Lionsgate has bought Lee Anthony Smith and Gregory J Bradley's screenplayRogue and will beginproduction on the thriller in spring with Jet Li and Jason Statham in theleads.

Philip G Atwell is directing and Cory Yuen serves as the martialarts action designer on the tale of an FBI agent played by Statham who seeks toavenge his partner's death at the hands of Li's notorious assassin.

Lionsgate's president of international film sales Stephanie Dentonbrought the Fierce Entertainment project to the company and Lionsgate FilmsInternational will commence sales at Berlin next month.

Steve Chasman, Fierce's Christopher Petzel and Jim Thompson are producingin association with Lionsgate.

Lionsgate president ofproduction Michael Paseornek will oversee production with senior vice presidentof production John Sacchi.

"Rogue is an engaging, high-crime thriller teaming the internationally acclaimed,hugely popular Jet Li with one of the hottest young action stars in thebusiness, and it will have audiences on the edge of their seats,"Paseornek said.

Executive vice president of business affairs Robert Melniknegotiated the deal with CAA's Josh Lieberman and Charles Melnicker and Jake Bloomand David Feldman at Bloom Hergott Diemer Rosenthal & LaViolette on behalfof Li, Statham and Chasman, along with Mitch Smelkinson at Stone Meyer &Genow on behalf of Petzel and Thompson of and the writers.

ICM's Robert Lazar and Sloane, Offer, Weber and Dern's Warren Dernnegotiated on behalf of Atwell.

Lionsgate'sother Berlin market titles include Crank, which also stars Statham, Flyboys, and Leonard Cohen I'm Your Man, which plays at Sundance and will screenin official selection in the Panorama section at Berlin.