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After being expelled from the Writers Guild of America Friday for allegedly violating strike rules, Park Chan-wook and his writing partner Don McKellar have pushed back on the union’s characterization of their actions on The Sympathizer in 2023.

An official from Park’s production company Moho Film told Korean outlets this week that the duo “completed writing the entire script…and began filming long before the WGA strike began,” adding that the HBO series was in post production by the time the WGA called pencils down.

“Editing does not constitute writing, so it was permitted under WGA regulations,” the official’s statement, which has been verified by Deadline, says. “While editing, the two received a proposal from HBO to change some of the settings. They held a brainstorming session to see if the new settings could be implemented based on the footage. However, they were aware that new script writing...

Park Chan-wook denied that he violated WGA strike rules after the union expelled him and “The Sympathizer” co-creator Don McKellar for writing on the HBO limited series during the 2023 writers’ strike.

“I have never violated any rules,” Chan-wook’s Moho Film said in a translated statement to South Korean outlet Maeil Business Newspaper on Tuesday.

Chan-wook explained that he and McKellar had completed the entirety of scripts for “The Sympathizer” and had been in production long before the WGA strike began on May 2, 2023 and at the time of the strike, the series was in post-production. Chan-wook claimed that editing “does not constitute writing,” and was therefore permitted under WGA regulations.

During the editing process, however, Chan-wook and McKellar received a proposal from HBO to change some of the settings within “The Sympathizer,” according to Chan-wook, which lead to a brainstorming session to see if the new settings could be integrated given what was already shot.

Filmmaker Park Chan-wook has responded to his expulsion from the Writers Guild of America, denying that he violated union rules that forbade writing during the 2023 writers’ strike.

The WGA revealed Friday that Park and Don McKellar had been kicked out for working on “The Sympathizer,” an HBO series based on the 2015 novel by Viet Thanh Nguyen.

Park’s company, Moho Film, issued a statement to Maeil Business Newspaper in South Korea on Tuesday, stating that the scripts for the show had been completed and the show had been shot when the strike began on May 2, 2023.

“At the time of the strike, ‘The Sympathizer’ was in post-production,” the company said. “Editing does not constitute writing, so it was permitted under WGA regulations.”

Variety reported Monday that the dispute centered on conflicting interpretations of the WGA contract as it pertains to post-production. The WGA maintains that even things like cutting down a...

Toronto International Film Festival unveiled a slate of conversations for its 50th anniversary ceremony. Part of TIFF 50’s In Conversation With… series, these panels include appearances from Ryan Reynolds, Dwayne Johnson, Tessa Thompson and Park Chan-wook.

Reynolds will discuss “John Candy: I Like Me,” a documentary about the actor and comedian who grew up in Toronto. “I Like Me” will have its world premiere as TIFF 50’s Opening Night Gala. Reynolds, a Vancouver native, produced the film alongside director Colin Hanks.

Johnson will host an installation of the In Conversation With… series to discuss “The Smashing Machine,” his latest dramatic effort, which is written and directed by Benny Safdie. In the biopic, Johnson portrays former wrestler and Mma fighter Matt Kerr who was the basis of a 2002 HBO documentary, “The Smashing Machine: The Life and Times of Extreme Fighter Mark Kerr.” Emily Blunt stars alongside Johnson in the film as Kerr’s then-wife Dawn Staples.

Park Chan-wook is among the deans of Korean cinema, famous for writing and directing “Oldboy,” among other films, and producing “Snowpiercer.” He also has a new film premiering later this month at Venice, “No Other Choice.”

So when it was announced Friday that Park and his writing partner, Don McKellar, had been expelled from the Writers Guild of America, it naturally raised a question about what it would mean for his career.

The answer is: Almost nothing.

“It has absolutely no impact on employability,” said Adam Levin, a partner at Mitchell Silberberg & Knupp. “Neither the union nor the producers can discriminate against you based on your non-union status.”

Park can still write, produce and direct movies and TV shows, either overseas or in the U.S. Companies that are signatories to the WGA contract are free to hire him in whatever capacity they want, or to buy his finished films.

The Sympathizer, starring Hoa Xuande and Robert Downey Jr., arrived on HBO with all the makings of a prestige drama worth talking about. Audiences and critics were drawn in by its mix of espionage, identity, and sharp satire, and that’s hardly surprising when you see who’s behind the camera.

Park Chan-wook, the visionary director who gave the world Oldboy, co-created this seven-part miniseries alongside Don McKellar. It’s adapted from Viet Thanh Nguyen’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, so there’s literary heft behind all the visual flair. Chan-wook and McKellar recently made headlines for being expelled from the WGA for writing on the show during the writers’ strike.

The Sympathizer follows a North Vietnamese spy who mixes in so well with the South’s army that no one sees through his facade. Even as he slips out of Saigon and into the U.S. after the city falls,...

The 2024 HBO series, The Sympathizer, had generated a lot of buzz due to its interesting casting choices. Robert Downey Junior not 1 but 4 pivotal characters in the espionage drama series. He plays a CIA operative, an anti-communist congressman, a Hollywood filmmaker, and a professional Orientalist. Each of his characters represents one phase of the American authority. All of these figures had a huge influence on the captain’s journey.

