Damai Rolls Out $223M Film 'Dear You' Internationally
SkimNews Take
A film's unexpected domestic success can establish an international distribution path, even if the content's appeal is primarily regional.
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- Damai Entertainment announced an international rollout for Dear You, a $223M film, beginning June 18 in Hong Kong, Macau, Singapore, Malaysia, and Brunei.
- Dear You became the second‑highest grossing Chinese film of the year after its April 30 release, trailing only Pegasus 3 ($653M) and surpassing Yuen Woo‑ping’s Blades Of The Guardians and Zhang Yimou’s Scare Out, with a 9.2 Douban rating.
- Damai is handling international sales and reports strong interest from distribution partners in North America, Europe, and Southeast Asia for future releases in the U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand, UK, and France.
- Lan Hongchun directed the film, which was made in the Chaoshan (Teochew) dialect rather than standard Mandarin, a rarity that underscores its unprecedented success.
- Lan Hongchun said the film aims to convey overseas remittance culture and the Chinese spirit of loyalty and righteousness to a global audience.
- Damai produced Dear You in collaboration with Shenzhen Golden Ant Film & Media Co, Rongde Holdings Group, Shenzhen Lichun Film, Guangzhou Mengmengda Network Technology, Changsha Lemon Light Culture Media, and Shenzhen Yuguang Film.
Why it matters: Damai and its production partners stand to gain new revenue streams and global brand exposure as the film’s unexpected domestic success—driven by a regional dialect and high Douban rating—sparks strong interest from overseas distributors, while competing Mandarin‑language blockbusters see a shift in audience attention toward regional‑language cinema.
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