Glen Basner’s sales, production and financing company has boarded the bulk of international sales on Zhang Yimou and producer Zhang Weiping’s epic starring Christian Bale.
Production is scheduled to wrap in mid-June on the English and Mandarin-language historical adventure, which is set to premiere in Beijing on Dec 16.
Heng Liu adapted Geling Yan’s novel based on true events set during the 1937 Nanking Massacre as an American fights to save the lives of 13 courtesans.
Weiping is producing through his New Pictures Film and David Linde, Chaoying Deng, Bill Kong and Leo Shiyoung serve as executive producers. FilmNation is selling international outside the US, China and several Asian countries. New Pictures holds North American rights and Deng, Linde and Stephen Saltzman of Loeb & Loeb are representing rights.
“Christian Bale gives a brilliant performance and will be the lynchpin to unite audiences across cultures,” Weiping said. “With this, we have the opportunity to increase the exposure of Chinese cinema to the outside world. This is a first for Chinese filmmaking in many respects. Glen immediately understood the significance of the film and its potential to translate around the world.”
”Heroes Of Nanking is truly a global achievement with an international cast and crew that includes Americans, British, Australia, Italian, Japanese and Koreans,” Basner said. “This sweeping real-life story of bravery in the face of unspeakable evil has a truly universal appeal.”
Basner’s Cannes slate includes Relativity’s Snow White project, the untitled Oren Peli genre film, Critics’ Week entry Take Shelter with Michael Shannon and Jessica Chastain, Steven Soderbergh’s tentatively titled Magic Mike to star Channing Tatum, Lola Versus with Great Gerwig and Pedro Almodóvar’s competition entry The Skin I Live In.
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