Jun Ji-hyun to appear in film with boy band F4 member

Korean actress Jun Ji-hyun is set to appear alongside Taiwanese boy band F4 in a new film starring top Chinese actress Zhang Ziyi, according to multiple Chinese media reports.

One of the members of F4 -- currently composed of Jerry Yan, Vanness Wu, Ken Chu and Vic Chou -- will reportedly be cast opposite Jun and Zhang, who will play the lead role in the film "Snow Flower and the Secret Fan".

The film, based on the 2005 novel of the same title by Chinese-American writer Lisa See, tells the story of two women from a village in Hunan of China and their lifelong friendship. The pic is rumored to include intimate scenes between Zhang and Jun.

It will be helmed by noted Chinese-American filmmaker Wayne Wang, who directed "The Joy Luck Club" (1993), "Maid in Manhattan" (2002) and "Smoke (1995)", for which he won the Silver Bear award at Berlin International Film Festival.

Jun Ji-hyun, whose English name is Gianna Jun, is one of the most sought-after actresses in Korea. She became a household name after starring in the 2001 hit film "My Sassy Girl" which spawned a Hollywood remake. She made her international debut last year in the film "Blood: The Last Vampire".

F4 first appeared in 2001 as fictional characters in the Taiwanese drama "Meteor Garden", which originated from a popular Japanese comic series. They became an overnight success, signed with Sony Music and have since released three albums. They are also popular in other Asian countries, including Japan and the Philippines.

Reporter : Park So-yoen muse@asiae.co.kr
Editor : Lynn Kim lynn2878@asiae.co.kr