Film Stars Matt Damon along with Pedro Pascal, Willem Dafoe, and an All-Star Chinese Cast Comprised of Some of the Most Notable Names in the Chinese Film Industry
BURBANK, CA, March 11, 2015 – Legendary Pictures announced today the principal cast for THE GREAT WALL, the upcoming film production which is set to be the largest film ever shot entirely in China for global distribution. Matt Damon, Pedro Pascal and Willem Dafoe will star alongside Chinese actors Andy Lau, Jing Tian, Zhang Hanyu, Eddie Peng, Lu Han, Lin Gengxin, Zheng Kai, Chen Xuedong, Huang Xuan and Wang Junkai.
Academy Award®-winning actor Matt Damon recently appeared in MONUMENTS MEN and is well-known for his role as Jason Bourne in the BOURNE franchise. He won an Academy Award® for GOOD WILL HUNTING. Pedro Pascal will next be seen in the Netflix original series “Narcos,” about Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar set to debut in 2015, and is also known for his work on HBO’s Game of Thrones. Willem Dafoe was seen in 4 films in 2014: The Grand Budapest Hotel, The Fault In Our Stars, A Most Wanted Man, and John Wick.
Andy Lau has been one of Asia’s biggest stars, and since the mid-1980s has appeared in over 150 films including INFERNAL AFFAIRS and HOUSE OF FLYING DAGGERS. Jing Tian has recently starred alongside Jackie Chan in NEW POLICE STORY and Donnie Yen in SPECIAL ID. Zhang Hanyu is an award winning Chinese actor who recently starred in TAKING TIGER MOUNTAIN, which earned over $120 million at the Chinese box office this past December, and THE ASSEMBLY. Arguably the top action star of his generation, Eddie Peng has recently starred in FLEET OF TIME and RISE OF THE LEGEND, reprising the role that made Jet Li a household name in China. Lu Han is a former member of the hugely successful Korean pop band EXO and starred in the January 2015 runaway sleeper hit MISS GRANNY. Lin Gengxin is known as one of China’s most gifted young actors, who starred in TAKING TIGER MOUNTAIN and YOUNG DETECTIVE DEE: RISE OF THE SEA DRAGON. Up and coming star, Zheng Kai has recently starred in the Chinese hits FLEET OF TIME and THE RUNNING MAN. Chen Xuedong is a hugely popular idol and the star of the hit film series TINY TIMES. Huang Xuanis one of China’s top art house actors and has recently starred in the critically acclaimed THE GOLDEN ERA and BLIND MASSAGE. Wang Junkai is a member of the overnight pop sensation TF BOYS and is making his film debut. In addition to the above stars, Zhang Yimou will carry on his long standing tradition of utilizing new faces in his films. Newcomers Yu Xintian and Liu Qiong will play roles in the film as supporting actresses.
About the Production
Zhang Yimou is directing the story of an elite force making a last stand for humanity on the world’s most iconic structure. A Legendary Entertainment and Atlas Entertainment Production, the film will be produced by Thomas Tull, Charles Roven, Jon Jashni, and Peter Loehr. Jillian Share, Alex Gartner, Bennett Walsh, La Peikang and Zhang Zhao will executive produce with Er Yong, Alex Hedlund and Eric Hedayat co-producing. Production is set to begin in China at the end of March 2015.
An official Chinese co-production, Legendary is partnered with Universal Pictures, China Film Co., Ltd and Le Vision Pictures. Le Vision Pictures and China Film Co., Ltd will distribute the film in China.
The film will be globally released in 3D by Universal Pictures on Friday, November 23, 2016, with the Chinese market opening during the 2016 holiday season.
About Legendary Entertainment
Legendary Entertainment is a leading media company with film (Legendary Pictures), television and digital (Legendary Television and Digital Media) and comics (Legendary Comics) divisions dedicated to owning, producing and delivering content to mainstream audiences with a targeted focus on the powerful fandom demographic. Through complete or joint ownership, Legendary has built a library of marquee media properties and has established itself as a trusted brand which consistently delivers high-quality, commercial entertainment including some of the world’s most popular intellectual property. In aggregate, Legendary Pictures-associated productions have realized grosses of more than $10 billion worldwide at the box office. To learn more visit: www.legendary.com
About Atlas Entertainment
Atlas Entertainment, led by founder Charles Roven, produces blockbuster films as well as critically acclaimed features. Atlas Entertainment’s films have generated billions of dollars in revenues. In addition to THE GREAT WALL, Atlas is currently in pre-production on Warner Bros. Pictures new action adventure SUICIDE SQUAD. Writer and director David Ayer is bringing the DC Comics’ super villain team to the big screen, and the all-star cast includes Will Smith, Margot Robbie, Jared Leto, Jai Courtney, Joel Kinnaman, Cara Delevingne, and Viola Davis. Atlas is also in post-production on the highly anticipated feature film BATMAN V SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE for Warner Bros. directed by Zack Snyder set for release on March 25, 2016, as well as on Duncan Jones’ WARCRAFT from Legendary Pictures and Universal Pictures with a March 11, 2016 release. Atlas also produced THE DARK KNIGHT TRILOGY and MAN OF STEEL for Warner Bros. Pictures and DC Comics. For television, Atlas Entertainment is currently airing Season One of the SYFY series 12 MONKEYS, a drama based on the 1995 Universal Pictures film directed by Terry Gilliam and produced by Atlas Entertainment’s Charles Roven. The Atlas team most recently collaborated with David O. Russell on the critically acclaimed box office hit AMERICAN HUSTLE which has grossed more than 250 million dollars in worldwide box-office. Among its many accolades, the film won three BAFTA awards, was nominated for 10 Academy Awards® including a Best Picture nomination for Atlas’ producers Charles Roven and Richard Suckle. It also received seven Golden Globe® nominations, winning three including Best Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical.
About China Film Co., Ltd.
China Film Co., Ltd (CFC) is a large scale, fully integrated Chinese film company.
CFC’s business are composed of four parts: film production, distribution, exhibition, cinema construction and management – encompassing all aspects of the film industry: production, distribution, marketing, cinema companies, cinema construction, equipment manufacture, equipment sales, equipment rental and film merchandising – among other areas.
CFC owns the largest digital film distribution company in china, with 4 holding cinema circuits, 3 joint stock cinema circuits including nearly 100 holding cinemas. CFC Cinemas account for more than 1/4 of national box office in China.
About Le Vision Pictures
Founded in 2011, Le Vision Pictures has positioned itself as the first “Internet Film Studio” in China. It has only taken Le Vision Pictures (LEVP) three years to build its unique ‘O2O Marketing System’. This business model is structured around connecting with consumers across new and established on-line/off-line platforms and providing them with the next generation of movie going experience. Le Vision is also known for having the most comprehensive field marketing/distribution network in China – covering 108 cities, 1200 theaters – effectively covering 85% of the Chinese Market. LEVP had a 10% of the share of 2014 national box office. LEVP’s vertical business model has also formed a unique & complementary relationship with LETV group. The group (online video company, network television, e-commerce and other businesses) provides a vertical integration of entertainment and business services. This model maximize revenues & value and is at the cutting edge of the growth of the Chinese Film Market.