Trinity CineAsia has acquired European rights to $80M struggle epic Dongji Rescue (aka Dong Ji Island), impressed by the true story of the rescue by Chinese language fisherman of British POWs from a WWII shipwreck off the coast of Zhejiang province in China.
Europe-wide distributor Trinity CineAsia has secured unique rights from seventh Artwork Footage for the WWII motion thriller throughout European territories, together with the UK and Eire.
Co-directed by Cannes award-winning filmmaker Guan Hu (Black Canine, The Eight Hundred), who can also be famend for his large-scale struggle epics, Dongji Rescue is slated for launch within the UK and Eire on August 22, 2025, with different European territories to comply with from August 29.
It should open domestically on August 8. The UK premiere can be held on August 15, tying in with the eightieth anniversary of WWII VJ Day, at Odeon Leicester Sq., London, and can be attended by the forged, Zhu Yilong, Ni Ni, William Franklyn-Miller, director Guan Hu, and government producer and producer Liang Jing
Dongji Rescue is impressed by the true story of the Lisbon Maru – a Japanese cargo ship transporting round 1,800 British POWs from Hong Kong when it was wrongly torpedoed by an American submarine in October 1942, making it one of many deadliest maritime disasters involving British servicemen in the course of the struggle.
Over 800 survivors escaped sure dying because of the spontaneous rescue of Chinese language fishermen from close by Dongji Island.
Dongji Rescue options Chinese language stars Zhu Yilong (Solely the River Flows, Misplaced within the Stars), Wu Lei (Shadow, Nirvana in Fireplace), and Ni Ni (The Flowers of Conflict, The Rise of Phoenixes), alongside rising British newcomer William Franklyn-Miller (neuromance).
“After our current success releasing movies in Europe, we discovered now was not the time to cease,” mentioned Cedric Behrel, Govt Director of Trinity CineAsia. “Guan Hu is a unprecedented filmmaker, and his observe report speaks for itself, having received a prize in Cannes final yr for Black Canine and amassed greater than $400m on the field workplace.”
He added that Dongji Rescue is the corporate’s third collaboration with seventh Artwork Footage, after Black Canine and The Eight Hundred.
Liang Jing, for seventh Artwork Footage, mentioned the UK and subsequent European launch of Dongji Rescue marked a big step the movie.
“We’re delighted to collaborate with Trinity CineAsia to carry this touching story, buried within the mud of recent historical past, to international audiences, particularly to the British viewers – in order that the descendants of British troopers who survived that catastrophe know: we’re nonetheless right here, we nonetheless bear in mind this story!,” he mentioned.
“Director Guan Hu has been brewing this story for years. Right now, now we have lastly fulfilled his want, letting the “these in peril at sea should be saved” spirit of the Dongji Islanders dwell once more.”
