The Sympathizer is a period spy thriller and dark comedy series created by Park Chan-wook and Don McKellar. Based on a 2015 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of the same name by Vietnamese author Viet Thanh Nguyen, the HBO series follows the story of the Captain, a North Vietnam spy planted in the army of South Vietnam but when he is forced to flee to the United States, he keeps gathering information on his community to send it back to the Viet Cong. The Sympathizer stars Hoa Xuande in the lead role with Robert Downey Jr., Toan Le, Fred Nguyen Khan, Duy Nguyễn, Vy Le, Ky Duyen, Kieu Chinh, Alan Trong, and Sandra Oh starring in supporting roles. If you loved the spy thriller and dark comedy aspects of The Sympathizer here are some similar shows you could watch next.
The Americans (Hulu & Rent on Prime Video) Credit – FX
The Americans is a...
The Americans (Hulu & Rent on Prime Video) Credit – FX
The Americans is a...
- 5/21/2024
- by Kulwant Singh
- Cinema Blind
South Korean filmmaker Park Chan-wook is the latest auteur making the migration to television. He previously dabbled in serialized narratives by directing all six episodes of the 2018 BBC spy thriller mini-series "The Little Drummer Girl." Adapting a John Le Carré novel, famous for their intricate plots, for his second English-language work? Park's pulled off that and more.
This year, Park co-created "The Sympathizer," a Vietnam War satire starring Robert Downey Jr. and Hoa Xuande. Adapted from Viet Thanh Nguyen's 2015 novel (and Pulitzer winner), Park also directed the series' first three episodes. Most recently, it's been confirmed that he's producing a TV remake of his most famous film: 2003 revenge thriller "Oldboy."
Park is one of the most internationally known filmmakers from South Korea. The country has a thriving movie industry. (Check out /Film's picks for the best South Korean film directors here.) Before Park took off as a director,...
This year, Park co-created "The Sympathizer," a Vietnam War satire starring Robert Downey Jr. and Hoa Xuande. Adapted from Viet Thanh Nguyen's 2015 novel (and Pulitzer winner), Park also directed the series' first three episodes. Most recently, it's been confirmed that he's producing a TV remake of his most famous film: 2003 revenge thriller "Oldboy."
Park is one of the most internationally known filmmakers from South Korea. The country has a thriving movie industry. (Check out /Film's picks for the best South Korean film directors here.) Before Park took off as a director,...
- 5/18/2024
- by Devin Meenan
- Slash Film
The satirical spy-thriller “The Sympathizer” hopes to make a mark at the Primetime Emmys this year, as HBO/Max has submitted the show for 27 Emmy categories. The hopeful bids from creators Park Chan-wook and Don McKellar include acting recognition for breakout performer Hoa Xuande and superstar Robert Downey Jr., as well as outstanding limited or anthology series.
Based on Viet Thanh Nguyen’s 2015 debut novel, “The Sympathizer” tells the story of “The Captain” (Xuande), a North Vietnamese soldier in the South Vietnamese army who is forced to flee to the United States with his general near the end of the Vietnam War. While living within a community of South Vietnamese refugees, he continues to spy on the community, struggling between his original loyalties and his new life.
Fresh off his Oscar win for supporting actor in “Oppenheimer,” Downey aims to become the first male actor to win an Oscar and...
Based on Viet Thanh Nguyen’s 2015 debut novel, “The Sympathizer” tells the story of “The Captain” (Xuande), a North Vietnamese soldier in the South Vietnamese army who is forced to flee to the United States with his general near the end of the Vietnam War. While living within a community of South Vietnamese refugees, he continues to spy on the community, struggling between his original loyalties and his new life.
Fresh off his Oscar win for supporting actor in “Oppenheimer,” Downey aims to become the first male actor to win an Oscar and...
- 5/14/2024
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
Beef creator Lee Sung Jin says he’s enjoying the opportunities his Emmy-winning Netflix series has brought him — including his latest project: directing a music video for BTS superstar Rm.
Lee collaborated with Rm on “Come Back to Me,” a beautifully shot six-minute music video that feels like a short film. The song, which begins with an acoustic vibe and includes whistle sounds and guitar riffs, was released Friday and is a departure for the BTS member. The song appears on his upcoming sophomore solo album, Right Place, Wrong Person, out May 24.
