Chan and Li set to co-star

Chan - with Japanese actress Rie Miyazawa - is a big star in Hong Kong

Action movie heroes Jackie Chan and Jet Li - two of Asian cinema's biggest stars - are set to team up for the first time on a new film.

Li and Chan are said to be lined up to star in the movie, made in collaboration with US company Revolution Films.

A spokeswoman for Revolution said on Thursday that the movie would be an action film with dialogue in English that would be distributed globally.

Jet Li had a big Hollywood hit in Romeo Must Die

"The pairing of these two stars and talent is an exciting opportunity for Revolution," the spokeswoman said.

She added that they hope to start filming by the end of the year.

Chan, the star of films such as Who Am I? and Rush Hour, is a prolific movie-maker.

He also has his own Hong Kong-based company and is respected as a seasoned professional.

Li is the star of films such as Romeo Must Die and Kiss Of The Dragon and is considered one of the rising stars of Hong Kong's martial arts film genre.

International

Romeo Must Die, Rush Hour and Chan's recent hit Shanghai Noon are also proof of both actors' success in Hollywood and with global audiences.

Li's latest movie, The One, is also made by Revolution.

The story centres around a sheriff's deputy and his fight against an alternate universe version of himself.

Chan's latest release is Rush Hour II, due out in the US on 26 July and in the UK on 3 August.

He is currently working on his next feature, a comedy action movie called Highbinders, a Hong Kong/ US collaboration.

Set in 20s London, it tells the tale of a Chinese immigrant police officer who is killed in the line of duty. But he returns from the dead with supernatural powers.

Chan stars in the movie alongside British comedian Lee Evans.