He features along with a dynamic ensemble cast that adds to the complex narrative. The show has been adapted from a Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Viet Thanh Nguyen and is a gripping spy drama that explores themes of politics, identity, and betrayal set in the times of the Vietnam War. Let’s have a look at how Downey’s performances fit with the grand scheme of things in the show.

The Sympathizer Cast: Robert Downey Jr. Teamed Up With Sarah Oh and...

The 2023 SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes completely shook Hollywood for months, but The Sympathizer's creators are still facing the consequences. The strike began on May 2, 2023, when the Writers Guild of America ordered its members to pause work on all productions, bringing the industry to a halt. They were eventually joined by SAG-AFTRA on July 14.

The WGA strike, in particular, focused on a number of issues, including larger writers' rooms, a demand for increased pay, and concerns about AI replacing writers. The strike ended on September 27, 2023, and the WGA signed a new collective bargaining agreement in October, as many of its demands were addressed.

Years after the strike ended, however, the WGA announced that The Sympathizer's writers have been ejected from the Guild. Don McKellar (No Other Choice) and Oldboy director Park Chan-wook allegedly continued to work on the show during the strike. According to Deadline, both have been permanently expelled from the WGA,...

In a surprisingly public move, the Writers Guild of America (WGA) has expelled two prominent creators: South Korean writer and director Park Chan-wook and Don McKellar, a Canadian writer-director who worked with Park on the HBO limited series The Sympathizer. According to a report via Variety, the decision was made public after the WGA discovered that both Park and McKellar had continued to write and work on the series while the 2023 strike was ongoing, which directly contradicted the Guild's rules. The WGA strike was one of the longest in the Union's history, lasting from May to September 2023.

Many projects were delayed or halted altogether during the WGA 2023 strike, although some were allowed to continue with certain pre-existing conditions being met. The Sympathizer wasn't a production that met such requirements, making Park's and McKeller's contributions something that has led to their memberships being revoked. According to the specific rules of the WGA,...

James Gunn’s guild has expelled Park Chan-wook and Don McKellar for writing on The Sympathizer during the 2023 work stoppage, according to a notice circulated by the union and subsequent industry reports. The pair, credited across the seven-episode HBO adaptation of Viet Thanh Nguyen’s novel, were found to have violated strike rules that barred new writing and on-set script work while negotiations were halted.

The guild said three unresolved cases tied to the 2023 strike were finalized this week, with Park and McKellar removed from membership and another writer, Anthony Cipriano, suspended until May 1, 2026. Cipriano also received a public censure and a lifetime ban on serving as a strike captain. The union added that all Article X proceedings arising from the strike have now concluded.

Earlier this year members upheld penalties against four writers in related cases, including expulsions and a one-year suspension, and the board has now chosen to make the latest decisions public.

Legendary Korean filmmaker Park Chan-wook and his co-creator on the HBO Max series The Sympathizer have been expelled from the Hollywood writers’ union after allegedly working during the strike.

The director of Oldboy and The Handmaiden was booted from the Writers Guild of America alongside Don McKellar after working on the 2024 series during the work stoppage, the union told members Friday.

Adapted from the eponymous Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Viet Thanh Nguyen, the series from A24 and Rhombus Media follows a North Vietnamese double agent (played by Hoa Xuande) who continues passing along information after moving to Southern California before the fall of Saigon. Robert Downey Jr. was critically praised for playing multiple roles in the series.

The Hollywood Reporter has reached out to HBO and representatives for Park and McKellar for comment.

Park is the most high-profile figure yet to be identified by the union as a rule-breaker during its 148-day strike.

The ripple effects of the 2023 Writers Guild of America strike continue. On Friday, August 8, the WGA announced that Park Chan-wook and Don McKellar had been expelled from the union for writing the HBO limited series, “The Sympathizer,” while their fellow writers were picketing. This is not the first discipline action from the union in regard to the strike. Reportedly seven writers have been docked for violations.

The historic 148-day strike took up several months of 2023 — mostly simultaneously with the SAG-AFTRA strike — and resulted in a new contractural agreement between the writers and studios that increased wages, set standards for writers’ rooms, and included provisions for streaming residuals and framework for AI regulations. It had a significant impact on the Los Angeles economy, as well as the film industry at large, as studio lots sat dormant and theaters, networks, and streamers felt shockwaves in their release pipeline.

Chan-wook and McKellar’s...

Park Chan-wook and Don McKellar have been expelled from the Writers Guild of America for writing on their HBO limited series “The Sympathizer” during the 2023 writers’ strike, according to media reports.

Additionally, Anthony Cipriano has been suspended until May 1, 2026, for working on “The Last Breath.” He was also given a public censure and a lifetime ban from serving as a future strike captain.

“They investigated dozens of allegations of violations and determined whether there was sufficient evidence to send cases on to the Board for further action,” WGA West leadership said of the Strike Rules Compliance Committee in a Friday statement. “There are no further strike-related disciplines and all Article X proceedings arising from the 2023 strike have concluded.”

