Zhang Ziyi Wants Shu Qi for Secret Fan Adaptation

....aaaand she's saying no.

It's a no with a long list of "official" reasons in all likelihood (schedule conflicts and whatnot), but the Chinese press is going straight for the jugular, suggesting that the very revealing, all-nude scenes she would have had to shoot with Zhang Ziyi - including one where the characters write on each other's bodies - were the culprit. Shu notoriously started her career very young with a few Cat. III flicks and a nude photoshoot (Google is your friend, unless you're at work), after which she always tried to distance herself from anything even remotely associated with nudity, so it's understandable. Zhang is still trying to convince Shu and her management, but speculation as to whom will be her next choice should negotiations fail is already heating up, with netizens suggesting names like Fan Bingbing (not a snowball's chance in hell), Ruby Lin, Yao Chen, and even bigger (and much more unlikely) stars with international appeal like Zhou Xun, Gong Li, Maggie Cheung and Li Bingbing, not to mention the usual Tang Wei nomination - who will be busy shooting Kim Tae-Yong's 만추 (Late Autumn) anyway.

Although the "all nude" (Zhang included) buzz will probably dominate any news regarding it, the film does sound intriguing. Adapted from an acclaimed novel by Chinese American novelist Lisa See, 雪花与秘扇 (Snow Flower and the Secret Fan) tells the story of Lily and her fellow laotong (think sworn sisters, but with a much more intimate relationship) Snow Flower, during one of the most tumultuous periods in 19th century China. They experienced foot binding, and spent their life in seclusion, isolated from the outside world. The scene I mentioned before involves 女书 (nushu, female writings), a bonafide writing system women in Hunan province secretly created, mixing phonetic renderings of Chengguan dialect with almost decorative nuances, lingo which they often "painted" on things. A naked body sounds like a decent canvas, doesn't it?

Film will be directed by Wayne Wang of Chinese Box and The Joy Luck Club, while Zhang will star but also produce.

[Mtime]