[Dec 6, 2010 - Hong Kong]  Celestial Pictures announced today that filming has begun in Shanghai on My Kingdom (Da Wu Sheng), a multi-million martial arts epic which Celestial Pictures is co-producing with mainland Chinese studio Skyland Films (Beijing) Company Limitedand production company DW FilmsLimited. Based on an original script by acclaimed writer Zou Jingzhi (Riding Alone for Thousands of Miles), My Kingdom is directed by Gao Xiaosong, a visionary filmmaker and music composer embraced by Chinese youths and intellectuals as one of the fresh new voices of the nation. Bringing Gao’s vision to life is acclaimed Hollywood and Chinese film producer Andre Morgan (The Warlords, The White Countess) and action director and Hong Kong movie legend Sammo Hung (Ip Man, Ip Man 2). My Kingdom stars three of the hottest young Chinese idols today, Wu Chun (14 Blades), Barbie Hsu (Reign of Assassins), and pop sensation Han Geng in his feature film debut. The film is set for release in the second half of 2011.

“We are thrilled to be collaborating again with the creative talents of producer Andre Morgan on a movie which blends the best of martial arts action with an intense love story set in turn-of-the-century Shanghai. We have all rights outside of China to this exciting film and are delighted to be able to bring this story to our global network of theatrical, home video and television licensees as well as viewers of Celestial’s Chinese movie channels.” said Ross Pollack, Chief Executive Officer, Celestial Pictures.

My Kingdomis a tightly-woven tale of two brothers’ quest for fame, love and revenge, back dropped by the Shanghai opera stage during its 1920’s heyday. The story blends martial arts onstage and offstage with a suspense-filled love story defying the genre of martial arts epics today. Playing the two brothers are Taiwan-based, Brunei-born actor and singer Wu Chun, who rose to fame as a member of Taiwan’s biggest male group ‘Fahrenheit’ and Han Geng, one of the hottest young idol in China today and an original member of Korea’s super group ‘Super Junior.’ Playing the starlet at the center of the story is leading Taiwanese actress Barbie Hsu, who has demonstrated a wide range with her roles in movies from top filmmakers such as John Woo and Benny Chan.

My Kingdomcontinues Celestial Pictures’ relationship with veteran producer Andre Morgan after the highly acclaimed and multiple-award winning drama Perhaps Love. Prior to developing My Kingdom, Andre Morgan’s last Chinese production was 2008’s The Warlords which was both a critical and box office success, garnering numerous awards including Best Picture at the Hong Kong Film Awards.

“After spending the past four years to assemble the script, creative elements, the best cast, and appropriate financing, we are excited to finally bring this very fresh story to Chinese audiences.” said Andre Morgan.

To bring a level of authenticity and exciting action to the fighting scenes, Sammo Hung, who recently won a Golden Horse Awards for his action choreography in Ip Man 2, was invited to stage and direct My Kingdom’s action scenes. Sammo also trained the young actors for three months to prepare them for the films’ intense martial arts sequences.

“My Kingdom started with an amazing script and a unique vision from director Gao which is, frankly, a breath of fresh air. With Sammo’s involvement and three of the hottest young stars in Asia, we are confident this will be an amazing film, further adding to our vast library of Chinese cinematic gems.” said Ross Pollack.

In addition to co-producing the film, Celestial Pictures will be responsible for worldwide sales excluding mainland China. Skyland Films will be handling sales and marketing within China.

 “My Kingdom was very well-received at the recent American Film Market.  We have already concluded a deal with Golden Screen Cinemas for the Malaysian market and are finalizing deals in other major global markets including Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan, Indonesia and other key territories.” said Peter Poon, Senior Vice President, Theatrical Distribution, Celestial Pictures.