Dan Gilroy, screenwriter of the recent Real Steel and the now in-production Bourne Legacy, is to script a Chinese super-hero movie 'The Annihilator'.
The project is based on a concept developed by legendary cartoon writer and editor Stan Lee, creator of X-Men, Iron Man and Thor, and former president of Marvel.
It is being developed at Magic Storm Entertainment, a company headed by former Variety and Hollywood Reporter executive Eric Mika and actress and producer Lan Shi.
Magic Storm acquired a treatment from Lee's Pow! Entertainment that chronicles the journey of a young man who is given a second chance as an international superhero and returns home to mete out justice.
Magic Storm envisages The Annihilator as a studio-level picture capable of appealing to Asian and global audiences.
The project and Gilroy's role were unveiled this weekend in Beijing at an event featuring Los Angeles mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.
Stan's created a ground-breaking superhero for our globalized world. The story spans cultures and continents in thrilling, character-driven style. Stan is straight-up at the top of his game and it's a joy to have a hand in bringing this to the screen," said Gilroy in as statement.
"We could not be more pleased than to have Dan Gilroy come aboard to write this exciting script for our film," said Mika, Magic Storm CEO. "Dan's knowledge and creative mind will undoubtedly create a strong base for a new franchise to the super hero genre world-wide."
Magic Storm is backed by Panda Media Partners, a joint venture of Lee's Pow! Entertainment and Fidelis Entertainment, and the merger and acquisition boutique Ricco Capital (Holdings) Limited.