SKYDANCE Media and Chinese film company Alibaba Pictures have teamed to finance and produce the feature film “The Flying Tigers” for global release.

    Oscar-nominated writer Randall Wallace will write the script, which is a story of brotherhood centered on the Flying Tigers, also known as the first American Volunteer Group of the Chinese Air Force. Led by Captain Claire Lee Chennault, the group made up of volunteer pilots fought alongside the Chinese during World War II.

    “This production partnership with Alibaba Pictures on ‘Flying Tigers’ marks an important next step in our strategy to expand the reach of the Skydance brand on a global basis,” Skydance Media CEO David Ellison said Wednesday in a statement. “We could not be more excited to work with the incomparable Randall Wallace to bring to life the extraordinary, untold story of the great commitment and sacrifices made by this courageous group of pilots.”

    Skydance and Alibaba Pictures previously worked together on “Mission: Impossible — Rogue Nation.”

    Wallace wrote and directed “Heaven Is for Real,” “The Man in the Iron Mask” and “We Were Soldiers.”(SD-Agencies)