CANTO-POP diva Faye Wong may not have sold out her concerts at the Coliseum over the Christmas and New Year holidays but she will still be laughing all the way to her Beijing bank. The reason is that she has been approached by Square, a Japanese games software developer, to sing the theme for their coming Final Fantasy VIII. Wong will be pocketing at least US$1 million (about HK$7.78 million) for her rendition of the English-language Eyes On Me. The game will feature two versions of the song - one with a classical arrangement and the other, a pop one.
Canto stars yen for Japan SPEAKING of Japan, more Canto-pop stars are looking east with the music industry in murky waters here. Kelly Chen Wai-lum had earlier gone to Japan to be in a Fuji television series which will be screened on Wharf Cable from January 24. The latest to go east will be Leo Koo Kui-kei who has accepted a supporting role as a cold-blooded killer in a new Japanese film. Although the lead actors have not been confirmed, the producers are trying hard to get one-time Taiwanese pop singer Takeshi Kaneshiro and Miho Nakayama.
Record competition for Tse NICHOLAS Tse Ting-fung might be in for some internal competition at his record company, Fitto, if speculation is right about the firm's new direction. The company's former manager was killed in a car accident in November and word is that Frankie Lee Chun - one time manager of Leon Lai and Sammi Cheng - will be taking over. He is reportedly also bringing along his new charge Daniel Chan Hiu-tung and possibly Ekin Cheng. It will be interesting to see what happens when three 'tigers' are let loose on the same mountain.
Hung a real kick in the US KUNG FU actor Sammo Hung Kam-po's new American television series Martial Law has turned out to be quite popular with viewers and critics. The series has been nominated for Best New Series and Best Actor In A New Series in TV Guide's annual television awards. Although it may not be as grand as the Emmys, at least it is proof that Hung has become a new popular hero for the younger viewers in the country.