The push for Chinese co-productions continues apace and more names are making deals with companies to work on movies. Brian De Palma is the latest, agreeing to direct Lights Out.
Lamont Magee and Jeff W. Byrd wrote the script, which finds a blind Chinese girl who is caught up in a plot to expose a top-secret assassination program. Though she can't see, she has Daredevil-like other heightened senses and will fight back against the bad guys looking to make sure she doesn’t interfere.
No casting has been locked in yet, but De Palma will be looking for an A-list Chinese actress to take the lead, and likely some US stars in supporting roles. De Palma replaces Xavier Gens who had been attached but has moved on to other things.
He’s not the only one involved in a Chinese co-production – both James McTeigue and Gregor Jordan are circling other potential films. It’s not surprising, given how big an impact the Chinese box office is starting to have on films’ performance – see the likes of Pacific Rim, which would never have been considered for a sequel without the success it enjoyed in Asia.