Decoded (film)

Decoded is an upcoming Chinese thriller film directed by Chen Sicheng and starring Liu Haoran, John Cusack, Chen Daoming and Daniel Wu. The film is based on the novel of the same name by Mai Jia.

Synopsis
The film is set in the war-torn 1940s and follows an autistic math genius Rong Jinzhen with a past shrouded in myth who is forced to abandon his academic pursuits to become a code-breaker for a secret spy agency.

Cast

 * Liu Haoran as Rong Jinzchen
 * John Cusack as Liseiwicz, a mathematician and Rong's university tutor
 * Daniel Wu as Xiaolili, the chancellor of Rong's university
 * Chen Daoming as Director Cheng, the chief of Bureau 701
 * Martin Wang as Vasily, an enforcer of Bureau 701
 * Krystal Ren as Xiaomei, another member of Bureau 701
 * Zhu Zhu as Mrs. Liseiwicz
 * Yusi Chen as the daughter of Xiaolili
 * Yu Feihong as Ye Xiaoning, Rong's mother
 * Pan Yueming

Production
Pre-production of Decoded began in 2018, with Chen Sicheng helming the project. The film is based on Mai Jia's novel of the same name, and is Chen's first project to be adapted from a literary work. Chen noted that he had wanted to produce a film about mathematics and cryptography for a long time, and planned to set Decoded up as a film series. The project was greenlit in July 2023, with Christopher MacBride announced as the screenwriter. Liu Haoran joined the cast in September 2023, followed by rumors of Tony Leung Chiu-wai and Tang Wei starring in October, though both of them denied those reports. Principal photography spanned 98 days and wrapped on 25 January 2024. The film was presented on the Hong Kong International Film and TV Market in March.

Release
Decoded had its premiere on 16 June 2024 on Weibo Movie Night, and is scheduled for a theatrical release in China on 3 August.