The Shanghai-based Oriental Morning Post is reporting today that Hugh Jackman will play the male lead in Wayne Wang’s Snow Flower and the Secret Fan and that Li Bingbing (The Forbidden Kingdom) has replaced Zhang Ziyi in the film that also stars Jeon Ji-Hyun.
Filming started today at Hengdian, a large film studio near Shanghai. Jackman is expected to join the production in mid-February.
Set in 19th century remote China, Snow Flower and the Secret Fan revolves around the lifelong friendship of Lily and Snow Flower and their imprisonment by rigid cultural codes of conduct for women.
The script is based on the novel by Lisa See. Wendi Murdoch and Florence Sloan are producing.