Production team attended the news conference. [Photo: ent.163.com]
Based on the tragic events of the Tangshan Earthquake, a new Sino-U.S. co-production named "Tangshan Earthquake Amnesty" is set to enter filming stages in the near future. A press conference was held on February 23rd in Beijing to announce the news, 163.com reports.
Zhongshenghong Culture & Media Ltd will team up with the Hollywood Movie Foundation to produce the movie, with an estimated 600 million RMB budget. Producer Qin Heping said at the press conference that they are currently seeking Hollywood A-list directors to guide the project through to its completion. Names such as Steven Spielberg and Martin Scorsese have been bandied about but Qin refused to disclose any further details regarding the matter.
The movie tells the true story of more than 200 prisoners risking their life to save people during the disaster only to spontaneously return to prison afterwards. Following their heroic acts, the prisoners were granted amnesty by the government and were released from prison.
Some reporters have noted that the movie's background is quiet similar to that of Feng Xiaogang's blockbuster "Aftershock." Regarding this matter, Qin stated, "They are completely different stories. There is no need to compare our project with 'Aftershock' at all."
This is the first time for a Chinese production company to cooperate with the Hollywood Move Foundation, and there are high hopes of gaining an Oscar nomination in the future.