In a major move set to electrify action film aficionados, Shout! Studios has nabbed worldwide rights (excluding select Asian territories) to the coveted Golden Princess movie library, a treasure trove of 156 Hong Kong cinema classics that’s been MIA from Western markets for decades.
The deal, which brings together Hollywood’s indie powerhouse with one of Hong Kong cinema’s most prestigious catalogs, includes genre-defining works from directing legends John Woo and Tsui Hark, alongside star-studded vehicles featuring Chow Yun-fat, Tony Leung Chiu-wai and Leslie Cheung.
The acquisition’s crown jewels include Woo’s action masterpieces “Hard Boiled,” “The Killer,” the complete “Better Tomorrow” trilogy, “Bullet in the Head” and “Once a Thief.” The library also boasts Ringo Lam’s “City on Fire,” “Prison on Fire” and its sequel; Eric Tsang’s “Aces Go Places”; Tsui’s “Peking Opera Blues”; Tony Ching’s “Chinese Ghost Story” trilogy; and additional hits like Wai Ka-fai’s “Peace Hotel,” Andrew Kam and Johnnie To’s “The Big Heat” and Alex Law’s “Now You See It, Now You Don’t.”
These films, which dominated screens during Hong Kong’s cinematic golden age of the ’80s and ’90s, left an indelible mark on Hollywood, inspiring everything from Quentin Tarantino’s oeuvre to “The Matrix” and “John Wick” franchises.
The landmark acquisition was hammered out by Shout! Studios’ David McIntosh, Jordan Fields and Taylor Devorsky, with Golden Princess Amusement Co., Ltd.’s Dickson Lai and Ronald Chu representing the seller’s interests.
“This is a big one,” said Shout’s Fields, who is senior VP of acquisitions and originals. “Golden Princess sits alongside Shaw Brothers and Golden Harvest in the pantheon of Hong Kong cinema, but unlike the other two, the Golden Princess library has been dormant for decades outside of Asia. Its fingerprints are all over modern action and crime genres, though, so we have big plans to reintroduce these fabled titles to the rest of the world, complementing Shout!’s growing catalog of revered Asian films.”
Lai, executive director of Kowloon Development Company Ltd., the parent company of Golden Princess, added: “The films in the Golden Princess Library are akin to the sword in the stone. Shout! is the entity capable of unlocking its potential.”
The deal promises a feast for genre fans, with Shout! planning to remaster select Woo titles and even return some classics to theaters. Fields added, “We have big plans for home video. We know that audience and will super-serve them.”
Beyond physical media, these Hong Kong gems will find a new streaming home on Shout! TV, the company’s digital entertainment platform, where they’ll receive special programming treatment including marathons and viewing events.
variety.com
![Hard Boiled (1992) [Japanese BD transfer with laser disc mono and custom subs].mkv_snapshot_01...jpg](https://eg-forums-escapist-data.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com/data/attachments/12/12648-bf8b5dca1e974ebd6afc608de1c7ee15.jpg "Hard Boiled (1992) [Japanese BD transfer with laser disc mono and custom subs].mkv_snapshot_01...jpg")
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