HONG KONG (14 November 2012) – Madame Tussauds Hong Kong marked a milestone yesterday, as the attraction welcomed its first male Mainland Chinese celebrity, Huang Xiaoming to it halls. Fans received a double dose of star power as Mainland China’s number one heartthrob unveiled his wax double, during the Beijing premiere of Xiaoming’s highly-anticipated 3D blockbuster "The Guillotines".
The momentous launch of Xiaoming’s wax figure at the Xin Mei Cinema in Beijing – which is dressed as his wolf-themed character in “The Guillotines” – was witnessed by Producer Peter Ho-Sun Chan and Director Andrew Lau, as well as fellow celebrities Ethan Juan, Li Yuchan, Shawn Yue, and Boran Jing. The launch was made even more special, as the event coincided with his birthday. With Director Andrew Lau helping him cut his cake, Xiaoming eagerly presented his wax likeness, which will officially appear at Madame Tussauds Hong Kong in December.
Kelly Mak, General Manager of Madame Tussauds Hong Kong said that a poll of guests at the attraction revealed Huang Xiaoming as the most popular male Mainland Chinese celebrity that visitors wanted to see.
Sporting every bit of his counterpart’s charm, Xiaoming’s wax double is dressed as his wolf-themed shepherd character, in simple white robes with coarse ropes as a belt. To ensure that every single detail was perfect, Madame Tussauds flew John Cormican, Senior Sculptor from London to Mainland China for a seven-hour fitting with Xiaoming. During the memorable session, Xiaoming kept playing with his ‘eyes’ and scaring the fitting staff with whimsical antics.
“To ensure that my wax figure would have accurate measurements, I didn’t eat breakfast before the sitting and I didn’t even dare to drink water,” said Huang Xiaoming. “I’m very excited as I feel like I have a twin brother now, and my mother is even happier as she has another son! The best part is that he can take my place and appear in movies or at events when I’m too busy.”
During the premiere, Xiaoming also revealed how he learned to fully play his wolf-themed character by observing Producer Peter Ho-Sun Chan and Director Andrew Lau, and emulating their speech, characters and even their on set working style. Xiaoming commented that this role has helped him reinvent himself as an actor, which he regards as a breakthrough for his career. Xiaoming’s birthday wish was that “The Guillotines” will break the 800 million RMB mark at the box office.
To give fans deeper insight into the film and actors Huang Xiaoming, Ethan Juan and Shawn Yue, the movie’s creators recorded a special behind-the-scenes segment on the three stars and their interactions, who all happen to have the same astrological sign, Scorpio. The three celebrities’ brother-like relationship made a deep impression on the crew, prompting them to create a special name for the trio, using the first characters of the three actors’ Chinese first names.
"The Guillotines" gathers the hottest stars from Mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan, and creators hope it will bring about a new era for Asia’s film industry. The movie is proudly presented by Media Asia Film Production Limited, We Pictures Limited, Stellar Mega Films Limited, Polyface Films Company Limited, Jiansu Omnijoi Movie Company Limited, Dingsheng Cultural Industry Investment Company Limited, and Huaxia Film Distribution Company Limited.
The story of “The Guillotines” revolves around the battles between Huang Xiaoming, a fierce shepherd, Ethan Juan, the leader of The Guillotines, and Shawn Yue. The powerful performances and interactions between the characters have marked the film as a Qing Dynasty version of the renowned Hong Kong movie, Infernal Affairs.
Xiaoming’s wax figure will spend two weeks at the Xin Mei Cinema in Beijing, before returning to Hong Kong to be admired by fans. The wax figure will be placed on permanent display at
Madame Tussauds Hong Kong with an all-new original look in December.