Cannes: Seven Stars Film Studios to finance John Woo’s “The Killer” thriller

PanARMENIAN.Net - Bruno Wu’s Seven Stars Film Studios (SSFS) has agreed to finance John Woo and Terence Chang’s Lion Rock Productions “The Killer”, the English language retelling of John Woo’s iconic 1989 action film. John H. Lee (A Moment to Remember, 71: Into the Fire) will direct the script by Josh Campbell (One Square Mile). Sarah Yan Li, China’s most promising rising star, will co-star in the thriller, Deadline reported.

Lion Rock’s John Woo and Terence Chang will produce alongside Lion Rock’s Lori Tilkin, who will executive produce. Bruno Wu’s Seven Stars will finance the film which begins filming Q4 2012 in Toronto. Seven Stars’ CEO Fred Milstein closed the deal prior to Cannes.

Bruno Wu, Chairman of Seven Stars Global Entertainment (SSGE), the parent company of SSFS, said: “SSFS and Lion Rock is the perfect team to bring this iconic project to the global audience. I have always admired John Woo’s work and am confident he and John Lee are the ideal filmmaking duo.”

Lion Rock Productions John Woo said: “The Killer” is one of my most beloved projects. I have wanted to make an English-language remake and thrilled to have John H. Lee on board to make that happen. Lee brings a perfect blend of emotion and stunning visuals to his films and I have supreme confidence he’ll bring this story to a new generation and do it justice.”

Set in present day Los Angeles, Jef, a highly skilled contract killer falls in love with the only living witness to his latest job, a female singer (Sarah Yan Li) who was blinded during the hit. Meanwhile, Detective Vaughn, the cop assigned to investigate Jef’s hit, has a chance to save his reputation when he correctly, and fatefully, suspects Jef to be the killer, but after witnessing Jef display an act of heroism, Vaughn’s perceptions of right and wrong begin to change.

John H. Lee’s award-winning film A Moment to Remember remains the highest-grossest Korean film in Japan to date and won the Grand Bell Award for its screenplay.

As recently announced, Harvest Seven Stars Media Private Equity (HSSMPE), which is a subsidiary of Seven Stars Film Studios (SSFS), will invest $800 million across two distinct areas: mergers and acquisitions in the media field and the development of a marketing and distribution platform in all media throughout China, plus the creation of content. In addition, the company recently tapped Fred Milstein President, International, HSSMPE and Chief Executive Officer of SSFS.