‘Bait 3D’ Director Kimble Rendall to Stir up Chinese Co-Production ‘The Nest’

Australia’s Kimble Rendall has set China-Australia co-production “The Nest” as his next project after his debut film “Bait 3D” scored with Chinese audiences.

The English-language picture will start pre-production next month and shoot from late October.

The story involves the innocent discovery of a well preserved mummified emperor from 200 BC that unlocks a 2,000 year old nightmare and secrets that should have remained buried.

Production is by Arclight Films International and Nest Holdings with Mike Gabrawy and Elliot Tong as executive producers. Sydney- and Los Angeles-based Arclight will handle international sales. The identity of the Chinese partner has not yet been revealed.

The budget also remains undisclosed, though federal funding body Screen Australia Tuesday confirmed that the film will receive production finance.

Rendall previously made “Bait 3D,” which was a complicated Australian-Singaporean treaty co-production, that also used Chinese finance. The film struggled at the box office in most territories on release in 2012, but was a $25 million hit in China.

Rendall and Arclight at one stage planned a sequel to “Bait 3D” but abandoned it due to uncomfortable similarities with the Malaysian Airlines disappearance.

Screen Australia also approved funding for “A Few Less Men,” the sequel to one of Australia’s most successful comedy features of 2011, “A Few Best Men.”

Xavier Samuel, Kevin Bishop and Kris Marshall will reprise their roles as the men who will transport their mate’s coffin across Australia after a forced plane landing strands them in the bush. The script is by U.K. writer Dean Craig (“Death at a Funeral”). “Less Men” is the second film as director by Australia’s Peter Templeman (“Not Suitable for Children”). Studiocanal will handle the Australian release. Arclight will handle international sales.

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