Beijing-based Huayi Brothers is producing $12m action thriller Control, directed by Hong Kong’s Kenneth Bi and starring Daniel Wu and Yao Chen.

Written and directed by Bi, the film follows an insurance salesman who is blackmailed by a mysterious villain into stealing from the mob. Leon Dai and Simon Yam also star. Yao Chen is an up-and-coming Chinese actress who recently starred in Chen Kaige’s Caught In The Web.

Bi previously directed drama Girl$, about the practice of “compensated” dating in Hong Kong, Taiwan-set drama The Drummer and comedy drama Rice Rhapsody.

Controlis currently in post-production following a mostly Hong Kong shoot and is  being readied for release in summer 2013. Huayi is handling international sales on the film, which it is co-producing with Taiwan’s Kbro Media and Hong Kong-based Sil-Metropole.

Huayi Brothers is also selling kungfu and steampunk action dramas Tai Chi 0 and Tai Chi Hero, Tsui Hark’s Detective Dee prequel and Feng Xiaogang’s Back To 1942, starring Tim Robbins and Adrien Brody.