Hong Kong actor anddirector Stephen Chow announced that he will shoot his new film A Hope (working title) in August in China's Southeastern city Ningbo.

Budgeted at $20m,the film will be co-financed by Chow's Star Overseas Limited, China Film Groupand Beijing Polybona Film Publishing.

Chow will star inthe sci-fi film with young Chinese actress Zhang Yuqi,who plays an android.

Chow will play anastronaut who accidentally lands on another planet. Through the help of a robot who communicates withaliens, the astronaut develops a father-son relationship with a young alien.

The casting ofthe young alien is not yet announced, according to Yu Dong of Beijing Polybona Film Publishing. The confirmed cast also includesYuen Qiu, Danny Kwok-kwanChan and Tin Kai-man, who have appeared in Chow's Shaolin Soccer and Kung Fu Hustle.

Originally titledas Alien (WaiXing Ren), then changed to Chang Jiang XII and now A Hope, Chow noted that the title wasyet to be confirmed.

Special effectsand stunts shots will comprise more than two-thirds of the film's shots, YuDong said. Yu told local media that the expected release would be in the summerof 2007.

It is understoodthat Chow's Kung Fu Hustle 2, thesequel to his successful 2004 collaboration with Columbia Asia Film Productions,will be postponed, as Chow needs more time to polish the script of the film,according to local reports.

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