The WGA had previously named four members who had appealed their initial accusations of breaking strike rules. In May, guild members voted to expel Edward John Drake and Roma Roth, suspend Julie Bush...

After his stint as Tony Stark/ Iron Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe was over, Robert Downey Jr. selected several critically acclaimed projects. One of them was Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer, which finally brought him his first Oscar, and the limited series The Sympathizer.

The miniseries premiered on Apr. 14, 2024, and received positive reviews, leading to an Emmy nomination for Downey. Based on the 2015 novel of the same name by Viet Than Nguyen, which won a Pulitzer Prize, the show was created by Park Chan-wook and Don McKellar. Per Variety, the two co-creators have just been expelled from the Writers Guild of America for breaking the 2023 strike rules.

The summer of 2023 featured the dual writers and actors strikes, which led to multiple projects being delayed until both strikes ended in November of the same year. The co-creators were removed on Friday for writing the HBO limited series The Sympathizer during the strike.

The Writers Guild of America (WGA) announced on Friday that it has expelled two members, Park Chan-wook and Don McKellar, for working on their HBO miniseries “The Sympathizer” during the 2023 writers’ strike.

The series, based on Viet Thanh Nguyen’s 2015 novel, aired in 2024 and starred Hoa Xuande and Robert Downey Jr. According to the WGA, neither Park nor McKellar appealed their expulsions.

In addition to these expulsions, the WGA revealed that writer Anthony Cipriano has been suspended until May 1, 2026, for his work on “The Last Breath,” formerly called “Untitled True Story Haunting, Thriller Project.” Cipriano also received a public censure and a lifetime ban from serving as a strike captain.

Park Chan-wook, 61, is a well-known South Korean writer and director, famous for films like “Oldboy” (2003) and “The Handmaiden” (2016). His next film, “No Other Choice,” will premiere at the Venice Film Festival in August. Don McKellar is a Canadian actor and filmmaker known for writing,...

The Writers Guild of America has expelled Park Chan-wook and Don McKellar for working on their HBO miniseries “The Sympathizer” during the 2023 strike. The announcement came on Friday, confirming that both writers did not appeal their expulsions.

Park Chan-wook and Don McKellar co-created the seven-episode series, which aired in 2024. The show starred Hoa Xuande and Robert Downey, Jr., and was based on Viet Thanh Nguyen’s 2015 novel of the same name.

According to the WGA, the two writers violated strike rules by continuing to work during the strike. Representatives for Park, McKellar, and HBO have not responded to requests for comment, according to Variety.

In addition to Park and McKellar, the WGA also suspended Anthony Cipriano until May 1, 2026, for working on the thriller project “The Last Breath,” which was previously known as “Untitled True Story Haunting, Thriller Project.” Cipriano also received a public censure and a lifetime ban from serving as a strike captain.

In unfortunate news, renowned South Korean filmmaker Park Chan-wook has been expelled from the Writers Guild of America. Why? Well, the reason behind Park’s expulsion is that he was working on his HBO miniseries, The Sympathizer, during the WGA strike, which took place in 2023 (via Variety).

Not only Park, but co-creator Don McKellar has also been fired from the WGA for the same reason: for writing on Robert Downey Jr‘s miniseries during the strike.

For those who don’t know, the Writers Guild of America, which represents 11,500 screenwriters, went on strike from May 2, 2023, to September 23, 2023. This was due to a dispute with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers.

The writers demanded significant changes to their compensation and working conditions. They also wanted to strictly limit the use of artificial intelligence when it came to writing scripts since this could seriously harm their livelihoods. Eventually, on October 9, 2023, a new contract was signed.

The Robert Downey Jr. produced and starring The Sympathizer came and went last year with a lot less fanfare than many expected due to the talent involved and the fact the miniseries was based on Viet Thanh Nguyen’s Pulitzer Prize winning novel of the same name. However, some unexpected fallout from the Emmy-nominated Park Chan-wook and Don McKellar created and written high-profile project emerged today from the Writers Guild of America West, and it really ain’t pretty.

The acclaimed Oldboy director and the multiple Genie Award winner have both been expelled from the WGA West.

The ejection is result of Park and McKellar crossing a pretty big line. In contradiction of all the rules of Hollywood labor best practices, the duo worked and wrote on the HBO miniseries during the 2023 strike that saw the scribes’ guild and SAG-AFTRA bring Hollywood to a halt for almost six months. The...

The Writers Guild of America announced Friday that it has expelled two members, Park Chan-wook and Don McKellar, for writing on their HBO miniseries “The Sympathizer” during the 2023 strike.

Park and McKellar co-created the seven-episode series, which starred Hoa Xuande and Robert Downey, Jr. and was based on the 2015 novel of the same name by writer Viet Thanh Nguyen. It aired in 2024. According to the guild, Park and McKellar did not appeal their expulsions.

Variety has reached out to representatives for Park, McKellar and HBO for comment.

The WGA also announced that Anthony Cipriano has been suspended through May 1, 2026, for writing on “The Last Breath,” which was previously known as “Untitled True Story Haunting—Thriller Project.” Cipriano was also given a public censure and a lifetime ban on serving as a strike captain.

