Zhang is working with her friends Wendi Murdoch and Florence Sloan to produce the English-language film "Snow Flower and the Secret Fan", according to Hollywoodreporter.com.
The actress will also star in the film, which will be directed by Chinese-American filmmaker Wayne Wang, who also did "Maid in Manhattan".
Set in 19th-century China, the film is based on Lisa See's novel of the same name about a lifelong friendship between two women.
Shooting is slated to begin early next year in China.
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In the romantic comedy "Sophie's Revenge", Zhang plays Sophie, a young cartoonist who plans to win her boyfriend back after he dumps her for a beautiful actress, played by Fan Bingbing. |
Since the Oscar-winning 2000 film "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon", Zhang Ziyi has become perhaps the best-known Chinese face in Hollywood. Her most recent English-language feature, "Horsemen", was released earlier this year.
Previous reports suggest Zhang had teamed up with Wendi Murdoch and Florence Sloan to run a film studio. China-born Wendi Murdoch is the wife of News Corporation chairman and CEO Rupert Murdoch. Florence Sloan, a Malaysian-Chinese, is married to MGM chairman Harry Sloan.
Hollywoodreporter.com describes Zhang Ziyi as "following the practice of big Hollywood talent: establishing her own production company to pull in projects for herself and control a greater share of revenue."