Entertainment

Bruce Willis’ Film ‘Air Strike’ Axed After Co-Star Disappears

(Photo: YouTube Screenshot)

Katie Jerkovich Entertainment Reporter
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Bruce Willis‘ World War II thriller, “Air Strike,” has been canceled following his co-star Fan Bingbing’s disappearance and tax evasion conviction charges.

The director, Xiao Feng, posted a message on his Weibo miniblog stating that after eight years of work on the film it was “time to let go,” according to AP Thursday. (RELATED: Celebrate Bruce Willis’ Birthday With His Top 10 Movies Of All Time [VIDEO])

Bruce Willis at Fox Studio Lot on January 31, 2013 in Century City, California. (Photo: Getty Images)

Bruce Willis at Fox Studio Lot on January 31, 2013 in Century City, California. (Photo: Getty Images)

The World War II drama was set to hit theaters October 26 and featured Willis, Bingbing along with Adrien Brody.

A description about the film on IMDb read, “During World War II, five different Chinese people fight their way through Japanese Air Force attacks to protect an important military machine in Chongqing, 1940.”

Earlier this month, Chinese authorities ordered Bingbing and companies that she represents to pay $130 million in taxes and penalties, three months after the actress vanished from public view.

CANNES, FRANCE - MAY 16: Actress Fan Bingbing attends the 'Jeune & Jolie' premiere during The 66th Annual Cannes Film Festival at the Palais des Festivals on May 16, 2013 in Cannes, France. (Photo by Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images)

CANNES, FRANCE – MAY 16: Actress Fan Bingbing attends the ‘Jeune & Jolie’ premiere during The 66th Annual Cannes Film Festival at the Palais des Festivals on May 16, 2013 in Cannes, France. (Photo by Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images)

Reports in state media said that the film star had used two separate contracts for her work on the film to avoid taxes. Her disappearance came at a time when authorities were cracking down on high salaries for actors.

In response, the 37-year-old star wrote an apology on her Weibo.com miniblog to the fans who she “let down” and said she would “try my best to overcome all difficulties and raise funds to pay back taxes and fines.”

CANNES, FRANCE - MAY 11: Actress Fan Bingbing attends the screening of "Ash Is The Purest White (Jiang Hu Er Nv)" during the 71st annual Cannes Film Festival at Palais des Festivals on May 11, 2018 in Cannes, France. (Photo by Vittorio Zunino Celotto/Getty Images for Kering)

CANNES, FRANCE – MAY 11: Actress Fan Bingbing attends the screening of “Ash Is The Purest White (Jiang Hu Er Nv)” during the 71st annual Cannes Film Festival at Palais des Festivals on May 11, 2018 in Cannes, France. (Photo by Vittorio Zunino Celotto/Getty Images for Kering)

“I am unworthy of the trust of the society and let down the fans who love me,” Bingbing wrote in her first post since June 2.

Most recently, the actress was featured in “X-Men: Days of Future Past” in 2014 as Blink and did a cameo in the Chinese version of “Iron Man 3.”