“It’s so sneakily catchy. I heard it once and then all day long I was humming it to myself. I’m like, ‘Man, that is an earworm. It just gets in there,’” Lee says of the song.
“I was really surprised because it [had] such a different aesthetic and tone and a different side of Rm that I hadn’t seen before,...
Lee collaborated with Rm on “Come Back to Me,” a beautifully shot six-minute music video that feels like a short film. The song, which begins with an acoustic vibe and includes whistle sounds and guitar riffs, was released Friday and is a departure for the BTS member. The song appears on his upcoming sophomore solo album, Right Place, Wrong Person, out May 24.
“It’s so sneakily catchy. I heard it once and then all day long I was humming it to myself. I’m like, ‘Man, that is an earworm. It just gets in there,’” Lee says of the song.
“I was really surprised because it [had] such a different aesthetic and tone and a different side of Rm that I hadn’t seen before,...
- 5/10/2024
- by Mesfin Fekadu
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
X-Men Reboot Reportedly Has Frontrunners for Its Writer Search - Main Image
Marvel Studios is now inching closer to finding a writer who will pen the X-Men reboot according to a new report.
A few months ago, it was reported that Marvel Studios had started searching for a writer who would spearhead the highly-anticipated MCU reboot of X-Men.
Fans have been patiently waiting for new updates regarding the mutant team's official introduction in the MCU and now it looks like they are close to hiring a writer for the coveted job.
Also Read: Marvel Studios Reportedly Eyes Ryan Coogler to Direct X-Men Reboot
Meet the Frontrunners for the X-Men Reboot Writer Search
A recent report revealed that the search for the writer of Marvel Studios' X-Men reboot has narrowed down to two frontrunners.
One of them is Rafe Judkins, the showrunner of the hit Prime Video series The Wheel of Time.
Marvel Studios is now inching closer to finding a writer who will pen the X-Men reboot according to a new report.
A few months ago, it was reported that Marvel Studios had started searching for a writer who would spearhead the highly-anticipated MCU reboot of X-Men.
Fans have been patiently waiting for new updates regarding the mutant team's official introduction in the MCU and now it looks like they are close to hiring a writer for the coveted job.
Also Read: Marvel Studios Reportedly Eyes Ryan Coogler to Direct X-Men Reboot
Meet the Frontrunners for the X-Men Reboot Writer Search
A recent report revealed that the search for the writer of Marvel Studios' X-Men reboot has narrowed down to two frontrunners.
One of them is Rafe Judkins, the showrunner of the hit Prime Video series The Wheel of Time.
- 5/10/2024
- EpicStream
We know that the ‘X-Men’ reboot project has been in talks for quite some time now, and the studio is actively looking for writers. The latest scoops claimed that the studio wants a writer who is good at balancing comedy and drama, but the film shouldn’t be oriented too much toward comedy.
Now Jeff Sneider, notable industry insider and source of plenty of legit rumors and leaks claims that the studio has narrowed down the list of candidates to just two names.
According to his newsletter, the studio is looking to nab either Rafe Judkins or Michael Lesslie to serve as the writers of one of the most exciting upcoming projects.
Rafe is recently most popular for writing and show-running TV adaptation of ‘The Wheel of Time’ but he has plenty of other accolades. Between 2005 and 2022, Rafe was involved in various roles within the entertainment industry. Notable highlights include...
Now Jeff Sneider, notable industry insider and source of plenty of legit rumors and leaks claims that the studio has narrowed down the list of candidates to just two names.
According to his newsletter, the studio is looking to nab either Rafe Judkins or Michael Lesslie to serve as the writers of one of the most exciting upcoming projects.
Rafe is recently most popular for writing and show-running TV adaptation of ‘The Wheel of Time’ but he has plenty of other accolades. Between 2005 and 2022, Rafe was involved in various roles within the entertainment industry. Notable highlights include...
- 5/10/2024
- by Valentina Kraljik
- Comic Basics
The long-discussed ‘X-Men’ reboot has been a topic of ongoing discussion, with the studio actively seeking writers. Recent reports suggest the studio desires a writer adept at blending comedy and drama, albeit without leaning too heavily into comedy.
