Entertainment

Action stars put modern twist on classic fairy tale

September 2, 2011 / 3:13 PM EDT / CBS/AP

Getty Images — Actors, from left, Jet Li, Eva Shengyi Huang, Charlene Choi and director Siu-Tung Ching pose at the Venice Film Festival on Sept. 2, 2011.

VENICE, Italy (CBS/ AP) Veteran action star Jet Li and action director Tony Ching haven't forgotten their adult audiences, even though their latest movie is the childrens fairy tale "The Sorcerer and the White Snake,"

Pictures: Venice Film Festival

The movie, based on a Chinese fairy tale much like Cinderella or Sleeping Beauty, made its world premiere out of competition Friday at the Venice Film Festival.

Cast members said they recalled first hearing the classic tale from their grandmothers.

But Ching says he sought to put a modern twist on the fable by mixing action with special effects. He says "the idea was to blend Chinese tradition, which is martial arts, with Western technology."