Zhang Yimou’s ‘Shadow’ Finds CMC as Multi-Territory Buyer (EXCLUSIVE)

By Patrick Frater

LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – CMC Pictures has picked up multi-territory rights to ‘Shadow,” the Zhang Yimou-directed action drama that premiered this week at the Venice Film Festival. The film continues its run this week at the Toronto Film Festival.

The China-based has acquired rights in Southeast Asia (including Hong Kong/Macau, but excluding Taiwan), India, the Middle East, Eastern Europe and South Africa in a deal with Los Angeles-based Bloom. Rights for North America, the U.K, Australia and New Zealand were previously licensed to WellGo USA.

A unit of Li Ruigang’s China Media Capital, CMC Pictures has until now been better known as an investor and sales agent than a distributor. Other recent titles include “Wolf Warrior 2” and “Detective Chinatown 2.” “CMC has established itself as a leader in the multi-territorial distribution of Chinese films,” said “” producer Ellen Eliasoph, president and CEO of Perfect Village Entertainment Group.

The film is set in an ancient period of Chinese history and focuses on the court intrigues between a paranoid king, his leading general and the general’s body double or shadow. The shadow is a younger, stronger version of the general, and with war on the horizon the story descends into a blood-soaked battle. Zhang delivers the film in a highly-stylized package with visuals that resemble a classic Chinese ink-wash painting.

Starring Deng Chow, Zheng Kai (aka Ryan Zheng) and Sun Li, “Shadow” is a production involving Perfect Village Entertainment HK, Le Vision Pictures and Tencent Pictures. It was written by Zhan and Li Wei, and produced by Eliasoph, Zhang Zhao, Pang Liwei, Liu Jun and Wang Xiaozhu.

Zhang was this week honored in Venice with the Jaeger-LeCoultre Glory to the Filmmaker award.