Hua Pi movie Painted Skin Chinese Movie

Painted Skin(Hua Pi) is a 2008 supernatural fantasy film directed by Gordon Chan, starring Donnie Yen, Chen Kun, Zhou Xun, Zhao Wei, Betty Sun and Qi Yuwu.

Although the film is based partly on a supernatural premise, it is more of an action-romance than a horror film. Painted Skin is based, very loosely, on one of Pu Songling’s classic short stories in Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio.

The theme song of the film, Huà Xīn (畫心; Painted Heart), was performed by Jane Zhang.The film is set in the Han Dynasty. Xiaowei is a fox spirit who feasts on human hearts in order to maintain her lovely, youthful appearance. When General Wang Sheng rescues her from a band of Xiongnus and brings her home, trouble brews as the demon falls in love with the general, who is married to Peirong.

Another older love triangle is present, between Pang Yong, Wang Sheng and Peirong. Pang Yong is a former general who was in love with Peirong, but eventually lost her to Wang Sheng. Peirong asks Pang Yong for help as she suspects Xiaowei for what she really is. Pang is aided by an inexperienced “demon hunter”, a young female fighter called Xia Bing. Hints of a developing relationship between Xia and Pang are there, although this is never fully explored. Another subplot revolves around Xiaowei’s demon ally, who is actually morphed from a chameleon, and who also has unreciprocated feelings for Xiaowei and helps her obtain all the human hearts she needs to maintain her human “skin”, whom many a times almost got caught by Wang’s soldiers, thus enraging Xiao Wei into chasing him off despite his pleas and advise that a love between demon and human is impossible and to let him stay by her side.

Hua Pi movie Painted Skin  Cast

* Donnie Yen as Pang Yong (龐勇)
* Zhou Xun as Xiaowei (小唯)
* Chen Kun as Wang Sheng (王生)
* Zhao Wei as Peirong (佩蓉)
* Betty Sun as Xia Bing (夏冰)
* Qi Yuwu as Xiaoyi (小易)

Hua Pi movie Painted Skin  Sequel

In 2011, Gordon Chan announced Painted Skin 2. Chen Kun, Zhou Xun, Zhao Wei, Sun Li seemed to have all returned. Though there’s still no news on Donnie Yen about this matter. Other actors such as Yang Mi, Feng Shao Feng, and Gordan Liu have joined in on the cast. Gordan Liu is going to play Chen Kun’s characters father while Yang Mi and Feng Shao Feng will be playing lovers. Gordan Liu chose Yang Mi and Feng Shao Feng for the roles due to their recent popularity with the television series, Palace.