Chinese pop star Cui Jian plans to direct for Beijing Antaeus

Chinese producer-distributor Beijing Antaeus Group has unveiled a slate of ten films to be produced in 2010, including three RMB100m epics and a directorial project from Chinese pop star Cui Jian (pictured).

Set to star Jiang Wen and Anthony Wong, Cui’s The Blue Bone is a three-part story about a young musician’s perplexing journey through life. Japanese film-maker Takeshi Kitano, whose Outrage is screening in competition here in Cannes, is on board the $2.5m film as executive producer.

Among the epics are $13-16m period romance Dragon’s Kiss, which is being scripted by Lu Wei (Farewell My Concubine). The project revolves around the daughter of the Chinese ambassador to France who is called back from Paris to work in the court Empress Cixi. Beijing Antaeus plans to invite an international film-maker to direct the project.

Also in development are $13m period drama Rouge, which is set during the Japanese invasion of China, and $16m 3D animation fantasy Destiny. Rouge will be directed by Beijing Antaeus chairman Zhang Baoquan, who also developed the original story of Destiny.

The company also has one project in production, The Adventures Of Xinxin, which is a co-production with Korea’s Lotte Entertainment. Co-directed by China’s Wang Ping and Korea’s Lee Jung-chul, the film is a comedy about a missing puppy.

Among smaller projects on the company’s slate are veteran Chinese director Xie Fei’s first feature in ten years – $1m drama Red Coal – and Xue Xiaolu’s Running Girl, set to star Karen Mok.

Beijing Antaeus, which is part of media conglomerate and cinema owner Time Antaeus Group, is looking for international co-producers and sales agents for the slate. The company has previously invested in and co-produced films such as Ip Man and Six Sisters In The War.