Cineverse Acquires U.S. Rights To Chinese Feature ‘Warrior King,’ Releases English-Language Trailer
Streaming and distribution outlet Cineverse, formerly known as Cinedigm, has acquired the U.S. rights to the Chinese animated epic Warrior King and released an English-language trailer. The company will release the film in theaters on August 25.
The acquisition continues a recent trend of Chinese animated films getting U.S. theatrical distribution. With the recent influx of Japanese titles raking in huge sums at the North American box office, could something similar be on the horizon for Chinese animated films?
Warrior King details:
- Warrior King is directed by Lu Qi from a screenplay by Lu Wunan and Wang Yunsheng.
- In previous interviews, the director has said that the film’s unique aesthetic was inspired by Tibetan Buddhist scroll paintings, called Thangka.
- The film is adapted from the story of King Gesar, one of China and the world’s most significant historical epics, and one of the longest. The 100-plus volume tale includes stories passed down orally for over 1,000 years.
- Of course, fitting one of the world’s most sprawling epics into a single feature film is a challenge, so the narrative was narrowed down for Warrior King. The film’s synopsis reads: “In this epic true story inspired by the legend of King Gesar, a young man grows up in exile in a world overrun by demons and monsters. When evil forces threaten his home, he returns to save his people and embrace his destiny as a great hero and ruler.”
- Cineverse’s library comprises over 60,000 film and TV titles across several ad-supported and subscription-based streaming services. The main Cineverse platform includes more than 22,000 titles and a large animation library.
