HONG KONG singer-actor Edison Chen, the focus of the celebrity nude photo controversy in February, is back in the spotlight after being cast in a new romantic film with Taiwan actress Shu Qi.

The as-yet-untitled film will be produced by an independent American film studio. The agents of the two stars confirmed the news recently, with Chen’s agent revealing that shooting will begin this summer.

Meanwhile, some other producers in the West have expressed the desire to work with Chen.

The film, which will be shot in both Singapore and Chicago, tells the story of a Chinese student (to be played by Chen) studying in the United States. He later gets a job in Singapore, where he meets Shu’s character.

After publicly resigning from show business in Hong Kong, the scandal-plagued pop star Chen went to the United States to look for new career opportunities.

The 27-year-old Chen shot to fame in late 1990s, and has released a dozen albums. He has also starred in popular films such as “Infernal Affairs” and “Initial D.”

(SD-Agencies)