Veteran Hong Kong character actor Chen Hung Lieh (a.k.a. Chan Hung Lit) died yesterday at the age of 66. Chen was dressing up before shooting an episode of TVB drama Off Pedder when he collapsed at the TVB filming lot. The cause of death is as yet unconfirmed, although it is suspected to be cardiac arrest.

Making his name as Yueh Hwa and Cheng Pei Pei's arch-nemesis "Jade-Faced Tiger" in the 1966 martial arts classic Come Drink with Me, Chen starred in numerous Shaw Brothers films in the 1960s and '70s. Best known for his villain roles, Chen also established his own film company and even stepped behind the camera as film director. In the '80s, he decided to quit the show business for his own jeans business, but ultimately made his comeback in 1995 for TVB. His television works include The Gem of Life, The Dance of Passion, Heart of Greed, and War And Beauty, the latter of which won him the "My Favorite Powerhouse Actor" accolade in the 2004 TVB Awards. In recent years, Chen has seemingly carved a new niche for himself playing company chairman type of roles, particularly in the popular sitcoms Best Selling Secrets and Off Pedder.

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Taegukgi: The Brotherhood of War director Kang Je Gyu is set to make his Hollywood debut with a big war movie about the Invasion of Normandy. Tentatively titled D-Day, the WWII epic reunites Kang with Taegukgi star Jang Dong Gun who recently made his silver-screen comeback in the blockbuster Good Morning President. In the film, Jang will play a Korean soldier who is conscripted into the Japanese army and sent to Nazi Germany. Take Off director Kim Yong Hwa is onboard as the producer. Japanese superstar Kimura Takuya's name has also been linked to the project, but casting is yet to be confirmed.

While Kang's directing abroad, A Moment to Remember director John H. Lee, fresh off the Japanese film Sayonara Itsuka, is cooking a six billion won war epic at home starring three of Korea's top actors Kwon Sang Woo, Cha Seung Won, and Ju Jin Mo plus Big Bang's T.O.P. Into the Crossfire (translated title) revolves around 71 South Korean student soldiers who fought valiantly against hundreds of invading North Korean soldiers in August 1950. The Korean War feature was reported earlier in the year under the title 71 with the cast of Big Bang's Seung Ri, Yoo Seung Ho, and Kim Bum, but the project hit a roadblock and never went into production. Rehauled with a new cast, the film starts shooting in late November for a summer 2010 release.

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On November 23 NHK announced the artist lineup for the 2009 Kohaku Uta Gassen, the station's prestigious year-end countdown music show. Fifty acts have been invited to perform, and compete with the Red (female) and White (male) teams. Eight acts will be making their Kohaku debuts, including flumpool, FUNKY MONKEY BABYS, Kimura Kaela, Mizuki Nana, Remioromen, and Kamiji Yusuke, who participated with Shuuchushin last year. This year, the long-standing rule of two Johnny Entertainment's acts per Kohaku has been broken to include Arashi and, surprisingly, the limited-time group NYC boys. The two groups will join Johnny's seniors and Kohaku fixtures SMAP and TOKIO.

Notable artists on the Red team include Hamasaki Ayumi, Koda Kumi, Nakashima Mika, Perfume, Angela Aki, aiko, Otsuka Ai, GIRL NEXT DOOR, Ikimonogakari, AKB48, and Ayaka, who will perform her final stage at the Kohaku before going on hiatus. On the White team, Fukuyama Masaharu will make his second appearance at Kohaku after 16 years, along with artists like EXILE, Kobukuro, Yuzu, Tokunaga Hideaki, Jero, Porno Graffiti, and Akira Fuse. Dong Bang Shin Ki will also make their second consecutive Kohaku appearance, but fellow Korean boy band Big Bang, who were among the artists tapped by the media for a possible Kohaku invite, did not make the final cut this time.

Celebrating its 60th anniversary this year, Kohaku Uta Gassen will be hosted by the tagteam of Nakai Masahiro and Nakama Yukie for the third time. It will be Nakai's sixth consecutive year hosting the show which will be held per usual on December 31 at NHK Hall.

