Le Vision Pictures USA, the stateside movie arm of China‘s LeTV, has partnered with Dark Horse Comics to adapt and develop a slate of six graphic novels.
The Chinese-language comics and graphic novels will be converted into English, and then adapted as franchise film properties, which Le Vision and Dark Horse intend to co-produce.
Titles include: includes “The Path to Immortality,” “The Descendants of Straw Mountain,” “Gods of China,” “The Naughty Queen,” “Magical Days, and “P.A.I.U. – Paranormal Activity Investigation Unit.”
The deal is intended to be part of Le Vision Pictures USA’s goal to be “the world’s first connected studio,” by creating franchise entities accessible across all LeTV platforms, including phone and tablet apps, video games, and several other mediums.
The company is in the process of establishing a string of Hollywood alliances and recently announced a two film deal with “The Lion King” director Rob Minkoff, and another deal with Bernie Goldmann, to produce action movie “Zodiac: Year of the Snake.”
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“This new partnership with Le Vision will bring Chinese content to new audiences while also extending the Dark Horse brand into China in a new and powerful way,” Dark Horse Entertainment founder and president Mike Richardson said in a prepared statement.
“Comics and graphic novels are a lucrative and sought after IP for film franchises, so taking a stake in this massive industry is a strategic investment for Le Vision Pictures that will allow us to offer films that are both appealing and relevant to audiences globally,” said Le Vision’s CEO, Zhang Zhao, who received a ‘visionary award’ at the Asia Society China film summit in L.A. last week.
The pacts were unveiled ahead of a glitzy function at the Sofitel Hotel in Beverly Hills, Monday (Nov. 9).
Prominent guests at the party included Zhang Yimou, the prominent Chinese director who is artistic advisor to Le Vision in Chin and who is currently in post-production on English-language, Chinese-themed action film “The Great Wall,” with Universal, Legendary East and Le Vision producing.
