Koch takes Red Dawn for UK

Distribution outfit Koch Media has inked its first saturation release for the UK with MGM’s action title Red Dawn.

Chris Hemsworth and Josh Hutcherson star in Dan Bradley’s action film about group of teenagers who need to save their town from an invasion of North Korean soldiers.

Koch, one of Germany’s leading independent media companies, revealed its intention to become a major player in UK theatrical distribution earlier this year, with ambitions to release up to 25 films per year.

Last year, the company acquired London-based distribution company G2 Films, with G2’s founder, industry veteran Thomas Hedman, transitioning to Koch’s business development director. Koch also recently added to its video games publishing label with anticipated new acquisitions Metro and Saints Row, following developer and publisher THQ’s collapse.

Red Dawn, which grossed $45m in the US, is slated for a March 15 release.

Also on Koch’s UK slate is financial thriller Arbitrage, and ensemble comedy Thanks For Sharing, starring Gwyneth Paltrow, Mark Ruffalo, Tim Robbins and Joely Richardson.

Craig McNicol, Koch Media’s managing director (Northern Europe) said: “The acquisition of Red Dawn is an important step in the development of Koch Media’s UK theatrical distribution division. With our other release of Arbitrage in March, we are looking to make an impact in Q1 and show our intentions for the rest of the year and beyond.”

Koch’s operations extend across the software, film and games industries. The outfit’s video games label Deep Silver includes hit Dead Island, which has sold more than 5 million copies.