Chen Kaige

Apparently, Chinese director Chen Kaige will be a busy man this year.

Japan's Kadokawa Pictures announced on Saturday that Chen has signed on for a fantasy movie based on a serial novel by Japanese writer Baku Yumemakura, the Shanghai Morning Post reported.

Script adaptation has started on the project, tentatively called "Shamon Kukai," literally "Buddhist Monk Kukai," and filming will start after the director finishes his historical drama "Zhao's Orphan," the report said.

A representative of Chen Kaige has confirmed the news.

The anonymous source said "Shamon Kukai" will be a blockbuster with big investment, "casting A-list stars from China, Japan and South Korea."

Shanghai will be a major shooting location, and a giant vessel will be built for the seafaring scenes, the source said.

Set in China's Tang Dynasty (618-907), the movie centers around Yang Guifei, one of China's most famous ancient beauties and the favorite concubine of Emperor Xuanzong. The story unfolds as the Japanese monk Kukai travels to the thriving capital of Tang, Chang'an, and gets involved in a series of supernatural incidents.

Chen's other announced movie project, "Zhao's Orphan," is expected to start filming in March.

The Oscar-nominated director is also gearing up to present his first outdoor musical show, "Xi Yi," this April in the charming old town of Dali in southern China's Yunnan Province.

Chen's latest production is "Forever Enthralled," a biopic about the late Peking Opera master Mei Lanfang.

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