Orlando Bloom Partners With China's Bliss Media on New Production Venture (Exclusive)

The company will co-produce the Shanghai-set action-thriller 'Smart Chase: Fire & Earth,' in which Bloom is set to star.

Orlando Bloom is partnering with China's Bliss Media on a new production venture.

The newly formed entity, called BlissBloom Productions, will be jointly run by the actor and Bliss Media CEO Wei Han.

Their first project will be the $30 million Shanghai-set action thriller Smart Chase: Fire & Earth, starring Bloom and directed by French filmmaker Julien Seri (Night Fare).

Bloom has a huge following in China, where he is affectionately known as the "elf prince" (jingling wangzi), stemming from his Lord of the Rings role.

The announcement was made Friday at the Shanghai International Film Festival.

Smart Chase follows a down-and-out private security agent who gets ambushed while attempting to escort a valuable Chinese antique out of Shanghai.

Shanghai-based Bliss Media has become an increasingly active player in projects traversing Chinese and international markets. The company, which has an office in Los Angeles, launched the $150 million Bliss-CODI Film & TV Investment Fund at the Cannes Film Festival in May. The fund is targeting international film and television equity investment, taking the Chinese distribution rights to the projects it backs. Bliss Media previously launched the Yoozoo Bliss Film Fund, a $100 million equity fund designed to finance 10 international productions and Chinese co-productions over five years.

Creative Artists Agency (CAA) advised on the formation of both funds and represents the companies.

Thus far, aside from Smart Chase, Bliss has invested in Mel Gibson’s Hacksaw Ridge, starring Andrew Garfield; Pablo Larrain’s Jackie, starring Natalie Portman; and is co-financing Michael Mann’s Ferrari.