"The Message" cast members Huang Xiaoming, Li Bingbing and Alec Su (L to R) attend a promo event of the film at the 14th Pusan International Film Festival, October 15, 2009. [Photo: ent.sina.com.cn]
Spy thriller "The Message", China's first commercial espionage flick, is to have a prequel and a sequel following its ever-improving box office performance since its premiere in Chinese cinemas on September 29.
The movie's investor, mainland entertainment giant Huayi Bros, has declared an ambitious plan to extend The Message into a trilogy with an unlimited budget after the film scooped 195 million yuan on the mainland in its first two weeks. Hong Kong and Taiwan theaters will also run the spy drama from the end of October.
According to Huayi, stories for the prequel and sequel will be based around some of the more obscure characters from this installment, but the production crew and cast will remain the same for the upcoming two installments.
"The Message" director Chen Guofu speaks at a promo event of the film at the 14th Pusan International Film Festival, October 15, 2009. [Photo: ent.sina.com.cn]
As announced last week, The Message scored six nods at the Golden Horse Film Awards, a much-coveted honor in the Chinese film industry. Lead actresses Zhou Xun and Li Bingbing were both nominated for the award of Best Actress in a Leading Role. This year's Golden Horse ceremony will take place in Taipei on November 28.
The Message is also the closing film at the 14th Pusan International Film Festival, which wraps up on Friday.
