Hou Hsiao-hsien directing his first action film

Hou Hsiao-hsien is mostly known in the art-house cinema world for his slow, meditative pictures. Heck, one of his last pictures was a tribute to Yasijuro Ozu. While no one knew what to expect from him next, his extremely long, unmoving takes seem particularly unsuited to the action genre. Perhaps this challenge is why he chose it for his next feature, which is going into pre-production at the beginning of October and expected to begin shooting early 2009.

The film is an adaptation of the ninth-century fantasy novel Nie Yin Niang, which is about a female ninja assassin with the ability to transform into animals using illusion. Taiwanese actress Shu Qi (Three Times, Millennium Mambo) is attached as the lead. The film will be shot in a Wuxia style, which could place it in very much the same successful vein as Ashes of Time or Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon. Stranger things have happened. Hsiao-hsien's films are yet to get even modest distribution in the United States, so this may be the work that finally pushes him into American cinemas.

Thanks to Cinematical Indie for the tip!

Related links:
Review: Millenium Mambo
Review: The Flight of the Red Balloon
Hou Hsio-hsien on IMDb

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