Acquisitions and Release

SHIN ULTRAMAN Brings The Epic Kaiju Battlefront To The U.S. From Cleopatra Entertainment

Shinji Higuchi’s Shin Ultraman has been hard at work in the past year, running the gamut with every major and minor news outlet and film reporting site since taking off in Japan last summer. The film has especially been a treat for both me and contributing writer Edward Orndorff during its festival run leading up to its limited theatrical run this week via Fathom Events, and is now on track for a Spring rollout including theatrical and VOD, followed by a Deluxe Home Entertainment Blu-Ray and DVD from Cleopatra Entertainment. Written by Hideaki Anno (Shin Godzilla) and directed by Shinji Higuchi (Shin Godzilla, Attack on Titan), the film stars Takumi Saitoh (Shin Godzilla, 13 Assassins), Hidetoshi Nishijima (Drive My Car, The Wind Rises), Masami Nagasawa (Before We Vanish, Mother), Daiki Arioka (Innocent Curse), and Akari Hayami (Gintama, Forget Me Not). As Shin Ultraman begins, we learn the appearance of giant […]

LINE OF FIRE: Australian Crime Thriller Hits VOD And Digital This Month!

Lee B. Golden III

Last year’s Pivot Pictures release, Darklands, hailed the coming of actor and debut filmmaker Scott Major whose freshman outing is now in the hands of VMI Releasing for its U.S. release on January 27 on VOD and Digital as Line Of Fire. When policewoman Samantha Romans (award-winner Nadine Garner, “Savage River”, “The Doctor Blake Mysteries”) fails to intervene in a shooting where her own son dies, she draws the condemnation of her colleagues and community as well as the attention of ambitious journalist, Jamie Connard (Samantha Tolj). Keen to reignite the career she put on hold to have children, Jamie ignores Romans’ pleas to be left alone and pursues her relentlessly. And with nothing to lose, Romans retaliates by forcing Jamie into a night of terror that threatens everything Jamie holds dear. Nominated for Best Indie Feature at the 2022 Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA) Awards, LINE […]

Well Go USA Nabs THE WANDERING EARTH 2 For North American Release

Lee B. Golden III

It continues to be a blaring mystery how actor Wu Jing will somehow manage to reappear in The Wandering Earth 2, director Frant Gwo’s sequel to his blockbuster 2019 adaptation of Liu Cixin’s novel. In the meantime, moviegoers in China are already poised for its Chinese New Year relaase on January 22, will folks in North America can now rest its sights on Well Go USA who’ve acquired the pic, as announced via Instagram in the post below: The sun is about to be destroyed, and humans have built huge engines on the earth’s surfaces to help them find a new home. However, the road out into the universe is perilous. In order to save the earth, a group of young people of the wandering earth era again stepped forward to begin a battle against life and death. That’s the official logline for the film out of the mainland as […]

DEAD MAN’S HAND: Grindstone Nabs Newly Wrapped Western Revenge Thriller From ‘The 2nd’ Helmer

Lee B. Golden III

Grindstone Entertainment Group has acquired the North American rights to Dead Man’s Hand, the new Western thriller that just completed production in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Pic hails from Milestone Studios and stars Stephen Dorff (HBO’s “True Detective”), Jack Kilmer (The Nice Guys, Val), and Cole Hauser (“Yellowstone”). Written, directed, and produced by Brian Skiba (The 2nd, Pursuit) under his banner SkibaVision, the film is based on the story of popular graphic novel, “No Rest of the Wicked – Dead Man’s Hand”, from authors Kevin Minor and Matthew Minor. Producing are Laurie Love and Jim Burleson, with Alan B. Bursteen, Dawn Bursteen, Barry Brooker and Stan Wertlieb exec producing. Kilmer plays Reno, a newly married gunfighter, hangs up his six-shooters when he says “I do” to his bride, Vegas. But when Reno kills a bandit in self-defense, the bandit’s brother, the ruthless Mayor Clarence Bishop (Dorff), will not let his […]

HUESERA: THE BONE WOMAN Releases Chilling New Poster Art Ahead Of February Release

Lee B. Golden III

I have an article coming soon about titles I’m looking forward to in the new year and for that matter, I know my friend Christina Ortega has some interest in this one – the latest from XYZ Films being Huesera: The Bone Woman from celebrated breakout Mexican director Michelle Garza Cervera. The official poster dropped today along with release date news announcing a theatrical rollout on February 10 in major markets nationwide across the U.S., and as well as on VOD on February 16 from XYZ Films, and a launch date on AMC’s Shudder to be announced thereafter. Huesera: The Bone Woman world premiered at Tribeca’s Midnight section to acclaim, winning both the Best New Narrative Director and Nora Ephron awards, an unprecedented feat for a Midnight selection. The film also scored both the Blood Window Award for Best Feature Film and the Citizen Kane Award for Best Directorial Revelation […]

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Makoto Shinkai’s SUZUME to Release Worldwide in 2023!

