Donnie Yen martial arts epic ‘Sakra’ gets North American release

Donnie Yen’s big-budget martial arts fantasy “Sakra” is slated for a North American theatrical and digital release.

Starring Yen, who also directed, produced and choreographed the film, “Sakra” was released in theaters in several Southeast Asian territories in late January, coinciding with the Lunar New Year holiday season. “Sakra” is a mainland China-Hong Kong co-venture that was released straight to streaming in China.

Yen, who brought his personal martial arts, stunt, costume and creative crews onto the project, described the movie as the most authentic film he has ever made. 

The story is adapted from the historical novel “Demi Gods and Semi-Devils” by Louis Cha. 

Yen compared the film to those of Disney’s Marvel Cinematic Universe:

These types of novels and literature go way back thousands of years. This has always been part of our culture. Like in the West, you look at the Greek mythologies. This one is definitely the answer to Marvel movies. These heroes, epics, and moral stories are 100 times deeper.

The movie features acting legend Kara Hui, Yu Wue from “Ip Man 4,” Cya Liu of “Limbo” and up-and-coming star Chen Yuqi from “Heavenly Sword and Dragon Slaying Sabre.”

“Sakra” is slated for a North American theatrical release in April, followed by a digital release shortly after.