“I am excited to have Li Bingbing join our cast and to be shooting portions of the movie in her native China. I have always aspired to work with the best actors and this cast is especially exciting now with the addition of Li, said Michael Bay.
Li`s recent hits in China include the Tsui Hark-directed Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame and 1911. She has already begun to cross over into American films, most recently co-starring in the Paul W.S. Anderson-directed Resident Evil: Retribution, and before that Snow Flower and the Secret Fan and Forbidden Kingdom. She was recently named Variety`s “Asian Star of the Year” which was celebrated in Los Angeles last month. Li is represented by UTA and Li Bingbing Studio.
“I am thrilled to get to work with Michael Bay. Transformers has influenced generations in China and the movie franchise has a massive fan base. I am very happy to be able to join this international production. Thank you Paramount for the invitation! Looking forward to it! said Li.
Paramount, China Movie Channel and Jiaflix Enterprises announced this past April a Cooperation Agreement regarding the production of Transformers 4 in China. Under the agreement, China Movie Channel, under the State Administration of Radio Film and Television (SARFT), will cooperate with Paramount in broad-based support of the production of the film in China.
Transformers 4 is expected to be released in China on or about June 27, 2014. The parties also intend to cooperate in a number of other areas related to Transformers 4, including the selection of filming sites within China, theatrical promotion, and possible post-production activities in China as well as casting of Chinese actors and actresses in the film.
This agreement represents the first time that China Movie Channel will work with a western studio in the production of a major motion picture.
“We are delighted to see Ms. Li Bingbing being selected for a major role in Transformers 4, a very successful global film franchise, said Yan Xiaoming, Chairman of China Movie Channel. “Ms. Li is an excellent and famous Chinese actress with many fans in China. She has had many successful projects with China Movie Channel and M1905.com in the past. We wish her every success in Transformers 4 and with the worldwide audience that will enjoy her great talent.
Said Sid Ganis, Chairman of Jiaflix, “Li Bingbing is an enormously talented Chinese artist who is fast becoming a worldwide movie star and is a great addition to a stellar cast.
Shooting this summer in multiple locations in the U.S. and China, the film is directed by Bay and re-unites the filmmaking team from the hit franchise, including producers Lorenzo di Bonaventura, Don Murphy & Tom DeSanto and Ian Bryce; and executive producers Steven Spielberg, Bay, Brian Goldner and Mark Vahradian. Transformers 4 is written by Ehren Kruger, based on Hasbro`s Transformersâ”