Beijing-based Rosat Film andTV Productions is lining up a slate of three films including period martialarts drama Green Dragon Scimitarwhich is scheduled to start shooting in September.

Budgeted at $12.5m, the filmis about the life of Guan Yu, a general in China's Three Kingdoms period. Rosat founder Li Shaohong is in talks withTakeshi Kaneshiro to portray the general and Zhang Ziyi to play his lover.

The film is set in a similartime period as John Woo's upcoming BattleOf Red Cliff, but Li said GreenDragon Scimitar would focus more on the inner world of the hero and hisromance with two women which is less known in history.

China Film Group is likelyto be involved in the film and Rosat is also looking for international partners.

Li, whose credits asproducer include Tian Zhuangzhuang's Venice winner SpringtimeIn A Small Town and Australian fantasy drama Warrior Of Virtue 2, is also working on a thriller and a horrorfilm, which like Green Dragon Scimitarmark a departure from Rosat's previous romantic drama fare.

The first film to startshooting will be a contemporary psycho thriller tentatively titled The Door to be directed by Li. The$3.75m film will be backed by Beijing-based Stellar Megamedia Group, which ownsproduction and distribution companies and a cinema chain.

Scheduled to start shootingin early April, the film is based on popular Chinese novel Forks Of The Road which tells a story slightly similar to the film Memento, about a man seeking answers tothe mystery behind the sexual assault of his young beloved by one of hisacquaintances.

Confirmed cast includes ChenKun (Balzac And The Little ChineseSeamstress, West Lake Moment),Huang Jue (Everlasting Regret) and TVactor Lin Shen.

The lead female role will beselected from auditions at Beijing Film Academy. Hong Kong costume designer Shirley Chan (KungFu Hustle) and editor Tung Chuen Li (Isabella)will work on the film.

"There's a big and growingmarket for thrillers in China. We've spent more than a year researching this genreand found a tremendous interest and knowledge in thriller films among the youngaudience," Li said.

Another project indevelopment is Ghost Of A Thousand Yearswhich continues the story of Tsui Hark's 1990s hit Chinese Ghost Story. The project is being scripted by Hong Kong's Kang-chien Chiu (Dream Lover)and will also be directed by Li.

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