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A Korean remake of John Woo's A Better Tomorrow has been greenlighted with Failan director Song Hae Sung at the helm, and Song Seung Heon and Lee Min Ki in the lead roles made famous by Hong Kong superstars Chow Yun Fat and Leslie Cheung, respectively. Tentatively titled Invincible, the Korean version depicts the bloody gang war that ensues when a renegade secret agent from North Korea gets embroiled in the South Korea underworld. The project carries a hefty budget of 10 billion won, and looks to begin lensing in Thailand early next year for a simultaneous release across Asia later in the year.

John Woo's groundbreaking triad hero movie broke box-office records when it premiered in 1986, and the success paved the way for Chow and him to advance their careers in Hollywood. In 2005, A Better Tomorrow was voted number two on the list of Top 100 Chinese Films of All-time, the highest placed among Hong Kong productions. When it was finally released in Korea in 1997, the film was so wildly popular it enjoyed a leggy theatrical run for one and a half years! Proving that Chow Yun Fat gunplay films remain hot in Korea, in 2006 a Korean company bought the remake rights to A Better Tomorrow which was re-released theatrically in Korea in 2008. Meanwhile, rumors have circulated for years that Hong Kong actor/director Stephen Fung plans to update the 1967 film Upright Repenter by Lung Kong, which was the inspiration behind Woo's masterpiece, but the project has yet to pan out.

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The controversy-ridden inaugural Mnet Asian Music Awards (MAMA) were held in Seoul on November 21, 2009. Mnet's new year-end award show to replace the Mnet KM Music Festival, MAMA crowned pop group 2PM Artist of the Year and Best Male Group. The members thanked absent leader Park Jae Beom in both acceptance speeches, and highlighted his empty spot with a spotlight during their performance. G-Dragon's controversial solo debut Heartbreaker was named Album of the Year, while super rookie 2NE1 won Song of the Year with I Don't Care, as well as Best New Female Artist, Best Music Video, and the Music Portal Mnet Award.

Brown Eyed Girls took Best Female Group and the House & Electronic Music award, and Best Male Singer and Best Female Singer went to Drunken Tiger and Baek Ji Young, respectively. Other winners included LeeSsang (Best Hip-Hop Group), Supreme Team (Best New Male Artist), 8eight (Best Mixed Group), Kim Tae Woo (Ballad/R&B), Kara (Dance Music), Boohwal (Rock Music), and Hong Jin Young (Trot Music). Special stages were performed by 2PM and Park Jin Young (who won Best Asian Composer), Big Bang's G-Dragon and Tae Yang, Mnet Superstar K winner Seo In Gook, 2NE1, Ivy and 2PM's Nich Khun, and female rappers Miryo, t, Baby J, Hyun A, and Ji Yoon.

MAMA's fanfare was overshadowed by the controversy surrounding idol juggernaut SM Entertainment and trot agency Inwoo Production's decision to boycott the event, and the attendance of the three Dong Bang Shin Ki members currently in legal dispute with SM Entertainment. Making their first public appearance together in Korea since the court ruling, Jae Joong, Yoo Chun, and Jun Su accepted MAMA's Best Asia Star Award. In the continuing saga of the rift between the two parties, an SM Entertainment representative responded after the event that the three members did not have the right to receive the award on behalf of Dong Bang Shin Ki.

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There's no stopping Donnie Yen, who has cemented his superstar status with his acclaimed portrayal of the eponymous Wing Chun master in the blockbuster Ip Man. With the anticipated Bodyguards and Assassins, 14 Blades, and the Ip Man sequel in the pipeline, Donnie is undeniably the hottest property in kung fu cinema right now. And he looks set to continue his streak of hits with yet another period actioner, this one concerning the legendary hero Chen Zhen.

Numerous actors have played the famous martial artist in movies and television shows before, including Bruce Lee in his 1972 masterpiece Fist of Fury, Jet Li in the 1994 Gordon Chan film Fist of Legend, and Donnie himself in an ATV drama series 14 years ago. Now Donnie and Gordon Chan join fists to revisit the Chen Zhen legend with the ambitious goal of surpassing themselves and creating a new classic. The Storm Riders helmer Andrew Lau directs and co-produces with Gordon Chan, while Donnie performs action choreography duties in addition to his starring role. This time, he will play Chen Zhen as a calmer, maturer, but no less deadly kung fu superhero in his 30s, who is tormented by his love affair with Shu Qi's Japanese spy. Other notable cast members include Anthony Wong, Huang Bo, and Huo Siyan. Filming began on November 15th in China, with a 2010 National Day frame (September/October) release scheduled.

