Jackie Chan and the Bleeding Steel team.
Heyi Pictures and Village Roadshow Pictures Asia announced the beginning of principal photography of the Jackie Chan sci-fi actioner Bleeding Steel yesterday.
Written and directed by Leo Zhang, Bleeding Steel was unveiled at a press conference at the Sydney Opera House, the slopes of which would no doubt be suitable for one of Chan's trademark stunts.
The film is the biggest budget Chinese production ever to shoot in Australia, and the Canberra-raised Chan’s first to be shot primarily in Australia since Mr. Nice Guy shot in Melbourne in 1996.
The president of Heyi Pictures, Kailuo Liu, described Chan as “a gift to the film industry”, and said he was "confident that with Heyi Pictures’ powerful internet resources in the Chinese film industry and Jackie’s international influence, coupled with our first-class production team and an extraordinary sci-fi story, we will be able to create a remarkable film for audiences all around the world.”
Chan will play a hardened special force agent fighting to protect a young woman who is an important witness for a major case.
Joining Chan at yesterday's presser was director Leo Zhang and cast members Nana Ouyang (To the Fore), newcomer Erica Xia-Hou, and Tess Haubrich (Alien: Covenant).
Show Luo (Journey to the West, Mermaid) and Callan Mulvey (The Turning, Captain America: The Winter Soldier) are also in the cast.
Additional filming will take place in Taipei and Beijing.