Village Roadshow Asia, Warner team for Zhong Kui

Village Roadshow Pictures Asia and Warner Bros. Pictures have signed on as co-financiers and co-producers of Desen International Media’s 3D fantasy adventure Zhong Kui: Snow Girl and the Dark Crystal, it was announced today in Shanghai.

The film is set for release in China on February 19, 2015, the first day of the Chinese New Year.

Village Roadshow Pictures Asia and Warner will profit from the film’s revenues in mainland China, and Village Roadshow Pictures Asia will have distribution rights in Singapore, Australia and New Zealand; while Warner Bros. will handle distribution in Taiwan, Hong Kong, Malaysia and Vietnam.

Beijing Enlight Pictures has also joined the project as a co-financier and Mainland China co-distributor. Other Chinese co-financiers include actor Chen Kun’s production company K. Pictures and Shenzhen-based Wu’s Entertainment.

Zhao Tianyu (The Law of Atttraction) [pictured] will direct a cast including Chen Kun (The Painted Skin), Li Bingbing (Transformers 4), Winston Chao (The Wedding Banquet), Yang Zishan (So Young), Bao Bei-er (So Young) and Juke Junyi (Outcast).

The producers are Ann An (Ip Man 2) and Peter Pau, cinematographer of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. Pau will serve as cinematographer as well as vfx supervisor. The 3D stereographer will be Vincent E Toto (Dredd).

Weta Workshop will provide character and set design while Korea’s Macrograph will lead VFX.

The film will be shot in mainland China. The story follows the anti-hero Zhong Kui, a young man with mysterious powers who has to battle between Heaven, Earth and Hell.

“Zhong Kui: Snow Girl and the Dark Crystal is an action-packed fantasy adventure, with dramatic twists and turns and a compelling love story at its core,” said producer An.

“With an incredible team of international talent both on screen and behind the camera, we’re confident that Zhong Kui: Snow Girl and the Dark Crystal will become a modern classic of Chinese cinema.

“We’re thrilled that Village Roadshow Pictures Asia and Warner Bros. Pictures have joined with us and our partner Enlight Pictures to help realize our creative vision and bring this film to audiences throughout the region and beyond.”