“THE Rooftop,” the second movie directed by Taiwan pop singer Jay Chou, will be the closing movie of the 12th New York Asian Film Festival, to be held from June 28 to July 15.

    The movie will be released in Chinese theaters in July.

    Shot on location in Taiwan, Beijing and Shanghai, the movie is a romance that combines elements of martial arts and musicals. The film stars Chou along with mainland newcomer Li Xin’ai, veteran Eric Tsang and Wang Xueqi in a story set in a fantasy world comprised of two distinctly contrasting communities and lifestyles.

    One group lives on rooftops, where they dance and sing, passing their days without a care in the world, while below them are the people living under the rooftops, who possess more money and power.

    Chou has described the film as “a musical action movie, where love is the main axis, combining fantasy, romance, dancing, action, special effects and many other elements.” Chou wrote 10 songs for the film’s soundtrack.

    The production staff behind “The Rooftop” is said to be top-notch.

    In addition to the crew from “Secret,” Chou also recruited a team that’s a five-time winner of the Golden Horse Best Cinematography award; master photographer Lee Pin-bing; arts designer Yoshihito Akatsuka, who worked on “Kill Bill”; a special effects team from South Korea; and award-winning costume designer Dora Ng.

    Six years ago, Chou surprised Asia with his directorial debut, “Secret,” a simple yet beautiful campus love story that he also starred in and co-wrote. The movie was well received at the box office and by critics.

    Chou is best known to American audiences for his role as Kato in the “Green Hornet” movie starring Seth Rogen.(SD-Agencies)