28 Sept 2008
Never has a locally produced Drama Serial attracted so much hype and attention before filming for the highly anticipated Serial has even started ! The Drama Serial that has got everyone talking now and buzzing with excitement is of course - The Ultimatum 双子星 which boosts a star studded glamourous and very strong line up of powerful casts which includes : Ah Ge Li Nanxing & Tay Ping Hui , Ah Jie : Zoe Tay & Fann Wong , as well as Felicia Chin , Chen Shucheng , Darren Lim , Constance Song etc ...
Veteran actors Ah Ge Li Nanxing and Tay Ping Hui also starred together in last year's End of Year Blockbuster : The Golden Path . But , unlike last year , when filming for the Blockbuster started , all the talk and focus were on the two Ah Ge : Li Nanxing & Tay Ping Hui being paired in the same show and having to pit their acting skills as they starred as enemies of opposing sides . But this time round , the focus will not be as much on the two actors , instead more will be said about the two Queens - Zoe Tay & Fann Wong !
' The Ultimatum ' - 双子星 Plot Revealed :
Zoe and Fann play half-sisters embroiled in a battle for control of their late father's multi-million-dollar business ! This Mega Drama will see them pitting against each other in a soapy plot that has them vying for both money and power !
Zoe Tay plays Ye Yucheng, the heiress to a big corporation who becomes good friends with lawyer Fang Songqiao played by Fann Wong .
Ye Yucheng discovers that she and Fang were swapped after birth, making Fang the rightful heiress. To protect her position, Ye betrays Fang and they become enemies overnight !
The last time the beauties hogged the screen together, they played lovers of the same man (played by Alex Man) in The Golden Pillow (1995) .
"We didn't have many scenes together in The Golden Pillow, but this time round, we will. " Zoe replied . It is going to be refreshing as we have both changed quite a bit after all these years.' When asked if she felt stressed acting opposite Fann again, she says: " No, I don't feel any pressure. I also won't think about whether we are stealing each other's limelight in the show. "This new pairing of the Caldecott Queens is already sending their legions of fiercely devoted fans into a fresh tizz, even before filming has started !
Fann's Corner :
Ms Charmaine Sim, 27, vice-chairman of Fann's Fannatic fan club , says: 'Fann will definitely get to show off her good acting skills here portraying a lawyer, as she did a very good job in Sparks Of Life (1995) where she also acted as a lawyer.'
Zoe's Corner :
Joan Chua, 30, a fan of Zoe Tay, adds: 'Given Zoe's many years of acting, I think she will impress in this show, as she acts as the bad character. She may probably outshine Fann with her experience, but I think both actresses are outstanding in their own way.'
Fann, who is in Bangkok and not available for interviews, was equally circumspect when she spoke about the project at a MediaCorp trade show last week: 'To be able to work with Zoe, Li Nanxing and Tay Ping Hui in the same show after such a long time is a dream combination to me.'
She added: 'I was very lucky to have worked with Zoe 14 years ago as she was already a mature and outstanding actress back then. I learned a lot from her.'
Industry insiders predict that the drama will attract eyeballs next year and a hit is a foregone conclusion.
Why ' The Ultimatum ' - 双子星 Is A Must Watch :
1) Mr Paul Chan, MediaCorp TV's vice-president of branding and promotions, says: 'A reunion this big is hard to come by and I'm sure The Ultimatum 双子星 will be the biggest TV event of 2009 ! After a hiatus of 14 years, nothing short of the best will be expected by the viewers.'
2 ) Mr Jackie Liu, editor-in-chief of the weekly entertainment magazine i-weekly, adds: 'There is already enough hype generated just from the cast alone. Plus, both actresses have matured a lot over the past years, so viewers can expect even better acting from them.'
3) Besides fans, friends and co-workers of the two undisputed Ah Jies are also excited about the show ! Celebrity hairstylist David Gan, who is a close friend of both Tay and Fann, says: 'It is a good casting decision because people will want to watch the show. The publicity effect is already created.'
4) Engineer Kevin Poon, 26, a fan of Fann, says: 'I am really excited about this cast combination and I will watch the show just to see how they fare opposite each other.'
As for fans, they will have to wait patiently for
The Ultimatum 双子星 TV Premiere to judge who is the better actress of the two Queens .
Source : Extracted From SPH Paper - The Sunday Times * 30 Episodes Mega Blockbuster Of The Year : The Ultimatum - Premieres on 27 May 2009 onwards - Mondays to Fridays at 9pm on Channel 8 ! *
