Videovision’s Director of Acquisition and Distribution, Sanjeev Singh announced today the acquisition of Wong Kar Wai’s The Grandmaster which opened the Berlin International Film Festival last night and the much talked-about Zulu starring Orlando Bloom and Forest Whittaker.
The Grandmaster, directed by Wong Kar Wai, stars Tony Leung, Zhang Ziyi and Chang Chen. It is a martial arts period film inspired by the life of the legendary IP Man, the kung fu master who mentored Bruce Lee, and set against the tumultuous backdrop of the 1936 Japanese invasion of China. Tony Leung (2046) and Ziyi Zhang (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon) lead the cast of the film, which was co-written by Kar Wai, Zou Jingzhi, and Xu Haofeng.
The Grandmaster has received critical acclaim with Variety saying: “Venturing into fresh creative terrain without relinquishing his familiar themes and stylistic flourishes, Hong Kong auteur Wong Kar Wai exceeds expectations, fashioning a 1930s action saga into a refined piece of commercial filmmaking;” while the Hollywood Reporter declared, “The Grandmaster is an action-packed spectacle for sure — indeed, the film contains some of the most dazzling fights ever seen onscreen.”
Commenting on the acquisition Sanjeev Singh said, “We are thrilled to have scooped the rights to The Grandmaster which opened the Berlin Film Festival. It was subsequently announced yesterday that The Weinstein Company acquired all rights from Annapurna for the United States and English-speaking Canadian territories, as well as rights to all other English speaking countries which include Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom from Wild Bunch.
Zulu, which was shot on location in Cape Town, stars Orlando Bloom and Forest Whittaker and is the first English film to be directed by French national, Jérôme Salle. The film also features local actors Conrad Kemp (Winnie), Adrian Galley (Goodbye Bafana, Labyrinth). Zulu is set in Cape Town, 2010 when a mutilated corpse is found in the city’s botanical gardens. As chief of police, Ali Neuman investigates the mysterious circumstances surrounding the macabre murder of the daughter of a former rugby champion. In the process, he makes a startling discovery – a new drug, the composition of which is unknown, appears to be the cause of the homicide.
“We are delighted to have concluded a deal on Zulu prior to the commencement of the Festival and ahead of the promo screening at the Festival,” said Singh.
The Grandmaster and Zulu will be released in South Africa by Videovision Entertainment through United International Pictures (South Africa).
For further information:
Nilesh Singh
Tel: 031 204-6050
E-mail: Nilesh@videovision.co.za
