Village Roadshow Pictures Asia (VRPA) is teaming with Heyi Pictures to co-finance and co-produce sci-fi thriller Bleeding Steel, starring Jackie Chan.

Written and directed by Leo Zhang (Chrysanthemum To The Beast), the film is scheduled to start shooting in July in Sydney.

The film is expected to be the biggest-budget Chinese production ever to shoot in Australia. It’s also Chan’s first film to be shot primarily in Australia since Mr. Nice Guy was filmed in Melbourne in 1996. Additional filming will take place in Taiwan.

Chan plays a special forces agent in the future who fights to protect a young woman with whom he feels a special connection from a sinister criminal gang.

“Given Village Roadshow’s deep roots in Australia, the film’s concept resonates strongly with us; and naturally we are thrilled to be a part of a Jackie Chan production,” said VRPA president and CEO Ellen Eliasoph.

Launched in August 2014, Heyi Pictures is the film production arm of streaming platform Youku Tudou, which is now owned by Alibaba. The company has co-financed Chinese films including Surprise, Saving Mr. Wu and Monster Hunt.

VRPA is also co-financing and co-producing Liu Jie’s Hide And Seek, a Chinese adaptation of a Korean suspense thriller, which is currently in production. Other recent projects include Larry Yang’s Mountain Cry, co-produced with Hairun Pictures, and Cold War 2, from the company’s affiliate Irresistible Films.