英语文摘:Hollywood coming to China

BEIJING, July 19 (Xinhuanet) -- The US team behind new Sino-US co-production Double Lives is currently in China, working with their local partners on developing the film and scouting for future possibilities.

Director Rob Cohen (Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story (1993), The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (2008)) said during the film's signing ceremony in Beijing Wednesday that he was thrilled to be back in China.

"It is very important for us to learn from China, I first came to China in 1991 to direct Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story and loved this land. The reason I directed The Mummy was because I could come back to China. I converted to Buddhism because of the influence of here, Jet Li once said I was a Chinese in another life, that is the biggest compliment I ever got," he said. "With Double Lives, I get the chance to come here again, I am very excited and I am looking forward to it."

The signing ceremony of Double Lives in Beijing.

This year several joint Sino- US film productions have found success, including The Karate Kid, Reign of Assassins and Shanghai. Sheng Boyu, producer of Double Lives, told the Global Times that the new film will be bigger and better than anything before.

"It is completely different from the previous Sino-US joint productions; it's much larger in scale in terms of everything.

"This time we play an equal if not more important role, we are contributing at least 50 percent, including production, casting, core crew, marketing and distribution… Double Lives will be so amazing it will shock the world," Sheng said.

As well as director Cohen, the US Double Lives' team currently in China includes John Robinson, CEO of Hollywood MovieWorks, William Fay, president of Legendary Pictures and actors Billy Zane and Brit Morgan.