On Sunday, Beijing Hualu Baina TV Co. Ltd., the producer of the upcoming production, announced the shooting schedule. But there are no answers yet to the question of whether Chen Kaige will direct. 　　

According to the producer, the casting will take place from March to September. Shooting will run from December to July 2007. The TV series will be ready to air mid-2008. 　　

“More than 50 leads, including Jia Baoyu and 12 female leads, will be cast from new faces. Then we will take three months to be trained, like director Wang Fulin did in 1987. The new production will be helped by digital special effects,” said a Mr. Luo with Huana Bailu. 　　

First shot in 1987, “A Dream of Red Mansions” was a major production with the creation of a 130,000-square-meter garden in Beijing as part of the setting. Actors from all over the country appeared in the series, and experts on the novel helped train them. The 1987 version was based on the novel but changed the ending. The new 50-episode production is said to be true to the original. 　　

As to Chen Kaige, Luo said Chen had expressed his willingness early on to direct the series, but has not yet signed a contract. Chen is one of the creators of the script. 　　

According to Luo, selecting a director is the project’s biggest headache. Over the past two years, the producer contacted several directors, including some from Hong Kong and Taiwan. “Those overseas directors do not accept the ‘true to original’ principle, while most mainland directors are used to shooting commercial soap operas,” said Luo.