China’s latest box office draw: spy thriller backed by state espionage agency

SCMP · 2026-02-19
China’s latest box office draw: spy thriller backed by state espionage agency

A spy thriller backed by a Chinese intelligence agency has become one of the biggest box office hits of the Lunar New Year. Scare Out, directed by Zhang Yimou, who is best known internationally for films such as Raise the Red Lantern and House of Flying Daggers, was produced under the direct supervi