Wang Luodan (L) and Vic Zhou attend a press conference for Detective Gui on Friday in Beijing. Photo: Courtesy of Hengye Film

Hong Kong director Oxide Pang Chun's latest project Detective Gui announced its release date at a press conference at the ongoing Beijing International Film Festival on Friday. Starring mainland actress Wang Luodan and Taiwanese actor Vic Zhou, the comedy centers on a young female detective with a high IQ but very low EQ.

The female detective in question, Gui Xiang (Wang), learned to read at age 3, helped catch a thief at 7 and even helped the police solve a case at 10, but has been quite out of luck when it comes to romance. Still not over the boyfriend who dumped her, the sparks suddenly fly when she meets cute policeman A Zhe (Zhou).

When asked why he was directing a detective film aimed at female audiences, the director explained that the movie is a mirror reflecting the lives of many people.

"In real life, they often perform so well or even outstanding in academic studies or their career, but do poorly in emotional life. Gui's inability to balance the two will certainly resonate with many people," he said.

The movie is set to hit the big screen on July 24 during China's traditional golden summer movie season. Although this means coming into direct competition with many other films including some overseas blockbusters, the director still showed confidence that the film would perform well.

"The summer movie season is big enough for many other movies and mine. I believe that movies of different genres can all find a place," he added.

Global Times