Edward Orndorff

The director behind international smash hit films Your Name and Weathering with You is returning to the screen with another gorgeous looking film, sure to be an international smash. Makoto Shinkai’s latest film, Suzume, has been confirmed by Crunchyroll for a worldwide release, starting April 12, 2023! Suzume released in Japan on November 11th, quickly hitting the top 100 of the Japanese box office and raking in 7.6 billion yen at the box office, with over 5.6 million tickets sold as of December 4th. Previous Shinkai films Your Name and Weathering with You are also on this list, with Your Name at 5th and Weathering at 14th. On the other side of the door, was time in its entirety— “Suzume no Tojimari” is a coming-of-age story for the 17-year-old protagonist, Suzume, set in various disaster-stricken locations across Japan, where she must close the doors causing devastation. Suzume’s journey begins in a quiet town in Kyushu (located in southwestern […]

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PROJECT WOLF HUNTING Lands U.S. Co-Distro Streaming Deal

Lee B. Golden III

Kim Hong-sun’s new action horror thriller, Project Wolf Hunting, remains one of 2022’s biggest crowdpleasers in theaters and at festivals around the world. Residents within Well Go USA’s distribution reach managed to catch the film on the big screen back in October and are now poised for its domestic release through co-distribution partnership, with a May 2023 launch on Cinedigm’s horror streamer, Screambox, and Well Go USA’s niche martial arts channel, Hi-YAH!. During transport from the Philippines to South Korea, a group of dangerous criminals unites to stage a coordinated escape attempt. As the jailbreak escalates into a bloody, all-out riot, the fugitives and their allies from the outside exact a brutal terror campaign against the special agents onboard the ship. Kim directs from his own script with a cast led by Seo In-guk and Jang Dong-yoon along with Choi Gwi-hwa, Sung Dong-il, Park Ho-san, and Jung So-min among others. […]

German Black Comedy HOLY SHIT! Gets Nabbed By Cinedigm For Early 2023 Release

Lee B. Golden III

Director Lukas Rinker’s latest black comedy, Holy Shit! has reportedly been acquired by Cinedigm for an early 2023 release in the company’s Screambox platform. The news comes following the film’s rousing festival run in the past year including at Fantaspoa – where the film received an Honorable Mention for the “Best Blood (and Shit) Bath” among its accolades – and its subsequent theatrical German release in September. The film, about a man trapped in a porta potty by his corporate rival and racing against time to expose his crimes and save his pregnant girlfriend, was picked up for international sales over the summer by The Playmaker Munich for its May presentation at the Marche du Film. Neopol Film backed the pic in association with Studio Hamburg Enterprises, with support and funding by the HessenFilm und Medien GmbH. Read more at Variety.

MAD HEIDI Lands Late 2022 North American Release From Raven Banner

Lee B. Golden III

Folks eagerly awaiting to check out Swissploitation thriller romp, Mad Heidi, will be pleased to learn that Raven Banner Entertainment has acquired the film for what’s being described as an “innovative” North American release plan. The release will include a two-week stay in theaters followed by a two-month run on the film’s official website from December 8 with all the proceeds going straight to the filmmakers – Johannes Hartmann and Sandro Klopfstein, as well as investors who helped push the film through crowdfunding. Starring Alice Lucy, the film tracks a tale of bloody revenge when Heidi is torn from her simple and pure life in the Swiss Alps after her lover is brutally murdered by a cheese fascist, transforming herself into a formidable warrior to liberate her country. Hartmann and Klopfstein make their directing debut on the film, five years in the making after flourishing the concept from a viral […]

GUNFIGHT AT RIO BRAVO Heads To North America From Shout! In 2023

Lee B. Golden III

Shout! Studios has acquired Gunfight At Rio Bravo, the new Western thriller from director Joe Cornet. The film stars and is produced by Alexander Nevsky, and also stars Cornet along with Matthias Hues, Olivier Gruner, Natalie Denise Sperl, Kerry Goodwin, and John Fallon. In Gunfight At Rio Bravo, Nevsky plays a mysterious Russian gunslinger who aids a marshal and a sheriff as they stand up to a bloodthirsty outlaw gang known as The Hellhounds who have invaded their small East Texas town. Cornet directs from a script by Craig Hamann, with Nevsky producing the film for Hollywood Storm, and ETA Films’ Eric Brenner and San Rafael Productions’ Cornet executive producing. “I’m really happy GUNFIGHT AT RIO BRAVO will be released in the U.S. by Shout! Factory. My western debut may have a lot of action, but it’s also a great story about friendship and the endless fight between good and evil,” said Nevsky. “I can’t wait for American audiences to watch it thanks to Shout! and Premiere.” “GUNFIGHT AT RIO BRAVO is […]

