Walt Disney Co. (NYSE:DIS) has snagged a February Chinese theatrical release for its 20th Century Studios’ production “Death On The Nile,” making it the only U.S. film to play in China’s cinemas next month.
What Happened: Deadline reported the film will go into Chinese release on Feb. 19, after its U.S. premiere on Feb. 11; it will also be playing in several international markets, including France and South Korea, on Feb. 9.
The arrival of “Death on the Nile” is something of a coup for Disney at two levels – the release date is serendipitously scheduled after the close of the Lunar New Year celebrations and the day before the end of the Winter Olympics, and it represents a breakthrough for Disney after the company failed to get Chinese government approval for the release of its blockbuster Marvel Cinematic Universe titles “Black Widow,” “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” and “Eternals.”
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Why It Happened: “Death on the Nile” is directed by Kenneth Branagh, who stars as Hercule Poirot, Agatha Christie’s Belgian detective, and features an all-star cast in a murder mystery set on a river steamer in 1930s Egypt. The film is a follow-up to Branagh’s 2017 version of Christie’s “Murder on the Orient Express,” which grossed $34.7 million in China and $352.8 million worldwide.
The film has been something of a problem for Disney. Production took place from September through December 2019, but its release has been delayed six times due to scheduling problems related to the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on film exhibition and then because of negative publicity regarding sexual assault claims leveled against Armie Hammer, one of the film’s stars – Hammer has not been criminally charged, but the scandal has damaged his career.
Due to a contractual obligation, Disney is required to put “Death on the Nile” into theaters and cannot shift its release into a streaming or direct-to-video presentation. However, the scandal involving Hammer means nothing to Chinese audiences, who appreciate opulent period pieces like “Death on the Nile” and will certainly recognize leading lady Gal Gadot.
Photo: Armie Hammer and Gal Gadot in "Death on the Nile," courtesy of Disney.
