Trio set for historical action epic…
THR hears that action legend Jackie Chan is set to take the lead in director Daniel Lee’s historical actioner ‘Dragon Blade,’ with John Cusack and Adrien Brody attached to co-star.
Budgeted at $65 million, the film is inspired by a missing legion of Roman soldiers that travelled into China in 48 B.C and finds Chan playing Huo An, the commander of the Protection Squad of the Western Regions who teams up with Lucius (Cusack), a Roman general who led a legion of 1,000 soldiers into Han Dynasty China.
“I’m really excited to be in a movie with two of the most respected actors working today,” said Chan. “It gives me confidence that the decade we spent researching and developing the script has produced something of a world-class standard.”
Brody will be playing Tiberius, “who assassinated Rome’s Consul Crassus and chased after Lucius with a force of 100,000 soldiers.” South Korea actor/popstar Choi Siwon co-stars.
“It is a dream to finally work with Jackie. Aside from my long-time appreciation for his many talents, he is a beacon of generosity, and an inspiration to me,” said Brody. “Dragon Blade is a tale of mythical proportions — of good prevailing over evil — and an opportunity for me to explore a character whose ambition challenges his honour.”
Filming will take place in the historic city of Dunhuang and the Gobi Desert.