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Just a week after the Daejong Awards were presented, the Blue Dragon Awards unveiled its nominations for 2009. Park Chan Wook's Thirst and Kim Yong Hwa's Take Off, both of which received only one award at the Daejong Awards, lead the race this time with ten nominations each. The two pictures are up for Best Film and Best Director along with Bong Joon Ho's Mother, Yoon Je Gyun's Haeundae, and Jang Jin's Good Morning President.

Newly crowned Daejong Best Actor Kim Myung Min (Closer to Heaven) is the man to beat for Best Actor, but he faces formidable competition from last year's winner Kim Yoon Seok (Running Turtle), Ha Jung Woo (Take Off), Song Kang Ho (Thirst), and Jang Dong Gun (Good Morning President). Best Actress is an equally tough race with five very different actresses in the running: Kim Ok Bin (Thirst), Kim Ha Neul (Secret Couple), Kim Hye Ja (Mother), Choi Kang Hee (Aeja), and Ha Ji Won (Closer to Heaven).

Daejong's Best Supporting Actor and Actress winners Jin Gu (Mother) and Kim Young Ae (Aeja) are up for awards again. The remaining Best Supporting Actor nominees are Haeundae's Lee Min Ki and Kim In Kwon, Shin Ha Kyun (Thirst), and Song Dong Il (Take Off). Veteran actress Kim Young Ae faces almost the same competition as at Daejong: Kim Hae Suk (Thirst), Kim Bo Yeon (Possessed), Choo Ja Hyun (Portrait of a Beauty), and Jang Young Nam (Secret Couple)

Making a strong showing with four nominations, mother-daughter drama Aeja also garnered director Jung Gi Hoon a Best New Director nomination alongside Kang Hyung Chul (Scandal Makers), Park Geon Yong (Bronze Medalist), Lee Yong Ju (Possessed), and Yang Ik Joon who received an additional Best New Actor nod for his Breathless.

The 30th Blue Dragon Awards will be held in Seoul on December 2, 2009.

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Popular juvenile fantasy novel Toki wo Kakeru Shojo (a.k.a. The Girl Who Leapt Through Time) is making its fourth leap to cinemas in Japan in March 2010.

Published in 1967 by novelist Tsutsui Yasutaka (his other notable works include Paprika), Toki wo Kakeru Shojo has seen three big-screen adaptations already. The first version was in 1983, with Obayashi Nobuhiko directing teen idol Harada Tomoyo in her film debut as Kazuko, the titular time-traveling teenager. The second movie was born in 1997, with Kadokawa Haruki directing Nakamoto Nana in a black-and-white film. The third time was in 2006, when Hosoda Mamoru turned the novel into an animated movie. It was particularly well received around the world and is regarded by Tsutsui as the true heir to his novel.

Director Taniguchi Masa-aki makes his feature film debut helming the latest live-action outing, which features an original story inspired by the beloved book. Naka Riisa, who voiced the title character in the anime version, returns to the lead role as Akari - the only daughter of Kazuko - who jumps back in time to the 1970s to find her mother's first love.

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Returning for her first film since becoming a mother, Cannes Best Actress Jeon Do Yeon (Secret Sunshine) is taking the eponymous role in a remake of Kim Ki Young's 1960 classic The Housemaid. Acclaimed filmmaker Im Sang Soo, whose last work was The Old Garden in 2006, will direct the domestic noir thriller about a middle-class family destroyed by a femme fatale maid who seduces her employer. Considered one of the best Korean films of all time, The Housemaid was digitally restored by the Korean Film Archive and World Cinema Foundation and reintroduced to festival audiences last year; the film was also released on DVD earlier this year. The Housemaid remake will go into production in December, and be released theatrically in 2010 for the 50th anniversary of the film.

Lee Man Hee's 1966 classic Manchu (a.k.a. Late Autumn) is being remade with television star Hyun Bin (My Lovely Sam-Soon) and Lust, Caution actress Tang Wei in the leading roles. Family Ties director Kim Tae Yong is helming the English-language co-production remake, which starts shooting later this month in Seattle. Previously remade in 1982 by Kim Soo Yong, Manchu follows the romance that develops between a man on the run for counterfeiting money and a female inmate who has been granted a special leave from prison.

