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Stars shine in TV serial
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CCTV'S 40-part TV serial, The Gate of the Reign 《大宅门》, has generated a mountain of buzz lately. Entertainment industry insiders are discussing what Zhang Yimou may look like when he plays a court eunuch, and how other Chinese cinema icons like Chen Kaige, Jiang Wen, Ge You, Ning Jing will do in their minor roles in the serial.
This is the first time so many big names have appeared in one TV series. Most of them have won respected awards at international film festivals or huge box office receipts here at home.
It has been said that only Guo Baochang, director of the series and a titan in China's entertainment industry, could put such a giant show together.
Zhang Yimou said he is still grateful for Guo's help during his earlier years in the film industry. Other stars signed on for similar reasons.
However, there is more to the production than a grand array of stars. The story follows a family of Chinese doctors over several decades in the first half of the 20th Century.
The sweeping drama is said to belong to the same school as the literary classic The Red Chamber, as both stories use events in a large family to explore the social changes of an age.
Chen Baoguo, the leading actor, said: "Such a good script has hardly seen in the past 50 years. This is the first really great script I've found in my 20 years in the business."
Siqin Gaowa, a renowned actress, plays the leading role, a traditional Chinese woman who supports her whole family through many hard times.(Windy Shao)
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