January162024

Jet Li Action Thriller BLACK MASK Kicks Off MVD/Eureka North American Catalog Partnership

Lee B. Golden IIIHome Releasesblack mask, eureka entertainment, filmcombatsyndicate.com, jet li, mvd entertainment1

blackmask-still - Film Combat Syndicate — China Star Entertainment Group/Win’s Entertainment

Director Daniel Lee’s 1996 gory action sci-fi thriller, Black Mask, will get a hyper-kinetic Blu-Ray revival in North America later this year through a new deal announced on Tuesday between genre labels MVD and London-based Eureka Entertainment. The two brands announced the distribution deal which would pave the way for a North American rollout of Eureka’s award-winning Blu-ray catalog to North America for the first time.

“It’s extremely exciting to be partnering with MVD for our North American physical and digital distribution,” said Kevin Lambert, former Head of Content at Arrow Films who joined Eureka! in 2023. “We can’t wait to get our first releases out to US retailers, and we look forward to bringing the best of auteur and classic cinema, including our celebrated Masters of Cinema series, to a wider audience. It is a big new step forward for the company, and I’m sure Blu-ray collectors will be thrilled to have another of the world’s best labels available in North America.”

Black Mask was a blockbuster hit during its theatrical run in Hong Kong. The film stars Jet Li as a runaway supersoldier whose new life is upended with the terroristic resurgence of his old regime led by Commander Hung, played by the late Patrick Lung. The film also features appearances by screen stalwarts Sean Lau, Karen Mok and Anthony Wong, along with future Romeo Must Die co-star Françoise Yip.

Artisan Entertainment acquired theatrical rights for its release in the U.S. in 1999, scoring big at the box office. The film was re-edited, contributing to the film’s several versions through its disc rollout in Hong Kong, France and Taiwan from its respective distributors. Differences in changes range fron cuts to dialogue to footage cuts to reduce gore and violence in other shots depending on the version of the film.

Tsui Hark, who co-wrote Black Mask, direct a more internationally inclusive cast with Black Mask 2: City Of Masks, switching out Li with a new lead in Andy On starring opposite Tobin Bell, Traci Lords, Silvio Simac and Scott Adkins.

“MVD Entertainment Group is thrilled to be partnering with Eureka Entertainment and help bring this premium collector’s label to North America.” MVD Entertainment Group’s Director of Home Video Sales and Acquisitions, Eric D. Wilkinson, said. “I very much look forward to working with the Eureka! team and am even more excited to be adding Eureka! titles to my personal collection!”

“With Kevin’s return to the company it seemed like a logical move to capitalize on his knowledge of multi-territory distribution and finally fulfill the desires of our fans,” Managing Director of Eureka Entertainment, Ruth Schofield, added. “We’re asked daily when we will be able to distribute in North America, and I’m very happy that the day has come to be able to make those fans’ wishes come true.”

Next to Black Mask on the 2024 calendar will also be Paul Leni’s 1927 silent horror comedy, The Cat and the Canary.