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Some people say Hong Kong films have been going downhill in recent years, but the expanding market of Mainland China has opened up doors for Hong Kong filmmakers. If the Lunar New Year frame is any indication of the health of the movie industry, then a crowded and hopefully lucrative opening to the Year of the Tiger certainly bodes well for the coming year. As of now, there are at least 10 films vying for a spot in the Lunar New Year movie lineup, a scene not seen since the heydays of Hong Kong films in the 1980s.

Producer/actor Raymond Wong and stars Louis Koo, Sandra Ng, and Ronald Cheng, whose All's Well Ends Well 2009 grossed over HK$20 million last spring, will try to defend the box-office champion crown. The team is back to update another classic Chinese New Year film for the golden holiday, this time the 1993 costume comedy All's Well End's Well, Too, under the quick hands of versatile director Herman Yau.

Returning to movie production, the Shaw Brothers studio offers House of 72 Tenants based on its beloved 1973 comedy classic of the same name, with an ensemble cast headed by Jacky Cheung, Anita Yuen, and Eric Tsang, who also co-directs with Patrick Kong. Jacky Cheung will also star in another New Year film Hot Summer Days alongside Nicholas Tse, Barbie Hsu, Rene Liu, and Daniel Wu, which is a romantic anthology movie co-directed by Tony Chan and famous photographer Ha Wing Hong. Perhaps the most timely for the New Year holidays is James Yuen's Choi San Dou ("The God of Wealth Comes"), starring Alan Tam, Miriam Yeung, Chang Chen, and Kitty Zhang.

A handful of bigger scale Mainland-Hong Kong co-productions provide more choices to the audience. These costume pictures are mainly martial arts-oriented, including Daniel Lee's 14 Blades, starring Donnie Yen, Vicki Zhao, and Wu Chun, as well as Yuen Woo Ping's True Legend starring Vincent Zhao, Michelle Yeoh, Zhou Xun, and Jay Chou. Jackie Chan returns with his trademark action comedy in Little Big Soldier, while another box-office heavyweight, Chow Yun Fat, counters with his portrayal of Confucius.

If fantasy is your thing, look for Wong Jing's Future Cop boasting a sci-fi storyline with superstar Andy Lau, spectacular action, and special effects. Featuring a similar time-travel premise is Jeff Lau's Yue Guang Bao He, which sends up his own cult classic A Chinese Odyssey while sending characters from Kung Fu Hustle, CJ7, and Crazy Stone back to Red Cliff-era China!

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Korea's 46th Daejong Film Awards were held on November 6 in Seoul. The Jung Jae Young-starring historical action epic The Divine Weapon triumphed over Take Off, Mother, and Haeundae to take Best Film, as well as awards for Editing and Sound Design. Take Off director Kim Yong Hwa, meanwhile, beat out Bong Joon Ho, Jung Gi Hoon, Jeon Yun Soo, and Yoon Ye Kyun for Best Director.

Soo Ae won Best Actress for her role in the wartime drama Sunny, while Kim Myung Min was awarded Best Actor for his portrayal of a Lou Gehrig's Disease patient in Closer to Heaven, a choice echoed by netizens who selected the actor for the Popularity Award. Scandal Makers sweetheart Park Bo Young received the other Popularity Award. Best Supporting Actor went to Mother's Jin Gu, and Best Supporting Actress to veteran actress Kim Young Ae (Aeja).

Lee Ho Jae was named Best New Director for The Scam, and Kim Kkot Bi from indie hit Breathless was awarded Best New Actress. Kang Ji Hwan picked up another Best New Actor to join his Blue Dragon and Korean Film Award trophies, but this time it's for Secret Couple. Rough Cut director Jang Hoon lost in the Best New Director category, but shared the Best Screenplay award with his mentor Kim Ki Duk. In the technical categories, A Frozen Flower was recognized for Best Music and Art Direction; the Cinematography, Lighting, and Costume awards went to Portrait of a Beauty, Park Chan Wook's Thirst, and Kim Ji Woon's The Good, The Bad, The Weird, respectively. Blockbuster disaster film Haeundae, which entered the race with the most nominations, was shut out of all but one category, Best Planning.

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Japanese actress Nakayama Miho (Love Letter) has come out of semi-retirement to appear in the romantic drama Sayonara Itsuka, the film adaptation of her husband's novel she was set to star in seven years ago.

