‘The Revenant’ Exec Producers Form Facing East, Back ‘Inversion’

Markus Barmettler and Philip Lee, exec producers of “The Revenant,” have formed production-financing company Facing East and are backing sci-fi adventure “Inversion.”

The company, which plans three to four major productions every two years, is based in Beijing and Hong Kong. It announced Friday that “Inversion” has attached Peter Segal as director with Segal working on the screenplay with “Casino Royale” scribe Paul Haggis.

Principal photography is set to commence in August. The story follows a street-wise American con man and a young Chinese physicist as they race against the clock to save the earth from a terrifying loss of gravity.

Michael Nozik is also set to produce, with the screenplay credited to Bragi Schut, David Arata and Paul Haggis. Mark Damon’s Foresight Unlimited has been handling pre-sales and will sell the film in Cannes next week.

“The Revenant” grossed $60 million in China. Barmettler and Lee have also been involved in “Cloud Atlas,” “Forbidden Kingdom” and “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.”

They helped develop the multi-picture agreement between Guangdong Alpha Animation and Culture Company, Catchplay Inc. and New Regency. Facing East also has profit participation in “Assassins Creed” and “Splinter Cell.”