China is now Legendary

HONG KONG -

China's state-owned film distributor is making its first investment in Hollywood movies with a stake in two Legendary Entertainment productions.

China Film Co. will make an "eight-figure equity investment" in two upcoming films, "Seventh Son" and "Warcraft," the Chinese unit of Legendary Entertainment said Tuesday.

"Seventh Son" is a fantasy adventure starring Jeff Bridges and Julianne Moore that's scheduled for release on Feb. 6, 2015. "Warcraft," based on a popular video game series, is slated for release March 11, 2016.

If approved for release in China, China Film would distribute the movies under current rules for foreign films, which are limited to just 34 a year. The deal calls for China Film to be credited on the movies.

Legendary Entertainment's films include "The Dark Knight" and "Hangover" trilogies and last year's sci-fi action adventure "Pacific Rim."