Wu-Tang Clan's RZA is gearing up for the
theatrical release of his anticipated crime-thriller Cut Throat City,
set for a July 17 release.
Distributed by Texas-based company Well Go USA
and Patriot Pictures, the feature will be one of the first films to open wide
theatrically as theaters begin to reopen nationwide. Well Go USA plans to
release the film on 300 screens across the U.S. Directed by RZA and written by
P.G. Cuschieri, Cut Throat City stars Demetrius Shipp Jr., Denzel
Whitaker, Isaiah Washington, Kat Graham, Keean Johnson, Shameik Moore, and Tip
T.I. Harris, with Eiza González, Ethan Hawke, Terrence Howard, and Wesley
Snipes.
The film tells the story of four childhood
friends in New Orleans's Lower Ninth Ward who return after Hurricane Katrina to
find their homes decimated, with no jobs and no help from the Federal Emergency
Management Agency (FEMA). Out of options, they reluctantly turn to a local
gangster, who offers them one shot at turning their situations around—by
pulling off a dangerous heist in the heart of the city. When the job goes bad,
the friends find themselves on the run, hunted by two relentless detectives and
a neighborhood warlord who thinks they stole the heist money.
RZA said of the film, "What happens in the black community when men are
dreaming of getting out, whether they're using their music, their artistic
expression, or academics, and yet, based on the system and based on natural
disasters, those dreams and those aspirations turn into desperation? Well, this
takes place in Cut Throat City. I'm proud to see
this film come to fruition and to tell a story about black men living in a poor
community, trying to figure it out.
Doris Pfardescher, who serves as the CEO of
Well Go USA, highlighted the film's foundation, saying, "Coming up on the 15th
anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, it's more important than ever to amplify and
celebrate black voices. We are proud to be working with RZA on this powerful
film."
Patriot Pictures rep Michael Mendelsohn echoed
Pfardescher's statement, adding, "RZA's Zen and martial arts of the mind philosophy
is inspiring. This story has attracted a cast that will show our audiences the
aftermath of Katrina and its effects on the community of the Lower Ninth in New
Orleans. We are proud to share the voices of the community and bring light to
the problems they are still dealing with, even 15 years later."
Well Go USA and Patriot Pictures will be
donating a portion of the film's proceeds to Lowernine.org, a nonprofit organization
dedicated to the long-term recovery of New Orleans's historic Lower Ninth Ward.
Cut Throat City is produced by Michael Mendelsohn, Sean Lydiard, Elliott Michael Smith, Will Clevinger, and Kyle Tekiela. The film is financed by Michael Mendelsohn's Union Patriot Capital Management II and produced by Patriot Pictures and Rumble Riot. XYZ Films serves as executive producers and is in charge of worldwide sales.
