Well Go USA Entertainment has acquired North America distribution rights to 100 Yards, a period martial arts drama directed by Xu Haofeng and Xu Junfeng.
The deal was negotiated directly with producer Rainbow Fong on behalf of the filmmakers. Well Go plans to release the feature in 2024, following a festival run that began with its world premiere at Shanghai International Film Festival in June.
Hong Kong-based My Way Film Company is handling sales for ASEAN countries, with Fortissimo Films managing all other international sales excluding North America and Southeast Asia.
Xu Haofeng is director of The Sword Identity, which played Venice and Toronto in 2011, and more recently 2017’s The Hidden Sword, but is also known as the co-writer of Wong Kar Wai’s martial arts epic The Grandmaster.
His latest feature is set in 1920s Tianjin, northern China, and centres on the rivalry between the son of a martial arts master and his most talented apprentice. When the old master dies, the two face off to take over his prominent martial arts academy. But rather than obey the rule of settling disputes behind closed doors, they take their fight to the street.
The two central roles are taken by Jacky Heung, known for The Warlords and Johnnie To’s Chasing Dream, and Andy On of New Police Story and Michael Mann’s Blackhat. The cast also includes Bea Hayden Kuo, Tang Shiyi and Li Yuan.
Beijing-based Lumen Art and Culture produces and the martial arts choreography is by Duncan Leung, whose credits include The Grandmaster.
The filmmakers are understood to have set out to make a martial arts film akin to the more realistic, wire-free films of the past, portraying details gleaned from recorded oral histories by senior martial art masters.
“100 Yards masterfully captures the spirit of beloved classic martial arts films,” said Doris Pfardrescher, president and CEO at Well Go USA, who negotiated the deal.
Recent acquisitions by Well Go include South Korean thrillers Ransomed and The Moon, Filipino zombie action horror Day Zero, Korean naval epic Noryang: Deadly Sea and Park Hoon-jung’s action feature The Childe.
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