Spielberg / Zhang Collaboration Just Rumour

Hold the front page! The recent internet rumour that Steven Spielberg and Zhang Yimou are to team up on a new version of “Journey to the West” has been dismissed by the Hollywood director’s camp, who stated on his website:”There does not appear to be anything to it”, adding “It’s not impossible that something vaguely might have been said which was interpreted that way”. Although Zhang’s business partner Zhang Weiping has since clarified his claims regarding “Journey”, saying that it was just an example of the scope of the project that the two directors would like to tackle together, a spokeswoman for Zhang Yimou’s production company, New Picture Film Co. said Tuesday that he and Spielberg definitely intend to work together but just haven’t settled on a project as of yet (which no doubt translates into Hollywood-speak as ‘waiting for the right script’). However, the final word for now comes again from the Spielberg camp, who stated “the director’s next project in general hasn’t been decided upon, let alone future collaborations over two years away”.