Park, 61, is a South Korean writer, director and producer best known for films like “Oldboy” (2003) and “The Handmaiden” (2016). His next feature,...

Park Chan-wook, lauded for masterpieces like Oldboy, The Handmaiden, and the Cannes-winning Decision to Leave, is back with his long-awaited twelfth feature called No Other Choice. Based on the dark 1997 novel The Ax by Donald Westlake, this tense horror thriller spotlights a middle-aged man, Man-su (Lee Byung-hun), who spirals into moral darkness in a desperate struggle to support his family after losing his job at a paper company where he had worked for 25 years (via Deadline).

Co-starring Crash Landing on You star Son Ye-jin as his determined wife, Mi-ri, the film will also star Park Hee-soon, Lee Sung-min, Yeom Hye-ran, Cha Seung-won, and Yoo Yeon-seok in prominent roles. With a script from Lee Kyoung-mi, Don McKellar, and Jahye Lee, the film will be produced by Moho Film, Kg Productions, and with Cj Group executive producing.

The film will have its world premiere at the Busan International Film Festival on September 17 (via The Hollywood Reporter). Moreover,...

Lee Byung-hun might be tempted by violence after getting the axe in the new teaser for Park Chan-Wook’s pitch-black thriller No Other Choice.

Neon will release the film in theaters this fall after its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival.

No Other Choice is an adaptation of Donald E. Westlake’s mystery thriller The Ax and follows “a man who is abruptly laid off by the paper company where he worked tirelessly for many years. He grows increasingly desperate in his hunt for new work, eventually coming to a life-altering decision.”

The novel’s synopsis might give a clearer idea of the madness ahead: “Burke Devore is a middle-aged manager at a paper company when the cost-cutting ax falls, and he is laid off. Eighteen months later and still unemployed, he puts a new spin on his job search — with agonizing care, Devore finds the seven men in...

Among the bigger premieres announced for this year’s Venice Film Festival is Park Chan-wook’s No Other Choice (Neon will handle the U.S. release) and ahead of which comes a brief, staccato teaser that hints at Donald E. Westlake’s source material The Ax. Adapting the 1997 novel (which Costa-Gavras first filmed in 2005) the black comedy thriller follows a man laid off from the paper company he worked at for 25 years. Some time later and still jobless, he hits on a solution: to genuinely eliminate his competition. Adapted by Park, Lee Kyung-mi, Don McKellar (The Sympathizer), and Lee Ja-hye (Decision to Leave, The Handmaiden), it features Lee Byung-hun, Son Ye-jin, Park Hee-soon, Lee Sung-min, Yeom Hye-ran, Cha Seung-won, and Yoo Yeon-seok.

“I think it’s been about 17 years since I started writing the script for this movie. I’m so touched that I’ve finally finished filming the work...

Park Chan-wook’s “No Other Choice” is nearly here.

The latest film from the South Korean auteur behind “Oldboy,” “The Handmaiden” and most recently “Decision to Leave,” will debut in competition at the Venice International Film Festival, followed by a South Korean theatrical release and a domestic release courtesy of Neon.

A new teaser trailer out Thursday gives us a good sense of what we’re in for. Watch it below.

“No Other Choice” is an adaptation of Donald E. Westlake’s 1997 novel “The Ax,” which had previously been adapted by Costa-Gavras for 2005’s “The Axe.”

Park announced his intention to direct an adaptation back in 2009, but it kept getting pushed back due to other commitments, including 2012’s English language feature “Stoker” and his work on television series “The Little Drummer Girl” and “The Sympathizer.” At one point, the adaptation was going to be English language and he tasked his...

Less than a month after Park Chan-wook’s No Other Choice landed international distribution at Mubi and Neon in North America, the South Korean pic has a trailer and a release date.

The tense Korean-language video sees Squid Game star Lee Byung-hun under stress, constantly tapping his veiny forehead as he seeks answers to his problems. Guns, knives, lighters and cop cars are seen during a series of intense fast cuts. Both the trailer and a new poster reveal a September release date has been set.

Poster for ‘No Other Choice’ Cj Enm

The film follows Lee as middle-aged man Man-su, who embarks on a determined job hunt after being unexpectedly fired from the paper company that he worked for 25 years and eventually comes to a desperate decision. Son Yejin (The Last Princess) leads the cast alongside him.

Park Hee-soon (My Name), Lee Sung-min (The Spy Gone North), Yeom Hye-ran...

Watch the Teaser Trailer for Osgood Perkins' Keeper:

A Dark Trip from Osgood Perkins

In Theaters November 14th



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Principal Photography Wraps On Narrative Debut From "Woodlands Dark And Days Bewitched" Director; Don McKellar Stars—First Look Released: "Principal photography has wrapped on The Occupant Of The Room, the narrative debut of Kier-La Janisse, director of the SXSW award-winning documentary Woodlands Dark and Days Bewitched: A History of Folk Horror and author of the pioneering horror memoir House of Psychotic Women. The film, a special in the tradition of the BBC's Ghost Stories for Christmas, will be ready for markets and festivals this fall.

