The pan-Asian project that was to be director John Woo's next film has been canned. The romantic epic 1949, meant to feature Taiwanese star Chang Chen and Korean beauty Song Hye-kyo - making her Putonghua-speaking debut on-screen - is officially kaput, according to a report in film-trade publication The Hollywood Reporter. 'It's off,' Woo's long-time producer, Terence Chang, said of the project, set during the communist revolution in China. Apparently, Wang Hui-ling, who also wrote the original story of Lust, Caution, sold the same story to a Taiwanese TV network.
'They sold the same script to be made into a miniseries for TV that would come out before our movie,' the producer is quoted as saying. 'This is unacceptable and we're very disappointed.' However, Woo (pictured) is still wooing Song, according to the report. It suggests the Hong Kong-born director of Red Cliff is prepared to offer her a role in his next film, whatever that may be.