A video grab of the popular 1980s video game Tetris.A video grab of the popular 1980s video game Tetris.

Chinese and US producers are making an $80 million live-action sci-fi thriller based on popular 1980s building block computer game Tetris.

The film, which will begin shooting next year, is the first project from the newly-formed Threshold Global Studios, a joint venture between Chinese entertainment investor Bruno Wu’s Seven Star Works and producer Larry Kasanoff’s California-based Threshold Entertainment Group.

The pair said the joint venture “will make cross-cultural movies for the global market” and Kasanoff added that the 32-year-old video game “is a perfect first project for this strategy”.

The movie, whose name was not mentioned in the release, follows in the mould of such computer game-inspired film productions as Resident Evil, Tomb Raider and Mortal Kombat.

Moreover, the announcement said financing for the co-production was complete and there were plans to film the picture in China, featuring Chinese actors.

Kasanoff has previously also produced two Mortal Kombat movies and Wu is the founder and CEO of Sun Seven Stars Media Group, a private media and entertainment investment company in China.

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