The official theatrical trailer for the Jackie Chan (Rush Hour) led Dragon Blade has debuted courtesy of Lionsgate. The film saw substantial success earlier this year in its homeland of China, and it boasts Hollywood stars Adrien Brody (The Grand Budapest Hotel) and John Cusack (Love & Mercy), who, along with Chan, should give it some added momentum for American audiences.
Dragon Blade also boasts a high production value, on par with a lot of what audiences see coming out of Hollywood today. That aspect of the film is partially what made it such a resounding success in China.
Directed by Daniel Lee (White Vengeance), the film is another epic from a director who’s become known for high-budget spectacle pieces. Lee’s previous three efforts—White Vengeance, 14 Blades, and Three Kingdoms: Resurrection of the Dragon—were all action epics of similar production value. But the film Lee is perhaps most famous for, at least by American audiences, is his 1996 effort Black Mask. For many American moviegoers, that picture was their first sight of Jet Li (The Expendables 3), perhaps China’s biggest crossover star besides Chan.
Dragon Blade tells the story of a warrior whose clan must join forces with a group of defected Roman soldiers to fight off corrupt Roman leader Tiberius, who, along with his massive army, seeks to conquer the Silk Road. Lionsgate is releasing the film in theaters and on demand on September 4th.