Hong Kong studio Media Asia has unveiled Hong Kong-China co-production Romancing in Thin Air, to be directed by Johnnie To and Wai Ka-fai, and star Sammi Cheng, Louis Koo and Chinese actress Gao Yuanyuan.

Koo plays a superstar who is dumped by his actress girlfriend Gao Yuanan and flies off to scenic Shangri-la in Yunnan province to seek solitude, only to fall in love with Sammi Cheng.

Shooting started in early March in Yunnan and will wrap around the end of May. Media Asia is yet to confirm its China co-production partner and the film’s mainland China distributor, but has set its Hong Kong and mainland China release date at the end of 2011.

Meanwhile, Media Asia also announced that the Andrew Lau-directed romantic drama A Beautiful Life will be released in both mainland China and Hong Kong on May 19. The Beijing-set film, about a romance between a Hong Kong girl (Shu Qi) and a Beijing police officer (Liu Ye), is co-produced by Beijing-based Bona Film Group. Bona is also distributing the film in mainland China.

Also in Media Asia’s 2011 release slate is another Johnnie To producing film Punished. Directed by Law Wing-cheong, the action thriller revolves around a kidnapping case and stars Anthony Wong, Richie Jen and Janice Man. The film’s Hong Kong release date is May 5.