Notable industry insider Jeff Sneider, known for credible leaks and rumors, now asserts that the studio has narrowed down their list to just two potential candidates.
According to his newsletter, the studio is considering either Rafe Judkins or Michael Lesslie as potential writers for an upcoming project. Rafe gained recent popularity for his work on ‘The Wheel of Time’ TV adaptation, but he has a range of other accomplishments. From 2005 to 2022, he worked in different roles in entertainment, including writing for shows like ‘Chuck’ and ‘Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.’ He also contributed to the screenplay and story for the film ‘Uncharted’ in 2022.
Michael Lesslie’s latest project was ‘Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes.’ In...
Notable industry insider Jeff Sneider, known for credible leaks and rumors, now asserts that the studio has narrowed down their list to just two potential candidates.
According to his newsletter, the studio is considering either Rafe Judkins or Michael Lesslie as potential writers for an upcoming project. Rafe gained recent popularity for his work on ‘The Wheel of Time’ TV adaptation, but he has a range of other accomplishments. From 2005 to 2022, he worked in different roles in entertainment, including writing for shows like ‘Chuck’ and ‘Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.’ He also contributed to the screenplay and story for the film ‘Uncharted’ in 2022.
Michael Lesslie’s latest project was ‘Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes.’ In...
- 5/10/2024
- by Valentina Kraljik
- Fiction Horizon
Following his first foray into television with 2018’s “The Little Drummer Girl,” Korean filmmaker Park Chan-Wook returns to Western television this month with the espionage thriller series “The Sympathizer” on HBO (read our review). And the director is already quickly putting together another project for the small screen, a series adaptation of his 2003 revenge masterpiece “Oldboy.” Variety reports that Chan-Wook is partnering with Lionsgate Television on the adaptation of the English-language series based on his film of the same name.
Continue reading ‘Oldboy’: Park Chan-Wook & Lionsgate TV Team For English-Language Series Remake Of Genre Classic at The Playlist.
Continue reading ‘Oldboy’: Park Chan-Wook & Lionsgate TV Team For English-Language Series Remake Of Genre Classic at The Playlist.
- 4/17/2024
- by Christopher Marc
- The Playlist
Get ready to witness cinema's most stomach-churning twist all over again: "Oldboy" is coming to television. The 2003 Park Chan-Wook masterpiece (which was based on a manga by Garon Tsuchiya) is going to be remade as an English-language TV show, /Film has learned, and Park will be directly involved in crafting this new version.
Park is partnering with Lionsgate Television to develop a series adaptation of the impressively f***ed-up story and will produce the show along with his frequent collaborator Syd Lim. "Lionsgate Television shares my creative vision for bringing 'Oldboy' into the world of television," Park said in a press release. "I look forward to working with a studio whose brand stands for bold, original, and risk-taking storytelling." Past Lionsgate Television productions range from "Mad Men" to "Party Down" to "Yellowjackets," and given the company's wide-ranging list of past streaming and network partners, it's still too soon...
Park is partnering with Lionsgate Television to develop a series adaptation of the impressively f***ed-up story and will produce the show along with his frequent collaborator Syd Lim. "Lionsgate Television shares my creative vision for bringing 'Oldboy' into the world of television," Park said in a press release. "I look forward to working with a studio whose brand stands for bold, original, and risk-taking storytelling." Past Lionsgate Television productions range from "Mad Men" to "Party Down" to "Yellowjackets," and given the company's wide-ranging list of past streaming and network partners, it's still too soon...
- 4/17/2024
- by Valerie Ettenhofer
- Slash Film
Not long after winning an Oscar for Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer, Robert Downey Jr. is starring in perhaps his most challenging project to date: another high-profile one. The Iron Man star, 59, is starring in a new HBO Max series called The Sympathizer, in which, he is playing four antagonist roles combined.
In addition to playing a CIA agent, Downey Jr. portrays a professor, a congressman, and a film director (who was influenced by Francis Ford Coppola). Meanwhile, Hoa Xuande plays The Captain (a Vietnamese spy) in the HBO series, which is based on the critically acclaimed book of a similar title by Viet Thanh Nguyen.
