Hayden Christiensen is making a huge comeback in the big screen as he will be portraying the legendary Marco Polo in a new fantasy-action movie by Paramount and China Film Group.
The feature will be directed by Rob Cohen, and will be co-produced by Chinese firms Yuehua Entertainment and Huahua Film & Media Culture, as well Phoenix Entertainment, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Marco Polo was well-known as the Venetian merchant who embarked on a 24-year journey into China in the 13th century, and his adventures were all detailed in the book Livres des merveilles du monde (Book of the Marvels of the World, also known as The Travels of Marco Polo). The said book is said to be what introduced Europeans to the rich Chinese culture.
The merchant was actually not the first European to reach China, but he was the first one to document his travels in a book. His story inspired others so much so that Christopher Columbus and many other travels later ventured far and wide because of him.
Throughout his life, Marco Polo travelled the world and even met Kublai Khan. He was even imprisoned, and he narrated his stories to his cellmate. When he got out, he became a very wealthy merchant and got married and had three children.
He passed away 25 years after his imprisonment and was biuried in the church of San Lorenzo in Venice.
Meanwhile, the movie roles of Christiensen have been scarce after he shot to fame for his portrayal of Anakin Skywalker in the Star Wars sequels. He was last seen in the crime thriller Takers back in 2010, which also starred the late Paul Walker and Matt Dillon.
He was also seen in the 2008 movie by Fox, the sci-fi adventure Jumper.
Christiensen is known for being very choosy with his roles, and that is why he became absent for several years in the movie-making industry. The actor has some serious talent, since before he nabbed the role of Anakin Skywalker, he won a Golden Globe for his role in the movie Life as a House back in 2001.
His personal life had its ups and downs too, since he once became engaged to Hart of Dixie actress Rachel Bilson before the two suddenly broke things off.
Before working on Marco Polo, expect to see Christiensen in the Christian drama 90 Minutes in Heaven, which also stars Kate Bosworth. The movie is directed by her husband Michael Polish, who is known for his work in Twin Falls Idaho.
