'Just don't be ugly': Stephen Chow seeking females to audition for new film Shaolin Women’s Soccer

Those who have grown up watching Stephen Chow's comedy movies would remember him in the movie Shaolin Soccer, where he plays Mighty Steel Leg, a monk-turned-football striker who uses his extremely powerful legs to produce unstoppable football shots.

Well, Stephen is coming back for more, this time with a women's football team instead.

The director-actor, who celebrated his 61-year-old birthday yesterday (June 22), announced in an Instagram post that he is looking for females to audition for his new movie Shaolin Women's Soccer.

He wrote: "Here is my birthday wish. To spend a good time with so many pretty girls (young, beautiful, smart, curvy, athletic)."

Stephen added that women of all nationalities are welcomed to audition.

"Just don't be ugly," he said, adding that "photoshopped photos will never work."

Accompanying the post is a Reel showing the cover page of the first draft of the script.

His post garnered the attention of many fans, including international celebrities, such as actors Daniel Wu, Myolie Wu and Edison Chen, who asked to be "one of the girls".

"Is it a must to be young and beautiful (to audition)? How about women who have given birth to three kids?" Myolie, 43, joked, referring to herself.

Even local celebrities such as stuntwoman-turned-actress Grace Teo, Jernelle Oh, Shaun Chen, Ya Hui and Hayley Woo are looking forward to the new film.

Shaun, 44, wrote: "I can be a woman in the audition."

According to a report by Hong Kong media Oriental Daily, when the publication asked Stephen's team on when filming for the movie will begin and if actress Cecilia Cheung, who plays Player Seven in Shaolin Soccer, will be reprising her role, his assistant said: "We will first recruit globally by email and we will announce the rest later."

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When Shaolin Soccer was released in 2001, it topped the Hong Kong box office and earned more than HK$60 million (S$10 million), making it the highest-grossing film in the region's history at the time.

The film also won various awards, such as Best Action Choreography and Best Visual Effects at the 38th Golden Horse Awards in 2001 and Best Picture, Best Director, Best Young Director, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor, Best Sound Effect and Best Visual Effect at the 21st Hong Kong Film Awards in 2002.

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yeo.shuhui@asiaone.com

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