Village Roadshow Pictures Asia will produce Man Of Tai Chi with China Film Group and Wanda Media Group. Universal will co-finance, co-produce and distribute with the partners.

Reeves and his team are in China lining up a February start in Beijing on Man Of Tai Chi, which will also shoot in Hong Kong and Macau. Village Roadshow Pictures Asia will distribute through its affiliates in Australia, New Zealand and Singapore, while China Film Group and Wanda Media Group will release in Greater China and Universal will handle the rest of the world.

Lemore Syvan is producing the contemporary Beijing-set tale of a young martial artist’s spiritual journey. Tiger Chen will star alongside Reeves himself.

“We are pleased to announce Man Of Tai Chi under the Village Roadshow Pictures Asia label and to extend our long standing relationship with Keanu,” Village Roadshow Entertainment Group CEO Greg Basser said.

“The combination of Universal Pictures, Village Roadshow Pictures Asia, China Film Group and Wanda Media Group will bring the project extraordinary resources to ensure success both in China and around the world.”

“The opportunity to get further involved in the Chinese market and to bring Chinese films to audiences around the world is important to Universal,” Universal’s president of international David Kosse said. “Man Of Tai Chi has an amazing pedigree of filmmakers and we’re thrilled to be a part of Keanu’s directorial film debut.”