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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...

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 has landed distribution rights to Park Chan-wook’s upcoming dark comedy No Other Choice in multiple territories.

The company has secured all rights to South Korean feature in Latin America, the UK, Ireland, Benelux, Spain, Turkey, India, Australia, New Zealand, and Saarc. Cinéart will release the film theatrically in Benelux in collaboration with Mubi.

The deal was revealed just a day after Neon announced it had picked up rights for North America and ahead of a long-rumoured selection for Venice.

It marks the second time Mubi has handled a film by Park, having previously released Cannes award-winner Decision To Leave...

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...

Park Chan-wook is one of the world’s most sought-after filmmakers, and Neon wants to be at the head of the table when he serves up something new. On Thursday, Neon announced its reteaming with Park Chan-wook for his next feature film, No Other Choice. Neon holds the North American rights to No Other Choice, starring Lee Byung-hun and Son Ye-jin as husband and wife alongside an ensemble cast including Park Hee-soon (My Name), Lee Sung-min (The Spy Gone North), Yeom Hye-ran (The Glory), Cha Seung-won (Believer 1&2), and Yoo Yeon-seok (Mr. Sunshine).

“No Other Choice, Park’s 12th feature, is based on the 1997 novel The Ax by Donald Westlake. It follows a man (Lee) 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 he comes to a certain decision,” says Neon’s official press release.

Neon has reteamed with Korean director Park Chan-wook and Parasite studio Cj Enm by taking the North American rights to the violent comedy thriller No Other Choice.

Korean film royalty Lee Byung-hun and Son Yejin star in the thriller about Man-soo (Lee), who is abruptly laid off by the paper company where he worked tirelessly for many years. Man-soo grows increasingly desperate in his hunt for new work, and eventually resolves to kill his job competitors.

Son plays Man-soo’s wife, the warm-hearted Mi-ri in the latest film from Korean cinema to reflect beyond a core narrative the Asian country’s underlying economic and political tensions. Chan-wook’s 12th movie is an adaptation of American novelist Donald Westlake’s 1996 novel The Ax.

Westlake’s novel was previously adapted into French by Costa Gavras as the 2005 film Le Couperet (The Ax). The ensemble cast for Chan-wook’s Korean adaptation includes Park Hee-soon,...

Neon has acquired North American rights to “No Other Choice,” the next film from South Korean auteur Park Chan-wook, the distributor announced Wednesday.

Park’s 12th feature has been in the works for quite some time and only wrapped production in January, but we referred to the film nevertheless as a snub for the Cannes lineup in May (where he previously won Best Director for “Decision to Leave” in 2022), but a source tells IndieWire the film is expected to now premiere at the Venice Film Festival.

“No Other Choice” stars Lee Byung-hun, best known as the villain in “Squid Game,” and Son Ye-jin (“The Last Princess”) as a husband and wife. After the husband 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. It’s based on a 1997 novel by Donald Westlake called “The Ax,...

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,...

Park Chan-wook’s “No Other Choice” has found a North American distributor.

Neon has acquired the North American rights to the South Korean auteur’s latest, which is expected to premiere later this year at Venice.

“No Other Choice” is based on Donald Westlake’s 1997 novel “The Ax.” It follows a middle-aged man who is laid off from his longtime job and becomes increasingly desperate. When he discovers the other people who are up for the same position he starts … thinning out the competition. The novel was previously adapted in 2005 by Costa-Gavras (his daughter is one of the producers of the new film).

Lee Byung-hun and Son Ye-jin play the husband and wife, with a supporting cast that includes Park Hee-soon, Lee Sung-min, Yeom Hye-ran, Cha Seung-won and Yoo Yeon-seok.

Neon and Cj Enm previously teamed on “Parasite,” which was a critical darling and awards powerhouse, eventually becoming the first...

Neon has taken North American rights to No Other Choice, the next movie from Park Chan-wook.

