Actress takes 9% stake in Alibaba Pictures

Chinese actress Zhao Wei has taken a stake in Alibaba Group Holding Ltd's film division, bringing some celebrity power to a company that warned on Monday it could rack up losses of as much as HK$600 million ($77.41 million) for 2014.

The star of Shaolin Soccer and Red Cliff and Huang Youlong, her husband, paid more than HK$3 billion for 9.18 percent of Alibaba Pictures Group Ltd, according to Hong Kong stock exchange filings.

Zhao, considered one of the country's most bankable stars, and her husband made the acquisition through holding company Gold Ocean Media Inc in December.