The Weinstein Company has acquired North American and South African rights to John Woo’s "Reign of Assassins (Jianyu Jianghu)," the studio announced on Friday.
The news that they have picked up rights to the "Face-Off" director’s new film follows a busy week that also saw the studio acquiring domestic rights to Julian Schnabel’s "Miral"
The martial arts film was produced by Woo and Terence Chang through their Lion Rock Production banner along with Galloping Horse and Media Asia. Fortissimo secured the rights to "Reign of Assassins" outside China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and South East Asia in October 2009.
Su Chao-Pin ("Silk") co-directed the thriller, which is set in the Ming Dynasty and stars "Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon"s’ Michelle Yeoh as an assassin who falls in love with the son of a man who was killed by her gang.
The deal was negotiated by Werner and Winnie Lau for Fortissimo Films and Peter Lawson and Michal Podell Steinberg for The Weinstein Company. Fortissimo secured the rights to "Reign of Assassins" outside China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and South East Asia in October 2009.
The movie will premiere in theaters in China later this year. Though no release date has been set, The Weinstein Company said it is considering having the film premiere simultaneously in North American and South Africa.