Hoa Xuande and Robert Downey Jr. in The Sympathizer
Behind The Sympathizer is Park Chan-wook, a renowned filmmaker best known for movies like Oldboy, and The Handmaiden. In a recent interview, the South Korean director and former film critic expressed his disappointment and regret at...
In addition to playing a CIA agent, Downey Jr. portrays a professor, a congressman, and a film director (who was influenced by Francis Ford Coppola). Meanwhile, Hoa Xuande plays The Captain (a Vietnamese spy) in the HBO series, which is based on the critically acclaimed book of a similar title by Viet Thanh Nguyen.
Hoa Xuande and Robert Downey Jr. in The Sympathizer
Behind The Sympathizer is Park Chan-wook, a renowned filmmaker best known for movies like Oldboy, and The Handmaiden. In a recent interview, the South Korean director and former film critic expressed his disappointment and regret at...
- 4/16/2024
- by Siddhika Prajapati
- FandomWire
If you felt the instinct to pause, rewind, or repeat part of the premiere to HBO’s “The Sympathizer” on its April 14 premiere, showrunner Park Chan-Wook is one step ahead of you.
The Korean director best known for films like “Oldboy” and “The Handmaiden” and the recent “Decision to Leave” was a critical mind in shaping “The Sympathizer,” based on Viet Thanh Nguyen’s bestseller, which required anticipating how the audience would receive the story. In Episode 1, we meet our unnamed protagonist, The Captain (Hoa Xuande), whose interrogation frames the flashbacks that follow.
The Captain’s confession was one element of adapting Nguyen’s story, Park told IndieWire over Zoom with a translator, but the second piece of that framework was particularly exciting: The Commandant’s (Quinn Hoàng) interruptions.
“Sometimes the commandant might get angry at the captain, or sometimes be criticizing — that is how he engages himself in this storytelling,...
The Korean director best known for films like “Oldboy” and “The Handmaiden” and the recent “Decision to Leave” was a critical mind in shaping “The Sympathizer,” based on Viet Thanh Nguyen’s bestseller, which required anticipating how the audience would receive the story. In Episode 1, we meet our unnamed protagonist, The Captain (Hoa Xuande), whose interrogation frames the flashbacks that follow.
The Captain’s confession was one element of adapting Nguyen’s story, Park told IndieWire over Zoom with a translator, but the second piece of that framework was particularly exciting: The Commandant’s (Quinn Hoàng) interruptions.
“Sometimes the commandant might get angry at the captain, or sometimes be criticizing — that is how he engages himself in this storytelling,...
- 4/15/2024
- by Proma Khosla
- Indiewire
Amazon and the BBC are teaming to revive the Emmy- and BAFTA-winning thriller The Night Manager, eight years after its initial run.
Tom Hiddleston will reprise his role in the show, which scored a two-season order from the BBC and Amazon’s Prime Video streaming platform. Series creator David Farr is also set to return as writer. Hiddleston and Hugh Laurie, who starred in the first season, will also be executive producers.
The Ink Factory (The Little Drummer Girl, The Pigeon Tunnel) is producing The Night Manager in association with Character 7, Demarest Films and 127 Wall. The series is a co-production with Spain’s Nostromo Pictures. Georgi Banks-Davies (I Hate Suzie, Paper Girls) will direct all six episodes of season two.
“The first series of The Night Manager was one of the most creatively fulfilling projects I have ever worked on,” Hiddleston said in a statement. “The depth, range and complexity of Jonathan Pine was,...
Tom Hiddleston will reprise his role in the show, which scored a two-season order from the BBC and Amazon’s Prime Video streaming platform. Series creator David Farr is also set to return as writer. Hiddleston and Hugh Laurie, who starred in the first season, will also be executive producers.
The Ink Factory (The Little Drummer Girl, The Pigeon Tunnel) is producing The Night Manager in association with Character 7, Demarest Films and 127 Wall. The series is a co-production with Spain’s Nostromo Pictures. Georgi Banks-Davies (I Hate Suzie, Paper Girls) will direct all six episodes of season two.
