The rags to riches story of a Chinese tramp who became an unlikely overnight sex symbol and celebrity after his photograph was posted on the internet is to be made into a 72 million yuan film. 

    Last year, 34-year-old Cheng Guorong spent his days scouring the streets of the Ningbo in east China for food and rummaging through rubbish for discarded plastic bottles and cigarette butts. 

    With a scraggly beard and long tousled hair, he used bright scraps of fabric as a belt and wore a grubby sheepskin-lined overcoat over a faux leather jacket.

    Mr. Cheng’s life changed dramatically after an amateur photographer posted pictures of him walking the streets onto the Chinese internet. His prominent cheekbones and bohemian clothes quickly won him a legion of fans who called him “China’s Sexiest Tramp” and, most often, “Brother Sharp.” 

    Mr Cheng first traveled to Ningbo in 1996 to find work. He was initially successful and was able to send money home. After being robbed of his savings, he was fired from a succession of jobs and eventually found himself on the streets. Filled with shame at not being able to provide for his two children, he did not call home for years. 

    Several attempts to locate him failed. His family believed he was dead until they saw his picture on the internet in January. When he returned home in March, he found that his father and his wife had been killed in a car accident last year. 

    His fans have donated over 100,000 yuan to help Mr. Cheng to get back on his feet. Meanwhile, offers have poured in for him to appear in advertisements and he even did a stint as a catwalk model in the southern city of Foshan. 

    Chinese film producer Deng Jianguo has announced he will make a film of Mr. Cheng’s life, which is scheduled to start shooting in September.

    “It will be a sad story, but at the end there will be the happiness of a family reunion,” said one relative. Carl Ng, a Hong Kong-based heart throb, is set to play Brother Sharp, although his family said they felt the actor might be “too tall.” The movie is scheduled to open by next Chinese New Year. 

    Source: www.dailytelegraph.com

 “犀利哥”故事将搬上银幕

       一张流传于互联网上的照片让一个中国流浪汉一夜成名，如今，他的故事将被拍成电影。该片投资700万英镑(约合7210万元人民币)。

       去年，34岁的程国荣整日在华东宁波市街头寻找食物，从垃圾堆里翻找废弃塑料瓶和烟头。

       他胡子拉碴、头发凌乱，皮夹克外套着一件大衣，还拿亮色布条当腰带系上了。

       一名业余摄影师把程国荣在街上行走的照片放到互联网上后，程国荣的生活发生了巨大的变化。英俊的外表和吉卜赛风格的穿着让他迅速走红，他的大批粉丝称其为“中国最帅气的流浪汉”，而叫得最多的别号还是“犀利哥”。

       1996年，程国荣到宁波打工，起初还比较成功，能寄点钱回家。后来，他的积蓄遭抢，找工作也不顺利，最后流落街头。无力供养家中两个孩子令他感到羞愧，他多年没有打电话回家。

       家里人多次寻找他，一度以为他已经死了，直到今年1月在互联网上看到他的照片。程国荣3月回到家中时，发现他的父亲和妻子已在去年的一场车祸中丧生。

       程国荣的粉丝捐出了超过10万元人民币，帮助他重新开始生活。与此同时，找他拍广告的人纷至沓来，他甚至在南部城市佛山走台演出。

       如今，中国电影制片人邓建国宣布，将拍摄一部关于程国荣的电影。该片定于今年9月开拍。

       一名亲戚说：“这是一个悲伤的故事，但最终的结局是家人团聚。”香港偶像演员吴嘉龙将出演“犀利哥”，尽管程国荣的家人认为这名演员可能“太高了”。该片将于明年春节上映。