The Tibet Code, by Chinese writer He Ma, is one of the most popular works of Chinese fiction inrecent times. The book follows the story of an expert on the Tibetan mastiff, searching for ancient Buddhist treasure with his team.
The book is based on the events of 839 AD, when Lang Darma ascended to the Tibetan throne and began to persecute Buddhists, destroying many Buddhist artifacts, including the sacred Pagbala Temple. With it supposedly went all of the treasures hidden below the palace in a secret crypt. They have never been recovered andhave been the subject for many treasure hunters throughout history, including Hitler.
The bestseller book series have published 10 volumes and sold 5 million copies thus far.
"When I read the books I thought 'wow! This is just a blockbuster story,' " Katzenberg said. As he explained, it was Han Sanping who recommended the book to him.
Katzenberg said he felt that it is a great story and has great characters, which can easily appeal to international audiences, so he decided to take Oriental DreamWorks, Katzenberg's China venture, andcollaborate with China Film Group Corp and National Film Capital to co-produce the film. Now they are seeking directors and scriptwriters from all over the world.
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