“The first series of The Night Manager was one of the most creatively fulfilling projects I have ever worked on,” Hiddleston said in a statement. “The depth, range and complexity of Jonathan Pine was,...
- 4/11/2024
- by Rick Porter
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
In one of “The Sympathizer’s” lighter scenes, our young half-French, half-Vietnamese protagonist (referred to only as “the Captain”) gets a chance to speak his mind — and, for once, he takes it. The university where he’s just started working is hosting a reception for the Oriental Studies Department, and after being trotted out like a party trick by his kimono-clad college professor, the Captain (Hoa Xuande) finds brief respite with the only other attendee of Asian descent. Sophia (Sandra Oh), a blunt-speaking American mocked by the professor for showing so little interest in her Japanese heritage, kindly offers the Captain an appetizer. He refuses, but in explaining why, he also lets slip one of his few spoken truths:
“I believe the world would be a better place if we blushed at the word ‘murder’ as much as we did the word ‘masturbation,'” the Captain says.
How he gets...
“I believe the world would be a better place if we blushed at the word ‘murder’ as much as we did the word ‘masturbation,'” the Captain says.
How he gets...
- 4/10/2024
- by Ben Travers
- Indiewire
“Quiet on Set” Docuseries to Launch New Episode
The gripping Investigation Discovery docuseries “Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV” will release one more episode next month.
The recent four-episode unscripted series details the toxic culture behind some of the most iconic children’s shows of the late 1990s and early 2000s at Nickelodeon, including “The Amanda Show” and “Drake & Josh,” and at the hands of TV producer Dan Schneider.
The surprise fifth episode will reportedly feature new interviews with earlier subjects, including Drake Bell and “All That” cast members Giovonnie Samuels, to build off the revelations from the first four episodes. The episode will also feature new interviewee and “All That” cast member Shane Lyons, who will be interviewed by journalist Soledad O’Brien for a discussion about where the industry can next.
Watch the trailer for “Quiet on Set” below:
According to ID, the first four...
The gripping Investigation Discovery docuseries “Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV” will release one more episode next month.
The recent four-episode unscripted series details the toxic culture behind some of the most iconic children’s shows of the late 1990s and early 2000s at Nickelodeon, including “The Amanda Show” and “Drake & Josh,” and at the hands of TV producer Dan Schneider.
The surprise fifth episode will reportedly feature new interviews with earlier subjects, including Drake Bell and “All That” cast members Giovonnie Samuels, to build off the revelations from the first four episodes. The episode will also feature new interviewee and “All That” cast member Shane Lyons, who will be interviewed by journalist Soledad O’Brien for a discussion about where the industry can next.
Watch the trailer for “Quiet on Set” below:
According to ID, the first four...
- 3/29/2024
- by Ashley Steves
- The Streamable
It’s already been a banner 2024 for HBO and Max, with “True Detective: Night Country,” “Tokyo Vice” Season 2, and “The Regime” all scoring high with critics and audiences. So what’s the next hotly anticipated title for HBO to debut? That’d be “The Sympathizer,” Park Chan-wook‘s first TV project since 2018’s “The Little Drummer Girl.”
Read More: The 70 Most Anticipated TV Shows & Mini-Series Of 2024
A team-up between the man who made “Decision To Leave” and the world’s premiere TV network?
Continue reading ‘The Sympathizer’ Trailer: Park Chan-Wook’s Limited Series Premieres On Max On April 14 at The Playlist.
Read More: The 70 Most Anticipated TV Shows & Mini-Series Of 2024
A team-up between the man who made “Decision To Leave” and the world’s premiere TV network?
Continue reading ‘The Sympathizer’ Trailer: Park Chan-Wook’s Limited Series Premieres On Max On April 14 at The Playlist.
- 3/28/2024
- by Ned Booth
- The Playlist
War, spy games, political intrigue, social commentary, and plenty of 1970s style -- all wrapped up into one exciting limited series.
In July 2021, HBO announced it had ordered The Sympathizer as a series, with Park Chan-wook and Don McKellar signed on as co-showrunners.
The Sympathizer is based on Viet Thanh Nguyen's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel about a communist spy during the Vietnam War and his eventual life in the United States.
