Hollywood star Alec Baldwin is expected to star in a film jointly produced by China, the United States and Britain called "The Forbidden City", with shooting to begin in May.

Meilin Media (Beijing) Ltd., who own 20 percent of the rights, Pieter Kroonenburg Productions Inc., and the Britain-based Studio Eight Productions Ltd. have invested 12 million U.S. dollars in the film, Meilin vice manager Han Lei told Xinhua Tuesday.

The film is adapted by Don Ethan Miller, one of America's most powerful and eloquent instructors of Tai Chi Chuan, from "The Last Mandarin," a U.S. novel written by Stephen Becker and Stephen D. Becker. The film follows the story of a Sino-U.S. joint action to arrest a Japanese war criminal after World War II and a consequent scramble for treasure.

The film will be directed by Andrei Konchalovsky, a Russian theatre and film director renowned internationally for "Uncle Vanya" (1970) from the play by Chekhov, Sibiriade (1979), a dramatic and realistic story of the lives of the people of Siberia, and "Runaway Train" (1985).

Baldwin, a versatile Oscar-nominated actor is adept in both comedy and dramatic roles, with appearances in high profile movies such as "Working Girl" (1998), "Pearl Harbor" (2001) and "The Cooler" (2003).

The entire cast, however, has not been decided, Han said.

The film, which will be shot in China and produced outside the country, is scheduled to be released worldwide in 2007, Han said, adding that the Meilin Media is in charge of its distribution in Asia.

Source: Xinhua