Adapted for the screen by Janisse, the film is based on the classic chiller of the same name by Algernon Blackwood about a schoolteacher whose late-night arrival at a hotel in the Alps without a reservation leaves him with no option but to accept the room...

As the author of House of Psychotic Women, director of Woodlands Dark and Days Bewitched: A History of Folk Horror, and acquisitions executive for Severin Films, Kier-La Janisse is a staple of the horror community.

Now she’s making her narrative directorial debut with The Occupant of the Room, which just wrapped principal photography in Canada.

Adapted by Janisse from the 1909 short story by Algernon Blackwood, the film is described as a special in the tradition of the BBC’s “A Ghost Story for Christmas.”

It’s about a schoolteacher whose late-night arrival at a hotel in the Alps without a reservation leaves him with no option but to accept the room of a missing hotel guest — leading to a sleepless night full of strange and uncanny occurrences.

Don McKellar stars alongside Ben Petrie (BlackBerry) and Delphine Roussel (ABCs of Death 2). Karim Hussain serves as cinematographer.

Janisse’s Spectacular Optical...

Exclusive: Principal photography has wrapped in the Ontario city of Mississauga on The Occupant Of The Room, the narrative feature debut of Canadian author and film programmer Kier-La Janisse.

Set to be ready for markets and festivals this autumn, the film is based on the classic ghost story by English author Algernon Blackwood, adapted for the screen by Janisse. Don McKellar stars as a schoolteacher whose late-night arrival at a hotel in the Alps leads to a sleepless night full of uncanny occurrences.

Also in the cast are Ben Petrie and Delphine Roussell, and cinematography is by Karim Hussain.

The...

Principal photography has wrapped in the Ontario city of Mississauga on The Occupant Of The Room, the narrative feature debut of Canadian author and film programmer Kier-La Janisse.

Set to be ready for markets and festivals this autumn, the film is based on the classic ghost story by English author Algernon Blackwood, adapted for the screen by Janisse. Don McKellar stars as a schoolteacher whose late-night arrival at a hotel in the Alps leads to a sleepless night full of uncanny occurrences.

Also in the cast are Ben Petrie and Delphine Roussell, and cinematography is by Karim Hussain.

The project...

Principal photography has wrapped in the Ontario city of Mississauga on The Occupant Of The Room, the narrative feature debut of Canadian author and film programmer Kier-La Janisse.

Set to be ready for markets and festivals this autumn, the film is based on the classic ghost story by English author Algernon Blackwood, adapted for the screen by Janisse. Don McKellar stars as a schoolteacher whose late-night arrival at a hotel in the Alps leads to a sleepless night full of uncanny occurrences.

Also in the cast are Ben Petrie and Delphine Roussell, and cinematography is by Karim Hussain.

The project...

Mubi has acquired all rights to No Other Choice, the latest film from South Korean auteur Park Chan-wook (Decision to Leave), for Latin America, the UK, Ireland, Benelux (in concert with Cinéart), Spain, Turkey, India, Australia, New Zealand, and Saarc.

The news comes following word yesterday that Neon is handling the film’s North American release.

Based on the novel The Ax by Donald E. Westlake, No Other Choice follows a middle-aged man named Man-su who embarks on a determined job hunt after being unexpectedly fired from the paper company that he worked for 25 years.

Park directed from a script written with Lee Kyoung-mi, Don McKellar and Jahye Lee. Lee Byung-hun (I Saw the Devil) and Son Yejin (The Last Princess) lead a cast that also includes Park Hee-soon (My Name), Lee Sung-min (The Spy Gone North), Yeom Hye-ran (The Glory), Cha Seung-won (Believer) and Yoo Yeon-seok (Mr. Sunshine).

Producers...

Mubi has acquired rights to Park Chan-wook’s No Other Choice for a good chunk of the world, including Latin America, the UK, Ireland, Benelux, Spain, Turkey, India, Australia/New Zealand, and South East Asia. Cinéart will handle the theatrical release in Benelux in partnership with Mubi.

The acquisition follows Neon’s announcement yesterday that it had secured North American rights to the film. Mubi and Neon have been sympatico on several arthouse titles this year. In Cannes, Mubi nabbed multiple international rights on Jafar Panahi’s Palme d’Or winner It Was Just an Accident, Kleber Mendonça Filho’s The Secret Agent, and Oliver Laxe’s Sirat, all of which Neon has for domestic release.

No Other Choice, currently in post-production, is based on Donald E. Westlake’s novel The Ax. The cast is led by Korean stars Lee Byung-hun (Squid Game) and Son Ye-jin (A Moment to Remember), and features Park Hee-soon,...

Mubi is reuniting with “Decision to Leave” filmmaker, Park Chan-wook, on his upcoming film, “No Other Choice,” which is currently in post-production and is strongly tipped for a world premiere in competition at Venice.

The global streamer, distributor and producer has bought the film for Latin America, U.K., Ireland, Benelux, Spain, Turkey, India, Australia, New Zealand, and Saarc. Cinéart will release “No Other Choice” theatrically in Benelux. Neon has bought it for North America.

