Trinity CineAsia has acquired all UK and Ireland distribution rights for Chinese director Zhang Yimou’s counter-espionage thriller Scare Out from Damai Entertainment.
The Europe-wide distributor will open the film theatrically in the UK and Ireland on 20 February, timed to the Chinese New Year, with selected previews from 17 February, day-and-date with its domestic release.
Scare Out is one of the buzziest titles due to open in China on February 17, the beginning of the Chinese New Year and Spring Festival season, which is one of the biggest box office periods of the year as the 1.4 billion-strong population enjoys family and leisure time.
Directed by Zhang Yimou, Scare Out marks the filmmaker’s first foray into a contemporary national security subject. The thriller is also China’s first production to centre on modern counter-espionage.
It is head by Chinese stars Jackson Yee (Resurrection, Better Days, Full River Red) and Zhu Yilong (Only the River Flows, Dongji Rescue, Lost in the Stars), alongside award-winning actress Song Jia (Her Story, Red Cliff).
“We are very excited to bring Zhang Yimou’s Scare Out to UK and Ireland audiences — our first-ever release from this legendary director,” said Cedric Behrel, Managing Director of Trinity CineAsia, commented.
“Zhang Yimou, the leading light of the so-called Fifth Generation directors, is responsible for so many filmgoers’ initiation into Chinese cinema, not least myself — having been mesmerised by Raise the Red Lantern and Ju Dou as a young boy, which deeply informed both my own sensibilities and Trinity’s foray into Chinese cinema.”
He noted that the acquisition an ongoing relationship with Chinese company Damai Entertainment, which is a subsidiary of the Alibaba Group.
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