Rigor Mortis sells to US

Well Go USA Entertainment has acquired all North American rights to Juno Mak’s Rigor Mortis from Fortissimo Films.

Hong Kong director Juno Mak makes his feature debut with the film, which has its world premiere at Venice in the Venice Days programme. It then goes on to screen in Toronto’s Midnight Madness section.

The thriller is an homage to 1970s/1980s Geung Si (Chinese vampire) films. The contemporary story is about a Hong Kong public housing tower where the living share space with ghosts, vampires and zombies. Chin Siu-ho stars as an actor who made his fame in vampire films but is now washed up; he meets other building occupants including a Taoist master-exorcist (Anthony Chan), a traumatized housewife (Kara Hui), and a seemingly benign elderly woman (Paw Hee-ching).

Rigor Mortis will be releaed in Hong Kong in early November and then roll out across Asia.

Well Go plans a multi-platform release in early 2014.

The deal was negotiated between Fortissimo’s evp of sales and acquisitions, Winnie Lau, and Well Go president Doris Pfardrescher.

Lau said: “Juno is truly one of the most original filmmakers coming from Hong Kong in recent years. With his debut feature, he has announced himself as a must-see director. We are thrilled that Well Go USA has joined us to handle Rigor Mortis in North America.”

”Rigor Mortis has such a terrifying and beautiful esthetic, (and style) and we are proud to bring it to North America where it will find its audience and fans,” said Doris Pfardrescher of Well Go USA. “Once again, Well Go is bringing a groundbreaking and highly commercial (Asian) movie to the US and Canadian audience.”

Rigor Mortis is co-produced by Japanese horror icon Takeshi Shimizu (The Grudge).

Well Go, which specializes in Asian cinema, has worked with Fortissimo in the past on titles such as Tormented, Shock Labyrinth and Touch of the Light.