The project puts Neon back in business with the Korean filmmaker, the label having recently handled the helmer’s re-release of 2003’s Oldboy.

No Other Choice is Park’s 12th movie, and it’s based on the 1997 novel The Ax by Donald Westlake. It follows a man (Squid Game‘s Lee Byung-hun) 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 and eventually comes to a certain decision.

Son Yejin co-stars as the man’s wife alongside an ensemble cast including 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).

No Other Choice is produced by Park...

Neon is reteaming with Park Chan-wook and Cj Enm and has acquired North American rights to the South Korean auteur’s upcoming dark comedyNo Other Choice, which has been tipped to premiere in Venice.

Neon will plan an awards run on the filmproduced by Cj Enm Studios and Park’s Moho Films and financed by Cj Enm. It is currently in post.

Lee Byung-hun from Squid Game and I Saw The Devil stars as a middle-aged man fired from a paper company after years of service who goes on a killing spree to eliminate his competition.

Lee is joined by Son Ye-jin,...

Neon has bought North American rights to “No Other Choice,” the upcoming movie by Korean filmmaker Park Chan-wook (“Decision to Leave”) which is expected to world premiere at Venice.

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 laid off by the paper company where he worked tirelessly for many years. He grows increasingly desperate in his hunt for new work, eventually he comes to a certain decision.

The film stars Lee Byung-hun (“I Saw the Devil“) and Son Yejin (“The Last Princess“) are set to star as husband and wife alongside an ensemble cast including 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”). The deal reteams Neon and Cj Enm following the release of “Parasite” which broke ground as...

Pulsar Content has boarded “A Survivor’s Tale,” produced by Kg Prods. (“Custody”), the banner founded by Costa Gavras and Michèle Ray-Gavras. The movie is headlined by Salomé Dewaels, the star of Xavier Giannoli’s Venice competition film “Lost Illusions.”

Directed by Belgian filmmaker Micha Wald, ”A Survivor’s Tale” is based on the true story of Marguerite de la Rocque, a young noblewoman abandoned in the wilderness of 16th century Canada. Condemned for being pregnant with a child born from a violent assault, she’s abandoned with her rapist and her maid on a deserted island near Newfoundland.

Marguerite must survive two harrowing years on the “Island of Demons,” facing starvation and the relentless cold. As she battles to keep herself and her unborn child alive, Marguerite’s journey becomes one of profound transformation and emancipation. Orignally titled “L’île de la Demoiselle,” the movie also stars the rising...

Costa-Gavras, the celebrated Franco-Greek master who’s won an Oscar and a Palme d’Or, has teamed with French sales company Playtime for his latest film, “Last Breath.”

Currently in post-production, “Last Breath” boasts a strong international cast led by Denis Podalydès (“Deception”) and Kad Merad (“Welcome to the Sticks”), who star alongside Marilyne Canto (“The Starry Sky Above Me”), Charlotte Rampling (“Dune”), Ángela Molina (“Broken Embraces”), Karin Viard (“Strangers by Night”), Hiam Abbass (“Succession”) and Agathe Bonitzer (“Maria Montessori”).

Costa-Gavras penned the film, based on the book “Le Dernier Souffle” by Régis Debray and Claude Grange. A Cannes regular, Costa-Gavras won the Palme d’Or for “Missing” in 1982, served on the jury in 1976 and won the Jury Prize with his political thriller “Z” which went on to win an Oscar. He has also been feted as guest of honor at Cannes Classics, the selection dedicated to heritage films.

“We...

“Légua” by Filipa Reis and João Miller Guerra has its world premiere in Directors Fortnight. Reis and Miller Guerra previously co-helmed the Cape Verde-set debut feature, “Djon Africa” (2018), and several documentaries.

“Légua” is produced by the company, Uma Pedra no Sapato, which Reis founded in 2008 and ranks as one of Portugal’s leading independent production companies.

