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In the Action-movie heyday of the 1980s, stars Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jackie Chan lead the different sides of the world, producing blockbuster after blockbuster in America and Hong Kong respectively. While the prospects of a meet-up between them have been wondered about for years on the silver-screen after “Around the World in 80 Days,” regrettably director Oleg Stepchenko’s first-full-on tale featuring them is a slight misfire and disappointment

In the early 1700s, English traveler Jonathan Green (Jason Flemyng) receives an order from Peter the Great to map the Russian Far East. Once again, he sets out for a long journey full of incredible adventures that will eventually lead him to China. There, the cartographer will unexpectedly face a lot of breathtaking discoveries, encounter bizarre creatures, meet with Chinese Princesses, and confront deadly martial arts masters, and even the Dragon King. What could be more dangerous than meeting eye-to-eye with Viy,...

Stars: Jason Flemyng, Xingtong Yao, Anna Churina, Jackie Chan, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Rutger Hauer, Charles Dance, Paul Allica, Chayanit Chansangavej, Christopher Fairbank | Written by Dmitry Paltsev, Alexey A. Petrukhin | Directed by Oleg Stepchenko

Billed as the movie that has the first fight ever between Jackie Chan and Arnold Schwarzenegger might seem slightly odd but I will assume that it will help them sell a good chunk of downloads and physical media (chucking their faces on the front of DVDs probably helped too). But is there anything more to The Iron Mask?

Well I will start with the things are enjoyed about it. The Iron Mask looks fantastic. Epic is a word that is thrown around quite a lot now but it is perfectly apt for this. Everything about it (except the odd cheap-looking CGI) screams big budget epic movie. I absolutely loved pretty much all of the settings. Whether it be...

Jackie Chan is ready to rumble in The Hollywood Reporter's exclusive first-look image from Mystery of the Iron Mask: Journey to China.

Chan produced and stars in the $48 million fantasy thriller, penned by Russian writer-producer Alexey Petrukhin. Also featuring Arnold Schwarzenegger, it stars British actor Jason Flemyng as an 18th century English explorer ordered by Peter the Great to map the Russian Far East.

The film traces his long and perilous journey to China, during which he meets deadly martial arts masters, beautiful Chinese princesses and a terrifying mythical monster.

Russian Film Group Corporation is handling international sales at Filmart.

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New films from Krzysztof Zanussi and Ralph Fiennes to also world premiere at Window To Europe Film Festival.

New films by Gérard Depardieu, Krzysztof Zanussi and Ralph Fiennes will have their world premieres at the 22nd edition of the Window To Europe Film Festival (Aug 8-15) in the Russian town of Vyborg situated close to the border with Finland.

French director Philippe Martinez’s tale of redemption and revenge Viktor, which stars Depardieu, Elizabeth Hurley and Eli Danker, will open a competition section dedicated to films co-produced with Russia.

Viktor, which was shot in Chechnya and Moscow last summer and is being handled internationally by UK-based sales agent Saradan Media, will be released by Paradise in Russian cinemas on September 4.

Co-production competition

Other co-productions selected include Zanussi’s Foreign Body, produced by his own company Studio Filmowe Tor with Italy’s Revolver Film and Russia’s Ineureka and Bella Vostok Ltd; Uzbek director Dilmurod Masaidov’s thriller...