- Notes provided by Lionsgate Films. -

SYNOPSIS

A 21st Century American teenager takes a spellbinding, dangerous journey into martial arts legend in the new action/adventure epic FORBIDDEN KINGDOM.
Shot on location in China, THE FORBIDDEN KINGDOM marks the historic first-ever onscreen pairing of martial arts superstars Jackie Chan (RUSH HOUR, DRUNKEN MASTER) and Jet Li (FEARLESS, ONCE UPON A TIME IN CHINA), and features the awe-inspiring action choreography of Yuen Wo Ping (THE MATRIX, CROUCHING TIGER HIDDEN DRAGON).
While hunting down bootleg kung-fu DVDs in a Chinatown pawnshop, Jason Tripitikas (Michael Angarano - "24", "Will and Grace," LORDS OF DOGTOWN, SEABISCUIT) makes an extraordinary discovery that sends him hurtling back in time to ancient China. There, Jason is charged with a monumental task: he must free the fabled warrior the Monkey King, who has been imprisoned by the powerful Jade War Lord. Jason is joined in his quest by wise kung fu master Lu Yan (Jackie Chan) and a band of misfit warriors including Silent Monk (Jet Li). But only by learning the true precepts of kung fu can Jason hope to succeed - and find a way to get back home.
Directed by Rob Minkoff (STUART LITTLE, THE LION KING), the film marks the first-ever onscreen pairing of martial arts superstars Jackie Chan (RUSH HOUR, DRUNKEN MASTER) and Jet Li (FEARLESS, ONCE UPON A TIME IN CHINA). The original screenplay by John Fusco (YOUNG GUNS, HIDALGO) is based on the traditional Chinese legend of the Monkey King.

