Andre Morgan and Peter Ho-sunChan, who together run production house Morgan Chan Films, unveiled their$40m martial arts period drama Ci Ma (working title) today in Beijing.

The Hong Kong-China co-productionis directed by Chan and features a stellar cast headed by Jet Li, Andy Lau andTakeshi Kaneshiro. Principal photography has just started in Beijing and will move to Shanghai and Hengdian Film Studios in China's Zhejiang province.

Investors in the filminclude China Film Group and Hong Kong's Media Asia Films, which are co-producing with Morgan Chan Films, in addition to WarnerChina Film HG Corp, Beijing Polybona, Beijing Jinyingma Movie, Chengtian Entertainment and Stellar Megamedia Films.

ARM Distribution, theinternational sales outfit recently launched by Chan and Morgan, and Media Asia Distribution will handleinternational sales of the film, which is scheduled for release at the end of2007. China Film Group, Warner China Film and Polybona willjointly handle distribution in mainland China.

Behind-the-scenes talent includes action director Tony Ching Siu-tung, who recently worked with ZhangYimou on The Curse Of The Golden Flower,DoP Arthur Wong Ngok-tai (Ultraviolet)and art director Chung-man Yee (Perhaps Love).

Set during the Qing dynasty,This Violent Land is based on thesame events as Chang Cheh's 1973 classic CiMa (Blood Brothers), but is not aremake of that film as has been widely reported in the Chinese press.

Ci Ma (littrans: The Assassination Of Ma) was basedon novels inspired by true events, and follows three bandits and sworn brotherswho join a government force to suppress the Taiping rebellion.

Topics