It's still a few days before Hou Hsiao-hsien's latest martial arts epic's world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival, but the executives of Well Go USA Entertainment had already bought the North American rights of the movie. It's an early move, and the folks at Well Go are pleased to have made the acquisition.
"We have a proud history of supporting films from Taiwan, and Hou Hsiao-hsien is a legend. It's like someone made a wish list, and we got everything we could have hoped for: iconic director, stellar cast, and this exciting, moving story--we're very excited to bring this to North America," said Doris Pfardrescher, president and CEO of Well Go USA.
"The Assassin" is not the only competition title to gain early attention from American film distributors. The North American rights of "Youth," an English-language drama directed by Paolo Sorrentino, is being sought after by Fox Searchlight.
It took a long time for Hou Hsiao-hsien to finish his latest offering to Chinese cinema. The renowned filmmaker has been working on the film "The Assassin" for nearly 10 years.
The film was produced by Stephen Shin, Chen Yiqi, Stephen Lam and Wen-Ying Huang. Longtime collaborator Mark Lee Ping-Bing was put in charge of cinematography.
Set in 9th-century China, "The Assassin" stars critically acclaimed actress Shu Qi of "Millenium Mambo" fame as Nie Yinniang, who was abducted as a child and trained to become an assassin and martial arts expert. Upon failing a mission, Nie returns to her homeland to kill her husband-to-be, played by Chang Chen. She must also come face-to-face with her parents, and eventually, herself.
"The Assassin" will make its premiere as one of the competing titles for the 2015 Cannes Film Festival on May 21, Thursday.