Mainland Chinese actresses Zhou Xun and Zhang Yuqi and Taiwan's Gui Lunmei will star in Tsui Hark's upcoming romantic comedy She Ain't Mean, which will be the first production this year from Beijing-based J.A. Media.

At a press conference held today in Beijing, Tsui said the film will start shooting at the end of January.

Set in contemporary Beijing, the $5m comedy will portray a range of modern-day Beijing women.

Zhou Xun will play 12 different women in various professions; Gui Lunmei will portray a rebellious young woman with fighting skills, and Zhang Yuqi will play an intelligent and wealthy woman. Korean filmmaker Kwak Jae-yong (My Sassy Girl) has scripted the film.

Besides She Ain't Mean, J.A. Media's two 2007 co-production projects - Jump, directed by Stephen Fung, and Miao Miao, from Taiwanese filmmaker Cheng Hsiao-zer - have completed shooting.

The former, starring Zhang Yuqi and Edison Chan, is co-produced by Stephen Chow's Star Overseas. Miao Miao, starring Fan Chih-wei and Ke Chia-yan, is co-produced with Wong Kar-wai's Jet Tone Films. J.A. Media will take charge of mainland Chinese distribution of both films.

The company is also preparing a Bruce Lee biopic, to be directed by Stanley Kwan, and Ann Hui's Concubine's Children. Both aim to start shooting this year.

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