Hong Kong’s Mandarin Motion Pictures has secured sales rights to Jackie Chan action comedy Panda Plan and will launch the film at the American Film Market (AFM).
Zhang Luan directs the Chinese feature, in which a baby panda with just one dark circle around his eye becomes a worldwide sensation after being born at China’s Noah Zoo. When a Middle Eastern tycoon dispatches mercenaries to snatch baby pandas from the zoo, iconic action star Chan – playing a version of himself – becomes involved to protect the animals at the wildlife park.
The cast also includes Shi Ce (Hi, Mum), Wei Xiang (Full River Red), Han Yanbo (The Super Family) and Andy Friend (The Wandering Earth 2).
Director Zhang is known for Song Of Youth, a comedy drama that proved a surprise box office hit when released in 2019, and Give Me Five, which led the Chinese box office for three weeks following its opening in September 2022.
Panda Plan is in production and is set for delivery in 2024.
Chan recently starred as an old stuntman in Ride On, which took more than $30m in China following its release in April, and also played opposite John Cena in US-China co-production Hidden Strike, directed by Scott Waugh. He also provided the voice of Splinter in the animated Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, which took more than $180.5m at the worldwide box office for Paramount Pictures.
Mandarin Motion Pictures, which will launch sales of the project at AFM (October 31-November 5). Further upcoming projects on its slate include courtroom drama Misjudgement, directed by Mak Ho-pong and led by Ip Man martial arts superstar Donnie Yen; and action-drama Fight For Tomorrow, directed by Chan Tai Lee and starring Patrick Tam and Locker Lam.
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