ABOUT THE PRODUCTION

Jackie Chan and Jet Li, the two most revered martial arts film stars in the world today, come together for the first time in filmmaking history in THE FORBIDDEN KINGDOM. In this epic action-adventure tale, Boston teenager Jason Tripitikas confronts the toughest journey he has ever faced in his life -- one which takes him on a dangerous mission through ancient China where he learns the art of kung fu from his mismatched teachers, Lu Yan and the Silent Monk. While both Jet Li and Jackie Chan, who are close friends, have long expressed a mutual desire to work together, it wasn't until THE FORBIDDEN KINGDOM that either had found an appropriate project that featured two strong roles and memorable fight sequences. But when Li read screenwriter John Fusco's script for THE FORBIDDEN KINGDOM, he knew the time had finally come.
"I was immediately impressed by the extensive knowledge of various ancient Chinese legends," says Li. "Stories like the Monkey King, which THE FORBIDDEN KINGDOM is based on, are completely unknown to most Western audiences. But the script got so many details right, and it created this great fusion of Eastern and Western sensibilities. It seemed like the perfect way to bring this character to an international audience."
Jackie Chan readily admits that his attraction to THE FORBIDDEN KINGDOM hinged on Li's involvement. "I have always hoped to make movies with some people whom I really admire, like Dustin Hoffman and Robert De Niro, before I retire from this business," he says. "Jet Li is someone with whom I have wanted to work for more than ten years."
When the momentous day finally came for Chan and Li to shoot their first fight sequence together, the chemistry was palpable. "It was seamless," avows Chan. "With most people, you have to practice. But with Jet, I don't know why, we both looked at each other and we just said, 'Let's just do it, yeah.' And we did it. The first two takes were so fast that everybody had to tell us to slow down or they'd have to use slow motion."
According to Chan, most fight sequences require about ten to fifteen takes per segment; but his sequences with Li required only three to five. "All I did was tell Jet I'd do these few strokes and let him know my rhythm. He would pick up my rhythm and just react with his strokes. That kind of chemistry is rare."
Known for the groundbreaking animated feature, THE LION KING, director Robert Minkoff received the script of THE FORBIDDEN KINGDOM from producer Casey Silver shortly after returning from a trip to China. Minkoff had learned of the legend of the Monkey King during his travels, only to discover weeks later that it was the inspiration for THE FORBIDDEN KINGDOM. "It was very much an omen," recalls the director. "The script was terrific; all the characters were charismatic and jumped to life. And the opportunity to work with Jet Li and Jackie Chan was such a once in a lifetime opportunity. I agreed at once."
"I was really taken with Rob, both because of his past work, and also for his great interest, admiration and respect for Chinese culture," says Silver. "I found him to be extraordinarily astute about the stories, the characters and the story structure. This, combined with his past experience and the movies he has made, seemed to make him the perfect man for the job. We were very lucky to have him."
"The miracle of Rob's direction is that he was able to create a film with a Western point of view that can still be appreciated by Asians and the Chinese," says Li.
Minkoff wanted to give THE FORBIDDEN KINGDOM a different tone from the recent spate of martial arts films that began with CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON. "While remaining faithful to the cultural traditions that make martial arts films so special and unique, we wanted to make a more universally accessible movie that would be enjoyed by people of all ages and cultures," he explains.
Adds Silver, "Rob's tone as a storyteller is peppered with a playfulness and a comedic bent. He understands romance and he understands emotion. He has been able to depict the classic underpinnings of the hero's journey with a humorous tone, which is what we wanted to achieve."
Action superstar Jet Li, who has two young daughters, sees the wide appeal of the film as an advantage. "Having made so many violent movies in my career to date, I thought it was about time I made a film that families with children will be able to enjoy together. This is the film that I am making for my two girls."
"Being both a martial arts film and a contemporary American film makes this unlike any martial arts film before," adds executive producer Raffaella De Laurentiis. "All we wanted to do is make a fun, good movie that will appeal to both the East and the West, and I think we've done it."
Known for the screenplays for YOUNG GUNS, SPIRIT: STALLION OF THE CIMARRON and HIDALGO, screenwriter John Fusco first conceived of THE FORBIDDEN KINGDOM as a bedtime story for his young son. Inspired by his life-long love of Chinese martial arts novels and kung fu cinema, Fusco gradually developed the adventures of a bullied American kid who time-travels back to mythical China and is charged with the quest of returning a lost fighting staff to the Monkey King of Chinese legend.
When Fusco shared the story with Silver on the Moroccan set of their film, HIDALGO, Silver responded immediately and hired Fusco to write a script. "I was deeply motivated to introduce such rich Chinese legends as the Monkey King to a global Western audience for the first time," says Fusco. "By bringing back some of these classic Chinese ideas and characters, we hope to expose Chinese culture and history to a whole new audience. If we can get the younger generations and the Western moviegoers to develop an interest in exploring these classics further after watching the movie, we've achieved our goal."
Some of Fusco's characters are drawn from Taoist cosmology and are allegorical founders of certain kung fu systems; others are inspired by characters from the classic "Wu Xia" or swordplay novels, which, in turn, were inspired by a mix of history and martial arts lore; still others, like the White-Haired Demoness, come from vintage kung fu movies that were inspired by the Wu Xia novels.
For the filmmakers, THE FORBIDDEN KINGDOM was also an opportunity to communicate the deeper philosophical truths that are at the heart of kung fu. "What does kung fu mean? What is it really about? That was the primary thread that stayed with me once John told me the story," explains Silver.
Actor Michael A. Angarano, who plays Jason, the time-traveling teenage protagonist of THE FORBIDDEN KINGDOM, points out that over the course of the story, Jason learns to face his fears while learning the deeper meaning of kung fu. "Kung fu is a philosophy," the actor says. "It's a way of life; not just a way of fighting, but a way of thinking. It's a way to find yourself and be at peace with everything around you."
The role of Jason was first presented to Angarano by casting director Nancy Foy. As he fondly recalls, "After my initial audition for Rob, I was put through a physical test of three hours of kung fu training together with several other kids. It was to test our martial arts learning potential. Following that, I met Jackie Chan on the set of RUSH HOUR 3. That was the final step of the audition and before I knew it, I had the part and I was in China."
For the role of Ni Chang, three Asian actresses were short listed by Canadian-based casting director, Poping Auyeung, who specializes in the casting of Asians. The role was eventually offered to acclaimed Chinese actress, Li Bingbing. Explains Li, "When Rob, Casey and Raffaella first saw me, they couldn't reconcile my looks with their impression of the White-Haired Demoness. They were under the impression that she was to be an older woman with flowing white hair. It was only after I showed them how I would perform the role that they became convinced I was right for the part."
The young actress Liu Yifei immediately impressed Minkoff with her audition for the role of Golden Sparrow. "She is an incredible performer and is very serious about her work for such a young age. She has brought an intensity to the character which really steals the show," says the director.
Faced with the language barriers of a mostly Asian crew and cast -- and the challenge of synthesizing Eastern and Western martial arts sensibilities -- Minkoff, Silver and de Laurentiis were convinced that renowned director of photography Peter Pau (CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON) was the only one to shoot the film.
"It was very important to me that the film didn't end up being an Americanized version of a Chinese story," says Minkoff. "Peter has been a terrific collaborator and we were able to rely on him to show us the true Chinese traditions that ended up in the film."
"Peter is undoubtedly a master at his craft," avows Silver. "Without him, we would not have been able to deliver the picture we have delivered. To have somebody who bridges East and West and who is as gifted a cinematographer as he is, we have been extremely fortunate."
For all of his experience shooting in China, THE FORBIDDEN KINGDOM is by far the biggest film Pau has shot there. "I had to put up two units with more than fifty crew members each for the cameras, lighting and grip departments," he says. "For everyone to maintain a consistently high standard and professional working attitude in a 17-week shoot with three to five weeks of preparation was quite a challenge indeed. But I must say I am very pleased with my crew and their working spirit."
Unlike the cool de-saturated tones he lent to CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON, Pau created a vivid, saturated color palette, inspired by Van Gogh's paintings, for the fantasy world of THE FORBIDDEN KINGDOM. For the action sequences, Pau meticulously timed camera movements in order to emphasize the acrobatic moves. He explains, "The crane movement usually involves one or more crane operators, dolly operators, a zoom control person, either on a Technocrane or zoom lens, while I operate the remote control head. To put all these people in sync with the fast paced action requires what I called 'dancing beats'. All the relevant crew must memorize the action beats in order to do this right. A dedicated crew has to work years together to achieve such a result."
When it came time to find an action choreographer, the filmmakers agreed there was only one choice: Yuen Wo Ping. As Silver says, "The only choreographer who could truly stand in the middle between these two giants, Jackie and Jet, and serve each of them was Yuen Wo Ping."
An action-film director and star in China, with an avid cult following in the United States, Ping catapulted onto the world stage in the 1990s with his action choreography for such seminal films as the Wachowski Brother's THE MATRIX trilogy, CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON, and Quentin Tarantino's KILL BILL, VOL. I and II. Li, who has worked with Ping on his recent films, FEARLESS and UNLEASHED, was adamant that he be the choreographer for THE FORBIDDEN KINGDOM. "Everyone knows that Woo Ping is the best action director in China and in the world. That is why I really pushed very hard to work with him again in this movie."
Unlike American martial arts films, the action choreography for THE FORBIDDEN KINGDOM was done using the Hong Kong style of action filmmaking. Instead of long rehearsal periods with fixed choreography, the stunt team choreographs the fight about five minutes before it is filmed. "Woo Ping, his brothers and a couple of his key team would get together, form a basic idea, and literally work out a few moves at a time. One will suggest an idea and then someone else will refine it and then another person will take it and suggest something else," explains Minkoff. "They literally shoot everything one moment at a time. You collect piece by piece what you need and then put it together literally like a jigsaw puzzle. Sometimes they move the camera in three hundred and sixty degrees which requires all of the crew to move all of the lighting equipment so they shoot on one side and then they pick up everything and they move it to the other side, and they move so fast and adjust all the heavy equipment with such coordination, it's just an incredible thing to watch."
At first, Angarano, whose only martial arts training occurred in pre-production, was intimidated by the speed and extemporaneity of the action scenes. "It never seemed that we'd get a chance to rehearse the moves adequately," he says. "But as filming went on, I found myself getting more and more used to it. I could adapt to the moves and the pace better. It's all about your mindset. You can't think about what you are going to do. They show you what you have to do, you learn it and you just do it, and you have to do it fast."
While most screenwriters never write out the details of fight sequences in martial arts films, Fusco scripted the exact kung fu moves he envisioned. Ping graciously respected Fusco's suggestions and used them as jumping-off points for his choreography. Some styles that Fusco had designated for the characters were essential to the story, like Monkey Kung Fu for the Monkey King and Drunken Fist for Lu Yan.
This approach resulted in the incorporation of several different styles of martial arts in one film, something that had not been done before. Explains Minkoff, "We have street fighting style, and then we have wire-flying, and then we have Qi Magic. There are different types and levels of fighting, choreography and sensibility."
While it was a challenge for the producers to assemble such a world-class martial arts team, the more daunting task was planning and executing an entire film shoot in China. Pre-production planning in China started before Chinese New Year in January 2007, lasting just four months before the 17-week long principal photography commenced on May 2, 2007. Executive producer Raffaella De Laurentiis recalls, "The most difficult part was the short amount of preparation time we had. We had to do twice as much work in half as much time as you would normally have on such a film. It meant that we had to start filming while we were still figuring out how to film."
Another pre-production preparation was action training for the actors who were not martial arts trained which commenced a month prior to the start of shooting. Ping and his team devised a training program that concentrated on multiple disciplines: fitness training, weapons training, martial arts fight training, horse-back riding and wire-hanging training. As Chinese actress Li Bingbing remembers, "It was extremely organized and systematic and we worked on a very water-tight schedule. We had to wake up, eat breakfast and travel to the training room according to the timetable."
While much of THE FORBIDDEN KINGDOM was created on the sound stages of Hengdian World Studios, numerous spectacular locations in China were chosen for exterior scenes: the Gobi desert in Dunhuang, the Nine Bends River, the waterfall at Xianju, the greens of the Wuyi Mountains, the Bamboo Camp at Anji and the Plum Blossom Garden at Fangyan. "Since we were coming all this way to make a movie about China, we wanted to make sure that we really saw China and showed China to our audience," explains Silver. "We had the approval and support of the Chinese government, so it was a very good experience."
Hollywood production designer Bill Brzeski, who has worked closely with director Rob Minkoff on his previous films, was supported by a team of more than twenty designers from China, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Korea, Canada, New Zealand, Australia and even Eastern Europe. "As the story does not take place in any reality, we did exhaustive research on classical Chinese architecture and cultural style and then brought it to a fantasy level," explains Brzeski. "Overall, we gave the film a Western sensibility in order to show that the story is being told visually from the point of view of Jason, who is a modern-day American teenager." Additionally, Hong Kong designer Shirley Chan's costumes helped give the varied cast of legendary characters a timeless, epic quality.
Apart from the numerous exterior shots, the production team designed and constructed several studio sets at the renowned Hengdian World Studios in Zhejiang, China. Says Silver, "I had not been to China before the preparation of this movie but I have found Hengdian to be an incredible facility. Their stages are spectacular and we've been able to accomplish a size and a scope for the movie that I think otherwise we could not have afforded."
In addition to extensive sets and costumes, THE FORBIDDEN KINGDOM also features about eight hundred visual effects shots. Senior visual effects supervisor Ron Simonson oversaw effects in Los Angeles and Hong Kong, but the bulk of the work was completed in Seoul by three cutting edge companies: Macrograph, Inc., Digital Tetra Inc. (DTI) and Footage. "Korea is on the cutting edge of media in Asia, and I am thrilled by their work," says Minkoff.
Production was not without its difficulties, particularly with the language differences and the cultural divide between American and Chinese sensibilities. But Minkoff calibrated the many facets of the massive production beautifully. Recalls Angarano, "There were so many different elements to this movie which I didn't comprehend at first -- so many special effects, action sequences, Chinese action directors, Chinese actors and this one American actor all going on at the same time, so there could be a lot of miscommunication. But Rob did an amazing job of being the ringleader all the way through this epic."
Now that THE FORBIDDEN KINGDOM is completed, Minkoff looks back on his experience as an American director in China and notes how similar the story of the movie is to the story of making the movie. "Just like Jason, the young protagonist of THE FORBIDDEN KINGDOM, I am an American who went on a journey to China. And like Jason, I came in with a great love for Asian film and martial arts films and learned a great deal from the masters of kung fu cinema: Yuen Wo Ping, Peter Pau, Jackie Chan and Jet Li. So to finally and actually make a movie with these incredible Asian superstars, to have been there with them and through the process, and through the journey of the movie, has been an incredible personal journey for me as well."

