Zhang Yimou's first spy film to hit U.S. theaters day-and-date with China

Cliff Walkers, the first foray of renowned Chinese director Zhang Yimou into the spy genre, is set for release in North America on April 30, premiering day-and-date with China.

CMC Pictures, the film's overseas distributor, broke the news on Friday via social media, adding that the spy thriller's debut in Australia and New Zealand is also slated for the same day.

Cliff Walkers, set in the 1930s, follows four Communist party special agents who return to China to embark on a secret mission after receiving training in the Soviet Union. However, the moment they parachute in, they find they have been sold out by a traitor, and are now in deep water.

The movie's release date comes well before a five-day public holiday starting on May 1 to mark Labor Day in China, usually a busy moviegoing period.

The holiday will see Cliff Walkers in box office competition with other domestic titles, including romance film My Love, crime thriller Home Sweet Home, Hero, a feature film jointly helmed by three famous female Chinese directors, and Schemes in Antiques, a mystery film co-starring Lei Jiayin, according to the lastest screening calendar on film data platform Maoyan.