Director Tsui Hark is one who couldn’t make his breakfast without splitting audiences. I will always hold a very special place in my heart for the amazing Time & Tide, but let us face facts: his record has been spotty to say the least. I am willing to give the man another shot, and from what I have read Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame may just be the film to return him to top form. New distribution company Indomina Releasing has apparently picked up the rights to Hark’s latest and although Twitch reports that the company has kept information very close to the vest. We will just have to see what comes of this, but I would certainly be interested in checking this title out.
Who knows, maybe Hark will finally make good on some of that promise he has shown in the past. With Andy Lau in the lead of an apparent martial arts epic, it at least deserves a watch, right? Keep reading after the break for the official press release and the international trailer:
NDOMINA RELEASING ACQUIRES DETECTIVE DEE
LOS ANGELES, (Date) – Indomina Releasing, a new distributor of feature films, acquired all North American rights to the Hong Kong box office hit DETECTIVE DEE AND THE MYSTERY OF THE PHANTOM FLAME from international sales agent, Huayi Brothers following the film’s screening at AFM. DETECTIVE DEE AND THE MYSTERY OF THE PHANTOM FLAME, starring Andy Lau (Three Kingdoms: Resurrection of the Dragon, Warlords), Carina Lau (Curiosity Kills the Cat, 2046) and Bingbing Li (The Forbidden Kingdom, The Message), was directed by Hark Tsui, written by Chen Kuofu and Chang Chialu and produced by Wang Zhongjun, Wang Zhonglei, Chen Kuofu, Shi Nansun and Tsui Hark. Indomina Releasing’s Vice President of Acquisitions Rob Williams and Huayi Brothers’ Senior Manager of International Sales and Distribution Leslie Chen negotiated the deal on behalf of the filmmakers. The deal was announced today by Jasbinder Singh Mann, C.E.O. of Indomina Group, overseeing global operations.
“Hark Tsui’s DETECTIVE DEE redefines the martial arts genre,” said Singh Mann. “The film is a true representation of the Indomina brand, and we are thrilled to continue to acquire innovative, high quality genre-based films.”
In the eve of the Empress’ (Carina Lau) coronation, a series of unexplainable deaths takes place in the Imperial Palace. The infamous Detective Dee (Andy Lau) is summoned to investigate the crimes. As he unveils the truth, he is confronted with a series of dangerous, bazaar events, interfering with his efforts. Will Detective Dee solve the mystery and save the Empress’ inauguration?
DETECTIVE DEE AND THE MYSTERY OF THE PHANTOM FLAME opened in theatres in China with great success, grossing $40 million USD to date. The film was also a selection at the 2010 Venice International Film Festival and the Toronto International Film Festival.
Indomina Releasing also recently acquired Griff the Invisible (Ryan Kwanten, Maeve Dermody), Wasted on the Young (Oliver Ackland, Alelaide Clemens, Alex Russell), Bodyguards and Assassins (Donnie Yen, Leon Lai), True Legend (Vincent Zhao, Zhou Xun, Michelle Yeoh, David Carradine), Fire of Conscience (Leon Lai, Richie Ren), The Pack (Yolande Moreau, Emilie Dequenne) and Outcast (James Nesbitt, Kate Dickie, Niall Bruton).
ABOUT INDOMINA RELEASING
Indomina Releasing is a division of the Indomina Group. Launched in 2008 by award-winning artist/executive Jasbinder Singh Mann and Vicini (a leading asset manager based in the Dominican Republic with investments in energy, finance, tourism and real estate within the Caribbean and Central American region), The Indomina Group is an integrated media company that collaborates with content creators to bring innovative entertainment properties to market. Indomina’s global operations include production and distribution of motion pictures, television, music, interactive games and ownership of world-class studio facilities and production services. The Indomina Group is based in Los Angeles and the Dominican Republic.