Beijing-based exec, whose company’s credits include The Karate Kid and John Woo’s The Crossing, died of a heart attack.

Li Ming, chairman of film and TV outfit Beijing Galloping Horse Group, died on Thursday night (Jan 2) of a heart attack, according to reports. He was 47.

Li founded Galloping Horse in 1994 as an advertising agency but moved into television and film production and investment, with credits including The Karate Kid remake starring Jackie Chan and Jaden Smith, and TV series Three Kingdoms.

Galloping Horse is the main backer of John Woo’s The Crossing, a $40m, two-part historical drama that is currently shooting in Taiwan and is due for release at the end of 2014.

In 2012, Galloping Horse and India’s Reliance Mediaworks acquired Digital Domain, the visual effects company co-founded by Avatar director James Cameron, for $30.2m. Galloping Horse later sold its 70% share to Hong Kong’s Sun Innovation Holdings for $50.5m.

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