ABOUT THE CAST

JACKIE CHAN (Lu Yan and Old Hop)
Born in Hong Kong on April 7, 1954, Jackie Chan was enrolled in the China Drama Academy at age 7 where he spent the next 10 years training in the art of Peking Opera and learned the acrobatics, martial arts, acting, and singing that would later help him become an international superstar.

When Chan left the Academy at the age of 17 to pursue stunt work over the gradually fading Peking Opera industry, he gained a reputation as a talented and fearless stuntman. Within a few years, he was acting, directing, and choreographing stunts for dozens of films. In 1978, the films SNAKE IN THE EAGLE'S SHADOW and DRUNKEN MASTER were the first to showcase Chan's genre of action comedy, which transformed the Hong Kong film industry. Two years later, Chan made his major feature film directorial debut on THE YOUNG MASTER, which marked the start of his long association with producer Raymond Chow, whose Golden Harvest Company made many of Chan's subsequent films.

After a series of attempts in the 1980s to break into the American movie market, Chan returned to Hong Kong to focus on making films in his hometown. He was extremely successful and his film credits in the 1980s includes SUPERCOP FIRST STRIKE, the POLICE STORY series and THE ACCIDENTAL SPY to name only a few.

In 1995, he returned to the US to film RUMBLE IN THE BRONX and it was a huge hit when released in 1996. Since then, Chan has starred in a succession of American productions, including the blockbuster RUSH HOUR series with Chris Tucker and director Brett Ratner, as well as the hit action comedy Western, SHANGHAI NOON, followed by its sequel, SHANGHAI KNIGHTS which Chan also executive produced. Other box office successes include the film HIGHBINDERS, THE TUXEDO and a remake of the classic, AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS.

Over his nearly four-decade film career, Chan has received hundreds of awards for his acting, directing, writing, and stunt work. The numerous honors include a Lifetime Achievement Award from the MTV Movie Awards, which was presented to him by Quentin Tarantino in 1995; the Actor of the Year Award at the 1999 Hollywood Film Festival; two Best Actor Awards at the Golden Horse Film Festival; three Hong Kong Film Awards; two additional MTV Movie Awards; a Taurus Honorary Award at the World Stunt Awards and an Innovator Award from the American Choreography Awards in 2002, and most recently, a Special Jury Award at the Asia-Pacific Film Festival as well as an Outstanding Contribution to Chinese Cinema Award at the Shanghai International Film Festival in 2005.

For the past 20 years, Chan has devoted much of his spare time and energy to charity work. In 1988, he established the Jackie Chan Charitable Foundation and has since worked tirelessly for dozens of charities both at home and abroad. In recent years, he has focused his energies on his Dragon's Heart Foundation, which builds schools in remote areas of China. Among his many charitable endeavors, he is a Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF/UNAIDS, a celebrity cabinet member of the American Red Cross, founder of the Jackie Chan Civil Aviation Foundation in China, and has hosted charity concerts and car races for many years.

As Chan continues to make Asian blockbuster films like THE MYTH, ROB-B-HOOD and NEW POLICE STORY in his native Hong Kong, he is also lending his voice to Master Monkey, a strong, agile and dedicated kung fu warrior in KUNG FU PANDA, a 2008 animation feature by DreamWorks Animation.

JET LI (Silent Monk and The Monkey King)

Born in Beijing, Li began studying the art of wushu (the general Chinese term for martial arts) at the young age of 8. After three years of extensive training, Li won his first national championship for the Beijing Wushu Team. Li's celebrity status in China was so great, the government selected him to represent the country in over 45 countries, performing martial arts at various state functions. The most historically notable was his 1974 performance on the lawn of the Whitehouse for President Richard Nixon, after the President had just reopened American diplomatic relations with China. For the next five years (1974 -1979), he remained the All-Around National Wushu Champion of China.

Shortly after retiring from the sport at the age of 17, Li was offered many starring roles and subsequently began his film career with director Chang Hsin Yen for SHAOLIN TEMPLE. The success of SHAOLIN TEMPLE propelled Li from a martial arts master to a full-fledged Chinese movie star and an overnight celebrity. His star shone so bright that almost any picture with his name attached became an instant success. KIDS FROM SHAOLIN and MARTIAL ARTS OF SHAOLIN, Li's second and third films respectively, also enjoyed box-office success. He completed 25 successful Asian films before his crossover to America.

Since his first English-language film appearance as the villain in LETHAL WEAPON 4 opposite Mel Gibson, Li has appeared in films like ROMEO MUST DIE, THE ONE, KISS OF THE DRAGON and HERO.

After HERO, Li worked on projects such as CRADLE 2 THE GRAVE and UNLEASHED co-starring Morgan Freeman and Bob Hoskins. In 2005, Li began work on what he said was the culmination of his life-long experience with martial arts -- FEARLESS, directed by Ronny Yu. The film has received both box office and critical success in Asia and around the world, including a "Best Actor" award from the Hong Kong Film Critics Association.

Following the release of FEARLESS, in 2007, Li completed work on WAR (aka ROGUE) with Jason Statham and the Chinese-language film Tou Ming Zhuang (known in English as THE WARLORDS) with Andy Lau and Takeshi Kaneshiro.

Li has also extended his fame to charitable causes. Already a Red Cross ambassador, Li recently spearheaded and founded the Red Cross Society of China Jet Li One Foundation Project (One Foundation), a foundation whose goal is to provide counseling to victims of natural disasters and to help young people cope with mental health and psychological issues. His hope is to get "each person to donate at least one dollar each month so as to combine our charitable strength to help the most vulnerable members of our global family".

Li will next be starring in THE MUMMY: TOMB OF THE DRAGON EMPEROR in theaters May 2008.