Last time Nakayama graced the big screen was in 1997's Tokyo Biyori, and her last acting job (not counting occasional appearances in commercials) was for Fuji TV drama Home & Away in 2002. That same year, she married novelist/musician Tsuji Jinsei (Calmi Cuori Appassionati), and moved to Paris for a quieter family life. Sayonara Itsuka was originally scheduled to be made that year, but her marriage and the resignation of director Yukisada Isao (Crying out Love, in the Center of the World) put the film in indefinite limbo.

The project finally got back on track in 2008 when Korean media giant CJ Entertainment acquired the film right and Nakayama agreed to return. Helming the film now is Korean director John H. Lee (A Moment to Remember), and the new cast includes Nishijima Hidetoshi (Asunaro Hakusho), Ishida Yuriko (Nobody to Watch Over Me), Kato Masaya (Shinjuku Incident), and Magy (Memories of Matsuko).

The story begins in 1970s Bangkok with a chance encounter between salaryman Yutaka (Nishijima Hidetoshi) and the enigmatic Toko (Nakayama Miho) in a hotel. The two immediately engage in a torrid affair, but Yutaka is going to marry a woman (Ishida Yuriko) who can help his career, so Toko leaves him quietly. Their love is rekindled 25 years later when they meet each other in Bangkok again. Sayonara Itsuka will be theatrically released in Japan on January 23, 2010.

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Twenty-seven years after the kung fu film that introduced Jet Li to the cinema world, the camera rolls again at the legendary Shaolin Temple in Henan, China. Over the years, countless filmmakers have been eager to tell stories surrounding the mecca of Chinese martial arts, but the Temple has been prudent about lending out its trademark. The latest to get the greenlight to film there is an RMB200 million-budget movie tentatively titled Shaolin. The China Film Group, Huayi Bros. Media Group, and Emperor Motion Pictures co-production is handled by Hong Kong blockbuster director Benny Chan (Connected, New Police Story), who stressed that the new film is not a remake of the Jet Li classic.

The project has attracted an all-star lineup of actors. The main plot revolves around Nicholas Tse who plays an arrogant rich kid in the turbulent times of early Republican era China. His family is persecuted by warlords, pushing him to seek refuge in the Shaolin Temple. In key supporting parts are superstars Jackie Chan and Andy Lau (his first announced film after his marriage controversy). Chan plays a monk who teaches Tse kung fu, and Lau is the son of a warlord who starts off as a villain. The cast also includes popular Mainland actress Fan Bingbing, Forever Enthralled actor Yu Shaoqun, and action star Wu Jing, and behind the scenes there are scriptwriter Alan Yuen and revered action choreographer Corey Yuen. Principal photography is set to begin at the end of the year for a late 2010 release.

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Nominations for the 46th Daejong Awards were recently announced. As expected, disaster blockbuster Haeundae, only the fifth Korea film to reach the ten million admissions benchmark, leads the pack with nine nominations including Best Film, Director, Actor, Supporting Actor, and Supporting Actress. It's who didn't get nominated that's been raising the most attention in Korea, however, as controversy broils over Haeundae and Closer to Heaven leading lady Ha Ji Won's omission from the shortlist. The Daejong Awards committee has been under heat for nominating the Jang Na Ra-starring drama Sky and Sea in four categories including Best Actress and Best Film despite the fact that it hasn't played in Korea yet. (The film opens on October 29.) The remaining three Best Film picks are Bong Joon Ho's suspense thriller Mother, period epic The Divine Weapon, and sports blockbuster Take Off, which also made it into Korea's all-time top ten with over five million admissions.

Jang Na Ra is joined by Kim Hye Ja (Mother), Kim Min Sun (Portrait of a Beauty), Soo Ae (Sunny), and Choi Kang Hee (Aeja) in the contentious Best Actress category. Best Actor is a free-for-all with five acclaimed actors in the running: Sol Kyung Gu (Haeundae), Kim Myung Min (Closer To Heaven), Ha Jung Woo (Take Off), Jung Jae Young (The Divine Weapon), and last year's winner, Kim Yoon Seok (Running Turtle). Meanwhile, Best Director is down to Kim Yong Hwa (Take Off), Yoon Ye Kyun (Haeundae), Jeon Yun Soo (Portrait of a Beauty), Jung Gi Hoon (Aeja), and Bong Joon Ho (Mother).

