The Fighter Producer Keith Dorrington Partners With IW Group on Adoption Drama Hou Yi

October 2024 · 4 minute read

Writer and producer Keith Dorrington has teamed with multicultural ad agency IW Group to produce the China-set adoption drama “Hou Yi.”

Inspired by Dorrington’s experience working in China during the 1990s, the story chronicles an American businessman’s unlikely adoption of a three-year-old orphan girl named Hou Yi.

“Hou Yi” marks IW Group’s first venture into film development. Dorrington is best known for his work on the “The Fighter” starring Mark Wahlberg and Christian Bale, and directed by David O. Russell. Dorrington was an executive producer on the Academy Award-winning film and received a story by credit.

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“Bringing ‘Hou Yi’ to the screen has been a deeply personal mission of mine for over two decades. I’m thrilled to take this important step in making that happen,” said Dorrington, who will executive produce the film based on his original screenplay. “This story means the world to me because it is inspired by the events surrounding my own daughter’s adoption. While I spent time in China in my former career, I’m not a cultural expert. I’m excited to partner with IW Group to deliver this story in the most authentic way possible.”

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IW Group’s portfolio includes publicity and marketing campaigns for major studios and brands, including Walt Disney, Warner Bros., House of Suntory, Lexus, McDonald’s, and more.

“As an agency that works at the intersection of Hollywood, Madison Avenue and Asia, we feel there are some amazing untapped opportunities in his current media landscape,” said Bill Imada, co-founder and chairman of IW Group and 2024 AAF Advertising Hall of Fame inductee, who serves as a producer on “Hou Yi.” “With IW Group approaching our 35th anniversary next year, I felt it was time to embark on an exciting new chapter and I can’t think of a better way to begin this journey than to collaborate with a writer of Keith’s caliber to bring his powerful and inspirational story to the silver screen.”

“We have two simple goals for ‘Hou Yi’: one is to produce a great film that resonates with global audiences and the other is to explore the additive role our agency can play in this brave new world of media, entertainment, and culture,” said Telly Wong, IW Group Chief Content Officer and SVP, who is also a producer on the film. He added, “IW Group has always specialized in telling unique cultural stories in bold and innovative ways — this new venture just takes that philosophy to a whole new exciting level.”

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