By Alicia Srinivas

Chinese folk group becomes the latest craze in Japan, a new Godzilla movie is set to release, and Korean solo artist WAX performs at the Shanghai car races. All this and more in this issue of News From Abroad.

12 Group Band The New Craze in Japan

The 12 Group Band is a group of young, talented, and beautiful girls who specialize in playing traditional Chinese instruments such as the pipa and erhus. They have recently become the latest craze outside of China.

Their album Beautiful Energy, sold more than 2 million copies in Japan alone and hundreds more all across Asia. Their second album Shining Energy went platinum in a matter of months. 12 Group Band's latest concert tour in Japan sold out in less than ten minutes and their popularity is outshining even that of native Japanese artists.

While the Chinese have been enjoying Japanese pop-culture for quite sometime, the 12 Girls Band seems to be the first of the trend going in the opposite direction. The girls star in advertisements and magazines all over Japan though the Chinese folk group has enjoyed little popularity in their native country.

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New Godzilla Film To Release On Fiftieth Year Anniversary

In honor of the fiftieth year anniversary of the original Godzilla release in 1954, Toei will release the final Godzilla movie this winter. The production, which began last week in Sydney, is expected to be complete by November and released by December.

The movie Godzilla: Final Wars boasts an impressive cast of Matsuoka Masahiro, pop group Tokio, Kikukawa Rei, and even one of the original Godzilla stars ?Takarada Akira. In this version, Godzilla will be wreaking havoc not only in Japan, but all over the world - from New York to Paris.

This remake is expected to be the most impressive Godzilla movie yet. Its budget is over 2 billion yen and hopes to break their previous record of attracting 98 million viewers to the box office.

Film:  Godzilla: Final Wars
When:  December 4, 2004
Where:  Japan

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Asian Directors and Actors Take Home Cannes Prizes

In the recent Cannes Film Festival that took place on May 12th through the 26th, Asian directors and actors took away four of the eight coveted prizes. The only disappointment was the fact that Hong Kong director Wong Kar-wai's film 2046 was left empty-handed.

The Grand Prix went to South Korean director Park Chan-wook for his film Old Boy. The Jury Prize went to Thai Director Apichatpong Weerasethakul's film Tropical Malady - the first Thai film to compete at the Cannes Festival.

Maggie Cheung won the Best Actress Award for her role in Oliveir Assayas?film Clean and fourteen-year-old Japanese Yuuya Yagira won the Best Actor Award for his performance in director HiroKazu Kore-eda's Nobody Knows.

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Superstar Aishwarya Rai May Possibly Star in Bollywood Film Munnabhai

Bollywood model/actress Aishwarya Rai has been asked to star in the Tamil version of what was a hit smash in Hindi cinema. She would play a lead role alongside heartthrob Rajnikant.  Director Rajni intentionally offered the position to the superstar in hopes that it will boost its popularity as his last film Baba was very unsuccessful at the box office. 

If Aishwarya's schedule allows it, she will likely commit to the film.  If she is unable, Rani Mukharjee will play the lead female role.  Fans of Aishwarya are nevertheless excited at the prospect of her playing the lead in the anticipated film.

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Female soloist WAX To Perform at Shanghai Car Races

Actor Jackie Chan will host the Shanghai Formula 1 Tracks in China and has asked Korean female singer, WAX, to perform. Apparently Chan has expressed interest in WAX's music since he first heard her last December on a trip to Korea. He recently personally invited her to perform as the opening event among several pop music performances. WAX will be the only Korean singer to participate.

Who:  Korean singer WAX
Where:  Shanghai Formula 1 Tracks car races in Shanghai, China
When:  June 27, 2004

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Women's Private Parts 2 To Release In Hong Kong

Director Barbara Wong Chun-Chun has completed the follow-up to her first documentary film, Women's Private Parts, which explores women's views on sexuality. This time, she gets the male perspective through interviews with talk show hosts and other guests.

In her first film, she captures extraordinarily truthful and often funny insight into the minds of Asian women and exposes their views on sex. She interviews porn stars, prostitutes, lesbians, and mostly just ordinary women whose concerns range from unprotected sex to the mistresses their husbands often keep.

While the film is not rated highly for style and technique, the film's content puts sex out in the open where no one can turn a blind eye to the issues that concern modern women. Hong Kong eagerly awaits this long-anticipated sequel. The film does not have English-subtitles.

Film:  Women's Private Parts 2
Where:  Hong Kong
When:  May 28, 2004

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Korean Boy Band Member Lands a Role In Popular Soap Opera

Boy band Shinhwa member Eric Mun is set to star as the handsome rebel in the most popular Korean soap opera, Bulsae (Firebird). While Mun has acted before in the movie Nanun Talinda (I'm Running) and in the drama Jung-min, this opportunity is different.

Mun apparently had been seeking the perfect opportunity to dive full-force into the world of acting, and has finally found his niche. Nevertheless, he intends to continue rapping with Shinwha and the band will release its seventh album this summer.

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Former Bollywood Sex Symbol Wants To Revive Past Popularity

While the last few of Bipasha Basu's films were highly unsuccessful, she has high hopes for her latest film No Entry. She expects to revive her role as a Bollywood sex symbol that she earned in films like Ajnabee, Raaj, and Jism.

In her latest project, she plays a seductress who has to win over three different husbands by battling their wives: Lara Dutty, Celina Jaitley and Esha Deol. All three happily married husbands eventually let Bipasha's magnetic beauty tear them from their spouses.

Bipasha has apparently learned the formula to success ?less clothing and more provocative behavior. This is supposed to be her sexiest film yet and will undoubtedly win her popularity at the box office.

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Contributed by Chau Nguyen