Anthony Hopkins and Colin Farrell-starring independent film “Solace” will get a theatrical release in China this month.
The serial killer thriller will play from Jan. 14 in a release organized by indie distributor Infotainment China, which previously handled “The Nut Job” and “Spy Kids: All the Time in the World in 4D.”
That puts “Solace” in theaters only five days after the release of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens,” and only one day before the China release of “The Last Witch Hunter,” which hits Chinese screens on Friday, Jan. 15.
"Solace” is imported and distributed as a flat fee (aka a “buyout deal”) by state-owned enterprise China Film Group on behalf of Infotainment.
China operates separate quotas for revenue sharing releases, currently limited to 34 per year, and for flat fee releases. Flat fee releases are usually reserved for independent and smaller titles than the Hollywood tentpoles, and in practice some become informal revenue sharing deals between a distributor and the overseas producer. International sales were handled by New York-based FilmNation Entertainment.
"The Force Awakens” opened around the globe in December, with the exception of China. It was unable to release in China on a day-and-date basis as the revenue sharing quota had been used up by earlier releases and because China operates an annual blackout period in December, when screens are reserved for Hollywood holdovers, flat fee releases and new Chinese releases