Chinese Actress Fan Bingbing, who has recently been blacklisted despite paying over 880 million yuan in taxes due to “yin-yang contracts,” has been actively seeking international collaborations in recent years. Apart from attending the Cannes and Busan Film Festivals and making appearances in foreign movies and Korean dramas, she has now reportedly teamed up with Malaysian director Zhang Ji An for a new film titled “Mother Bhumi.” This project marks Fan Bingbing’s first Chinese-language film since her ban in mainland China.
According to a report from the American media outlet “Variety” on October 7th, “Mother Bhumi” continues Zhang Ji An’s signature style of non-realistic fantasy themes. Set in a village on the border of Malaysia and Thailand, the story follows Fan Bingbing’s character Hong Lin, a farmer who uses exorcism to help villagers with their problems. One day, she encounters a ghost, leading to the unraveling of her husband’s mysterious death. Alongside Fan Bingbing, Taiwanese actress Bai Runyin and Hong Kong actress Hui Enyi will play her two children in the film.
The movie is a collaboration between Malaysia and Italy, currently shooting in Jitra, Alor Setar, Malaysia, with plans to wrap up filming in November this year and premiere at major film festivals in the second half of 2025.
Fan Bingbing’s role in the film will require her to speak in various languages, including Hokkien, Malay, Thai, and Southeast Asian ancient scriptures, posing a significant challenge. Additionally, she has undergone a significant weight gain for the role, a departure from most of her previous performances.
Zhang Ji An, who won the Best New Director award at the Golden Horse Awards in 2020 for his film “Nan Wu,” and whose film “Snow in May” opened the 60th Golden Horse Awards in 2022 with 9 nominations, also won the Uncaged Award for Best Feature Film Competition at the 23rd New York Asian Film Festival for the same film.
In September, Fan Bingbing shared a video on Facebook that was quickly recognized by netizens as being in Malaysia, with scenes resembling a film set. Many speculated that as the tourism ambassador of Malacca, she might be collaborating with Malaysian film and television production teams. Recently, she posted a photo on social media showcasing a makeup look featuring “all-black with red accents,” hinting at her character’s appearance in the film.