Zhang Ziyi featured in 2017 Pirelli calendar

Actress Zhang Ziyi takes part during a photo shoot for 2017 Pirelli calendar. [Photo/Official Weibo account of Pirelli]

Nicole Kidman, Uma Thurman and Helen Mirren have come together in Paris to unveil next year's Pirelli calendar.

It is the 3rd one to be shot by photographer Peter Lindbergh and features 14 acclaimed actresses.

Lindbergh is opting for a natural, makeup-free look.

"I said I don't want to do sexy anymore because sexy, for me, is talent and not kind of a nice piece of skin or something. And the second one is that we got all actresses who did one film or two and got an Oscar nomination. So hope. And it was not sexy at all, because sexy was the talent of them. And third one, we finally get to the real point and that is to say: beautiful (beauty) is this, what you see, you know?"

Actresses including Kidman and Mirren were delighted by Lindbergh's approach.

Zhang Ziyi also posed for the 40-page calendar titled Emotional.

It will be launched at the gala in Paris today.

Related:

China's Yao Chen on the cover of 2016 Pirelli calendar