Irish drama film "The Professor and the Madman" to hit Chinese theaters

BEIJING, Dec. 22 (Xinhua) -- "The Professor and the Madman," an Irish drama film, is set for theatrical release in the Chinese mainland on Dec. 24.

It tells the story of Professor James Murray, who began work compiling words for the first edition of the Oxford English Dictionary in the 19th century and received over 10,000 entries from Dr. William Minor, a murderer with schizophrenia.

Directed by Farhad Safinia, the film stars Mel Gibson and Sean Penn.