The film “Flight Crew,” Russia's highest-grossing movie of 2016, is to be released in several countries across the Middle East, the RBC news website reported Wednesday.
The movie is set to be shown in countries including Lebanon, the UAE, and Egypt following a deal between Russian-based company Central Partnership and Lebanese distribution firm Empire International.
The film, which follows an airplane crew battling to save civilians from a volcanic eruption, will premier in Middle Eastern theaters on June 23.
Empire International representative Mario Haddad said that the company could distribute other Russian films in the region if “Flight Crew” proved to be a success.
“We will have to evaluate if such films will successful in the Middle East based on audience reaction due to the language problem and the lack of recognizable stars,” Haddad said, RBC reported.
Central Partnership have previously announced that negotiations were also underway to screen the film in China.
Russia's film industry struggled in 2015, with no domestically-produced films ranking in the country's top ten box office hits.
“Flight Crew” has made 1.4 billion rubles ($21 million) in Russia and 4.9 million rubles ($75,000) worldwide.
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