HBO Asia is teaming up with China Movie Channel to develop and co-produce a slate of martial arts-themed TV movies.

"In expanding our production capabilities in North Asia to match audience appetite, HBO Asia is privileged to draw on CMC's strong domestic production expertise while entertaining and inspiring viewers across the region with China's vivid culture and stories," Jonathan Spink, HBO Asia's CEO, said.

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The first two films, namely, Master of the Drunken Fist: Beggar So and Master of the Shadowless Kick: Wong Kei-Ying would be executive produced by renown action director Corey Yuen.

The shows, which are set at the end of China's Qing dynasty, will feature combat sequences that will be executed by professional Chinese actors with mixed martial arts, Kung Fu, and Muay Thai experiences.

Production of the two films is now underway at Hengdian studios. Guo Jian Yong, action choreographer, and director, will be directing, while Koh Teng Liang, Singaporean screenwriter, would be part of the writing team behind Shadowless Kick, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

"Apart from being HBO Asia's very first Chinese language production and approach to the genre, this also marks the network's first collaboration with talents from China and Hong Kong," Sputnik said.

Both movies are set to be premiered by the end of the year on China's CMC channels and across 23 Asian HBO territories and RED by HBO with subtitles provided.

Although this is the first time for CMC to co-produce original TV movies, it has already invested in several Hollywood films including Paramount's Transformer: Age of Extinction and Skydance Production's Mission Impossible - Rogue Nation.

"Through this partnership, we hope to exchange knowledge and know-how in the production of original content, and together with HBO Asia, introduce the essence of our culture through martial arts," Cao Yin, CMC's president and managing director, said.

TagsHBO Asia, China Movie Channel, martial arts, tv shows, Master of the Drunken Fist: Beggar So, Master of the Shadowless Kick: Wong Kei-Ying, Corey Yeun