MICHAEL A. ANGARANO (Jason Tripitikas)
Michael Angarano is one of the most gifted actors of his generation, making his mark in Hollywood with a diversity of roles that define him as one of the industry's most respected and sought after young actors.

Angarano can currently be seen in David Gordon Green's SNOW ANGELS opposite Sam Rockwell and Kate Beckinsale. The dramatic film interweaves the life of a teenager (Angarano), with his old baby sitter (Beckinsale), her estranged husband (Rockwell), and their daughter.

SNOW ANGELS premiered in competition at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival and has just been released by Warner Independent. Kyle Smith from the New York Post wrote of Angarano's performance, "The general foundering is realized with subtle wit and depth of feeling by all, especially by the tremendously appealing Michael Angarano, who quietly owns the film as a teen boy."

Angarano is currently in production on Jared Hess' GENTLEMEN BRONCOS opposite Sam Rockwell and Jermaine Clement. The comedic film follows a high school outcast (Angarano) who attends a camp for writers where his story gets ripped off by a legendary fantasy novelist.

Angarano recently starred in Michael Schroeder's MAN IN THE CHAIR opposite Christopher Plummer. Angarano plays a rebellious 17 year old from a broken home who teams up with a retired gaffer (Plummer) to produce and direct a film for a prestigious student competition at his school. The film premiered at the 2007 Berlin International Film Festival and 2007 Santa Barbara Film Festival, where it was the recipient of the American Spirit Award.

Angarano made his breakthrough performance in Wes Craven's MUSIC OF THE HEART opposite Meryl Streep. Shortly after, he starred in Cameron Crowe's Academy Award nominated film ALMOST FAMOUS opposite Francis McDormand, Kate Hudson, Billy Crudup, Zooey Deschanel and Patrick Fugit. Angarano played young William (young Patrick Fugit) and had most of his scenes with Francis McDormand.

Angarano's other film credits include Catherine Hardwickes' LORDS OF DOGTOWN opposite Heath Ledger and Emile Hirsch, Mike Mitchell's SKY HIGH opposite Kurt Russell and Kelly Preston, Brad Gann's BLACK IRISH, Alex Steyermark's ONE LAST THING opposite Cynthia Nixon, Thomas Vinterberg's DEAR WENDY, Gary Ross' SEABISCUIT opposite Tobey Maguire and Jeff Bridges, and David Evans' THE FINAL SEASON opposite Sean Astin and Rachael Leigh Cook.

On television, Angarano appeared in a four episode arc on Fox's hit drama "24" opposite Kiefer Sutherland. He also guest starred on NBC's Emmy winning comedy "Will and Grace" as Elliot, Jack McFarland's (Sean Hayes) son. Angarano's other television credits include "E.R.," "CSI," "Less Than Perfect," "Summerland," and "Kevin Hill."

Angarano was born in Brooklyn, New York and currently resides in Los Angeles.

LIU YIFEI (Golden Sparrow)
Borne in Wuhan, Hubei province of China, Liu Yifei has shown great artistic talent since young. She began modeling at the age of 8 and was trained in singing, dancing and the piano. Moving to the United States in 1998 with her mother, Liu lived there for four years. She returned to China in June 2002 to pursue a modeling and acting career.

In September 2002, she was accepted into the Performance Institute of Beijing Film Academy at the tender age of 15. Immediately following her admittance into Beijing Film Academy, Liu received numerous offers to star in various television drama serials. Her first television role was in "The Story of a Noble Family." Shortly after, she was chosen to portray the role of Wang Yuyan in "Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils," a drama based on the same-titled novel by the acclaimed martial arts writer, Jinyong. With this role, Liu's fame rose to unprecedented levels and her popularity with the Chinese audience also increased accordingly.

In October 2003, Liu marked her first appearance on the big screen collaboration with May Day, the well-known Taiwanese rock band in the movie LOVE OF MAY. Her fame and popularity went up another notch through her starring role in the 2004 drama series adaptation of the video game, THE LEGEND OF SWORD AND FAIRY.

Upon her graduation from the Beijing Film Academy in July 2006, Liu starred in another television production based on another book by Jinyong,"The Return of the Condor Heroes." This TV series was very well received in mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Japan and helped Liu establish her reputation and popularity overseas.

Liu made her first foray into her music career in August 2005 when she secured a recording contract with Sony Music Entertainment Japan. After taking up singing and dancing lessons for a year, her album Liu Yifei was released regionally in mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and throughout South-East Asia in August 2006, featuring a diverse music repertoire including rap and soft rock. In the same year, Liu also released her Japanese album in which the single, "The Gate of Late Night," was chosen to be the theme for an animation series by Tokyo TV.

LI BINGBING (Ni Chang, the White-Haired Demoness)
Li Bingbing graduated from Shanghai Theatre Academy, majoring in drama. A professional actress for 10 years, she achieved stardom not overnight but through hard work. As such, Li strongly believes that although one's ability might be limited, hard work is limitless.

In 2000, Li won the Best Actress Award at the 13th Singapore International Film Festival with her role in Zhang Yuan's film, SEVENTEEN YEARS. In 2001, Li starred in a TV series "Young Baoqingtian," which propelled her to become one of the most famous actresses in China. That year she was awarded the title of one of the "Top Ten Best TV actors/actresses in China".

From then on, Li was approbated as an "action actress". Her film roles increased and she was cast in Hong Kong director Johnnie To's LOVE FOR ALL SEASONS and Jingle Ma's SILVER HAWK, a Hong Kong and Hollywood co-production. In SILVER HAWK, Li played a merciless killer, acting with Michelle Yeoh.

Not satisfied with being an "action actress", Li starred in a small film WAITING ALONE in 2004, in which she played a pure, kind-hearted and beautiful girl. That same year, Li won the title of "The Most Popular Actress" at the 12th Beijing College Film Festival. She went on to star in China director Feng Xiaogang's A WORLD WITHOUT THIEVES, followed by WAIT 'TIL YOU'RE OLDER also with Hong Kong actor Andy Lau.

In 2006, Li's performance in the film by famous director Yin Li -- THE KNOT, earned her the acclaim of the critics and she was awarded the Best Actress at the Chinese Huabiao Award in 2007, the most prestigious official film award in mainland China, for her role in the movie. THE KNOT is also China's entry for the Best Foreign Film award at the 2008 Academy Awards®.

Next on her plate will be a role in Hong Kong director Johnnie To's first romantic film, as opposed to the police and triad features he is renowned for.

COLLIN CHOU (Jade Warlord)
Born in Taiwan in 1967, Collin Chou began training martial arts at the age of 5 years old. At the age of 12, he began performing stunts on film shoots and landed his first leading role at the age of 18. After serving the military, he headed to Hong Kong to pursue his acting career.
In Hong Kong, Chou was quickly snapped up by top action director Sammo Hung, who signed him to his Stuntmen Team. He stayed for seven years, appearing in films including the Chinese swordplay classic THE BLADE OF FURY. Since then, Chou has appeared in more than 30 feature films for prominent action directors including Yuen Wo Ping, Corey Yuen and Tsui Hark, and acted with international superstars Jackie Chan and Michelle Yeoh.
In 1994, Chou appeared as Jet Li's nemesis in THE DEFENDER. The two collaborated another three times before Chou moved to Los Angeles in 1999 to pursue a higher education. While attending College, he was invited to star as the enigmatic Seraph in the cult hits THE MATRIX RELOADED and THE MATRIX REVOLUTIONS
Chou became a Hollywood sensation overnight. Since then, he has lent his voice to the video game adaptations of the MATRIX Trilogy, as well as been in several independent films such as THE DUEL and AMERICAN FUSION, starring Esai Morales and Sylvia Chang. In the past two years, he has starred in films such as FEARLESS (again with Jet Li) and D.O.A. (DEAD OR ALIVE) by Corey Yuen, released theatrically by Dimension Films in 2007.
Most recently, Chou starred in the Hong Kong/China action flick FLASHPOINT by Wilson Yip, which created an impact in the Asian market and is currently in discussions with several other Hollywood companies on upcoming features.
To know more about Collin Chou please visit, http://www.collinchou.com.