The pic is set in the rural village of Légua in the North of Portugal, between Amarante and Marco de Canaveses. One of the main characters is an old country house that has been deserted by its heirs and is looked after by the ailing elderly housekeeper, Emilia, assisted by Ana (played by Carla Maciel (“Diamantino”), whose husband emigrates to work in France, leaving her to look after Emilia and her own restless teenage daughter, Mónica.

The film explores a world in decay, embodied by three women from different generations.

Several scenes dispense with...

Xavier Legrand, whose 2017 feature debut “Custody” won two prizes at Venice and swept four Cesar Awards, is back with “The Successor.” The anticipated sophomore outing has been boarded by mk2 films (“Portrait of a Lady on Fire”) which will launch sales at the European Film Market.

“The Successor” will star Marc-André Grondin (“C.R.A.Z.Y.”) as the newly-announced artistic director of a famous Parisian fashion house. But as expectations are high, he starts experiencing chest pain. Out of the blue he is called back to Montreal to organize his estranged father’s funeral and discovers that he may have inherited much worse than his father’s weak heart.

“We don’t want to give much away but will say that ‘The Successor’ is a tense and thrilling read that we can’t wait to share with buyers,” said Fionnuala Jamison, mk2 films’ managing director.

“As much if not more than with “Custody,...

No one utters the word “bipolar” until practically the end of Belgian director Joachim Lafosse’s “The Restless,” but you can sense that’s what the character Damien is dealing with from the opening scene, when a father-son day on the sea takes a startling turn. After steering a rented boat a certain distance offshore, the ever-impulsive Damien spontaneously dives overboard, leaving his boy, Amine (Gabriel Merz Chammah), alone at the helm. “I’m swimming back — you take the boat,” he says, leaving the boy with no other choice.

“The Restless” presents this startling rift in parental responsibility from the son’s point of view, suggesting that the episode — the kind of judgment lapse that might qualify as “fun-loving” in an American man-child comedy but feels genuinely alarming here — almost certainly has its origins in Lafosse’s own upbringing. Like that real-world Laurel and Hardy episode when Mom called the paramedics,...

Leila Bekhti and Damien Bonnard to star in drama exploring impact of bipolar disorder.

Paris-based sales company Luxbox will kick-off sales on Belgian filmmaker Joachim Lafosse’s upcoming drama The Restless at the upcoming Marché du Film Online.

Leiïa Bekhti and Damien Bonnard are set to star as a couple, who share a child together, whose life together is impacted by bipolarism.

Bonnard, whose recent credits include Les Misérables and The French Dispatch, plays a man called Damien who is battling the high and lows of bipolar disorder.

Bekhti co-stars as his partner (Leila) who valiantly weathers the emotional rollercoaster of his changing moods,...

The project is based on the memoir by controversial former finance minister Yanis Varoufakis.

Adults In The Room, the first feature by Greek director Costa-Gavras to shoot in the filmmaker’s homeland, has sparked a row in the press and on social media in the country when it was announced the project will receive €630,000 in state funding via the country’s new cash rebate scheme.

It is being argued by some opposed to the controversial project that it is not the best use of public money in a cash-strapped country like Greece.

The film is based on the memoir Adults...

Custody, opening in L.A. on July 13th, in New York on June 29th and going wide in August, is a heartbreakingly sad story of a boy caught between two at-war-getting-divorced parents.

On a par with Loveless, the Russian Cannes Competition film in 2017 and Oscar nominated for Best Foreigh Language Film, each of the boys, sentient but powerless, is used as a pawn. This film almost exceeds the threshold of bearable pain, so painful is to watch the father take his rages out on his son.

The boy’s (Thomas Gioria) acting is superlative. This is his first film but next year you will be able to see him in Adoration.

Denis Ménochet playing the father is also outstanding and is 100% hateful. I moaned in agony for the boy in every other scene. The father cajoles his child, blackmails his child, threatens him with force, is mecurial, cruel and unresponsive,...