WARRIORS OF FUTURE Lands On Netflix In December, Leads Chinese-Language Drama Slate

Lee B. Golden III

What began as a sizzling hot proof of concept seven years ago as “Virtus”, director Ng Yuen Fai’s hit sci-fi action adventure, Warriors Of Future, has been acquired by Netflix for a December 2 release. The film stars Louis Koo, whose One Cool Film production banner led the charge in developing the project since its early inception. The film also stars Sean Lau, Carina Lau and Philip Keung, and is set in the year 2055 when Hong Kong assembles a heavily armed military unit to combat the onslaught set by a fast-growing alien vine that purifies Earth’s barren atmosphere while killing everything in its path, unraveling a deadly conspiracy. The film had been circulating teasers and trailers for several years now while on the market trail while reportedly delayed from a 2019 release to allow time for post-production. The film opened the 46th Hong Kong International Film Festival back in […]

THE AMBUSH Strikes Back On Blu-Ray And DVD From Well Go USA This December

Lee B. Golden III

Director Pierre Morel is currently in Croatia shooting his newest project with Kate Beckinsale which is currently being shopped at the American Film Market this week, and you can learn all about it at Zac Ntim’s Deadline coverage here. In the meantime, fans of the Taken and Peppermint director will be pleased to learn that Saban Films’ Emirati war drama, The Ambush, is now in the sturdy hands of Well Go USA Entertainment following its theatrical release last week and subsequent digital release as of Tuesday. Morel directs from a script by Kurtis Birtell and Brandon Birtell, the story of a unit of Emirati soldiers on a peacekeeping mission in 2018 following the fall of the Yemeni government at the hands of extremists three years earlier. When a unit on patrol during the final week of its tour gets ambushed by terrorists, the brave men and women of the Emirati […]

BLOOD FOR DUST: Action Pic Sells To Multiple Territories Ahead Of November Shoot

Lee B. Golden III

Distribution deals in key international territories in all media have been locked for the new action thriller, Blood For Dust, as production revs up ahead of mid-November in Montana. Areas include 101 Films Distribution for the UK, Originals Factory for France, California Filmes for Latin America, Splendid Film GmbH for Germany, Daro Film Distribution for Eastern Europe, Filmfinity for South Africa, Spentzos Film for Greece, Blue Swan Entertainment for Italy and Eagle Films for the Middle East. Highland Film Group is representing international rights and UTA is co-representing domestic sales on the action pic which stars Scoot McNairy (Warner Bros.’s Argo, 20th Century Fox’s Gone Girl, Universal’s A Quiet Place Part II), Kit Harington (HBO’s “Game of Thrones,” Eternals) and Josh Lucas (20th Century Fox’s Ford v. Ferrari and Buena Vista’s Sweet Home Alabama). Rod Blackhurst (Netflix’s Amanda Knox, Peacock’s “John Wayne Gacy: Devil in Disguise”) is directing from a […]

MISSING: Shinzo Katayama’s New Dramatic Thriller Scores Winter 2022 U.S. Rollout Via Dark Star

Lee B. Golden III

Following its acquisition by Dark Star Pictures last month, Siblings Of The Cape helmer Shinzô Katayama’s newest dramatic thriller, Missing, is now headed for a theatrical U.S. release in select cities followed by an On-Demand rollout this November. The film, marking Katayama’s commercial debut as of January, just recently screened for Fantastic Fest after its near-yearlong festival circulation, featuring headliners Jiro Sato and Hiroya Shimizu and young star Aoi Ito. Depressed and in debt following the death of his wife, Santoshi (Jiro Sato) tells his young daughter he has found a way out. Pointing to a reward note, he vows to find the infamous serial killer “No Name” (Hiroya Shimizu) and cash in, claiming to have seen the man in the flesh a few days earlier. Kaeda (Aoi Ito) cannot take her aloof father serious. But when he goes missing without a trace, she starts to fear the worst—and must […]

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THE EXPENDABLES 4 Gets A Fall 2023 Release Date

Lee B. Golden III

Act Of Valor and Need For Speed helmer Scott Waugh’s The Expendables 4 will release in theaters on September 22, 2023, according to the trades on Thursday evening. The film sees a mix of new and returning cast members, including Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Dolph Lundgren, and Randy Couture, along with Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson, Megan Fox, Tony Jaa, Iko Iwais, Jacob Scipio, Levy Tran, and Andy Garcia. The news comes following a sizzle reel that played for attendees at CinemaCon earlier this year. Exact plot details remain pending with a script by Spenser Cohen and Max Adams. Kevin King-Templeton, Les Weldon, and Yariv Lerner produced the pic. Read more at Deadline.

