Memoirs of a Geisha is a 2005 drama film directed by Rob Marshall and written by Robin Swicord. The screenplay is based on the novel of the same name by Arthur Golden, which follows the fictional story of Chiyo Sakamoto (Suzuka Ohgo and Zhang Ziyi), who, as a young girl, leaves behind her fishing village and becomes Sayuri Nitta, a celebrated geisha working in Kyoto, Japan, before and after World War II. The film also stars Ken Watanabe as Sayuri's love interest, Gong Li as her rival, and Michelle Yeoh as her mentor. It had a limited theatrical release in the United States from December 9, 2005, before it went on a wide release on December 23, 2005. Memoirs of a Geisha grossed a worldwide box office total of over $162 million, against an estimated budget of $85 million.