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Okay, I have nothing to base this opinion on but a gut feeling, but it says here that this one is a case of wishful thinking and / or a game of Broken Telephone on the original reporter's part, buuuuuut ...

Crienglish is reporting that Dustin Hoffman will appear in Zhang Yimou's next film. I doubt this one based both on what's in the article and its general vagueness ... First, it bases the rumor on a meeting between the two men at the recent Golden Globe Awards. Given that Yimou is already deep into production on Qian Li Zou Dan Ji there's no way that this could be the film in question unless Hoffman were to fly out to China for a glorified walk-on. I don't see that happening. Could they be referring to Yimou's planned film after Qian Li Zou Dan Ji? I very much doubt it considering that the stated plan is for Yimou to make another martial arts film next and Jackie Chan has been floated as a surprising, but possible, star.

I'm betting what happened here is that Hoffman simply said that he admires Yimou's work and would like the chance to work with him and this, in the reporters mind, translated to a firm committment. It could pan out - stranger things have happened - but I really doubt it.