ABOUT THE FILMMAKERS

ROB MINKOFF (Director)
Rob Minkoff is a filmmaker whose work displays his abilities to produce films that embody both artistic innovation and commercial success. In whole, Minkoff's projects have grossed almost one and a half billion dollars worldwide and comprise some of cinema's most innovative and inspiring films.

Gifted with an imagination for telling timeless stories, Minkoff was part of the creative team behind the groundbreaking film, THE LION KING. The film garnered two Oscars, three Golden Globes, and earned almost $800 million worldwide, becoming the highest-grossing traditionally animated feature in the United States.

One of the only directors to work in animation as well as live action, Minkoff used his mastery of combined media in the photo-realistic CGI animated STUART LITTLE series. This series was critically received and earned almost $500 million worldwide. In addition, he directed the Eddie Murphy starrer, THE HAUNTED MANSION, which was based on the popular Disneyland attraction.

Minkoff spent his formative years at Disney working with legendary animator, Chuck Jones. He quickly moved through the ranks to Supervising Animator within his first few years with the company. Minkoff found a natural progression to directing, making his debut with two Roger Rabbit shorts, TUMMY TROUBLE and ROLLERCOASTER RABBIT.

THE FORBIDDEN KINGDOM is the culmination of Minkoff's life-long interest in Chinese culture and tradition. A student of traditional Kung Fu cinema, Minkoff has spent the last ten years since first visiting China living between the US and Beijing. In addition, he and his wife, a 76th generational descendant of Confucius, continue a dedication to the study of Traditional and Pop Chinese Culture.

CASEY SILVER (Producer)
Former Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Universal Pictures, Casey Silver started Casey Silver Productions in October 1999.

In his role at Universal, Silver was responsible for all divisions of Universal Pictures, including its production, marketing and distribution operations. He supervised all activities worldwide concerning Universal's partnerships with United International Pictures and domestic distribution activities through its partnership with October Films.

Additionally, Silver oversaw Universal Studios Home Video, Universal Pictures Animation and Visual Effects and Universal Family & Home Entertainment Production, which include Universal Cartoon Studios.

During his tenure at Universal, the studio developed, produced and released the critically acclaimed films SCHINDLER'S LIST, SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE, APOLLO 13, BABE, JURASSIC PARK, OUT OF SIGHT, FIELD OF DREAMS, TWELVE MONKEYS, CASPER, IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER, DO THE RIGHT THING, SCENT OF A WOMAN, CASINO, BORN ON THE FOURTH OF JULY, PARENTHOOD, MIDNIGHT RUN, THE MUMMY, AMERICAN PIE, LIAR, LIAR, ERIN BROCKOVICH and GLADIATOR.

Silver began his career in the motion picture industry as a screenwriter. After serving as assistant to director Adrian Lyne on FLASHDANCE, he became director of development and production for Simpson-Bruckheimer Productions, where he was instrumental in the development of the original BEVERLY HILLS COP. Prior to joining Universal, he served for several years as TriStar Picture's vice president of production, and was then promoted to senior vice president of production.

Most recently, Mr. Silver produced LEATHERHEADS for Universal Studios. George Clooney directed and stars alongside Renee Zellweger.

In 2004, Silver and The Walt Disney Studios released the action-drama LADDER 49, starring Joaquin Phoenix and John Travolta and the epic HIDALGO, starring Viggo Mortensen (LORD OF THE RINGS) and Omar Sharif.

JOHN FUSCO (Screenwriter)
Although born in Waterbury, Connecticut, John Fusco left home at 16 years old to travel the American South in search of authentic Delta blues music. He composed original songs and performed in road bands until he was 21 when he returned to night school and received his GED. Intent on pursuing his first love of dramatic writing, Fusco was accepted into NYU's Tisch School of the Arts. His first two student screenplays won national awards, the second becoming the 1986 Delta blues cult film CROSSROADS.

Fusco would then go on to write the box office hit YOUNG GUNS (1988) and its sequel YOUNG GUNS II (1990). His deep interest in Native American subject matter would lead to his writing THUNDERHEART (1992), the Academy Award-nominated SPIRIT: STALLION OF THE CIMARRON (2000), the ABC mini-series "Dreamkeeper" (2003), and the Arabian horse race adventure HIDALGO (2004) for which he received the Spur Award from the Western Writers of America.

Fusco also wrote the novel Paradise Salvage (Simon and Schuster), a multi-generational coming-of-age tale that has been published in seven countries.

No stranger to stories that explore cultural myths and legend, it is no surprise that Fusco's childhood love of Chinese culture and martial arts has found its way into his most recent original script, THE FORBIDDEN KINGDOM. Fusco began studying Korean martial arts when he was 12 years old, a year before the "Kung Fu" TV series and the films of Bruce Lee would create an explosion of martial arts popularity in the U.S. While always more interested in the philosophical side of martial art, Fusco longed to study Chinese kungfu but could not find the authentic art until 8 years ago when he began studying Northern Shaolin Kungfu at the Vermont Kung Fu Academy. He has since studied in China with Shifu Yi Shen Guo.

Fusco's next projects include WOLF BROTHER, his adaptation of the popular young adult novel for Ridley Scott, a contemporary remake of Akira Kurosawa's SEVEN SAMURAI for the Weinstein Co. and the 1930's gangster-western THE HIGHWAYMEN.

He lives with his wife and son in the mountains of Northern Vermont.

RYAN KAVANAUGH (Executive Producer)
Ryan Kavanaugh is the founder, CEO and a principal of Relativity Media, LLC, a financing, consulting and production company that structures slate financing for both major studios and independent production entities as well as produces and finances its own productions. According to Seth Lubov of Bloomberg News, "Kavanaugh is one of the pre-eminent middlemen between hedge funds and Hollywood." Having created structures that have financed $7 billion of total film production budgets to date, Kavanaugh is credited with establishing and growing the recent wave of structured finance off balance sheet transactions within the filmed entertainment marketplace.

In 2004 Kavanaugh created and implemented a first of its kind structure for Marvel Entertainment, which was later named structured finance deal of the year, and was provided an investment grade rating and wrapped by Ambak. Prior to that, Kavanaugh wrote the business plan for French distributor Exception Wild Bunch, created their financial structures and raised both their production and operating capital. Exception today is one of the largest foreign sales companies and French distributors, having done over two hundred films including SIN CITY and the recent PAN'S LABYRINTH.

Kavanaugh also introduced the first "hedge fund capital" to the filmed entertainment marketplace through a $525 million transaction with Warner Brothers. Since then, he has been responsible for creating first of their type transactions with Sony and Universal. In its most recent deal with Sony, Relativity will finance a minimum of 45 pictures (which Kavanaugh will also executive produce) over the next 5 years. Relativity has deals with virtually every studio (either single picture or slate deals) including: Sony, Universal, MGM, Warner Brothers, Paramount, The Weinstein Company and Lionsgate.

