Actor-musician, Common and Chinese actress Xu Qing have joined Ethan Hawke in the cast of thriller “24 Hours to Live.” To be directed by Brian Smrz, the film starts production in South Africa next month.

The announcement was made by China’s Fundamental Films, which is fully financing the movie and has distribution rights in China, and by Basil Iwanyk’s production company Thunder Road Pictures.

Common, who recently won an original song Academy Award with John Legend for “Selma,” has had film roles including “Run All Night” and “Wanted.” Xu (aka Summer Xu) started her film career in Chen Kaige’s “Life on a String” and was recently seen in “Looper” and hit comedy drama “Mr Six.”

Scripted by Zachary Dean and based on an original story from Ron Mita and Jim McClain, “24 Hours to Live” follows a career assassin who is given a chance at redemption after his employer brings him back to life temporarily, just after being killed on the job.

Fundamental Films chairman Mark Gao and international president Gregory Ouanhon are producing the film. Jon Kuyper, Kent Kubena, Jonathan Fuhrman, and Gary Glushon executive produce. International sales are handled by Sierra/Affinity which struck several deals on the title at Berlin in February.

The film was sold in France to SND, in Italy to Eagle Films, in Germany to Square One, in Spain to Key2Media, in Latin America to Gussi Films, in Canada to VVS Films, in Benelux to the Searchers, in South Korea to Woo Sung, in China to Fundamental Films and in Japan to Klockworx.

Fundamental is currently working on Chinese and international productions, including Luc Besson’s big-budget, graphic-novel adaptation “Valerian,” on which Fundamental is the main financier, Matthias Hoene’s “Warrior’s Gate,” and Harald Zwart’s “Rally Car,” starring Keanu Reeves.

variety.com