Growing up, you’ve probably heard of the tale of Nie Xiaoqian, the beautiful female ghost from Pu Songling’s Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio. In fact, chances are high that you’ve seen one, two or more of its numerous film and TV adaptations. Among them, the 1987 movie A Chinese Ghost Story starring the late Leslie Cheung and the ageless Joey Wong is an uncontested classic that is now getting a remake.
Eleanor Lee and Chen Xingxu star in a web movie adaptation entitled The Enchanting Phantom 倩女幽魂人间情 that will air exclusively on Tencent.
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| Eleanor Lee and Chen Xingxu at the boot ceremony |
The 1987 version follows the story of a debt collector who, after running out of money, seeks refuge in a temple. There, he meets a beautiful woman and falls in love with her only to find out the next morning that she is a ghost. Despite that, his feelings for her grow and a quest to free her from her servitude to a demoness ensues.
I get why the story is a hit, the plot is a timeless romance between a man and a supernatural being which most people find so fascinating. I find the casting of Eleanor Lee perfect because at 20 years old, she fits the bill of the ghost who dies at a young age. Plus, you can argue all you want but the actress does have an elegant face, although admittedly, I haven’t seen her dramas.
Her co-star Chen Xingxu, on the other hand, has nothing else to prove to me because I was impressed on his performance in Goodbye My Princess. All that’s left now would be to see the pair in action.
With the reputation of A Chinese Ghost Story, this remake surely has a tough act to follow. Hong Kong veteran actors Yuen Wah and Norman Chu take on familiar characters as the demon hunter and the demon(ess)?
Source: 1
Anonymous
Tencent is on fire with all their projects that they're pumping out!
Anonymous
Ok, NO OFFENSE, and I guess that the age fits for the role, but they need to stop with casting inexperienced actors/actresses as BIG main roles! I have nothing against both of them, and I think Chen Xing Xu is acceptable because despite being pretty young, he's be in numerous dramas/movies, but still! Ugh …
(Ok this is pretty funny but I'm going to tell you this – I'm 14. So nope, not a crazy old lady complaining about young people.)
Lovebjy
If only they were thinking like you.. we will not have Wang yi bo as Lan Wangji and Xiao Zhan as WWX. Just the though of that make me scared….
Anonymous
Some of these problems is not always how long people look. Most of the time, young actors and actresses these days just don't prove themselves talented. Can't blame them too much since they're new. Seriously, even the experienced actors that used to be good in the past cannot manage honing their skills anymore. Bad storyline and directing is a huge problem now, it's affecting everybody top to bottom.
Liu Yifei and Yang Mi were once really young, only at the age of 16, 18, 20…they played huge main roles fine. Because of how hard they worked and the talent they had. Age should never be a problem. The problem is, are the actors chosen qualified?
By the way, that poster is so gorgeous and beautiful! I'm having low expectation for the directing I know it's not going to be good. I have a feeling it might look better than the CGS with Liu Yifei in it though, the background, colors, and clothings look much nicer this time.
C.T.
I have not seen any of the actress' works, so I really don't know what to expect of her performance. I loved Joey's portrayal so much (and she's just so beautiful in that role), that it's going to be hard for me to not compare the two. I think Leslie and Joey were the perfect pairing for the original. Cheng Xingxu looks like a good match, and I think his acting is pretty good already. I agree with Anonymous 2.a that I have lower expectations these days than I used to. The original is such a cult classic, and I hope this remake does it justice.
Anonymous
Eleanor's actually been in many projects already. Not as many as the male lead, but her acting is pretty good. A lot better than many other popular actresses of all ages.