Five up-and-coming actors - Kim In Kwon (Haeundae), Jin Gu (Mother), Jung Kyung Ho (Running Turtle), Jang Geun Suk (The Case of Itaewon Homicide), and Kim Nam Gil (Modern Boy) - were selected for the Best Supporting Actor shortlist. In contrast, the Best Supporting Actress competition is led by veterans Kim Hae Suk (Thirst), Kim Bo Yeon (Possessed), Nam Neung Mi (Closer To Heaven), and Kim Young Ae (Goodbye Mom), along with Choo Ja Hyun (Portrait of a Beauty) and Uhm Jung Hwa (Haeundae). Another tight category to watch is Best New Director, whose contenders include Kim Ki Duk protege Jang Hoon (Rough Cut), festival darling Yang Ik Joon (Breathless), as well as Park Geon Yong (The Bronze Medalist), Lee Ho Jae (The Scam), and Kim Eun Joo (Summer Whispers).

As an indicator of how fierce the competition is this year, high-profile hits The Good, The Bad, The Weird, Thirst, Scandal Makers, and A Frozen Flower were shut out of the top categories though they did receive technical nods.

The 46th Daejong Awards will be held on November 6 in Seoul.

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The 27th Golden Rooster Awards held its award ceremony in Nanchang, Jiangxi on October 17, and Feng Xiaogang's Assembly completed the treble victory, winning top honors in the three biggest film awards of Mainland China. Regarded as the most prestigious film award in the Mainland, the Golden Rooster is organized by industry insiders from the China Film Association, and it takes place every other year, alternating with its sister awards, the Hundred Flowers. After winning last year's Hundred Flowers Best Picture and Best Director, and Excellent Drama Film and Excellent Director at the Huabiao Awards two months ago, Assembly was once again the award magnet, sweeping Best Drama Film (shared with Chen Kaige's Forever Enthralled), Best Director, Best Cinematography, and Best Score.

Zhang Hanyu, who has won a Golden Horse, a Hundred Flowers, and a Huabiao for his lead role in Assembly, surprisingly lost out to Wu Gang of Iron Man. Similar snubs were experienced by acclaimed actresses Vicki Zhao (Painted Skin) and Zhang Ziyi (Forever Enthralled), who were defeated by dual Best Actress winners Jiang Wenli (And the Spring Comes) and Zhou Xun (The Equation of Love & Death). Having won Golden Horse and Hong Kong Film Awards Best Actresses previously, Zhou became the first actress to collect Best Actress trophies from all three major Chinese film awards. Best Supporting Actor and Supporting Actress were Wang Xueqi (Forever Enthralled) and Yue Hong (A Tale of Two Donkeys), respectively. Best Screenplay went to the exam-themed drama Gao Kao 1977.

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Buddy cop thriller Black & White swept five awards at Taiwan's 44th Golden Bell Awards, which were held on October 17. Entering the race with 11 nominations, the PTS drama picked up Best Drama, Best Art Direction, Best Marketing, and a third Best Director trophy for Tsai Yueh Hsun, who had previously won for The Hospital and Meteor Garden. Tsai himself presented the Best Drama award to his wife and co-producer Yu Xiao Hui. Black & White star Mark Chao pulled off the biggest upset of the night by winning Best Actor over his more experienced co-star Vic Chou. The rookie actor broke into tears when he thanked Chou on stage.

The Hakka TV drama Marriage For Three Women also made a strong showing at the Golden Bell, winning Best Screenplay and Best Actress for Liu Rui Qi. Best Supporting Actor and Actress went to You're My One and Only's Chen Bo Zheng and Story of Time's Phoebe Huang. Fourteenth time's the charm for veteran funnyman Hu Gua, who finally won Best Variety Program Host after years of also-rans. Popular political comedy show Quan Min Zui Da Dang triumphed in the Best Variety Program category. The Lifetime Achievement Award was awarded posthumously to veteran actress Wen Ying who passed away in early August.

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The nominations for the 46th Golden Horse Awards were announced on October 7. Unlike the previous year, when the phenomenal Cape No. 7 was the undisputed frontrunner, the jury this time did not favor blockbusters or big budget productions, but spread their attention towards several smaller but celebrated films.

