Xin Zhilei officially enters Hollywood with his first major international leading role.
The acclaimed Chinese actress will play legendary Hollywood pioneer Anna May Wong in the upcoming biopic, Fundamental Films reports Sunset Boulevard: The Story of Anna May Wong.
The announcement came shortly before the 2026 edition of the Cannes Film Festival and immediately sparked strong reactions in Asian film communities.
The project marks a significant turning point in Xin Zhilei’s career, arriving just a few months later she reportedly became the first Chinese actress in 14 years to win Best Actress at the Venice Film Festival.
Industry observers believe that Xin Zhilei is an appropriate choice not only because of her acting range, but also because her personal journey mirrors aspects of Anna May Wong’s story.
Born into a working-class family in Hegang, China, Xin spent years building her career through supporting roles before emerging as one of the strongest actresses of her generation through acclaimed film and television performances.
After the success of The sun rises on all of us in Venice last year, she was increasingly seen as a rare actress capable of balancing artistic credibility with mainstream popularity.
Anna May Wong, born Wong Liu Tsong in Los Angeles in 1905, is widely considered the first Asian-American movie star in Hollywood history.
She became the first Asian woman to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and broke barriers in an era when Asian performers faced severe discrimination and stereotypical casting in American cinema.
Despite these obstacles, Wong has established herself through classic films, including The Thief of Baghdad AND Shanghai Expressbecoming an enduring symbol of Asian representation during Hollywood’s Golden Age.
According to production details, the film will chronicle Anna May Wong’s journey from daughter of Chinese immigrants to internationally recognized screen icon.
The film is conceived as an English-Chinese bilingual production and will recreate the atmosphere of 1920s and 1930s Hollywood with large-scale period sets and classic filmmaking style.
Xin Zhilei said in an international press release that she was deeply inspired by Wong’s determination to preserve her cultural identity while facing prejudice and exclusion.
“What moved me most was that she never backed down in the face of doubt or racial barriers,” the actress reportedly shared.
The film is currently being showcased to international distributors during Cannes, with early industry speculation suggesting it could become one of the biggest Asian film projects in development.
Producer Mark Gao explained that the film is not only intended as a biopic, but also as a reminder that Chinese and Asian artists have always been part of Hollywood history.
For Xin Zhilei, the role represents the biggest challenge of his career so far: it requires a performance in two languages ​​while playing one of the most iconic Asian figures in cinema history.
With this project, his career seems destined to go far beyond the boundaries of Chinese-language cinema.
Sources: Saostar
