STX Entertainment and China’s Alibaba Pictures have made a deal to co-develop and co-produce Steel Soldiers, an action/sci-fi film to be produced by Robert Zemeckis’ ImageMovers. Under terms of the pact, STX will handle U.S. and international distribution, with Alibaba Pictures retaining rights in Greater China.

The original screenplay written by Ken Kaufman (Space Cowboys) is set in a futuristic world where humans and androids fight shoulder to shoulder, challenging the fundamental question of a soldier’s humanity in a newfound way. In the film, a disgraced Special Forces officer is forced to train a new team of high-tech but imperfect android soldiers, turn them into “real” elite military officers, and lead them in a deadly mission to rescue the robot’s creator.

Zemeckis, Jack Rapke and Jackie Levine are producing for ImageMovers label along with David Styne. SVP Production Sheroum Kim will oversee for STXfilms, and Senior Executive of International Productions Shujin Lan-Shuster will oversee for Alibaba.

Zemeckis and Rapke are represented by WME. Kaufman is represented by Wicked Curve and attorney Keith Fleer.