Hong Kong’s Media Asia Films announced a packed slate of productions at Filmart, including a romantic comedy from Johnnie To (pictured) and Wai Ka-fai, and a new project from The Message director Gao Qunshu.

Tentatively titled Manhunt, Gao’s film is a noir thriller based on a classic Japanese novel, which will likely be transposed to a Chinese setting. His last film, The Message, produced by China’s Huayi Brothers, premiered at Pusan and grossed around $29m in mainland China.

To and Wai’s romantic comedy, which has the working title Single Men & Women, follows a group of singletons in Hong Kong and Beijing and is set to star Daniel Wu, Louis Koo and Gao Yuanyuan. Both Manhunt and Single Men & Women are scheduled to start shooting before the end of the year.

Media Asia also unveiled a string of big-budget action titles including Andrew Lau’s Legend Of The Fist: The Return Of Chen Zhen, starring Donnie Yen; Felix Chong’s action comedy Once A Gangster, and Su Chao-pin’s Reign Of Assassins, starring Michelle Yeoh and produced by John Woo. Fortissimo Films is handling Western and some Asian territories on Reign Of Assassins.

Media Asia is also selling Dante Lam’s Fire Of Conscience, which had its gala premiere at the Hong Kong International Film Festival last night, and thriller Punished, directed by Law Wing-cheong and produced by To, which has Anthony Wong and Richie Jen heading the cast. 

The company has also picked up two productions from Bangkok-based Oriental Eyes – Saranyoo Jiralak’s 9 Temples and My Best Bodyguard starring Shawn Yue and Thailand’s Princess Ubolratana.

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