STX Entertainment will release Ilya Naishuller’s “Hardcore Henry” in the U.S. on April 8 following the action movie’s well-received debut at the Toronto International Film Festival, it was announced Wednesday by Kevin Grayson, president of domestic distribution for STX.
Previously titled “Hardcore,” the film stars Sharlto Copley, Haley Bennett and an ensemble of Russian actors. Naishuller wrote and directed the movie, which he also produced with Timur Bekmambetov, Inga Vainshtein Smith and Ekaterina Kononenko.
Shot completely from its hero’s perspective, “Hardcore Henry” follows a man who has just been resurrected by his wife and remembers nothing, including his own name. Five minutes later, his wife is kidnapped and he’s being shot at by an army of mercenaries working for Akan (Danila Kozlovsky), a powerful warlord with a plan for world domination. Everyone wants Henry dead except for Jimmy (Copley), a mysterious British fellow who may be on Henry’s side, though he isn’t sure.
“‘Hardcore Henry’ is one of the most original, adrenaline-filled moviegoing experiences to be presented in theaters in a long, long time,” said Oren Aviv, president and chief content officer for the STX Entertainment Motion Picture Group. “This film puts moviegoers into the story and experience in a fun and visceral new way with a first-person perspective that we really have not experienced before. Ilya Naishuller has delivered spectacular action and visual effects that you really need to see on a big screen.”
“The rights to the title ‘Hardcore’ were unavailable for commercial use, so we turned to Ilya and came up with Hardcore Henry, which preserves the identity of the film, with the added benefit of personifying the unique hero at the center of this story,” added Aviv.
“Hardcore Henry is the perfect film to launch this spring. It is a genuine roller coaster ride with non-stop action and a completely distinctive look, feel, palate and cinematic texture. This is a movie going experience that will leave audiences talking long after they leave the theater,” said Grayson.
“Hardcore Henry” is slated to open against Universal’s Melissa McCarthy comedy “The Boss,” Fox Searchlight’s Jake Gyllenhaal drama “Demolition” and Relativity’s horror movie “Before I Wake.”