Actress Liu Yifei promotes her new film "A Chinese Fairy Tale" in Beijing on Wednesday, February 23, 2011.[Photo/xinhua]

Cast members Lin Peng, Gong Xinliang, Wangdan Yili, Liu Yifei and Kara Hui.[Photo/xinhua]

Actress Liu Yifei says the tomboy Ellie in Disney-Pixar's animated film "Up" has helped her gain the right feeling for her character in the fantasy thriller, "A Chinese Fairy Tale" ("Qian Nv You Hun").

In her new film, Liu Yifei plays a leopard cat that takes a human form. "The director thinks animals respond to things by instinct, and I was advised to observe Ellie's instinctive features," Liu said Wednesday, February 23, 2011 in Beijing.

"A Chinese Fairy Tale" is director Wilson Yip's take on a short story by 17th-century writer Pu Songling, about the love between a human and a non-human spirit. The fairytale has spawned films and TV dramas, with a 1987 film starring Joey Wong and Leslie Cheung being widely regarded as a classic.

But Liu Yifei was confident to outdo previous versions, and said her performance would be refreshing.

Actor Yu Shaoqun from "Forever Enthralled" plays the man who is attracted to Liu's character.

Other stars in the film include Louis Koo, Kara Hui, and Lin Peng.

The film is slated for release in China on April 22. Its overseas rights have been sold to 12 countries and regions in Asia, Europe and North America, according to the film's production company.