taking up a 0.9 percent stake, before the listed vehicle was taken over by Changsheng in 2015. Huang said he had divested the shares before the takeover and had “no relations at all” with Changsheng.

Huang, 41, who has had no prominent performances in movies and TV series in recent years, has invested in 48 com-panies, according to Tianyancha, a business data search fi rm. He ranked No. 16 in the 2017 Forbes Chinese Celebrity list with a personal annual income of 170 million yuan. (SD-Agencies)

Actor denies links to stock price manipulation

DISNEY’S “Mulan” has begun production, and has unveiled the fi rst look at star Liu Yifei in the titular role.

The actress is playing the heroine, who disguises herself as a man in order to spare her elderly father from having to join the military. Casting direc-tors saw nearly 1,000 candi-dates for the role before fi nding the fi lm’s lead.

Also among the cast for “Mulan” are Donnie Yen, Jason Scott Lee, Yoson An, Utkarsh Ambudkar, Ron Yuan, Tzi Ma, Rosalind Chao, Cheng Pei-pei, Nelson Lee, Chum Ehelepola, Gong Li and Jet Li. Shooting will

be in New Zealand and China.“The Zookeeper’s Wife” fi lm-

maker Niki Caro is directing “Mulan” for a 2020 release date. The fi lm has a screenplay from Rick Jaffa & Amanda Silver and Elizabeth Martin & Lauren Hynek. “Mulan” is based on Disney’s 1998 ani-mated “Mulan,” which earned US$304.3 million globally and earned Oscar and Golden Globe nominations.

Producers on Disney’s remake include Jason T. Reed, Chris Bender and Jake Weiner. Executive producers are Barrie M. Osborne, Bill Kong and Tim Coddington. (SD-Agencies)

Well Go to release ‘Big Brother’ in North America

JAPANESE composer Ryuichi Sakamoto is set to release the 20th anniversary edition of “BTTB,” a piano album he originally released in 1998.

The letters of the title stand for “Back to the Basic,” which was what this album meant for the multi-faceted artist at the time. It was the fi rst time he’d released a studio album con-sisting of only original piano compositions.

The 20th anniversary edition to be released Sept. 26 includes tracks from the fi rst-edition “BTTB” from 1998, “Snake Eyes” and “Tong Poo” from the regular version released the following year, “Revers-ing” included in the interna-tional edition, and the hit track “Energy Flow” from the single “Ura BTTB” released in 1999.

(SD-Agencies)

Sakamoto to release new ‘BTTB’ album

WELL Go has scooped up North American distribution rights to “Big Brother,” the latest action fl ick starring Hong Kong martial arts legend Donnie Yen.

The indie action and genre distributor will release the fi lm in the United States on Aug. 31, one week after its wide release in China. The company plans a digital release later in the year.

Yen stars as a seasoned former soldier recruited for his toughest mission yet: teaching a class of teen delinquents. As he kicks his way into both their school and home lives, it becomes clear that his uncon-ventional teaching style might be just what they need. At the

same time, he has to deal with a greedy entrepreneur and his gang of fi ghters as well as the government

“Well Go is honored to con-tinue our long relationship with Donnie Yen,” said Doris Pfardrescher, Well Go’s presi-dent and CEO. “Donnie’s star has continued to rise as inter-national audiences become increasingly aware of his mar-tial arts and acting prowess, and ‘Big Brother’ is an exciting, funny and touching fi lm that will only add fuel to that fi re.”

“Big Brother” is written by Tai-lee Chan and produced by Yen, Wong Jing and Connie Wong. (SD-Agencies)

A poster for “Big Brother.”A poster for “Big Brother.”

Ryuichi SakamotoRyuichi Sakamoto

Huang XiaomingHuang Xiaoming

Laura Dern in talks to join ‘Little Women’GRETA GERWIG has lined up more A-list talent for her “Little Women.”

Laura Dern is in talks to join Meryl Streep in Sony’s adapta-tion of the Louisa May Alcott classic. The movie will reunite Gerwig with her “Lady Bird” actors Saoirse Ronan and Timo-thee Chalamet, who are also in talks to star in the Columbia Pictures project, along with Emma Stone, Florence Pugh and James Norton.

“Little Women” follows sisters Amy, Jo, Beth and Meg and their mother in Civil War-era Massachusetts as they navigate growing up, fi rst loves and Christmas without their father.

Gerwig penned the screen adaptation of the novel, which Columbia previously made into

a 1994 feature with Winona Ryder, Christian Bale, Susan Sarandon and Kirsten Dunst.

Amy Pascal will produce alongside Denise Di Novi and Robin Swicord. Andrea Giannetti will oversee the pro-duction for Columbia.

Dern recently picked up an Emmy nomination for her role in HBO’s “The Tale” and will star opposite Kristen Stewart in the upcoming “JT Leroy,” which will close this year’s Toronto International Film Festival. She recently wrapped production on Noah Baumbach’s next feature and is set for the second season of HBO’s “Big Little Lies,” which will co-star Streep.

(SD-Agencies)Laura DernLaura Dern

Liu YifeiLiu Yifei