Alibaba Pictures signs deal with STX Entertainment to produce 'Steel Soldiers'
STX Entertainment has partnered with Alibaba Pictures, Alibaba Group’s entertainment affiliate, to co-develop and co-produce Steel Soliders, an upcoming action sci-fi film. STX will handle U.S. and international distribution, with Alibaba Pictures retaining rights in Greater China.
Both companies also plan to expand the project beyond theatrical and onto other platforms.
The film aims to immerse audiences into a futuristic world where humans and androids fight shoulder to shoulder, challenging the fundamental question of a soldier’s humanity in a newfound way. The main character is a disgraced Special Forces officer is forced to train a new team of high-tech but imperfect android soldiers, turn them into “real” elite military officers, and lead them in a deadly mission to rescue the robot’s creator.
Both companies also plan to expand the project beyond theatrical and onto other platforms, leveraging on STX’s multi-platform content making, marketing and distribution capabilities and expertise, as well as Alibaba Pictures’ access to technology, ecommerce and insights.
“Alibaba Pictures is committed to bringing the most exciting content to China and beyond. We are delighted to partner with STX on Steel Soldiers, a project with global commercial appeal and cross-platform potential,” said Zhang Wei, president of Alibaba Pictures.
Robert Zemeckis, Jack Rapke, and Jackie Levine will produce the film under their ImageMovers label, along with David Styne from an original screenplay written by Ken Kaufman.