Sony Pictures Classics hasacquired North American rights to Zhang Yimou's House Of Flying Daggers which is screening in Cannes on Wednesdayout of competition.

The epic action romancestars Zhang Ziyi, Takeshi Kaneshiro and Andy Lau and is produced by Bill Kong,whose Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragonwas also an SPC release, and Zhang Yeiping.

House isthe sixth Yimou film to be released by SPC in North America after Happy Times (2002), The Road Home (1999), Not OneLess (1999), Shanghai Triad (1995)and The Story Of Qiu Ju (1992).

"It is an honour and thrillfor us to be working once again both with Zhang Yimou and our good friend, hisproducer, Bill Kong," said SPC in a joint statement.

SPC's co-presidents MichaelBarker and Tom Bernard along with senior vice president of acquisitions andproductions Dylan Leiner negotiated the deal with Kong and Howard Frumes ofAlexander Nau Lawrence & Frumes.

Focus Features is handlinginternational rights here.