Date: 21st November 2000

Press Release: Ang Lee's Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon Opens on 5 January, 2001 (UK)


Ang Lee's Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon starring Michelle Yeoh and Chow-Yun Fat will open on January 5, 2001 through Columbia Tristar Films (UK).

According to Hong Kong martial arts star and Bond heroine Michelle Yeoh, the celebrated Taiwanese director secured her services by describing the film as "Sense and Sensibility with Martial Arts." Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is both a martial arts spectacular with fight scenes choreographed by Yuen Wo Ping (The Matrix) and a sumptuous 19th Century epic featuring two generations of star-crossed lovers.

Legendary Qing dynasty warriors, Li Mu Bai (Chow) and the beautiful Yu Shu Lien (Yeoh), have sacrificed their personal happiness to the valiant pursuit of justice. Although they have never declared their love for one another, Yu is the one person Li trusts to deliver his ancient sword, the "Green Destiny", to Beijing. When the priceless sword is stolen, suspicions fall on Jen, a passionate, young noblewoman (Zhang Ziyi) with a secret love and a lethal governess…

Ang Lee's The Wedding Banquet (1993) was Taiwan's first Academy Award Nominee for Best Foreign Language Film. Eat Drink Man Woman, his third feature, was nominated in the same category. Lee's first English-language feature Sense and Sensibility received seven Oscar nominations including Best Picture and won for Emma Thompson's screenplay. Most recently, Lee directed the critically acclaimed seventies-set, The Ice Storm and the American Civil War drama, Ride With The Devil. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is his first Chinese-language film since Eat Drink Man Woman.

Asian superstar Chow Yun-Fat (Li) has appeared in John Woo's A Better Tomorrow, Once a Thief, The Killer and Hard Boiled. He made his English language debut in 1997 in The Replacement Killers and starred opposite Jodie Foster in Anna and the King. Michelle Yeoh (Yu) is Asia's most popular female action star. She has appeared in opposite Jackie Chan in Police Story III, and co-starred with Pierce Brosnan in Tomorrow Never Dies. Zhang Ziyi (Jen) made her debut in Zhang Yimou's 1999 Berlin Jury Prize winner, The Road Home. Chang Chen (Lo, Jen's rebel lover) made his debut at 14 in Edward Yang's A Brighter Summer Day and later appeared in the director's Mahjong. He starred with Tony Leung in Wong Kar Wei's Happy Together.

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon was written by Wang Hui Ling (Eat Drink Man Woman), frequent Lee collaborator James Schamus (The Ice Storm, Ride with the Devil) and Tsai Kuo Jung. The original score was written by renowned composer Tan Dun and features the multiple Grammy-winning cellist, Yo-Yo Ma.

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon was produced by Bill Kong, Hsu Li Kong and Ang Lee with executive producers James Schamus and David Linde.

Source: Press Release


 

 

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