Roundup: Chinese espionage thriller "Decoded" makes Los Angeles premiere

by Xinhua writer Gao Shan

LOS ANGELES, Aug. 21 (Xinhua) — Chinese espionage thriller “Decoded” made its premiere Tuesday night in Los Angeles as the film is set to hit North American big screen this week.

The premiere, held at an AMC theater in City of Monterey Park, attracted a crowd of moviegoers and filmmakers from the Greater Los Angeles area.

Addressing the event, Chinese Consul General in Los Angeles Guo Shaochun pointed out that cultural and artistic exchanges are an important area of people-to-people exchanges between China and the United States.

“Film, an important platform for cultural and artistic exchanges, can help the two peoples strengthen mutual understanding and deepen their friendship,” he said, adding that Chinese film “Decoded” is a work of international collaboration, with the participation of American filmmakers.

Directed by Chen Sicheng, “Decoded” features an international cast led by Chinese rising star Liu Haoran and Hollywood veteran John Cusack, with special appearances by Chinese film heavyweights Chen Daoming, Yu Feihong and Daniel Wu.

Adapted from the award-winning novel by Chinese novelist Mai Jia, the film is set against the turbulent backdrop of the 1940s, a time when accurately deciphering the codes of enemies was crucial amid global unrest.

“The plot of this movie is compact and moving, and the visual effects are stunning,” a moviegoer who gave her name as Mandy told Xinhua after the premiere, noting that the film is comparable to some Hollywood tentpoles.

The film has garnered acclaim for blending auteur-level storytelling with blockbuster-scale visual effects in China. It has grossed 325 million yuan (around 45.6 million U.S. dollars) to date at the box office in the Chinese mainland after 19 days, according to Maoyan, a Chinese movie-ticketing and film data platform.

“Decoded” has received positive feedback from Chinese moviegoers with a rating of 9.4 points out of 10 from over 67,000 viewers on the Maoyan platform.

CMC Pictures is set to release “Decoded” globally on Aug. 22. The first wave of screenings will take place in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg, with more regions to be announced soon.

The film will be released in Mandarin with English subtitles across over 140 selected theaters in North America, including Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York, Boston, Chicago, Seattle, Houston, Phoenix, Toronto, Vancouver, Ottawa, and a few other North American cities with a large overseas Chinese population.