The Weinstein Company has taken worldwide rights outside Asia and French-speaking Europe from We Distribution to Peter Ho-Sun Chan’s martial arts film noir Wu Xia.

The film premieres in official selection in Cannes and will be released in France through TF1. TWC expects to release it in the US this year and also holds first option remake rights.

Chan previously directed and produced The Warlords and produced Bodyguards And Assassins.

Wu Xia (aka Dragon) stars Donnie Yen, Takeshi Kaneshiro, Tang Wei and Jimmy Wang Yu, the kung fu legend who makes his first on-screen appearance in 17 years.

The story centres on a papermarker whose past life returns to haunt him when a detective arrives in the village to investigate the death of two bandits during a robbery.

TWC’s vp of acquisitions Dan Guando, evp of business and legal affairs Laine Kline and svp of business affairs and acquisitions Michal Steinberg brokered the deal with We Distribution evp Katherine Lee.