“Li Na: My Life,” the biopic of the only Chinese tennis player to win a Grand Slam, is expected to land on the big screen, with top Asian filmmaker Peter Chan Ho-sun serving as its producer and director.
Chan told Variety why he is prompted to take the lead on the anticipated film: "Li Na is such an icon. Everything she stands for is so atypical of conventional Chinese behavior, and so typical of the generation of people born in the 1980s."
"This is the generation that today is calling the shots," he added.
Chan further commented on the famous sports icon, saying: "Everything about Li is fascinating, from the way that she shows her emotions, her temper, the way she called the shots with the press and her husband. But Li also endured a lot of difficult stages in her life, notably bad debt and having to learn to manage her own team."
"This is really a story of achieving independence on her own terms and I related to it very personally," he enthused.
The filmmaker's We Pictures will be leading the biopic's production, while his We Distribution will manage the pre-sales outside China. Most likely, the film will also be the second title that will receive support from Alibaba's filmmaking unit, Alibaba Pictures.
Chan also revealed that the e-commerce giant's crowd funding platform, Yulebao, will likely be involved as partner, however clarifying that the limit will not go over 10 percent of the budget.
Meanwhile, We Pictures is also expected to invite other distributors and investors in China, citing sports brand sponsors as the possible partners for the marketing aspect.
The film's budget is estimated at around $15 to $20 million, depending on the cast.
According to Chan, he will be auditioning both actresses and sportswomen for the lead role. The result is expected to be revealed in July.
After which, the lead actress will be undergoing a training before the production starts in late 2015. The biopic will be filmed in Chinese and English.
Tennis star Li, who retired in 2014, won the 2011 French Open and the 2014 Australian open. The film will be based in an autobiography penned by the icon herself.