Trinity CineAsia has secured UK and Ireland and Malta distribution rights to Chen Sicheng’s Traces Of Justice from Beijing-based Blossoms Entertainment.
The crime thriller led China’s box office on Thursday (October 1), the first day of the weeklong National Day holiday, earning $10.5m (RMB71m) – nearly 40% of total ticket sales, according to ticketing platform Maoyan.
Trinity CineAsia plans to release in the UK and Ireland on October 30, with previews from October 17.
Produced by As One Pictures, the film is directed and co-written by Chen Sicheng, creator of the blockbuster Detective Chinatown franchise.
Drawing on four of China’s most high-profile criminal cases spanning five decades and inspired by the career of pioneering forensic investigator Cui Daozhi, Traces of Justice charts the evolution of forensic investigation in China, exploring how seemingly insignificant details from a crime scene can later uncover the truth behind unsolvable cases.
The thriller revisits four major criminal cases, including the 1971 serial child murder case in Harbin; a 1983 murder and robbery case; a 1998 bus bombing case in Wuhan; and a series of sexual assaults and murder cases in 2016, through advances in forensic technology.
The cast of high-profile actors is led by Zhang Yi (Full River Red), Ma Li (Yolo) and Chen Minghao (Scare Out), alongside rising stars Karry Wang (Mr. Six), Fan Chengcheng (Pegasus 3) and Chen Feiyu (My People, My Country), with a special appearance by veteran actor Li Xuejian (The Wandering Earth II).
Trinity CineAsia previously picked up rights to director Chen’s Detective Chinatown 2, Detective Chinatown 3 and Detective Chinatown 1900.
Recent UK and European theatrical releases by the distributor include recent Chinese blockbuster Dear You, Bi Gan’s Cannes award-winning fantasy drama Resurrection; martial arts box-office hit Blades Of The Guardians; Zhang Yimou’s counter-espionage thriller Scare Out, and Jackie Chan’s latest crime action film The Shadow’s Edge.
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