Chinese actress Zhang Ziyi once again proved her popularity in the
Hollywood movie circle with a recent invitation from the organizing committee of
the Oscar ceremony to be held Feb. 27 next year. Zhang was said to accept the
invitation with delight.
The young beauty has become one of the most highlighted Chinese actresses in
the North American movie scene with the huge box-office result of Hero, a Zhang
Yimou-directed martial arts epic in which Zhang Ziyi starred.
Her recent appearance in America to promote House of Flying Daggers, another
Zhang Yimou¡¯s martial arts credit in which Zhang Ziyi had the leading role, and
her cooperation with Hollywood heavyweight producer Steven Spielberg for Memoirs
of a Geisha, also spurred her fame in Hollywood. All these combined to attract
the Oscar organizing committee to invite her to show up at the Oscar ceremony,
which might be a gathering of the most famous and beautiful faces of the world.
However, it remains a mystery who will accompany Zhang Ziyi on the red
carpet. Although House of Flying Daggers was qualified to compete for a
nomination in the Best Foreign Language Film category, its director Zhang Yimou
is now grappling with the shooting of his latest production Lonely Ride over a
Long Distance and might not appear at the Oscar ceremony. It is very likely
Zhang Ziyi will walk up the red carpet with a foreign face.
Chinese movie fans are also anticipating House of Flying Daggers to be
selected as an Oscar finalist for the Best Foreign Language Film award. The
nomination list will be announced Jan. 25.
Apart from the Oscar ceremony, Zhang Ziyi will also attend the Golden Globe
ceremony Feb. 15, 2005. The busy schedule has postponed the premiere of her
Jasmine, which was previously set to hit the domestic screens on Valentine¡¯s
Day, 2005. Now the movie is due out March 3.
