Japan's Gaga Communications and the UK's Arrow Film Distributors have both acquired local distribution rights to The Card Player, the new film from cult Italian suspense master Dario Argento.

Sold by Adriana Chiesa Enterprises (ACE), The Card Player is about an unstoppable serial killer who kidnaps young women, holds them hostage until their death, and posts gruesome tapes of their murders on the Internet.

Adriana Chiesa has already closed a raft of territories on the film, which stars Stefania Rocca (Casomai, Hotel) and Liam Cunningham.

Territories sold include Germany (Bronson Films), Benelux (Dutch Filmworks), France (Films de L'Astre), Greece (Spencers Film), Russia (Central Patrnership), Thailand (Power Entertainment) and Croatia and Slovenia (UCD).

Chiesa now hopes to offer groundbreaking support to The Card Player's international buyers by applying for EU-government subsidies from Mediasalles and asking distributors to coordinate the release date of the film across Europe.

"In that way we can coordinate publicity and promotion for the film, and Dario Argento will also be able to travel from one country to another to promote the film," Chiesa told Screen International.

Italian distributor Medusa will release The Card Player at the end of January.

Chiesa said she hopes to offer similar support to international distributors on Silvio Soldini's next film, Agata And The Storm.