4K restoration of Oscar-winning Departures set for China release

More than a decade after its release, the 2008 Japanese film Departures, which bagged numerous awards including the 2009 Oscar for best foreign language film, is set to hit Chinese theaters soon in 4K resolution.

This will mark the film's formal theatrical release on the Chinese mainland, according to Alibaba Pictures, the company that assists in the movie's promotion.

The storyline of Departures revolves around a newly unemployed cellist who takes a job as a traditional funeral "artist" preparing the dead for their final "departure."

The film boasts a rating of 8.9 out of 10 on the review platform Douban. Its upcoming release has been hailed by moviegoers as a "reunion" after 13 years, reported China Film News.

James Cameron's Avatar, re-released in China on March 12, raked in a re-run box office revenue of more than 160 million yuan ($24.6 million) as of Tuesday.

Thanks to the new earnings, the 2009 film beat the superhero fantasy Avengers: Endgame and regained its place as the world's highest-grossing movie.