Kavanaugh has produced (or financed) over 35 major feature films, including TALLADEGA NIGHTS, GHOST RIDER, PURSUIT OF HAPPYNESS, 300, HOLIDAY, I NOW PRONOUNCE YOU CHUCK AND LARRY, 3:10 TO YUMA (starring Russell Crow and Christian Bale), AMERICAN GANGSTER (staring Denzel Washington and Russell Crow), THE FORBIDDEN KINGDOM (marking the first time Jackie Chan and Jet Li will be fighting each other in a feature film) and ZOHAN (the new Adam Sandler film) to name a few.

Jill Goldsmith of Variety wrote of Kavanaugh, "His co-financing deals are the most successful ever in Hollywood. He's been amazingly proactive, and is the envy of many on Wall Street involved in the business." Details magazine this year named him the twenty-sixth most influential man under forty-two and said Kavanaugh "is literally saving Hollywood's ass."

Amy Wallace of Portfolio magazine recently wrote, "Hollywood and Vine will always be the most famous corner in the history of the film business. But the future of movies is now being constructed at an imaginary intersection: Hollywood and Wall Street. At this crossroads, no one directs more traffic than Ryan Kavanaugh...in fact, Kavanaugh is Los Angeles' answer to Gordon Gekko, the corporate raider at the centre of Wall Street, one of his favourite movies. Like Gekko, Kavanaugh is quick-witted and relentless, and believes devoutly in the primacy of making money.

In 2002, Kavanaugh formed Relativity Management, which managed such high profile clients as Steven Soderbergh, George Clooney's Section 8 Productions, and Robert Evans. The company had ten managers and boasted over two hundred clients.

Prior to his work with Relativity, at the age of 22, Kavanaugh started a venture capital company, which raised and invested over $400 million of equity in a number of venture and private equity transactions.

Raffaella De Laurentiis (Executive Producer)

The daughter of legendary filmmaker Dino De Laurentiis and the highly acclaimed Italian actress Silvana Mangano, Raffaella grew up surrounded by the film business. Knowing early on that she wanted to be a producer, her father hired her at 15 as an assistant in props and set dressing on one of his films. He knew that if she was serious about her career aspirations, she must understand the function of each position on a film set.

From there she rose rapidly, working on Luchino Visconti's LUDWIG, a period tale of a mad Bavarian king that starred her mother, Helmut Bergher, and Romy Schneider, as well as HURRICANE, her father's epic film that involved building massive sets and accommodations in Tahiti. The intensive production experience led to her next film BEYOND THE REEF, filmed also in Tahiti utilizing the same sets and new hotel and marked her first credit as a producer.

In 1981, De Laurentiis produced the highly successful CONAN THE BARBARIAN for Universal, which launched the acting career of Arnold Schwarzenegger and 4 years later, made the sequel, CONAN THE DESTROYER. Other credits for the talented producer include David Lynch's DUNE, shot in Mexico City, and TAI-PAN, the first American film to be made in China. Following TAI-PAN, she spent about 18 months as head of production at the De Laurentiis Entertainment Group. During that period, De Laurentiis supervised numerous films for D.E.G., such as WEEDS, CRIMES OF THE HEART, HIDING OUT, EARTH GIRLS ARE EASY and BILL AND TED'S EXCELLENT ADVENTURE.

Eager to get back to "hands-on" production Work, De Laurentiis formed Raffaella Productions in 1987, producing PRANCER, TIME BOMB and TRADING MOM with Sissy Spacek and Anna Chlumsky.

When she made DRAGON: THE BRUCE LEE STORY in 1993, it marked the beginning of her association with director Rob Cohen and has led to their continued collaboration on DRAGONHEART with Dennis Quaid and DAYLIGHT with Sylvester Stallone for which she served as executive producer. Among her other executive producer credits are Ron Howard's BACKDRAFT and several movies for television, including the action-packed "Vanishing Son" series.

In 1997, De Laurentiis produced KULL THE CONQUEROR, which marked the feature film debut of director John Nicolella and star Kevin Sorbo. Filmed in Slovakia and Croatia, this marked De Laurentiis' second production in Eastern Europe. She then remained in the United States for her next two projects, first THE GUARDIAN, a television pilot directed by Rob Cohen for Universal/NBC, on which she was executive producer, followed by the action film, BLACK DOG, directed by Kevin Hooks and starring Patrick Swayze.

De Laurentiis returned to Slovakia in 1999, producing DRAGONHEART: A NEW BEGINNING, a direct-to-video sequel to DRAGONHEART, directed by Doug Lefler, and again in 2001 to executive produce the NBC miniseries, UPRISING, with Jon Avnet. UPRISING stars LeeLee Sobieski, Hank Azaria, David Schwimmer, Jon Voight and Donald Sutherland.

Also in 2001, she returned to her love of family fare and executive produced PRANCER RETURNS, a direct-to-video sequel to her holiday film, PRANCER, directed by Joshua Butler and starring John Corbett, Stacy Edwards and Jack Palance.

In 2004, De Laurentiis continued her association with Jon Avnet on the visual effects laden feature film, SKY CAPTAIN AND THE WORLD OF TOMORROW, as Executive Producer. Helmed by first-time director, Kerry Conran, the retro sci-fi adventure stars Gwyneth Paltrow, Jude Law and Angelina Jolie.

Most recently, De Laurentiis reunited with director Doug Lefler to produce the Roman epic, THE LAST LEGION. The film was shot in Tunisia and Slovakia and stars Colin Firth, Sir Ben Kingsley, and the queen of Bollywood, Aishwarya Rai.

Wang Zhongjun (Executive Producer)
Wang Zhongjun is the president of Huayi Brothers Media & Co. Ltd.

Very early on, Wang developed a strong passion for the arts and served as a press photographer from 1982 to 1985. From 1986 to 1989, he was appointed manager of the Yongle Cultural Development Advertisement Department before heading to the U.S. to study for his PhD in Media at the New York State University. In 1994, he returned to China with money he had earned working as a part-time cartoon artist and photographer and started Huayi Brothers Advertising with younger brother Wang Zhonglei. The privately owned company was based in Beijing.

After six years, in 2000, they created Huayi Brother Pictures, which successfully invested in acclaimed Chinese TV series such as "It Must Be You, South Shaolin." They also brought talented Chinese directors on board and made a succession of hit full-length features such as Chen Kaige's acclaimed THE EMPEROR AND THE ASSASSIN, BIG SHOT'S FUNERAL and BATTLE OF WITS

Huayi Brothers is the first film company to receive a big injection of funds from insurance and banking institutions without any collateral. The loans are to help sell distribution rights overseas.

Today, Huayi Brothers Media & Co. Ltd has become the largest media chain in China with its own advertising, design, music, talent management, film production, distribution, marketing and promotion companies. It has also been propelled to the position of the most successful private film production company in China.

Wang Zhonglei (Associate Executive Producer)
Born in 1970, Wang Zhonglei is the president of Huayi Brothers Pictures. Since being established in 2000, Huayi Brother Pictures has been making TV series and films by the dozen every year.

In 2004, four films by Huayi Brothers A WORLD WITHOUT THIEVES, Stephen Chow's KUNG FU HUSTLE, KEKEXILI MOUNTAIN PATROL and BREAKING NEWS, took in over 350 million yuan (43.75 million U.S. dollars) at the box office, amounting to a staggering 35 percent of total sales in the Chinese film industry for that year, a record for a single film company in China.

