Chinese actress Li Bingbing did not appear at a world premiere held in Tokyo, Japan yesterday for the Hollywood video game-based action movie "Resident Evil: Retribution", raising speculation that her absence was a demonstration against Japan's claim of a disputed island, Hong Kong's local tabloid newspaper The Sun reported。
Li, who plays Ada Wong in the movie, was said to show her stance over the escalating dispute between China and Japan over the Diaoyu Islands by pulling out of the premiere。
Li's agent Ji Xiang said that Li had been informed of the premiere two months before but she was too busy in Beijing to attend at that time. Meanwhile, Ji did not deny that politics were involved, saying: "We are in line with our government – the Diaoyu Islands belong to China. Bingbing will be attending movie premieres held in other places across the world and she skipped the Tokyo leg only."
Li co-stars along with Milla Jovovich (The Fifth Element) and Michelle Rodriguez (Avatar) in the fifth installment of the "Resident Evil" franchise, which is written and directed by Jovovich's husband Paul W.S. Anderson. Li's role is crucial to the story and is believed to a stepping-stone to Hollywood。
Jovovich, her Japanese co-star Mika Nakashima and director Anderson showed up at the Tokyo premiere, cheered by hundreds of enthusiastic fans。
据香港媒体报道,随着日本分别与中国及韩国就钓鱼岛及独岛的领土主权问题再升级,政治影响蔓延至三地演艺界。内地女星李冰冰被踢出新片《生化危机5》日版海报,她随即拒绝出席日本首映宣传以表明立场;而曾表示独岛属韩国领土的韩国女星具慧善,被迫临时取消访日宣传。
李冰冰早前获邀参演好莱坞知名电影系列《生化危机》第五部《生化危机之灭绝真相》(RESIDENT EVIL:RETRIBUTION),将之视为闯美踏脚石,对此片相当重视,特地接受枪法训练,并亲身上阵拍摄真枪打斗戏份。《生》片在东京举行全球首映礼,戏份甚重的冰冰不见踪影!
无缘出席首映的她更被踢出电影日版海报,有指她未能出席是因日本政府禁足,但其经理人纪先生透过电话回应时称两个月前已得悉这个活动,他表示冰冰因为在北京有工作而未能赴会,不排除涉及政治因素:“我们跟政府站在同一阵线,钓鱼岛是属于中国的。这部片于全球其他的首映礼冰冰也会去,唯独不去东京这一站!”