Lionsgate & iQIYI Ink China Streaming Pact – Global Briefs

Lionsgate and Chinese online video platform iQIYI have entered a long-term output deal for movies from the studio as well as third-party titles. The pact gives iQIYI an exclusive SVOD and TVOD window on the films and includes a major promotional commitment. Under the deal are such upcoming movies as The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2; Divergent Series: Allegiant; and action-thriller Deepwater Horizon with Mark Wahlberg, Kurt Russell, Kate Hudson, John Malkovich, Dylan O’Brien and Gina Rodriguez.

Yang Xianghua, SVP of iQIYI, says, “In China, more and more people are paying to watch movies online. iQIYI has the largest online movie library in China and we have been actively purchasing premium movie content and building in-depth partnerships with industry players… We are delighted to extend and deepen our cooperation to areas including broadcast, promotion and distribution.”

This deal will not affect Lionsgate’s existing relationships in the Middle Kingdom with Alibaba and Hunan.

New York-based Film Movement has acquired all North American rights to South Korean documentary My Love, Don’t Cross That River, the debut film from Jin Mo-young that gave Hollywood a run for its money at the end of last year. The film centers on a couple married for 76 years who the director followed for 15 months. Known as the “100-year-old lovebirds” the husband is strong and the wife is full of charms. They sport traditional Korean clothing and still fall asleep hand-in-hand. As they sense death approaching, the film follows the last moments of their relationship.

Korea’s biggest indie film of all time, it grossed $34M at home. Originally released on November 27, 2014, it jumped ahead of Interstellar and Exodus: Gods And Kings in its third frame in December last year. It has played at several festivals including the DMZ Documentary Film Fest, the Moscow International Film Festival and the Los Angeles Film Festival; taking prizes at all three. It’s playing the Hamptons Film Festival this week. CAT & Docs handles sales.