In 2005, Huayi Brothers invested more than 100 million yuan (12.5 million U.S. dollars) in two major productions, THE BANQUET and BATTLE OF WITS, both of which were box office hits both in China and overseas. A WORLD WITHOUT THIEVES and THE BANQUET are both directed by the company's star director Feng Xiaogang who has made six critically acclaimed box office successes in Asia since joining Huayi. His blockbuster film for 2007 is ASSEMBLY.

Today, Huayi Brothers Media & Co. Ltd has become the largest media chain in China with its own advertising, design, music, talent management, film production, distribution, marketing and promotion companies. It has also been propelled to the position of the most successful private film production company in China.

Yuen Wo Ping (Action Choreographer/Executive Producer)

Coming from an industry hailing nearly as many action directors as celebrities, Yuen Wo Ping has distinguished himself as one of the best and certainly most renowned Hong Kong action director in the world.

Born in Guangzhou, Yuen was the eldest of 10 children belonging to famed actor Simon Yuen Siu Tin. Having trained Yuen in Peking Opera, his father introduced the young man to film producers who gave work during the '60s. As kung fu films gained popularity in the early '70s, Yuen migrated to Shaw Brothers who used him in small parts and as a stuntman in films like THE CHINESE BOXER and DUEL OF FISTS.

MAD KILLER became Wo Ping's first official film as action director, a position that was highly regarded in an industry dominated by action-oriented films. The film was directed by Ng See Yuen who went on to found Seasonal Films, an independent production house where Wo Ping would eventually direct his first feature starring a then relatively unknown actor named Jackie Chan in SNAKE IN THE EAGLE'S SHADOW. Yet, it was the following film entitled DRUNKEN MASTER, also starring Jackie, which truly propelled both men into mainstream success. In 1979, Wo Ping formed the Wo Ping Films Company whose first project was THE BUDDHIST FIST which co-starred Siu Tin who appeared in many of his son's films.

The next milestone in Wo Ping's career came in 1984 when he wisely cast a talented young martial artist in DRUNKEN TAI CHI. Donnie Yen Ji-Dan had become his protégé after being discovered two years earlier. Then a revival of classic martial arts film led by director Tsui Hark in the early '90s brought the all three together in ONCE UPON A TIME IN CHINA II. For the next five years, Wo Ping redefined Hong Kong action by creating increasingly elaborate fights employing wires and imaginative choreography that more closely resembled his former Peking Opera roots than much of the Chinese boxing that Bruce Lee once made popular. IRON MONKEY stands as perhaps his best film from this era and certainly an excellent example of his kinetically fluid style of action.

Having already gained cult status among genre fans and new wave filmmakers such as Quentin Tarantino, it came as little surprise that the Wachowski brothers, themselves fans of Hong Kong cinema would tap Wo Ping's skill in creating their vision of an action comic book come to life in THE MATRIX. The film's tremendous success, coupled with a growing interest in Hong Kong film after Jackie Chan's successful Hollywood entry led to the creation of CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON, directed by Ang Lee. By matching the epic fantasy elements of Lee's favorite Chinese swordplay films from his youth with a Western aesthetic, Wo Ping was able to create a uniquely dramatic and breathtaking series of action sequences that general audiences worldwide could identify with.

After sequels to THE MATRIX, his international stature grew with the global success of his work on Quentin Tarantino's KILL BILL VOL. 1 and 2. Yuen's recent projects include Hong Kong superstar director Stephen Chow's KUNG FU HUSTLE, Jet Li's UNLEASHED and FEARLESS, HOUSE OF FURY by director Stephen Fung, and the Chinese grandeur epic starring Zhang Ziyi, THE BANQUET.

Wo Ping continues to push the boundaries of action cinema and prove that martial arts cinema is truly an art form worthy of its Chinese roots.

Peter Pau (Director of Photography)
Peter Pau is the Oscar-winning Director of Photography who together with director Ang Lee re-invented the classic Chinese martial arts tale with the multiple Academy Award winning, international blockbuster CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON.

In CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON, Pau avoided the cliché of shooting action from very low or high angles because he wanted the action to be more intimate at eye level or just a little lower. "That way", he says, "instead of observing the action, the audience becomes part of it." An interview with Ang Lee by David E Williams (American Cinematographer, Jan. 2001) described Pau as "probably the biggest and most Hollywood-like cinematographer in all of Hong Kong, in fact he is probably more Hollywood in style than Fred Elmes (ASC), who shot my last two films. He has directed films, and he even served as our assistant director - he's probably one of the few cinematographers in the world who can do all of that".

Pau has been one of the top cinematographers in Hong Kong. After his graduation of Filmmaking at San Francisco Art Institute in 1983, he directed his first feature THE TEMPTATION OF DANCE and MISTY in the 90s.

Pau has been working with the top directors such as John Woo (THE KILLER), Tsui Hark (DOUBLE TEAM, LOVE IN THE TIME OF TWILIGHT, THE CHINESE FEAST), Ronny Yu (BRIDE WITH WHITE HAIR, BRIDE OF CHUCKY, THE PHANTOM LOVER, WARRIORS OF VIRTUE), Patrick Lussier's DRACULA 2000 and Michael Davis' SHOOT 'EM UP as well as Peter Chan's PERHAPS LOVE.

Awarded five times for best cinematography at the Hong Kong Film Awards, Pau has also received 12 nominations amongst more than 30 features in his 22 years of filmmaking.

In 2002, Pau directed his third feature, THE TOUCH, starring Michelle Yeoh and Ben Chaplin.

In 2005, Pau worked with the Chinese famous director Chen Kaige for THE PROMISE - one of the most ambitious films in Chinese cinema as well as PERHAPS LOVE, a musical film by director Peter Chan.

Bill Brzeski (Production Designer)

Bill Brzeski started designing productions in feature films, television, interior design and theatre over 20 years ago. After receiving his undergraduate degree form Miami University and his Master of Fine Arts in Design from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts, Brzeski's original interest was to design sets for the ballet and the opera, and so he started off by designing in theatre in New York City before moving to Los Angeles eventually. He then began his career in Hollywood, working in television. To date, he has designed over 800 episodes worth of TV production.

As Production Designer in feature films, he first lent his design talents to the James L. Brooks Oscar-winning AS GOOD AS IT GETS, as well as Martin Lawrence's BLUE STREAK and Danny DeVito's MATILDA. He also worked on the groundbreaking CGI movie STUART LITTLE and its sequel STUART LITTLE 2 for Sony Pictures, and that was where he met director Rob Minkoff.

Two of his recent endeavors have been CATWOMAN released in 2004 and THE BUCKET LIST Starring Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman, directed by Rob Reiner and released over Christmas 2007.

Brzeski has also designed commercial spaces, most notably the award winning Susina Bakery in Los Angeles.

Lately, Brzeski has embarked on a teaching career doing Production Design Workshops at graduate and undergrad levels. New York University School of The Arts, Miami University, Clemson University, and Loyola University Film School have hosted his design seminars.

Shirley Chan (Costume Designer)
Shirley Chan graduated from the l'Ecole de la Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne in Fashion Design in 1977 and practiced as a fashion designer in Hong Kong for 3 years before venturing into costuming designing for her first film. In 1986, she was nominated for the Best Costume Design award at the Golden Horse Awards in Taiwan for two films one of which was LEGEND OF WISELY. She eventually took home the award for her work in director Tsui Hark's A CHINESE GHOST STORY. Other nominations to her name include the Hong Kong Film Awards in 1993, 2005 and 2006.

