Zhang Yimou creates vibrant 'Tales'

Dazzling pink for the men, and garish green for the women. Chinese director Zhang Yimou only wants gaudy costumes worn in his latest film "Amazing Tales: Three Guns".

Stills from Zhang Yimou's upcoming film, "Amazing Tales: Three Guns". [Photo: ent.sina.com.cn]

"What I want for the costumes is intensively striking colors," Zhang told reporters recently about his upcoming black comedy.

Still shots released on Thursday show leading actor Xiao Shen Yang sporting a bright pink gown and exaggerating his facial expressions. Actress Yan Ni wears a grass-green costume patterned with yellow and rosy flowers.

Zhang had asked the costume designers to put priority on intensifying the visual impact, according to a report on Sina.com.cn.

"Three Guns" is a remake of the 1985 crime thriller "Blood Simple", the directorial debut of the Oscar-winning Coen brothers. It revolves around a restaurant owner who hires a killer to murder his cheating wife and her lover, which leads to an unexpected ending.

The film is slated to open in Chinese theaters around Christmas. Sony Pictures Classics has acquired the distribution rights in North America, Latin America, Australia and New Zealand.