In 2021, Nguyen announced his novel was optioned by production studio A24. Robert Downey Jr. soon joined as a producer and costar.
The Sympathizer will be executive produced and directed by filmmaker Park Chan-wook, who also worked on Snowpiercer, Oldboy, and The Little Drummer Girl.
Other directors for the show include Brazilian director Fernando Meirelles, known for City of God, and English director Marc Munden, known for Utopia and National Treasure.
Notable writers for The Sympathizer include Mark Richard (The Man in the High Castle...
In July 2021, HBO announced it had ordered The Sympathizer as a series, with Park Chan-wook and Don McKellar signed on as co-showrunners.
The Sympathizer is based on Viet Thanh Nguyen's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel about a communist spy during the Vietnam War and his eventual life in the United States.
In 2021, Nguyen announced his novel was optioned by production studio A24. Robert Downey Jr. soon joined as a producer and costar.
The Sympathizer will be executive produced and directed by filmmaker Park Chan-wook, who also worked on Snowpiercer, Oldboy, and The Little Drummer Girl.
Other directors for the show include Brazilian director Fernando Meirelles, known for City of God, and English director Marc Munden, known for Utopia and National Treasure.
Notable writers for The Sympathizer include Mark Richard (The Man in the High Castle...
- 3/8/2024
- by Shela Ward
- TVfanatic
Exclusive: The Harry Potter television series is moving closer to fruition.
In April, Warner Bros. Discovery revealed that a series, based on the classic wizarding world, would be coming to its streaming service Max.
Deadline understands that things in Potterworld are now heating up with a marathon of pitches underway from writers vying for the right to adapt J.K. Rowling’s seven books.
Martha Hillier, Kathleen Jordan, Tom Moran and Michael Lesslie are among those who are presenting their visions to the streaming service and Warner Bros Television, sources said. It’s an interesting mix of Brits and Americans. We’ve heard that the group of writers were commissioned by Max to create pitches for a series reflecting their take on the IP.
We hear the first round of pitch meetings happened in Los Angeles this week and sources said that the top choices will go on to the next round in the UK.
In April, Warner Bros. Discovery revealed that a series, based on the classic wizarding world, would be coming to its streaming service Max.
Deadline understands that things in Potterworld are now heating up with a marathon of pitches underway from writers vying for the right to adapt J.K. Rowling’s seven books.
Martha Hillier, Kathleen Jordan, Tom Moran and Michael Lesslie are among those who are presenting their visions to the streaming service and Warner Bros Television, sources said. It’s an interesting mix of Brits and Americans. We’ve heard that the group of writers were commissioned by Max to create pitches for a series reflecting their take on the IP.
We hear the first round of pitch meetings happened in Los Angeles this week and sources said that the top choices will go on to the next round in the UK.
- 1/19/2024
- by Peter White, Nellie Andreeva and Rosy Cordero
- Deadline Film + TV
John le Carré’s famous spy character George Smiley hasn’t retired quite yet. Nick Harkaway, le Carré’s son, is writing a new Smiley novel that will publish globally in fall 2024.
Smiley was known for his depiction as the archetypal British secret agent of the 20th century through novels such as The Spy Who Came in From the Cold, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy and Smiley’s People. From his debut in 1961 to his most recent outing in 2017, Smiley novels have sold more than 30 million copies across formats.
The book will explore the decade of Smiley’s life in between the final scenes of The Spy Who Came in From the Cold and the start of Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. The polite and self-deprecating character works for the shadowy British intelligence agency ‘The Circus’ and is considered a foil to the showier James Bond.
Penguin Random House’s label Viking will publish the new,...
Smiley was known for his depiction as the archetypal British secret agent of the 20th century through novels such as The Spy Who Came in From the Cold, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy and Smiley’s People. From his debut in 1961 to his most recent outing in 2017, Smiley novels have sold more than 30 million copies across formats.
The book will explore the decade of Smiley’s life in between the final scenes of The Spy Who Came in From the Cold and the start of Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. The polite and self-deprecating character works for the shadowy British intelligence agency ‘The Circus’ and is considered a foil to the showier James Bond.
