Good thing their clones can take the heat of co-stars' hot embrace

Screaming fans with LED signs spelling his name greeted actor Andy Lau Tak-wah when he took to the stage at the Madame Tussauds wax museum in the Peak Tower on Wednesday to introduce his coming movie, Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame.

The thriller about a Tang dynasty sleuth is Lau's first collaboration with renowned action film director Tsui Hark.

'It has taken me 20-odd years to get a chance to work with Tsui,' Lau said.

'He'd come to me with these period films, and I'd ask for roles along the lines of James Bond. Finally, he calls one day, saying, 'Hey, I found something very 007; it's about a hard-boiled detective...'

'I say, 'Great! Let's do it.' Then he adds, '... and he works for the empress in 690AD China'.'

Lau's co-star, mainland actress Li Bingbing, and her wax replica flew out from Shanghai for the occasion. The two stars hammed it up for the cameras, adopting intimate poses with their wax figures, while emcee Albert Au Wing-kuen quizzed them about their experience working on the film, which will be released in Hong Kong on the eve of National Day.