Chinese historical drama Dead to Rights will get a North American release via Canada-based Niu Vision Media and U.S.-based Echelon Studios.
Directed by Shen Ao (No More Bets), the film will open theatrically in the U.S. and Canada on August 15, ahead of a planned streaming rollout later this year.
Dead to Rights has also secured theatrical releases via Niu Vision Media in Australia and New Zealand, where the film will arrive in theaters on August 7.
Niu Vision Media said that the film has grossed 531M Chinese yuan (nearly $74M) so far, since the film’s July 25 release in China. The distributor estimated that Dead to Rights is headed toward a $450M box office run domestically.
The film is set around the events of the Nanjing Massacre in 1937, where a postman named A Chang pretends to be a photo developer in a photo studio, developing photos for the Japanese army. He takes in a group of Chinese soldiers and civilians, turning the studio into a temporary shelter. However, in the face of the Japanese army’s cruel atrocities, A Chang risks his life to safely transfer the refugees and expose the evidence of the massacre to the public.
The film stars Liu Haoran (Detective Chinatown, The Breaking Ice), Wang Chuanjun (Three-Body), Gao Ye (The Knockout), Daichi Harashima, Wang Xiao and Yang Enyou.
“Dead to Rights is a poignant, timely reminder of the human stories behind history’s darkest chapters,” said Niu Vision’s CEO, Fukun Wang. “We’re thrilled to partner once again with Echelon Studios to bring this extraordinary film to American audiences, both in theaters and later via streaming.”
Sandro Gohoho, president of licensing and operations at Echelon Studios, added: “This is a story that demands to be seen. Dead to Rights exemplifies the kind of bold, meaningful storytelling we’re committed to supporting. We’re thrilled to help bring Shen Ao’s voice to digital audiences across the U.S.”