Hong Kong director Clara Law's romance musical Like A Dream came out on top with 9 nominations, including Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, Best Cinematography, and Best Art Direction. The Mainland-Hong Kong-Taiwan co-production is up against Taiwan actor/director Leon Dai's drama No Puedo Vivir Sin Ti, Tsai Ming Liang's Louvre-set Face, and two Mainland black comedies, Ning Hao's Crazy Racer and Guan Hu's Cow, for Best Feature Film honor.

Taiwan's Oscar hopeful No Puedo Vivir Sin Ti ranks second with 8 nominations, and Leon Dai is easily the busiest nominee this year, as he is in contention for Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, Best Film Editing, as well as Outstanding Taiwanese Filmmaker of the Year. Tsai Ming Liang's Face showed up in 5 categories, including Best Director, Best Art Direction, and a curious nomination in the Best Action Choreography category for its dance sequences. From across the strait, Cow seems to be the black horse of the Golden Horse with 7 nominations, among which are Best Director and Best Screenplay Adaptation nods for Guan Hu.

Hong Kong films may be under-represented this year, but actors Nick Cheung (The Beast Stalker) and Daniel Wu (Like A Dream) are favorites for the Best Actor crown, although they have to fend off competitions from Mainland's Huang Bo (Cow) and Taiwan's Chen Wen Pin (No Puedo Vivir Sin Ti). The latter is also in the running for the Best New Performer and Best Original Screenplay categories. The equally highly contested Best Actress award will see Mainland actresses Zhou Xun and Li Bingbing (both for The Message) and singer Yolanda Yuan (Like A Dream) against up-and-coming Taiwan actress Sandrine Pinna (Yang Yang). Winners will be revealed in the ceremony held on November 28 in Taipei.

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Two live-action adaptations of Oku Hiroyu's ongoing violent sci-fi action manga GANTZ have been announced for 2011. Arashi's Ninomiya Kazunari (Letters from Iwo Jima) and Detroit Metal City star Matsuyama Kenichi have been cast in the leading roles, and Sato Shinsuke (The Princess Blade) is directing. Other names involved in the project include 20th Century Boys' producer Sato Takahiro and screenwriter Watanabe Yusuke, and Digital Frontier (Appleseed) which will handle the CG effects.

Serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump since 2000, the original manga, which previously spawned a GONZO-produced anime in 2004, begins with two teens, Kurono Kei, and Kato Masaru, dying in a subway accident, only to be revived for a new posthumous existence by a mysterious sphere called GANTZ. Outfitted with custom suits and weapons, Kei, Masaru, and under "game" participants get sent out by GANTZ on violent missions to eliminate designated alien targets. Ninomiya and Matsuyama's characters will be made older for the film.

GANTZ will start shooting in November. The two films are slated for release in the spring and winter of 2011.

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Boasting a gigantic ensemble cast with over a hundred Chinese showbiz personalities, The Founding of a Republic is as expected doing phenomenal business at the Mainland box office during the lucrative National Day frame. Since opening on September 16, the film made to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the People's Republic of China has taken in over RMB300 million, and now it is reported that a prequel is already in pre-production, which promises to be even grander in scope and more star-studded.

Before Republic, only two Chinese-language films - Red Cliff and If You Are the One - managed to cross the RMB300 million benchmark. Now the RMB30 million-budget epic is on course to overtake them and set a new record for Chinese Cinema. The tremendous commercial success has given director/producer and China Film Group honcho Han Sanping the confidence to make a film, tentatively titled The Founding of a Party, based on another crucial chapter in the history of modern China. Scheduled to start shooting in the first half of 2010, the film's script is being finalized, and is set for a 2011 release to celebrate the 90th birthday of the Chinese Communist Party.

Whereas Republic recounts the events between 1945 and 1949 that led to the establishment of the PRC, Party goes further back to the period from 1917 to 1921, when the Chinese Communist Party came into being. Historical figures like Mao Zedong, Chiang Kai Shek, Soong Ching Ling, and Soong Mei Ling, who are all featured in Republic, will also appear in the new film at younger ages. Therefore, while "star power" will remain the keyword in Party, the emphasis is placed on younger actors. The only casting choice revealed thus far is veteran thespian Tang Guoqiang (Mao Zedong in Republic), who has been asked to portray warlord Yuan Shikai in the new film, but Republic actors Aloys Chen, Huang Xiaoming, Guo Xiaodong, Zhang Ziyi, and Vicki Zhao are also tapped to return for bigger parts.

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