Bale to play one of Zhang's 'Nanjing Heroes' (THR)

By Nancy Tartaglione

Christian Bale will star in Zhang Yimou's "Nanjing Heroes," the director said at a press conference today, as reported by The Hollywood Reporter. The $90.2 million film about the Nanjing Massacre will also employ Joss Williams and Martin Asbury's Dark Side FX, the director and his producer Zhang Weiping of the New Picture Film Company said.

Per THR:

The Nanjing Massacre, when Japanese troops killed thousands of Chinese citizens in what was then the nation's capital in 1937, has been the subject of several recent Chinese and co-produced films, each of which has included the character of John Rabe, a German businessman who helped save hundreds of Chinese refugees.

Bale will not play Rabe, rather he'll play an American priest called John who helps a great number of Chinese escape certain death, THR said.

"I met Christian in America and was impressed with his serious book research for the role," director Zhang said.

The film will be 40% in English and the rest in Mandarin.

"There are no foreign investors," Zhang said, noting that it was too early to confirm what company might sell the film's international rights. (France's Wild Bunch is handling the director's latest film, "Under The Hawthorn Tree," which is to premiere at the Berlin Film Festival.)

Shooting on "Nanjing" starts on January 10.