The Hollywood Reporter reports that new distribution company Wrekin Hilll Ent., in association with Row 1 Ent., have secured the North American rights to Zhang Yimou's THE FLOWERS OF WAR. Wrekin Hill hopes to give the film an Oscar qualifying run in December and then open it wider in early 2012. China selected the $90 million drama as its 2011 Oscar entry for Best Foreign Language Film.

The epic drama stars Christian Bale as an American trapped in Naking during the Japanese occupation. His character finds himself posing as a priest at a church that serves as a girls' school where prostitutes have come to hide from Japanese soldiers. The story is based on Geling Yan's novel THE 13 WOMEN OF NANJING, which was adapted by Heng Liu.

David Linde and Chaoying Deng exec produced.