Fann Wong is not smiling for once.

She stalks the alleyways at night with dark shades on, none of her famous pearlies in sight.

Streetwise and dripping with attitude, this is the new image of Singapore's Great Wide Hope in current TV trailers which hail her up-coming first film, The Truth About Jane And Sam.

Produced by Raintree Pictures, the movie-making arm of the Television Corporation of Singapore, it is directed by Hongkong director Derek Yee who has a blistering record of turning nobodies into overnight sensations.

In 1993, he transformed Hongkong television starlet Anita Yuen into movie-princess with C'est La Vie Mon Cheri (That's Life, My Darling), which won her the Best Actress prize at the Hongkong Film Awards.

In 1996, he rescued Taiwanese porn nymphet Shu Qi from Category III hell and catapulted her to the legit stratosphere with Viva Erotica which won her Best New Performer and Best Supporting Actress honours at the same awards.

Now, it is Fann's turn. He has morphed her from a chirpy goody-two-shoes in TCS serials to a drug-taking delinquent with crimped, coloured hair that made "old couples move away from me in lifts," she told Sunday Plus recently.

With the movie to be released in early July, Yee has given her his final stamp of approval.

"He is very confident that Fann would be nominated for Best Actress at the Hongkong Film Award next year," says Mr Daniel Yun, chief executive officer of Raintree Pictures.

This is the second Raintree film; the first was Liang Po Po - the movie.

Fann's character, Jane, whose tough-as-nails exterior is cracked by the earnest sincerity of a Singaporean journalist, Sam (played by newcomer Peter Ho) is a breakthrough for her.

"Derek only wanted us to be natural, not over-act," she recalls.

"Most scenes were done in one or two takes and I was really insecure at first, but he kept telling me dak ge la, dak ge la."

That is "it's okay" in Cantonese.

Fann feels no pressure stepping into the shimmering shoes vacated by Yuen and Shu. And she harbours no strong desire to be as big as a star, she claims.

"I just want to do more quality, sincere movies," comes her predictable reply. When will she ever be sincere and not dish out PR motherhood statements?

Will she be the next Shu Qi?

Mr Yun muses: "No, she won't be. If she's going to be like anyone it will be Karen Mok. They are both high on the young and hip quotient. And they both speak several languages; they can't be pigeon-holed as belonging to any territory."

An observer in the fashion industry is more pointed: "How can Fann be the next Shu Qi? However sexily you style her, she can never be as vampish or hot-blooded sexy," he says.

"But if you make Shu Qi look like a schoolgirl with two plaits, she still oozes sex. It literally comes from the inside."

Celebrity hairstylist David Gan who has counted Fann as his muse for many years, is more optimistic.

"It's just a matter of time before she becomes big regionally," he says.

"She will not go the sexy route like Shu Qi, because it's not in Fann's personality to carry off an image like that. She is more the modern, fashionable type."

But looks alone do not make a star. Like Shu, Fann would have to prove her acting mettle to reach to the top.

Mr Freddy Leow, executive producer of the current Fann TV vehicle, Out To Win, has seen the thespian side of her.

"Her acting in the series has shown she has matured," he says.

"She has proven that she is more capable of playing more than the typical good girl. And her future movies will show just that."

WATCH HER ACT TOUGH

If you thought Fann Wong will never break free from the overused pretty-young-thing mould, watch her on TCS 8's 10-part serial Out To Win.

She plays Zhang Wen Hua, an unscrupulous Simex broker who relinquishes family, friendships and a romance to get to the top.

The role was specially written for her, says Mr Freddy Leow, executive producer of the serial, because "Fann is the epitome of the young, modern career woman in Singapore."

The producers also thought her acting skills could be stretched by playing a baddie for once, and she delivered, she leaves you with the feeling that you either love her or hate her," he adds.

"But even then, her star quality endears the audience to her, and you will never end up disliking her," he says.