Chinese martial arts star Xie Miao (“The Furious,” the “Eye for an Eye” series) is set to lead an English-language action crime thriller set in the U.S., which Los Angeles-based Stars Collective has in development. The project will pursue the bruising, realistic style of martial arts action seen in “The Furious,” and is designed to appeal to genre fans while building Xie’s standing as an international action lead. Peter Luo (“Malignant,” “Umma,” “The Garfield Movie”), Wayne Wei Jiang (“The Meg”) and Wei Junzi (“Eye for an Eye,” “The Furious”) are producing.
Stars Collective co-CEO Nancy Xu (“The Rip,” “The Monkey,” “The Garfield Movie”) produces for the company. Born in Beijing, Xie started out as a child actor and collected multiple wushu championship titles. He broke through opposite Jet Li, with the pair cast as father and son in “The New Legend of Shaolin” and “My Father Is a Hero.” Alongside a film career spanning decades, Xie, who holds a degree in ethnic sports, also worked on martial arts television shows.
His screen work eventually landed him the lead in the “Eye for an Eye” franchise. Most recently, he headlined the action hit “The Furious.” “Xie Miao is a powerful and distinctive action star. Jiang said the film would hold on to the strongest elements of classic martial arts cinema while taking a more global approach to its storytelling and production.
The news was unveiled on the sidelines of the Busan International Film Festival‘s Asian Contents & Film Market. Stars Collective has been chasing rights deals to fill out its global film slate. The company recently picked up Mandarin-language remake rights to “Thelma,” the 2024 Sundance breakout that became Magnolia Pictures’ top-grossing release ever, and has begun developing a feature with the working title “Grandma, Please.” It has also optioned the nonfiction book “Fortunate Sons: The 120 Chinese Boys Who Came to America, Went to School, and Revolutionized an Ancient Civilization,” which it is adapting for the screen with Oscar winner Donna Gigliotti (“Silver Linings Playbook,” “Hidden Figures,” “Shakespeare in Love”).
Launched in 2020, Stars Collective is based in Los Angeles and runs operations in China and Japan. Its slate of more than 60 original properties in development stretches from film and animation to games, merchandise and immersive experiences. Its incubator is anchored by 15 industry mentors, among them directors Sam Raimi, Jon M.
Chu, Alan Taylor and Lu Chuan, screenwriter Anthony McCarten, actor-producer Huang Xiaoming and producers including Gigliotti, Paula Wagner, Patrick Wachsberger and Rob Minkoff. The company counts over 320 filmmakers and artists, drawn from 45 countries, among its members.
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