Chinese en

trepreneur Bruno Wu’s film company, Seven Stars Entertainment, is launching a joint venture with Arad Productions, led by Marvel Studios founder Avi Arad, to develop a franchise of blockbuster films, animated television series and retail products that feature heroes based on Chinese culture, according to a statement from the companies.

First in the joint venture’s pipeline is “Rise of the Terracotta,” according to the statement. The film is based on the country’s own army of underground terracotta soldiers, who were buried underground to protect emperor Qin Shi Huang in the afterlife.

The Arad-Wu tie up, which aims to pair Mr. Wu’s funding with Mr. Arad’s production experience, is an attempt to tap into China’s growing appetite for films–and in particular big-budget action films that feature dynamic superheroes

Mr. Wu is betting big on China’s film industry. He has been building up Chinawood, a media complex outside of China’s northeastern city of Tianjin in which Seven Stars and Tianjin’s government have invested more than a $1 billion.

More At: https://blogs.wsj.com/chinarealtime/2012/12/12/formidable-duo-team-up-to-create-chinese-superheroes/