The neo-Western's pacing and themes would usually make for a challenging fit for China's commercially driven film market, but the director's Chinese origins — and the acclaim her work already has received — have generated excitement among some Chinese film buffs.

A source at one of the exhibitors that backs the NAAC told The Hollywood Reporter Tuesday that the film has received official permission for a limited release, but an exact date hasn't been set.

Past releases by the organization have included Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri ($10.3 million), Manchester by the Sea ($1.2 million) and Bohemian Rhapsody ($14 million), as well as numerous Chinese and European arthouse films.

Based on Jessica Bruder's 2017 nonfiction book, Nomadland: Surviving America in the Twenty-First Century, Nomadland is Zhao's third feature film, following the critically acclaimed Songs My Brothers Taught Me and The Rider.

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