Conqueror Entertainment to produce Chinese and American adaptations of Liu Cixin’s Supernova Era

EXCLUSIVE: Conqueror Entertainment, the LA and Beijing-based production company founded by former Legendary Entertainment CEO Vasco Xu, has created a Chinese-language adaptation of the work of leading sci-fi author Liu Cixin supernova era as one of the first projects.

The company also plans to simultaneously produce an English-language film and television series based on the same novel in the United States.

Ann Lu is adapting the novel for the Chinese version with Xu, Jane Zheng (The goodbye), Zhao Jilong (The three body problem) and Kong Ergou (The crossroads) as producers on board. Conqueror Entertainment’s Brian Cheng and Sun Ge will serve as executive producers.

Liu Cixin is best known for the Hugo Award-winning trilogy. The three body problemto be adapted by Netflix into an English-language series, produced by David Benioff and DB Weiss (game of thrones). He also wrote a novella The Wandering Earthwhich was adapted into two Chinese-language blockbusters.

supernova era, first published in 2003, follows events after a supernova explosion floods the Earth with deadly radiation from which only children under the age of 13 can recover. The adults of the earth try to teach their children to take responsibility when they die prematurely. But with the creation of a new world order, some societies will be relegated to brutality, while others seek to ensure human survival.

Tor Books published the English version of supernova eratranslated by Joel Martinsen, 2019.

“The book caught my interest because of Liu’s imaginative world-building and thought-provoking themes such as the fragility of civilization, the importance of leadership and the role of technology in shaping society,” said Xu.

“It also raises questions about the nature of power, the relationship between science and morality, and the effects of different forms of government. Due to its futuristic setting and the presence of a major world event at its core, the book has the potential to be adapted into two compelling productions that will appeal to both local Chinese audiences and the global market.

Xu co-founded Conqueror Entertainment last year in partnership with Cheng, who is also CEO of Hong Kong’s NWS Group, and venture capitalist Sun Ge.

The company says it aims to deliver universal stories based on Asian intellectual property or with an Asian perspective in global markets. It is developing a separate Chinese-language slate specifically aimed at the mainland China market.

This two-pronged strategy is becoming more common as Sino-US co-productions have become difficult in recent years due to a delay in getting permits from Chinese authorities. Regulatory issues aside, producers in both the US and China struggle to produce films that appeal to both markets.

Xu and Conqueror Entertainment are represented by Laura Reddy at Range Media Partners.