Beijing-based Chengtian Entertainment has started shooting its first in-house production, Wang Guangli's The Dangerous Game, which cranked up yesterday (July 16) in the city of Hangzhou in South-East China.

Co-financed by Hong Kong 's Mei Ah Entertainment, the contemporary black comedy follows a group of inter-connected Chinese yuppies who indulge themselves in games of power and desire.

Hong Kong star Eric Tsang plays a rich businessman with a smart cartoonist girlfriend played by Gigi Leung. She is also pursued by a handsome young entrepreneur (Xia Yu) who dates a younger girl (Tang Yan) at the same time. The drama begins when the rich man is mysteriously killed by one of the group.

Wang's previous credits include comedy Karmic Mahjong. His new project is scheduled to wrap in two months time for release at the end of the year.

Also on Chengtian's slate is another contemporary comedy In The Name Of The Shooting Star (Ni Zhuan Liu Xing) co-financed with Shanghai Tianxia Liren Media and Shanghai Gaoge Culture and Media Ltd.

The $660,000 film is directed by 25-year-old actor-turned-director Wei Zheng, who has previously made two digital features. It tells the story of two college students trapped in a time machine. Currently in post-production, the film is scheduled for local release in October.

Chengtian is also co-financing Ma Liwen's My Name Is Liu Yaojin with China Film Group Corporation. Starring Qin Hailu (Durian Durian) and Li Yixiang (One Foot Off The Ground), the film is a black comedy about a migrant worker involved in a series of crimes. The film wrapped two weeks ago and is also aiming for a Christmas season release.

Since its launch in 2005, Chengtian has secured investment from Japan 's Avex Entertainment, which acquired a 20% stake in the company last year, and also boarded Peter Chan's The Warlords and John Woo's Red Cliff as a minority investor. However, the company is no longer involved in Chen Kaige's Mei Lanfang which is being co-financed by China Film and Taiwan 's CMC.