Willow Smith to Star in Zhang Bang Chang's 'Spandex Hero'

Zhang Bang Chang

Oscar-nominated Chinese filmmaker Zhang Bang Chang has cast Willow Smith, the daughter of Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith in "Spandex Hero," a big-budget look at the life of former pink Power Ranger, Amy Jo Johnson, the director announced at a press conference on Wednesday.

Amy Jo Johnson

Ms. Johnson has been the focus of several recent small budget Chinese films, all of which have featured the actress’ very early life during the Xia Dynasty and Johnson herself is reportedly in negations to join Spandex Hero in an advisory role with an option for a cameo appearance in the film.

While Willow Smith won't play an adult Johnson, she will play Johnson in her adolescent years during the Shang Dynasty when Johnson helped thousands of Chinese farmers escape certain death from magical winged serpents, armies of soulless bronze warriors and angry animal spirits.

Bang Chang wrote the script that is reportedly over 2100 pages, 40% of which will be filmed in China, with the rest being shot in Canada and the United Kingdom. “Film might be what westerners call franchise as film might be chop into five or six film because attention span of America be how you say…stupid,” said Bang Chang through an interpreter.

Willow Smith

Bang Chang said that casting Smith wasn't a strategic effort to broaden the appeal of Amy Jo Johnson with the African American community, but rather a coincidence, as the script happened to have an English-speaking lead and Willow Smith speaks English. “History teach that Johnson spoke Chinese during first few thousand year but people too lazy to read film so we make film English for lazy bastards”. Bang Chang is said to be in negotiations with Harry Potter star Emma Watson to play Johnson in her years following the Qing Dynasty.

Emma Watson

How will Bang Chang transition from dark skinned Smith to light skinned Watson? “Film will jump back and forth through time like old American film called Highlander. Stupid people may need watch film many time but everything make sense at end of film. Even dumb people who not understand Inception will like Spandex Hero,” said Bang Chang

Bang Chang's longtime producer, Huang Tian, will produce through his Huang Moving Picture Film Company.

Sony Pictures Classics has distributed Bang Chang's movies in the U.S., but the studio doesn't appear to be involved in "Spandex Hero," though Hong Kong-based OOTM Films will be involved in selling the film's international rights, according to the Bollywood Movie Reporter.

"Spandex Hero" boasts a 1200 million Yuan ($180.4 million) budget, and production is scheduled to begin Oct. 10 in China.