Asian Fortune Your source for all things Asian American
By Yi Chen
Photos courtesy of Michel Shane | Hand Picked Films
Washington, DC – The Art of War, an ancient Chinese military treatise written more than 2,500 years ago, is being adapted into an epic television series for western audience. “I was doing research to see if the story has ever been told in the West and to my shock, it has never been done here or in Europe, not as a feature film or a TV series,” said Michel Shane, who executive produced Catch Me If You Can (2002) and I, Robot (2004).
In an exclusive interview with Asian Fortune, Shane told us that because “the book written in 525 B.C. is as relevant today as it was back then,” he took an immediate interest and forged an international production involving three countries – China, Japan and U.S.
Hollywood is no stranger to co-productions with China. Disney co-produced “Iron Man 3” with Chinese company DMG Entertainment Group. The film made almost $100 million dollars in China in two weeks. China has become world’s second-largest film market and co-production gives Hollywood studios a better access to a market with limited openness. In 2012, Chinese top leader Xi Jinping’s visit to the United States ended with the announcement that China would expand its quota of foreign films allowed to screen in the country from 20 to 34. Still, co-production can get around the quota.
“In today’s world, with the growth of China as a world power, you will be a fool to ignore China and its abilities,” Shane said. The Art of War will be shot entirely in China under the direction of Executive Producer Hu Mei (Confucius 2010), an established Chinese female director, and the series will focus on the life stories of Sun Tzu and those who influenced him. “What we want to do is to have A-list directors from around the world to do each episode, which will give a unique look to the project.” Shane hopes that “the TV series will show the impact this book has had in all world’s cultures since that time.”
“The series will be one of the biggest TV series ever done out of China,” said Shane. Filming is set to begin on July 14, 2013 and the series is expected for a 2015 release. Japanese studio Genco Inc. and U.S.-based Flamingo Features will work alongside Shane and Hu Mei. Taro Maki, founder of Genco Inc., said, “Our full-fledged multinational collaboration stems from a mutual respect for Sun Tzu and his masterpiece. Here is an undefeated general whose lessons remain as important today as they were 2,500 years ago. We want to honor his story and share his wisdom.”
Shane’s vision for the series also includes a coordinated worldwide launch of the TV series, as well as educational distribution. “We are designing a twenty to thirty minutes educational program that we are going to distribute to 4000 schools in the United States, colleges and universities where teachers will be able to use the program for a class lesson about Sun Tzu,” said Shane. The book has been used in the curricula of military, business, economic and political science classes around the globe. The TV series and its educational component aim to introduce Sun Tzu to new audiences.