Mubi has a history with Chan-wook. The company entered North America three years ago by theatrically distributing the Korean auteur’s twisty romantic thriller “Decision to Leave” which became his highest-grossing movie in North America, surpassing “Stoker” and “The Handmaiden.” Mubi had also released the movie in multiple international territories.

Park’s 12th feature, “No Other Choice” is based on the 1997 novel “The Ax” by Donald Westlake. It follows a man (Lee) who is abruptly...

Some three decades after its release, it’s disheartening, yet perhaps not surprising, that more filmmakers haven’t looked to François Girard’s singular Thirty Two Short Films About Glenn Gould for inspiration on how to break free from the stifling conventions of the modern biopic. And because of the deadening uniformity of the genre, Girard’s film appears all the more miraculous in retrospect.

From its rigorous and deliberately distancing structural gambit to its restless stylistic experimentations, Thirty Two Short Films proves that biopics needn’t color within the lines to effectively portray their subjects. But more importantly, it shows that by approaching said subject with a kaleidoscopic spectrum of aural and visual conceits, the biopic is capable of unlocking a deeper appreciation for and understanding of them. And certainly to a degree that can’t be attained through mere historical and biographical details and re-enactment.

Of course, Girard...

Neon has acquired the North American rights to No Other Choice, the latest feature from acclaimed Korean filmmaker Park Chan-wook.

Based on Donald E. Westlake‘s 1997 novel The Ax, the black comedy thriller is expected to world premiere at the Venice Film Festival in August.

Lee Byung-hun (“Squid Game”) stars a man who is abruptly laid off by the paper company where he worked tirelessly for many years. He grows increasingly desperate in his hunt for new work, eventually coming to a life-altering decision.

Son Ye-jin (“Crash Landing on You”), Park Hee-soon (“Squid Game”), Lee Sung-min (The Spy Gone North), Yeom Hye-ran (“The Glory”), Cha Seung-won (Night in Paradise), and Yoo Yeon-seok (“When the Phone Rings”) also star.

Chan-wook co-wrote the script with Lee Kyoung-mi, Jahye Lee (Uprising), and Don McKellar (Blindness).

No Other Choice is produced by Chan-wook and Back Jisun of Moho Film and Michèle Ray Gavras and Alexandre Gavras of Kg Production,...

It’s shaping up to be a major year for South Korean cinema as Hong Sang-soo and Bong Joon Ho get ready for Berlinale premieres of their latest work and later this year we’ll see the premiere of Park Chan-wook’s next feature No Other Choice. With filming kicking off last August and now having just wrapped on January 15 after five months of filming, the first images have now arrived for one of our most-anticipated films of 2025.

Adapting Donald E. Westlake’s 1997 novel The Ax, which Costa-Gavras first adapted in 2005, the black comedy thriller follows a man laid off from the paper company he worked at for 25 years. Some time later and still jobless, he hits on a solution: to genuinely eliminate his competition. Adapted by Park Chan-wook, Lee Kyung-mi, Don McKellar (The Sympathizer), and Lee Ja-hye (Decision to Leave, The Handmaiden), the cast includes Lee Byung-hun, Son Ye-jin,...

Exclusive: Don McKellar, co-creator of HBO’s Emmy-nominated miniseries The Sympathizer, has signed with Gersh for representation.

McKellar co-wrote and co-showran The Sympathizer miniseries, which aired earlier this year on HBO. The series stars Robert Downey Jr., who received an Emmy nomination for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in which he played five different roles.

On the feature side, McKellar wrote and directed Last Night, which won the Prix de la Jeunesse at the 1998 Cannes Film Festival. He also co-wrote Thirty Two Short Films About Glenn Gould, co-wrote and starred in Blindness and co-wrote and starred alongside Samuel L. Jackson in the Oscar-winning film The Red Violin.

Also a playwright, McKelley created the musical The Drowsy Chaperone, for which he won the 2006 Tony Award for Best Book of a Musical.

McKellar continues to be represented by Great North Artists Management and attorney Erik Hyman at Paul Hastings.

Kleo is a German spy action-thriller and dark comedy-drama series created by Hanno Hackfort, Richard Kropf, and Bob Konrad. The Netflix series is set in 1989, soon after the fall of the Berlin Wall and it follows the story of a former East German spy as she goes on a revenge mission to kill people who betrayed her. Kleo stars Jella Haase in the lead role with Dimitrij Schaad, Julius Feldmeier, Vincent Redetzki, and Marta Sroka starring in supporting roles. So, if you loved the dark comedy, thrilling drama, and espionage in Kleo here are some similar shows you should check out next.

Killing Eve Credit – BBC America

Killing Eve is a British spy thriller and dark comedy-drama series created by Phoebe Waller-Bridge. Based on a novel series titled Villanelle by author Luke Jennings, the BBC America series revolves around a bored British intelligence agent who is tasked with tracking down psychotic assassin,...

Following up his noir melodrama Decision to Leave, Park Chan-wook ventured into the world of American television with the forthcoming Max series The Sympathizer, adapting Viet Thanh Nguyen’s acclaimed novel and teaming with Robert Downey Jr. As revealed earlier this year, he’s now set to return to South Korea for his next feature and as production begins this week more details have been unveiled.

