BEIJING, Nov. 6 -- The domestic success of her first film as producer has pushed Chinese actress Zhang Ziyi to target a wider audience with her next project.

    Zhang is working with her friends Wendi Murdoch and Florence Sloan to produce the English-language film "Snow Flower and the Secret Fan", according to Hollywoodreporter.com.

    The actress will also star in the film, which will be directed by Chinese-American filmmaker Wayne Wang, who also did "Maid in Manhattan".

    Set in 19th-century China, the film is based on Lisa See's novel of the same name about a lifelong friendship between two women.

    Shooting is slated to begin early next year in China.

In the romantic comedy "Sophie's Revenge",  Zhang plays Sophie, a young cartoonist who plans to win her boyfriend back after he dumps her for a beautiful actress, played by Fan Bingbing. (Photo Source:chinadaily.com) Photo Gallery>>>

    Zhang Ziyi made her production debut with the urban romantic comedy "Sophie's Revenge", in which she played the lead character. The film opened in China in mid-August and soon turned new director Jin Yimeng into the most bankable female director on the mainland.

    Since the Oscar-winning 2000 film "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon", Zhang Ziyi has become perhaps the best-known Chinese face in Hollywood. Her most recent English-language feature, "Horsemen", was released earlier this year.

    Previous reports suggest Zhang had teamed up with Wendi Murdoch and Florence Sloan to run a film studio. China-born Wendi Murdoch is the wife of News Corporation chairman and CEO Rupert Murdoch. Florence Sloan, a Malaysian-Chinese, is married to MGM chairman Harry Sloan.

    Hollywoodreporter.com describes Zhang Ziyi as "following the practice of big Hollywood talent: establishing her own production company to pull in projects for herself and control a greater share of revenue."

    (Source: CRIENGLISH. com)