Stephen Chow – CJ7

THEATRICAL RELEASE: January, 31 2008 ( Hong Kong )

DIRECTOR: Stephen Chow

SCREENWRITERS: Stephen Chow ACTORS: Stephen Chow, Kitty Zhang, Lam Chi Chung, Xu Jiao, Yuen Qiu, Danny Chan Kwok Kuen, Tin Kai Man

STUDIO: Columbia Pictures

Stephen Chow Sing-Chi, the acclaimed director of the successful movies like Shaolin Soccer and Kung Fu Hustle has come up with new sci-fi comedy title called “CJ7” (previously titled “A Hope”).

That means, more fresh new comedy goodies from the Master of Comedy.

Photos by: Sina

“CJ7” ( Chinese: ‘Chang Jiang qi hao‘ ) is an upcoming 2008 science fiction/comedy film written, produced and directed by Stephen Chow, who also stars in the film. In August 2007 the film was given the title “CJ7“, a play on China’s successful Shenzhou manned space missions – Shenzhou 5 and Shenzhou 6. It was previously been known by a series of working titles – Alien, Yangtze River VII, Long River 7 and most notably, A Hope. It was filmed in Ningbo, in the Zhejiang province. According to IMDb, filming is now complete and a 2007 release is expected.

Plot Outline

• As with the title “CJ7”, the earlier working titles, Yangtze River VII and Long River 7, referred to the Chinese manned space program. The mission of Shenzhou 6 was completed in 2006 and the real Shenzhou 7 is set to launch in September 2008.

• The film will have a budget of $20 million US, and will be heavy on CG effects.

• Chow plays a man who lives in a partly demolished house. He takes in a homeless boy (who is actually played by a girl, Xu Jiao). Whether the semi-demolished house and the homeless boy are on Earth, or on the alien planet is not clear. As Chow’s character can’t afford to buy a toy for the child, he finds a makeshift toy in the garbage and brings it back to his “son”. The “toy” is actually a powerful alien device and the aliens are desperate to get it back. Some rumors state that it is a “pet” rather than a “toy”.

• The reason Chow’s character can’t afford to buy the child a toy is because he is fired without pay from his part-time job as a construction worker. His boss is a contractor played by Lam Chi Chung.

• Chow plays an astronaut who crashes his spacecraft on another planet. He befriends an android translator ( played by Kitty Zhang ) who can communicate with aliens.

• Scenes include Chow’s character being taken to hospital after seemingly plunging to his death; the adopted child crying, whilst Kitty Zhang’s android character plays teacher; a birthday party for the child.