Arguably, there was no different selection… The Busan Worldwide Movie Pageant has chosen the newest wildly anticipated function from Korean maestro Park Chan-wook to open its landmark thirtieth version on Sept. 17. A black-comedy survival thriller starring Korean main man Lee Byung-hun, Park’s twelfth function, No Different Alternative, may have its world premiere in competitors on the 82nd Venice Movie Pageant earlier than heading to Korea’s largest cinema occasion for its Asian debut.
No Different Alternative stars Lee and beloved Korean actress Son Ye-jin as a married couple struggling to carry their household collectively amid mounting financial desperation. The movie follows Man-su (Lee), a once-content middle-class household man who’s abruptly laid off from his job, sending him right into a spiral of hysteria and desperation. As he scrambles to regain employment and protect the life he’s constructed, his spouse Miri (Son) turns into equally decided to guard their youngsters and residential at any price.
The undertaking reunites Park with numerous longtime collaborators and introduces a recent pairing in its leads — marking the primary time Lee and Son, two of Korea’s most celebrated stars, have appeared as a pair onscreen. The supporting forged contains Park Hee-soon, Lee Sung-min, Yeom Hye-ran and Cha Seung-won.
No Different Alternative is predicated on Donald E. Westlake’s novel The Ax, which was beforehand tailored to the display screen in French by Costa-Gavras. Park first teased the undertaking throughout a public look at BIFF in 2019, describing it as a long-in-the-making ardour undertaking he hoped would come to be seen as his “masterpiece.” The director’s many followers are anticipating his signature mix of muscular craftsmanship, elegant mise-en-scène, psychological depth and ethical ambiguity.
No Different Alternative
Courtesy of CJ ENM
“I’m deeply moved and excited to expertise the premiere of Park Chan-wook’s desired undertaking alongside numerous audiences on the competition’s opening day,” mentioned BIFF competition director Jung Hanseok in an announcement. “I sincerely hope that its choice will construct significant momentum to garner better consideration and foster renewed curiosity in Korean cinema.”
The choice of No Different Alternative underscores BIFF’s efforts to champion the vibrancy and international attain of up to date Korean filmmaking throughout its landmark thirtieth anniversary version, organizers say. The competition runs Sept. 17–26 within the southern port metropolis of Busan.
No Different Alternative is Park’s first directorial effort since 2022’s Choice to Depart, which gained him the most effective director prize on the Cannes Movie Pageant. Neon has acquired North American distribution rights to the brand new movie. A serious awards season push is predicted from the hit-making distributor after its breakthrough success with Bong Joon-Ho’s Parasite.
