The Last Empress / 末代太后 (2014)

Seven Stars Film Studios (Seven Stars Entertainment Group), Bruno Wu
Allied Productions East
Qixing Entertainment (Beijing) Co.,Ltd

Chine Etats-Unis
Anglais, putonghua
Biographie

Production : fin 2013

Scénariste : Sheng Heyu 盛和煜
Producteur : devait être Jake Eberts (Gandhi, Driving Miss Daisy, Danse avec les loups,...)
Consultant : Jeremy Thomas

Acteurs :
Gong Li 巩俐 (impératrice Dowager Cixi)
Casting recherché lorsque le scénariste aura fini son écriture.


Thème : story of the Empress Dowager Cixi, and the extraordinary period of her life when she consolidated control over the Qing Dynasty and ruled with ruthlessness unheard of from a woman at the time. This was a turbulent period in modern Chinese history, beginning with the overthrow of the Manchu Imperial warlords, through the invasion by the Western powers, and finally to the civil and political reforms which promised a new modern China at the expense of an ancient feudal system. The desperate fate of the characters, set within an ever-changing political landscape, creates a haunting and tense epic storyline. @deadline.com 10 juillet 2012

@china-screen-news

Bruno Wu (à Cannes) There are projects I develop, like [the Erin Cressida Wilson-penned] Mission Boys or [the Gong Li-starring] The Last Empress. On the latter, unfortunately, we lost our producer Jake Eberts, who passed away last year, but we put our project back on track and will dedicate the movie to him. @hollywoodreporter.com - 16 mai 2013

Chinese actress GONG Li 鞏俐 is to make a rare on-screen appearance next year in The Last Empress, an upscale drama backed by Bruno WU 吳徵's Seven Stars Film Studios 七星電影有限公司.
Gong who last appeared in the Chinese remake of What Women Want 我知女人心 (2011), will take the lead role as Empress Dowager Cixi.
The English-language China-US co-production focuses on Cixi and the late 19th century attempts of those around her – notably Emperor Guang Xu and an imperial advisor — to modernise China.
The film is expected to start production in the fourth quarter of 2013. It was developed by the late Jake EBERTS at Allied Productions East, which has a deal with Seven Stars.
The script is being written by SHENG Heyu 盛和煜, the screenwriter of 2003 CCTV series based on the same subject and films The Banquet 夜宴 (2006) and Red Cliff 赤壁 (2008). A director has yet to be attached. @filmbiz.asia - Patrick Frater 19 septembre 2012

“Gong Li was our first choice to play the complex Empress,” Wu said. “She’s an exceptional Chinese actress and has been applauded throughout her career for capturing the subtle nuances of multifaceted characters and delivering powerful award-winning performances. With Gong Li’s international appeal, we are confident the movie will excite and resonate with audiences across the world” @http://variety.com - Dave McNary 18 septembre 2012