John Woo, Chow Yun-fat Classics Among 156-Film Golden Princess Library Acquired by Shout! Studios (EXCLUSIVE)

variety.com:

Naman Ramachandran 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.