Gary Kurtz confirmed the sequel would focus on Liddell’s life and agonising death on Chinese soil. The Hollywood veteran – who produced the 1977 classic Star Wars and sequel The Empire Strikes Back said : “We are going to be shooting in various places in China.
The 1981 low-budget blockbuster finished with the Christian runner defying the odds to win gold at the 1924 Olympics.
However, a new feature, fronted by the producer of the original Star Wars films, will tell the equally extraordinary story of how Liddell spent his final days in a Japanese prisoner of war camp in China.
The Olympic champion and Scottish rugby international was born in China and returned there to work as a missionary after turning his back on his enviable athletics career.