BEIJING, Aug. 15 -- It could have been "Sorry Wrong Number." Reporters refused to remain on hold for Sunday's press conference at Panglin Hotel for the movie "The 601st Phone Call" after waiting one-and-a-half hours.

    Almost all reporters and photographers from local newspapers and TV and radio stations left just before leading actress Zhou Bichang, the runner-up for Super Girl 2005, and little-known mainland actor Hu Ge arrived.

    Zhou and Hu were scheduled to attend the press conference and the movie's Shenzhen premiere at 5 p.m. but didn't show up until 6:30 p.m.

    Zhou later said at the press conference that she knew nothing about the media's angry exodus.

    "I was told that the press conference was at 6 p.m. and we rushed to Shenzhen after the premiere in Guangzhou this morning." No explanation of why the almost-Super Girl took half a day to make the short trip.

    Produced by Feng Xiaogang and directed by TV actor Zhang Guoli, the movie is based on a story based on last year's media frenzy sparked when phone numbers of more than 600 celebrities were posted online.

    This marks Zhou's second film appearance. She debuted in January in "McDull, The Alumni," produced by Peter Chan.

    In "The 601st Phone Call," Zhou plays an ordinary girl whose mobile number is similar to that of Cheung, who plays a singer. Zhou's nightmare begins after Cheung's number is made public online, one of the 600 numbers. A terminally ill patient, played by Hu Ge, calls Zhou by mistake, trying to reach Cheung to ask her to sing a song he composed. That's the start of a love story.

    The movie opened in local cinemas Friday.

(Source: Shenzhen Daily/Agencies)