Jay Chou waves to fans at an activity in Shanghai promoting his latest film Kung Fu Dunk, January 26, 2008. [Photo: ic.eastday.com]

Only six months after he starred in a film about a high-school romance, Jay Chou has returned to the big screen to show off his basketball skills and kung-fu moves in a new production.

Chou led other cast members of Kung Fu Dunk in promoting the film on Saturday in Shanghai. Thousands of fans braved a rare snowfall and jam-packed the Shanghai Film Arts Center to watch the movie's first local screening.

The crew will officially meet with fans and the media at a premiere ceremony on Sunday.

Directed by prominent Taiwan filmmaker Chu Yin-Ping, Kung Fu Dunk revolves around an orphaned boy (Jay Chou) who grows up in a kung-fu school and becomes a talented basketball player.

Media reports have been comparing the film to Stephen Chow's latest fiction comedy, CJ7, which is a completely different genre but will rival Dunk at the box office.

CJ7 had a highly publicized premiere last week, and will open in theaters on January 30, while Kung Fu Dunk follows on February 7, the Chinese New Year's Day.

Kung Fu Dunk is Chou's fourth movie. He has long been sought after for his musical talent. His previous on-screen appearances include the 2005 live-action film Initial D, Zhang Yimou's 2006 blockbuster Curse of the Golden Flower, and Chou's own directorial debut, Secret, a high-school romance that became a box-office hit soon after its release in late July.

(CRIENGLISH.com January 27, 2008)