Amazon Studios/Bleecker Street’s The Lost City of Z has been approved for cinemas in China, according to sources familiar with the matter, but a release date is yet to be announced.
Directed by James Gray, the critically acclaimed film is based on the true story of British explorer Colonel Percival Fawcett, who disappeared while searching for a mysterious city in the Amazon in the 1920s.
The film opened in North America on April 14, but a China release date is yet to be announced.
Both the film’s co-producer Dale Johnson and its main star Charlie Hunnam have been in China recently.
Charlie Hunnam was in Beijing late last month to promote King Arthur: Legend of the Sword, which opens on Friday, May 12.
The Lost City of Z co-producer Dale Johnson was in China in April to raise money for a US$200 million fund to finance independent Hollywood films.
Johnson said he expects to get at least $100 million for his Lynmar Media Fund from China-based investors, according to Bloomberg.
“There’s a great appetite in China for media content of a wide variety, especially new intellectual property,” Johnson told Bloomberg.
“Investing in new films is a smart way to get it. If you wait till later, you’ll end up in a bidding war, either overpaying or missing out.”
Johnson said anywhere from a half to the whole amount of the $200 million fund could come from China. So frequently is Johnson traveling to China, he said he was considering opening an office in Beijing or Shanghai.
The Lost City of Z also stars Sienna Miller, Tom Holland, and Angus Macfayden.