Over the years, Chan has been actively sought after to create the costumes and image for the characters in film and TV commercial projects across Hong Kong, China and Taiwan. Having since accumulated almost a hundred films to her name, Chan was once again, in 2005, nominated for her work in both Tsui Hark's SEVEN SWORDS and Stephen Chow's KUNG FU HUSTLE at the 42nd Golden Horse Awards in Taiwan. Repeating her win in 1986, Chan was awarded the Best Costume & Make Up Design for KUNG FU HUSTLE. Prior to this winning feat, Chan had collaborated with Stephen Chow on a number of his films including ROYAL TRAMP, FLIRTING SCHOLAR and FROM BEIJING WITH LOVE.

Before THE FORBIDDEN KINGDOM, Chan has already been a long time collaborator with both Jackie Chan and Jet Li, having worked on many of their films including POLICE STORY II, CITY HUNTER, GORGEOUS, THE ACCIDENTAL SPY, and with the latter in THE LEGEND OF FONG SAI-YUK II, MY FATHER IS A HERO, THE BODYGUARD FROM BEIJING, FIST OF LEGEND and HITMAN.

Her other works include CHINESE BOX starring Gong Li, JASMINE WOMEN starring Ziyi Zhang and THE TOUCH with Michelle Yeoh and directed by Peter Pau.

Costumes in THE KILLER and ONCE UPON A THIEF, both by director John Woo are also credited to Chan.

Eric Strand (Editor)
Eric Strand grew up watching 16mm films in his living room. His mother Chick Strand was a critically acclaimed experimental and documentary filmmaker in the 60's and 70's, and until retiring, ran the film department at Occidental College. So ever since he could remember, there was always an editing room at home.

Starting out as a sound assistant on Saturday morning cartoons such as "Fangface" and "Plasticman" in 1979, Strand soon secured a job in film shipping at Paramount Pictures before eventually moving up to be film apprentice on AIRPLANE 2. Moving from an apprentice to a 1st Assistant Editor, Strand has worked on films such as GREMLINS, STAYING ALIVE, FIRESTARTER, TO LIVE AND DIE IN L.A., EDDIE MURPHY RAW, HAND THAT ROCKS THE CRADLE, I'LL DO ANYTHING and CUTTHROAT ISLAND.

Over a spread of twenty years, Strand worked with editor Geoffrey Rowland, A.C.E on TV series "Hill Street Blues" which won an Eddy Award, followed by "Stagecoach" starring Willie Nelson, Kris Kristopherson, Johnny Cash and Waylon Jennings, and then on the controversial mini-series "Path to 9/11" for ABC, which won numerous awards including an Emmy and an American Cinema Editors award for editing.

As Additional Film Editor, Strand worked on the John Hughes film SHE'S HAVING A BABY and then on THE EXPERTS. He also scoured WWII archive footage editing the documentaries for the huge mini-series "War & Remembrance" and edited the 60-minute TV series "Over My Dead Body" for CBS.

1992 was the pivotal year when Strand co-edited with Academy Award® winning editor Ralph Winters, A.C.E. on TROUBLESHOOTERS, noted for its editing in a review by Variety. Since then, he has gone on to be co-editor on the Universal feature THE HUNTED starring Christopher Lambert, John Lone and Joan Chen, the multiple award-winning LETHAL WEAPON 4 and DEEP BLUE SEA (both working with award-winning editor Frank Urioste) and with Stuart Baird on MISSION IMPOSSIBLE 2 and LARA CROFT: TOMB RAIDER, also both nominated and winner of numerous awards.

In 2000, Strand co-edited the critically acclaimed and highly decorated nominee and award-winning cult classic DONNIE DARKO starring Jake Gyllenhaal. This has led to a slate of interesting independent films such as the festival-winning BRIAR PATCH (aka PLAIN DIRTY), DEEPWATER and SHOOTING GALLERY. He has also donated his time to edit a short GLORY GIRL directed by Martha Cotton for the Director's Workshop for Women at AFI.

His other recent credits include the skateboard comedy GRIND, teen witch horror movie TAMARA, cable movie AMBERS STORY, crime thriller BORDERLAND and the poker drama DEAL, starring Burt Reynolds.

Much like the Jason character in THE FORBIDDEN KINGDOM, Strand was a big fan of Bruce Lee movies and had his room plastered with Bruce Lee posters when he was young. Having studied martial arts for a total of 7 years, Eric has always wanted to work on a martial arts film, so he is extremely proud to be the Editor on THE FORBIDDEN KINGDOM.

Ron Simonson (Senior Visual Effects Supervisor)

Ron Simonson's experience as a Visual Effects Supervisor has its roots in Cinematography. His career began in feature films as a Cameraman and Director of Photography shooting miniatures, explosions and various other elements related to special and visual effects. After some years at the acclaimed Richard Edlund's Boss Film Studios working on films like AIR FORCE ONE, STARSHIP TROOPERS, and MULTIPLICITY, Simonson moved to Metrolight Studios as Post Production Supervisor. There he worked on several ride films for Universal theme parks as well as Disney World and Epcot. Simonson later became Visual Effects Supervisor on Universal's DRAGONHEART II -- A NEW BEGINNING.

Following Metrolight, Simonson reunited with Richard Edlund to Co-Supervise Harold Ramis' BEDAZZLED for Fox Studios, and later join forces on HBO's "Angels in America" for which they were nominated for an Emmy in 2004 for Best Visual Effects in a mini-series or movie.

Simonson went on to supervise the award-winning mini-series "Uprising" for NBC and "Something the Lord Made" for HBO, winner of the 2004 Emmy for Best Movie. For THE FORBIDDEN KINGDOM, Simonson underwent a globetrotting experience, as he had to oversee effects work in Hong Kong, Los Angeles as well as Seoul, Korea where the bulk of the work was being done. He is currently finishing up post production on THE BROTHERS BLOOM.

David Buckley (Music Composer)

David Buckley is a British-born film and television composer working in Los Angeles, where he moved his main studio in 2006. He has written music for a number of Harry Gregson-Williams's scores, including SHREK THE THIRD (Dreamworks SKG), SHREK THE HALLS (Dreamworks SKG), GONE BABY GONE (Miramax), FLUSHED AWAY (Dreamworks SKG/Aardman), THE NUMBER 23 (New Line Cinema), THE REVENGE (Scott Free), and JOLENE. He has also contributed music to the Playstation game, Metal Gear Solid 4. Recently, Buckley completed the score for TOWN CREEK (Lionsgate, directed by Joel Schumacher).

Educated at Cambridge University, Buckley's first involvement with film music was as a cathedral chorister, performing on Peter Gabriel's score for Martin Scorsese's THE LAST TEMPTATION OF CHRIST. His commercial work began with composing for the Tussauds Studios, writing tracks, which featured in the leading theme parks across the UK and Europe. In 2002 he teamed up with television composer Keith Bayley, and between them they have written scores for dozens of television shows and advertising campaigns.

Buckley still has works performed in UK concert venues and on radio stations, and is frequently used as an arranger for pop and crossover artists.

A wide range of musical styles has influenced Buckley's output. This ranges from classical, historic, ambient, electronic, choral to ethnic. He is equally at home with a large-scale symphony orchestra as he is scoring from his Los Angeles studio.