Renny Harlin to direct Alibaba’s 'Legend Of The Ancient Sword'

Currently in pre-production, the Chinese-language project is being lined up as the first film in a franchise. Production is scheduled to start in October.

Developed by Shanghai Aurogon, Legend Of The Ancient Sword (Gujian Qitan in Chinese) is a 3D role-playing video game inspired by Chinese mythology. The property has already been adapted into a TV series broadcast by Hunan TV.

The project was announced at the on-going Shanghai International Film Festival (SIFF), where Harlin’s US-China co-production Skiptrace, starring Jackie Chan and Johnny Knoxville, is being screened. Skiptrace is scheduled for release in China on July 22.

Alibaba also unveiled a slate of films from local filmmakers at SIFF, along with details of projects funded through its Yulebao crowdfunding platform.

In its most recent funding round, Yulebao raised $4.6m (RMB30m) for four films and TV projects, including Harlin’s Legend Of The Ancient Sword franchise, No Other Love, Three Lives Three Worlds Ten Miles Of Peach Blossom and Rise Of The Rice Cooker.

The crowdfunding platform has also signed merchandising deals with Paramount Pictures, Twentieth Century and Japan’s Tsuburaya Productions, covering films including Ice Age: Collision Course, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out Of The Shadows and Star Trek Beyond.