The Chinese crime thriller "The Man behind the Courtyard House" by director Fei Xing held a premiere on Thursday, March 17, 2011 in preparation of the film's theatrical release on March 25.

Dubbed a Chinese version of David Fincher's "Se7en" from 1995, the film tracks protagonist Chen Zhihui who succumbs to trauma and frustration when he is released after spending 20 years in prison and becomes a serial killer.

The film stars Simon Yam, Chen Sicheng, Huang Shengyi, Zhang Jingchu, Yu Shaoqun, Hao Lei and Wei Zi. The cast members of the film kept their lips tightly sealed about the plot during the premiere ceremony.

Director Fei Xing, a fan of crime flicks, said he wanted to explore the psychological world of people who commit crimes. He described "The Man behind the Courtyard House" as a movie in which a casual choice leads to an unexpected outcome like the butterfly effect.

"The Man behind the Courtyard House" is the first film of a psychological crime trilogy. With 2,000 prints hitting cinemas nationwide on March 25, the film has met the distribution requirements for a commercial release.

The film's producer has announced the second project in the trilogy will start filming in late May.