CANNES -- Bill Kong, producer of "Crouching Tiger" and "Hero," is to reteam with helmer Ronny Yu for "Blood: The Last Vampire," an English-language adaptation of a best-selling Japanese manga comic series.
Yu recently directed "Fearless," the Jet Li-starring actioner that with "King Kong" heads the B.O. standings in China this year, with a gross exceeding RMB100 million ($12.5 million). Kong produced "Fearless" through his Hong Kong-based Edko Films.
"Blood" will be produced by Edko with France's Pathe group.
Kong says "Blood" will likely shoot in a mix of English and other languages. Unlike most of Kong's recent oeuvre, it will not be set up as a Chinese-qualifying co-production and will not shoot there. He is currently scouting locations in Japan, Russia and the Philippines.
Story of an undercover vampire hunter who discovers that two of her best friends are fiends was previously filmed as an animated movie by Japan's Production I.G. helmed by Hiroyuko Kitabuko. Production I.G. has since released a spinoff comic "Blood: The Last Vampire 2002" and has announced a TV series.
Kong is also producing Zhang Yimou-helmed epic "Curse of the Golden Flower." Both "Fearless" and "Flower" are repped in international markets by Gotham's Focus Features.
Yu recently directed "Fearless," the Jet Li-starring actioner that with "King Kong" heads the B.O. standings in China this year, with a gross exceeding RMB100 million ($12.5 million). Kong produced "Fearless" through his Hong Kong-based Edko Films.
"Blood" will be produced by Edko with France's Pathe group.
Kong says "Blood" will likely shoot in a mix of English and other languages. Unlike most of Kong's recent oeuvre, it will not be set up as a Chinese-qualifying co-production and will not shoot there. He is currently scouting locations in Japan, Russia and the Philippines.
Story of an undercover vampire hunter who discovers that two of her best friends are fiends was previously filmed as an animated movie by Japan's Production I.G. helmed by Hiroyuko Kitabuko. Production I.G. has since released a spinoff comic "Blood: The Last Vampire 2002" and has announced a TV series.
Kong is also producing Zhang Yimou-helmed epic "Curse of the Golden Flower." Both "Fearless" and "Flower" are repped in international markets by Gotham's Focus Features.
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