Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon has raked in more than US$121 million in U.S. box office as of 4/18/01. That's comfortably more than double the previous record for a foreign film. Winning four Academy Awards has helped the flick stay among the top 15 moneymakers.

CTHD star Michelle Yeoh recently received the honorary title of Datuk in her home country. The former Miss Malaysia has turned down an offer from the Wachowski brothers to star in the sequel to The Matrix. Instead, she will concentrate on her own film project, The Touch.

Keanu Reeves, who is recovering from the tragic death of his estranged girlfriend, Jennifer Syme, in a car accident earlier this month, will star in The Matrix sequel, though, along with Laurence Fishburne. The film will be shot in Australia.

Zhang Ziyi, the sensational newcomer who kicked booty in CTHD, is currently starring in the Zhang Yimou love story, The Road Home, which won a silver medal at the Berlin Film Festival.

Zhang Yimou is slated to direct an historical epic about the China's first emperor.
 

Rising stars
 

On Apr. 15, NewFilmakers will host a presentation focused on emerging filmmakers from the "Asian Diaspora." The NYC event will feature flicks by Fatimah Tobing Rony, Yunah Hong, Atsushi Funahashi and a test screening of two shorties by Greg Pak, the net film guru among Asian Americans.

Speaking of rising stars, Gene Cajayon's Filipino American story, The Debut, has wowed audiences at recent film festivals. The movie, along with another Filipino juggernaut, The Flip Side, by Rod Pulido, featured as the opening and closing films of the SFIAAFF event in SF.

The Debut just extended into Solano County theaters outside the SF Bay area. The Flip Side was among the films featured at the Chicago AA film showcase.

Martial arts star Jet Li is said to be working on a Chinese goverment-backed film deal that includes Zhang Ziyi, Jiang Wen, Maggie Cheung and Tony Leung.

This summer Jet Li serves more martial arts fare in Kiss the Dragon.

The Poke phenomenon continues with Pokemon 3 pulling more than $14 million in revenues. The animated adventure is showing at 2,675 theaters around the U.S.

Anime continues to grow in popularity with shows like Sailor Moon, Gundam Wing and Dragonballz picking up high ratings on the Cartoon Network.

 
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