Magnolia Pictures Acquires Worldwide Rights to Stranger-Than-Fiction Financial Crisis Doc 'The China Hustle'

NEW YORK, NY (OCTOBER 10, 2017) – Magnolia Pictures announced today that they have acquired worldwide rights to director Jed Rothstein’s documentary THE CHINA HUSTLE, an unsettling and eye-opening Wall Street horror story about Chinese companies, the American stock market, and the opportunistic greed behind the biggest heist you’ve never heard of.

The film world-premiered at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival to critical acclaim, with Variety’s Scott Tobias extolling, “Jed Rothstein’s wildly entertaining documentary THE CHINA HUSTLE blows the lid off another multibillion-dollar heist built on complex financial instruments and a whole lot of smoke and mirrors.” Magnolia is eyeing an early 2018 release.

THE CHINA HUSTLE begins in the depths of the 2008 financial crisis, when investors on the fringes of the financial world feverishly sought new alternatives for high-return investments in the global markets. With Chinese indexes demonstrating explosive growth, the country suddenly emerged as a gold rush opportunity with one caveat: US investors were prohibited from investing directly into the country’s market. Makeshift solutions led to a market frenzy, until one investor discovered the massive web of fraud left in its wake. THE CHINA HUSTLE rings the alarm on the need for transparency in an increasingly deregulated financial world by following those working to bring this story to the forefront.

“Anyone with an investment portfolio or pension should rush to see this movie,” said Magnolia President Eamonn Bowles. “Jed Rothstein has fashioned an incredibly compelling film about these jaw-droppingly scary financial schemes.”

"The scams in the film - and the ones we warn could be coming in the near future - exist in the shadows of the financial world,” said Rothstein. “I couldn't think of a better partner than Magnolia to present THE CHINA HUSTLE and shine a light into these dark corners."

Directed and written by Jed Rothstein, THE CHINA HUSTLE was produced by Sarah Gibson and Ryan Suffern. Production companies are Jigsaw Productions, The Kennedy/Marshall Company, 2929 Productions, and S.J. Gibson Films. Executive Producers are Alex Gibney, Frank Marshall, Mark Cuban, Todd Wagner, Ben Cosgrove, Jeff Cuban, and Stacey Offman. Co-Executive Producer is Richard Perello.

About MAGNOLIA PICTURES
Magnolia Pictures is the theatrical and home entertainment distribution arm of the Wagner/Cuban Companies, a vertically-integrated group of media properties co-owned by Todd Wagner and Mark Cuban that also includes the Landmark Theatres chain and AXS TV. Recent releases include Raoul Peck and James Baldwin’s Oscar-nominated I AM NOT YOUR NEGRO; WHOSE STREETS?, filmmakers Sabaah Folayan and Damon Davis’ unflinching look at the Ferguson uprising in the aftermath of Michael Brown’s death; David Farrier and Dylan Reeve's stranger-than-fiction documentary TICKLED, Alex Gibney’s ZERO DAYS, Ira Sachs’ LITTLE MEN, Werner Herzog’s LO AND BEHOLD, REVERIES OF THE CONNECTED WORLD, and LUCKY, John Carroll Lynch’s directorial debut starring iconic character actor Harry Dean Stanton. Upcoming releases include Cannes Palme d'Or winner THE SQUARE, Ruben Östlund’s darkly humorous drama set against the backdrop of the international art world; and IN THE FADE, Fatih Akin’s riveting revenge drama starring Cannes Best Actress Award winner Diane Kruger.

PRESS CONTACT:
George Nicholis
Magnolia Pictures
212-379-9716
Gnicholis@magpictures.com