Last October, Fan Bingbing returned to social media after a mysterious disappearance, chronicled recently by Vanity Fair. And now, Chinas most famous actress has plans to return to the big screen—with the announcement on Wednesday that she will begin filming the international spy thriller 355 alongside Jessica Chastain, Marion Cotillard, Penélope Cruz, and Lupita Nyongo later this year.
A female-centric James Bond–style film, 355 was discussed with distributors at last years Cannes Film Festival—where the starry cast strutted the Croisette hand in hand. But the fate of the Simon Kinberg-directed project was thrown into question when Fan was ordered to pay $131 million in back taxes and penalties to the Chinese government.
The scandal—trigged when a whistle-blower alleged Fan had underreported her income—culminated with Fans disappearance. According to a Chinese newspaper, the actress had been placed under a form of detention known as “residential surveillance.” When she returned to social media, she did so by apologizing for not “setting a good example for society and the industry.” She added, “Today Im facing enormous fears and worries over the mistakes I made! I have failed the country, societys support and trust, and the love of my devoted fans! I offer my sincere apology here once again! I beg for everyones forgiveness!”
While the original cast of 355 remains in place, the production has lost a Chinese financial backer: Huayi Brothers. “The decision could reflect a determination that Fan remains a toxic figure in China and that importing a Hollywood title starring her would be too difficult,” according to Read More – Source
[contf] [contfnew] 
Vanity Fair
[contfnewc] [contfnewc]
