Taiwanese Drama Series May Be Filmed In Sultanate [Wu Zun]

[naxus]

Bandar Seri Begawan - Brunei-born Wu Zun, who is making waves as part of the Taiwanese singing group Fahrenheit, is in talks with local authorities to film a drama series in the sultanate.

Wu Zun, 27, said the drama series will be produced by the same company that made Meteor Garden, the popular Taiwanese drama starring the boy band F4.

Wu Zun, who spoke exclusively to The Brunei Times yesterday said there, has been discussions and that they were just awaiting the approval from the authorities. He said Sheikh Jamaluddin of the Tourism Development Board has expressed support for the project.

"We found the locations, which are tourist spots, but we still need to find a grand mansion to film in because the story is about a wealthy Asian tycoon," said Wu Zun.

The singer cum actor said the drama series would be a great opportunity to put Brunei on the map and promote tourism in time for the Visit Brunei Year 2008. If everything goes as planned, the drama is expected to be filmed by May and will be shown in November.

"I have a blog and I always talk about Brunei," said Wu Zun, who left the sultanate 18 months ago. The address is www wretch-cc/blog/wuchunlocool.

"My drama series in Taiwan has a viewing audience of six million, and that's just in Taiwan. It excludes the Chinese people all over the world who download the series via the Internet," he said.

He said the response to the planned drama series is "good" and that the relevant authorities should not miss this opportunity to promote the country.

Wu Zun also plans to work with local travel agents to develop tour packages to bring fans from Taiwan to Brunei to watch the filming which will run for 18 months. `A lot of people are curious about Brunei, and if the project goes through, the media from Taiwan will come, giving Brunei a lot of exposure abroad," he said.

Wu Zun, who also spoke about the local music scene, said that artistes in Brunei should hold on to their "dreams" and pursue them. He said talents can be developed.

Wu Zun is the first Bruneian to break into the Chinese entertainment industry. Fahrenheit, which banded together in 2006, won various awards including Best Group and Most Popular awards in China. The group has also performed with big stars in Hong Kong. Wu Zun is a nephew of Pehin Dato Goh King Chin.

By Asri Razak

Source: Courtesy of Brunei times
Credit: AsianFanatics