Set to begin shooting this Saturday, August 17, Park will be adapting Donald E. Westlake’s 1997 novel The Ax, which the legendary Costa-Gavras first adapted in 2005. The black comedy thriller follows a man laid off from the paper company he worked at for 25 years. Some time later and still jobless, he hits on a solution: to genuinely eliminate his competition. Adapted by Park Chan-wook, Lee Kyung-mi, Don McKellar (The Sympathizer), Lee Ja-hye, the cast includes Lee Byung-hun, Son Ye-jin, Park Hee-soon, Lee Sung-min, Yeom Hye-ran,...

Steven Spielberg's 1983 sci-fi family film "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial" should have a colon in the title. I know it looks punctuationally "busy," but "E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial" simply feels more correct to my typist's fingers. 

Despite this misstep, "E.T." remains one of the most beloved feature films of the 1980s, and it was so popular that it spawned an entirely new ethos in entertainment. Recall that divorce rates skyrocketed in the late '70s and early '80s, and many kids movies began reflecting the change by depicting lonely kids being raised by single parents. While unsupervised, the kids would then find supernatural, extraterrestrial, or otherwise extraordinary adventures just outside their doors. "E.T." pointed out that kids, when left to their own devices, will discover amazing things ... and use their moral wherewithal to take care of them themselves. The kids, "E.T." declared, are going to be alright. 

The story of "E.

There may have not been as much television in 2024 so far as in previous years, but there was a Hell of a lot of great TV in the first half of this year.

The harsh beauty of FX’s Shōgun, the depths of Baby Reindeer and Big Mood, the wit of Diarra from Detroit, and the surprising scope of X-Men ’97 set a very high standard. The icy reset that is the Issa López created True Detective: Night Country was another such high. Add to that the historical script flip of The Sympathizer, the sometimes brutal honestly of Jerrod Carmichael Reality Show, Diane Lane and Jeff Daniels’ masterclass in A Man in Full, and the barrier drop kicking of Echo.

So, if you are looking for some true creative fireworks this Independence Day, may I suggest casting your eyes over our selection of some of the best new shows of 2024 so far.

At this year’s Tony Awards “Suffs” managed to win prizes for Best Musical Book and Best Score, both of which went to Shaina Taub. Historically, winning those two accolades in particular would bode well for a show’s chances at Best Musical. Yet in a shocking turn of events, the top award went to “The Outsiders.” But this is not the first time something like this has happened.

SEETony Awards: Every winner (and nominee) in all 26 competitive categories

In 1978 “On the Twentieth Century” won Tonys for Best Score and Best Book (Comden and Green). It also won Best Actor in a Musical (John Cullum), Best Featured Actor in a Musical (Kevin Kline), and Best Scenic Design (Robin Wagner). Yet Best Musical that year went to Murray Horwitz and Richard Maltby Jr.‘s revue “Ain’t Misbehavin’.” A tribute to the music of Fats Waller, it also won Tonys for Best...

Exclusive: UTA has signed The Sympathizer star Hoa Xuande for representation.

Xuande is currently the lead in the A24/HBO series, which hails from visionary director Park Chan-wook and Don McKellar and is based on Viet Thanh Nguyen’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of the same name.

Set during the Vietnam War, the series follows ‘The Captain’ (Xuande), a North Vietnamese spy in the South Vietnamese army, who stays embedded in a South Vietnamese community in exile in the United States. The series also stars Robert Downey Jr., Sandra Oh, Fred Nguyen Khan and Duy Nguyen. For his performance, he was nominated for a Gotham TV Award for their inaugural program in the ‘Outstanding Performance in a Limited Series’ category.

He can previously be seen in the Cineflix series Last King of the Cross in the role of ‘Romeo’ alongside Tim Roth; Netflix’s Cowboy Bebop as ‘Lin’; the indie feature A Stitch in Time,...

While in development for the Amazon Prime drama “Expats,” creator, writer and director Lulu Wang knew she had to pay tribute to the lives lost during the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre. Having been in China at that time as a child, she remembers how scared she was when her father nearly left to join the protest which ultimately led to the death of hundreds.

“My father was supposed to go to this protest and my mother said to him a speech, which is in the show. She said, ‘Out there, you are an ant. You can give your life and it will not make that big of a difference. They’ll forget about you. But you’re my whole world, and you’re Lulu’s whole world,'” Wang said during Variety‘s Night in the Writers Room on June 13. “I said to the studio and I said to [Nicole Kidman], ‘If I do this series,...

Shows like ‘True Detective,’ ‘Hacks,’ ’ The Sympathizer,’ and others are putting their best foot forward for Emmy voters.

The Primetime Emmy Awards are still three months out, but campaign season is in full gear. The nomination round of voting began this week and runs through Monday, June 24. As is often the case, Warner Bros. Discovery has dozens of titles up for consideration between the premium prestige programs of HBO and the buzzy streaming-exclusive shows on Max. To help remind voters of the series that they loved over the past year, Max is launching For Your Consideration (FYC) panels featuring the cast, producers, and crews of titles to make the case for their nominations. Subscribers can find a large selection of panels on Max now, and those who aren’t already signed up for Max can take advantage of the streamer’s limited-time free trial to check out the panels and the shows themselves!

