Michael Bay and Paramount Pictures jointly announced today that Chinese actress Li Bingbing (of “Resident Evil: Retribution” fame) has been cast in the eagerly awaited “Transformers 4”. The actress joins Mark Wahlberg, Stanley Tucci, Kelsey Grammer, Jack Reynor, Nicola Peltz, and Sophia Myles in the fourth installment in the hit series of movies based on the best-selling Hasbro toyline.
“I am excited to have Li Bingbing join our cast and to be shooting portions of the movie in her native China. I have always aspired to work with the best actors and this cast is especially exciting now with the addition of Li”, said Michael Bay upon the announcement.
She has already begun to cross over into American films, most recently co-starring in the Paul W.S. Anderson-directed “Resident Evil: Retribution” and before that “Snow Flower And The Secret Fan” and “Forbidden Kingdom”. She was recently named Variety’s “Asian Star of the Year” which was celebrated in Los Angeles last month.
“I am thrilled to get to work with Michael Bay. ‘Transformers’ has influenced generations in China and the movie franchise has a massive fan base. I am very happy to be able to join this international production. Thank you Paramount for the invitation! Looking forward to it!”, said Li Bingbing.
Paramount, China Movie Channel and Jiaflix Enterprises announced this past April a Cooperation Agreement regarding the production of “Transformers 4” in China. Under the agreement, China Movie Channel, under the State Administration of Radio Film and Television (SARFT), will cooperate with Paramount in broad-based support of the production of the film in China. The parties also intend to cooperate in a number of other areas related to “Transformers 4” including the selection of filming sites within China, theatrical promotion, and possible post-production activities in China as well as casting of Chinese actors and actresses in the film.
This agreement represents the first time that China Movie Channel will work with a western studio in the production of a major motion picture.
Shooting this summer in multiple locations in the U.S. and China, the film is directed by Bay and re-unites the filmmaking team from the hit franchise, including producers Lorenzo di Bonaventura, Don Murphy & Tom DeSanto and Ian Bryce; and executive producers Steven Spielberg, Bay, Brian Goldner and Mark Vahradian. “Transformers 4” is written by Ehren Kruger, based on Hasbro’s Transformers™ Action Figures.
Paramount Pictures will release the film on 27th June 2014.
(Source)
Oh, Asian pride! But wait, hold up. Which/what role will Li Bingbing be taking on? And does this mean that the Megan Fox rumour isn’t true after all?
