Director Tsui Hark is working together with Hollywood writer Anthony McCarten (writer for Bohemian Rhapsody and The Theory of Everything) to develop the script for a new upcoming film SHIH, QUEEN OF THE SEA. The film is planned to follow the life of one of the most sucessfull pirates in history Shih Yang (aka Cheng I Sao). Shih, with her pirate fleet dominated the South China Sea during the Qing Dynasty.
Born into poverty, she worked on a "flower boat" brothel where she met the notorious pirate leader Cheng Yi and she joined him at sea. Upon Cheng's death in 1807, Shih assumed full command of the fearsome Red Flag Fleet, commanding over 1,800 pirate ships with an estimated 80,000 pirates - comparison, Blackbeard commanded four ships and 300 pirates within the same century. Shih instigated sweeping reforms to the rules of piracy, ordering execution for rape or marital infidelity and insisting on equality between the genders. Much of what is known in the West about her is due to the writings of an English diarist, Richard Glasspoole, who was captured by her and later formed a strong bond with her.
Director Tsui Hark is planned to be collaborating with Anthony McCarney as producer. At the same time Director Tsui Hark is also planning to work on the second installment of the Legend of the Condor Heroes series - original title for the novel: The Return of the Condor Heroes - which he will be directing again. The movie SHIH, QUEEN OF THE SEA is currently in the development phase with no release date set yet.
