Shin to direct Hong Kong sci-fi epic Future Fighters

Shin is an animation director with credits including 1986 animation The Transformers: The Movie. His Seoul-based animation studio Akom Productions has worked on US television series including The Simpsons. Future Fighters will be his first live-action project. Siu was previously assistant director on The Forbidden Kingdom.

Agog Film Productions, the Hong Kong-based production outfit that is producing Future Fighters, also announced that Japanese black-belt karate action star Rina Takeda has joined the cast. Takeda previously starred in Japanese cult action film Highkick Girl. Also attached to the project are US action star Ray Park, Reuben Langdon, Eriko Sato, Gordon Liu and Yasuaki Kurata.

Agog founder and former financial trade Guy Orlebar also announced that comic writer Simon Furman will be writing the film’s graphic novel, with comic illustrator Guido Guidi, who is also production designer on Future Fighters, providing the artwork.

Set in the 22^nd century, the film revolves around a band of freedom fighters and their mechanised warriors defending the solar system from a formidable enemy. Green-screen shooting is expected to start in China from early 2011.

The producers are currently financing the project and seeking distribution partners. “The great news is, with the involvement of one of our previously announced China partners, Crystal CG, it is strongly likely our movie can be shown theatrically in China as local domestic movie,” said Orlebar.