Bloom in Beijing for 'S.M.A.R.T. Chase'

Orlando Bloom unravels his role in the upcoming action thriller S.M.A.R.T. Chase in Beijing on Aug 30. [Photo provided to China Daily]

To promote the upcoming action thriller S.M.A.R.T. Chase, Orlando Bloom again appeared in Beijing to unravel more stories about his first Chinese movie on Aug 30.

Directed by British helmer Charles Martin, the movie is financed and distributed by the Shanghai-based studio Bliss Media.

Bloom stars a security transporter, who lives in Shanghai to escort antiques and other precious items from China to the rest of the world for exhibition organizers. However, he and his team encounter big trouble after being ambushed by some villainous rivals.

The storyline occurs during the course of one day, studded with heavy action.

With a stellar cast, also including Taiwan model-actress Hannah Quinlivan and Hong Kong veteran actor Simon Yam, the movie will hit Chinese theatre screens on Sept 30.

Bloom reveals he picked up the script of S.M.A.R.T. Chase from a number of China-set stories, as he felt the tale is convincing and romantic.

Bloom said the movie has a lot of funny scenes, which can easily appeal to a range of audiences. He added he had insisted on shooting the action scenes without using stand-ins.

Producers revealed the movie may be developed to a franchise, as they have seen Chinese audiences' rising interest on such action series, such as the Fast and Furious movies.

Quinlivan, who was pregnant during filming, said Yam "rescued" her baby.

"I didn't know I was pregnant then. When we were shooting one action scene, the script wrote a person to kick my belly. When Simon heard it, he said 'no, a young girl's belly should be protected. You cannot make a real kick.' So, he saved me and my baby," she said.

The cast stars will travel to around 20 Chinese cities, including Shanghai, Wuhan and Guangzhou, to promote the movie.