Mister Smith will commence international sales at EFM in Berlin next month on crime thriller The Exiles starring Sam Worthington, David Duchovny, and Ke-Xi Wu.
Midi Z, who directed Wu in the 2019 Cannes #MeToo drama Nina Wu, makes his English-language debut on the project, which has begun principal photography in Taipei, Taiwan.
Kindred Spirit founder Anita Gou (The Farewell), Tom Heller (Foxcatcher), Claudia Tseng, and Midi Z serve as producers, while Killer Films’ Christine Vachon (Materialists), Gabi Meyers (A Different Man) and Wu are the executive producers.
Midi Z and Wu co-wrote the screenplay, inspired by true events, about a desperate Westerner’s pursuit of greener pastures in Asia, where greed, rivalry and ego ultimately spiral into murder.
A top-tier crew includes cinematographer Edward Lachman (Carol, Maria), composer Lim Giong (Millennium, Nina Wu), and editor Hank Corwin (The Tree Of Life). Taiwan Creative Content Agency (TAICCA) provides support and financing, and CAA Media Finance represents US rights.
Midi Z said, “The Exiles has been an exhilarating new experience for me as a filmmaker. It reflects the tumultuous world we’re in, and follows a character’s quest to begin a new life within it. I took inspiration from real crime incidents in Asia to weave together a tale of contradicting forces – love and exploitation, greed and fragility, darkness and hope.”
Mister Smith’s SVP, international sales & acquisitions Shane Kelly added: “An unrelenting crime thriller that grips from the first page, The Exiles marks Midi Z’s first English-language feature and a confident expansion of his distinctive visual style onto the international stage. Anchored by an exceptional calibre of cast and creative collaborators behind the camera, the film unites auteur ambition with a muscular genre narrative.”
Worthington currently stars in Avatar: Fire And Ash, which just crossed $1bn at the international box office through Disney. His credits include Terminator: Salvation, Hacksaw Ridge, Dirty Deeds, and the upcoming thriller and 2025 TIFF selection Fuze from David Mackenzie.
Duchovny currently stars in the Sundance entry See You When I See You from the Duplass Brothers, and starred in television hits The X-Files and Californication.
Besides Nina Wu, Wu’s credits include 2024 Berlinale selection Black Tea, Redeeming Love, Midi Z’s 2014 Taiwanese Oscar submission Ice Poison, and The Road To Mandalay, for which she earned a Golden Horse Award best actress nomination.
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