BAD CITY: Well Go USA Acquires ‘Hydra’ Director’s Latest Crime Thriller For Q4 2022 Release

Lee B. Golden III

It may have seemed pretty likely at some point that anything stunt multi-hyphenate and filmmaker Kensuke Sonomura did would immediately be welcome by North American distributor Well Go USA, given the reception for his 2019 feature debut, Hydra. Fast forward to this week’s launch of the 17th installment of Fantastic Fest, where attendees can finally catch what Sonomura had been up to last year with the production of his sophomore debut, Bad City. Neuchâtel premiered the pic earlier this summer while slowly rolling out its promotional campaign, and now, with a trio of screenings at Fantastic set from this Saturday through the 28th, trade news on Friday is making it official with Well Go USA’s acquisition of the Yakuza crime thriller as a Hi-YAH! Original release, followed by theatrical and wider VOD releases later this year. I can assure you there’s plenty to dive into this year at Fantastic Fest, […]

SHIN ULTRAMAN: Sales Banner The Exchange Acquires Shinji Higuchi’s Hit Tokusatsu Revival

Lee B. Golden III

2022 has been a crucial year for moviegoers outside of the Far East and looking forward to catching Shinji Higuchi’s recent blockbuster hit Shin Ultraman, following its Japan release back in May. As of Monday, pat yourselves on the back for keeping up with the latest on the film’s movement with word via Leo Barraclough’s Variety exclusive that The Exchange has acquired sales rights for multiple territories on the pic and will sell to buyers this month at the 47th Toronto International Film Festival. Among the areas are North America, Europe, Latin America, Australia, and New Zealand, to name a few. Produced by Tsuburaya Productions, Toho and Khara, Shin Ultraman is the latest anniversarial revamp of the iconic Tsuburaya IP, 55 years since its creation now with Higuchi partnering once again with Hideaki Anno, who also penned the pic and served as one of the producers; The two previously collaborated […]

A MAN OF REASON: Jung Woo-Sung’s South Korean Thriller Debut Acquire For N.A. Release In 2023 From Epic Releasing

Lee B. Golden III

Actor Jung Woo-sung’s feature directing debut, A Man Of Reason, has been acquired by Epic Pictures Group ahead of its world premiere as part of the Special Presentation section of the 47th Toronto International Film Festival this month. The film will have an early 2023 release in North America via the company’s Epic Releasing label. In A Man Of Reason, Jung plays Soo-hyeok, an ex-con looking to restore himself to a normal life after a decade in prison, especially after learning he’s the father of a young girl. His efforts to cut ties with his gangland past are unsuccessful, worsened by his former boss, who then begins questioning Soo-hyeok’s loyalty and using his newly discovered daughter as leverage. Backed into a corner with nothing to lose, Soo-hyeok must resort to violence to save her and get his revenge. Also starring are Kim Nam-gil (Lovers Vanished) and Park Sung-woong (For The […]

Well Go USA Snatches PROJECT WOLF HUNTING For October Release

Lee B. Golden III

Deadline‘s Andreas Wiseman is reporting that Well Go USA has acquired writer/director Kim Hong-sun’s new action horror thriller, Project Wolf Hunting. The announcement comes just over a day before the official kick-off of the 47th Toronto International Film Festival, with the film set for select screenings beginning this Friday, and continuing through next week. The film opens in South Korea on September 21, with Well Go USA launching the film stateside beginning October 7. Early reviews are now in for the film which you can look up, but if you’re pregaming for TIFF instead, here’s festival programmer Peter Kuplowsky’s summary to warm you up: Bloody bedlam breaks out on the high seas in writer-director Kim Hongsun’s gnarly action-thriller that pits cops versus cons aboard a cargo ship with a sinister secret in its hold. When efforts to extradite notorious convicts from the Philippines to South Korea are stymied by a […]

SALOUM: Jean Luc Herberlot’s Award-Winning Senegalese Thriller Arrives In Theaters And Streaming This September

Lee B. Golden III

AMC Networks’ premium horror and thriller streamer, Shudder, and IFC Midnight have acquired Saloum, the highly-anticipated and award-winning feature from writer/director Jean Luc Herbulot (Dealer). The film will release theatrically on Friday, September 2 ahead of streaming Thursday, September 8, with national rollout will on September 9. “Saloum is a bold combination of horror, revenge thriller and African folklore that’s worthy of every bit of praise it’s been receiving at festivals,” said Shudder General Manager, Craig Engler. “We’re proud to share this incredibly original and thrilling film from the distinctive voice of Jean Luc Herbulot with our members and theatergoers.” Said Herbulot, “I created the Hyenas as a personal gift for my own 7-year-old self who grew up without heroes and my 37-year-old self who was bored by modern African cinema, and today I hope they can be the heroes of many across the globe. It’s very important for us […]