Chinese entertainment company Huayi Brothers (Mojin: The Lost Legend, Dragon Blade) have announced The Mask of the Black Death, an upcoming film based on a script by one of the most important and influential filmmakers in the history of cinema, Akira Kurosawa (Seven Samurai, Ran).

The Mask of the Black Death (based on on Edgar Allen Poe’s short story The Masque of the Red Death) was written by Kurosawa following his 1975 film Dersu Uzala and was completed before his passing in 1998. In 2008, an Anime adaptation of The Mask of the Black Death was planned, but never materialized.

According to CB: Just like with Dersu Uzala the story was supposed to take place in Russia. At the beginning of the 20th century humanity is faced with a deadly contagion, and people’s characters, resilience and survival are being tested as the society is pushed well into the brinks of despair and possible annihilation.

The Huayi Brothers released a teaser poster (via AFS) showing a target date set for 2020. At this time, there are no directors or stars attached. As always, we’ll keep you updated on this project as we learn more (also read about Silvering Spear, another Kurosawa screenplay being deveoped for the big screen).