Trinity CineAsia has acquired the UK and Irish distribution rights to acclaimed Chinese director Zhang Yimou’s contemporary anti-espionage thriller ‘Scare Out’ from Damai Entertainment.
The film, written by Chen Liang, follows national security forces as they struggle to identify and capture a spy who leaked classified information about China’s latest fighter jet technology. As the investigation intensifies, the undercover investigation extends beyond the intelligence community and into civilian life.
The film will be released in theaters in both countries on February 20, coinciding with the Lunar New Year period and domestic release in China. Select preview screenings are scheduled to begin on February 17th, with daytime release in the domestic market.
Produced by Damai Entertainment, “Scare Out” is Zhang’s first foray into modern national security storytelling. The director has previously directed period drama martial arts epics such as “Hero” and “House of Flying Daggers.”
The thriller stars Chinese box office stars Jackson Yee (Better Days, Full River Red) and Zhu Yilong (A River Will Flow), and also stars Song Jia (Her Story), Lei Jiaying (A Writer’s Journey) and Yang Mi (She’s Got No Name). Zhang Yi, Liu Shishi, and Liu Yaowen will appear in special roles.
Cedric Behrer, Managing Director of Trinity CineAsia, said: “We are thrilled to be able to bring Zhang Yimou’s Scare Out to audiences in the UK and Ireland, marking the first film by this legendary director.” Director Zhang Yimou, a leading figure in the so-called 5th generation of directors, is the person who introduced many movie fans to Chinese cinema.In particular, as a boy, I was fascinated by Raising the Red Lantern and Ju Du, which deeply influenced my own sensibilities and Trinity’s foray into Chinese cinema. He predicted that the film “will be familiar to British audiences and fans of John le Carré, but it will be unlike anything seen before in Chinese cinema here.”
Trinity CineAsia specializes in Asian productions for the UK market. Recent theatrical titles include Bie Gan’s “Resurrection”, the war drama “Toyoshi Rescue”, the blockbuster anime “Haha 2”, and Jackie Chan’s “The Shadow’s Edge”.
