Author: Newsroom
LOS ANGELES, CA – March 22, 2024 — Ketchup Entertainment announced today that they have acquired the North American distribution rights to WEEKEND IN TAIPEI, an action film with romantic and comedic highlights, directed by George Huang (Swimming with Sharks) that stars Luke Evans (Murder Mystery, Echo 3), Gwei Lun-Mei (Black Coal, Thin Ice, Wild Goose Lake) and Sung Kang (Fast & Furious franchise, Snakehead) and produced by EuropaCorp’s Luc Besson and Virginie Besson-Silla. Ketchup Entertainment plans a wide theatrical release for the film in North America in 2024, and EuropaCorp expects other territories to follow for a planned worldwide roll-out.
Co-written by Huang and Besson, WEEKEND IN TAIPEI is about John Lawlor, a pit-bull DEA agent married to his job—there’s not a bad guy he can’t stop, nothing he won’t sacrifice to close out a case. Joey Kwang is a top “Transporter” in Taipei – fast-driving and fast-thinking, she’s difficult to pin down, impossible to catch. The two of them weren’t supposed to fall in love, but fate brought them together…before forces of crime and corruption tore them apart. Now, 15 years later, fate puts Joey and John on a collision course during a weekend in Taipei. And the two will discover that the only thing harder than falling in love…is falling back in love.
“WEEKEND IN TAIPEI is an exciting movie that George Huang has masterfully directed and features a great cast that includes Luke Evans, Gwei Lun-Mei, and Sung Kang. We look forward to working with Luc, Virginie and EuropaCorp and bringing this film to North American audiences this summer,” said Ketchup Entertainment CEO Gareth West.
“We are very proud of WEEKEND IN TAIPEI, which perfectly captures EuropaCorp’s DNA by bundling action, romance, and comedy together. We are also pleased to partner with Gareth and Ketchup’s team in sharing this thrilling film with audiences throughout North America,” said Jean-Marc Lacarrère, CEO, EuropaCorp.
Negotiations for the sale were led by David Spiegelman, Gregoire Melin, Kinology, and Brieuc Jonnet, EuropaCorp. Sung is repped by CAA, Entertainment 360 and attorneys Rick Genow & Hannah Mulderink.
About Ketchup Entertainment
With over a decade of immersion in film finance and distribution, Ketchup Entertainment is an innovator in film financing and distribution strategies across a diverse spectrum of titles.
The company recently distributed Michel Franco’s MEMORY starring Jessica Chastain and Peter Sarsgaard. Chastain received a Film Independent Spirit Awards nomination for Best Lead Performance, while Sarsgaard won the Volpi Cup for Best Actor at the Venice Film Festival. Other recent projects from Ketchup Entertainment include FERRARI, helmed by the visionary Michael Mann, and the captivating Ben Affleck starrer HYPNOTIC.
The company’s upcoming theatrical slate also includes Hallie Meyers-Shyer’s comedy GOODRICH starring Michael Keaton and Mila Kunis and Brian Taylor’s HELLBOY: THE CROOKED MAN starring Jack Kesy.
As an independently run business, Ketchup Entertainment is driven by values deeply rooted in trust and collaboration. Whether working hand in hand with filmmakers to bring their vision to life through financing or collaborating extensively to devise specialized distribution and marketing campaigns, Ketchup Entertainment’s passion for film resonates in every endeavor.