After decades of honoring the best in independent film, the Gotham Awards have formally branched out into television. In recent years the Gothams have included a handful of TV awards alongside their film races, but 2024 marks the first time the Gothams have dedicated an awards show specifically to television. Held on June 4 at 7:00pm Eastern in New York City, the awards celebrated the best new comedies, dramas, limited series and nonfiction programs of the season. So how did the inaugural event go? Who were the big winners? And what were the biggest surprises at these juried awards? The complete list of winners is below, updated throughout the night.

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Breakthrough Comedy Series

“Bodkin”

Jez Scharf, creator; Tonia Davis, Nne Ebong, David Flynn, Paul Lee, Alex Metcalf, Barack Obama, Michelle Obama, Jez Scharf, executive producers; (Netflix)

X — “Colin from Accounts”

Patrick Brammall,...

Editor’s note: Deadline’s It Starts on the Page features standout limited or anthology series scripts in 2024 Emmy contention.

“What they want to hear, Sir, is that we still share a purpose: the Mission Civilization, a faith in the good fight, the American way, et cetera,” double agent the Captain (Hoa Xuande) tells the desperate General (Toan Le) as the fall of Saigon appears imminent in the opening episode of HBO’s The Sympathizer. “A sophomore debate theme for a Fort Leavenworth alum like yourself.”

In many ways, the line from the “Death Wish” script, written by The Sympathizer creators Don McKellar and Park Chan-wook, sums up the complexities and duplicities of the premium cabler’s multi-genre limited series based on Viet Thanh Nguyen’s Pulitzer-winning novel of the same name.

Starring Robert Downey Jr in several roles personifying America and its disastrous involvement in Southeast Asia, The Sympathizer...

Sandra Oh has come to realize that with great power comes great responsibility. Since wrapping up her run as Dr. Cristina Yang on the venerable ABC medical drama Grey’s Anatomy a decade ago, Oh has looked to champion stories that deconstruct and explore the nuances of Asian American identity.

Her latest TV project, The Sympathizer, which recently wrapped up its run on HBO, makes good on that promise. Based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Viet Thanh Nguyen and co-created for television by Park Chan-wook and Don McKellar, the seven-part limited series tells the story of a man known simply as The Captain (Hoa Xuande), a police captain for South Vietnam who has actually been working as an undercover agent for North Vietnam’s Communist regime for years.

After being forced to flee to the United States during the fall of Saigon, The Captain — who, as the son of a...

When Team Downey co-founder Susan Downey and president of production Amanda Burrell were approached with what would become “The Sympathizer,” it presented them and fellow co-founder and star Robert Downey Jr. with what Susan Downey calls “an excellent creative opportunity and challenge.” It also led to a question: “How are we going to pull this off?”

Based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning book by Viet Thanh Nguyen and developed for television by acclaimed filmmaker Park Chan-wook and Don McKellar as well as A24, “The Sympathizer” is the kind of big-swing television show Team Downey has become known for getting behind, following projects like the acclaimed HBO series “Perry Mason” and the ongoing Netflix drama “Sweet Tooth” (which returns for its third and final season on June 6). The show focuses on an unnamed protagonist, called simply The Captain (breakout star Hoa Xuande), a North Vietnamese spy who infiltrated the South Vietnamese army...

For Australian Vietnamese actor Hoa Xuande, the Vietnam War was a compilation of incredibly sad yet impactful stories shared by family members that up until recently, he didn’t fully understand.

But since joining the cast of the HBO miniseries The Sympathizer, based on Viet Thanh Nguyen’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of the same name, Xuande wishes he could have those moments with his loved ones again with a better understanding of what their experiences might’ve been like as well as the atrocities of war.

From Park Chan-wook and Don McKellar, The Sympathizer is an espionage thriller and cross-culture satire about the struggles of Captain (Xuande), a half-French, half-Vietnamese communist spy during the final days of the Vietnam War and his resulting exile in the United States. As Captain keeps himself as a double agent across the 7-episode project, he meets and befriends a variety of interesting characters, four...

Co-producers are eager for The Sympathizer season 2 with more character exploration. They were focused on season 1 before planning sequels. Park Chan-wook and Don McKellar-created series features a talented and starry cast.

The Sympathizer season 2 gets a candid update from the producers of the HBO drama, which recently concluded its run. Based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Viet Thanh Nguyen, The Sympathizer was created by showrunners Park Chan-wook and Don McKellar, with the acclaimed filmmaker Park directing the first three episodes. The cast includes Hoa Xuande, Robert Downey Jr., Toan Le, Fred Nguyen Khan, Duy Nguyn, Vy Le, Ky Duyen, Phanxin, Kieu Chinh, Alan Trong, and Sandra Oh.

In an interview with TheWrap, co-producers Amanda Burrell and Susan Downey gave an update on the chances of The Sympathizer season 2:

Burrell: Were so in love with these characters and I think with Hoa as our are Captain it would be amazing.