Penguin Random House’s label Viking will publish the new,...
- 11/10/2023
- by Jesse Whittock
- Deadline Film + TV
Red Arrow International and leading Spanish indie producer-distributor Vértice360 have taken a co-production stake in real-life inspired series project “Lucio’s Treasure,” set up at Barcelona-based Friki Films.
Also handling international sales rights, Red Arrow co-produces the project. An English-language shoot is scheduled by 2025.
The project has been selected to feature at the next edition of Mia’s drama co-production market and pitching forum, which takes place in Rome Oct. 9-13.
The six-episode, one-hour drama, created by brothers Hugo and Roger Menduiña, is produced by Friki’s CEO Ana Manresa and Alberto Rull, Vertice EVP production and content.
The U.K.’s Anthony Alleyne (“Sunburn”) has joined the series as co-creator, writer and executive co-producer.
“This is an ambitious series, both creatively and in terms of budget. We are building a world-class co-production with an international cast and creative team with great appeal for global audiences,” Rull told Variety.
“Our...
Also handling international sales rights, Red Arrow co-produces the project. An English-language shoot is scheduled by 2025.
The project has been selected to feature at the next edition of Mia’s drama co-production market and pitching forum, which takes place in Rome Oct. 9-13.
The six-episode, one-hour drama, created by brothers Hugo and Roger Menduiña, is produced by Friki’s CEO Ana Manresa and Alberto Rull, Vertice EVP production and content.
The U.K.’s Anthony Alleyne (“Sunburn”) has joined the series as co-creator, writer and executive co-producer.
“This is an ambitious series, both creatively and in terms of budget. We are building a world-class co-production with an international cast and creative team with great appeal for global audiences,” Rull told Variety.
“Our...
- 9/22/2023
- by Emiliano De Pablos
- Variety Film + TV
"When I was in MI6, it wasn't enough for me - so what I did is reinvent the secret world and fill my own people with it." Very intriguing... Apple TV has unveiled the main official trailer for The Pigeon Tunnel, the latest documentary film made by the one-and-only Errol Morris. This will be premiering at the 2023 Telluride Film Festival this weekend, with stops at the Toronto and New York Film Festivals this fall before it's out for streaming on Apple TV+ in October. The doc spans six decades as the iconic British author John le Carré gives his final and most personal interview, interrupted with rare archival footage and other dramatic anecdotes. It is set against the stormy Cold War backdrop that extends into the present day. Le Carré passed away in 2020 at the age of 89. His novels which have been adapted for film or TV include The Looking Glass War...
- 8/30/2023
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Keeping it in the family is very much a Hollywood tradition at this point, and in the 21st century acting families are still thriving. Whether it be Cuba Gooding Jr.’s son Mason joining the cast of the last two Scream movies, Lily-Rose Depp leading The Idol, Maya Hawke becoming a fan favorite in Stranger Things, or Ethan Peck (grandson of Gregory) roaming the bridge of the Enterprise in Star Trek, there’s always a new generation of nepo babies lurching from crib to screen.
But one man is overwhelmingly leading the pack in terms of famous male offspring these days. A man who could conceivably consider the Kardashians his Warios. And that’s Stellan Skarsgård.
A Swedish gentleman well into his 70s with an effortlessly friendly demeanour and a soothingly craggy face, Skarsgård now has eight children, and it’s a solid bet that if you see the name...
But one man is overwhelmingly leading the pack in terms of famous male offspring these days. A man who could conceivably consider the Kardashians his Warios. And that’s Stellan Skarsgård.
A Swedish gentleman well into his 70s with an effortlessly friendly demeanour and a soothingly craggy face, Skarsgård now has eight children, and it’s a solid bet that if you see the name...
- 8/9/2023
- by Kirsten Howard
- Den of Geek
Exclusive: A24 has quietly added another experienced exec to its steadily growing London office.
Former Film4 and The Ink Factory production boss Tracey Josephs, whose past credits list includes Slumdog Millionaire, 12 Years A Slave and Fighting with my Family, joined as Head of UK Production several months ago. She had previously been freelancing with the Piers Wenger and Rose Garnett-led outfit.
Josephs is overseeing the production and management of TV series, films and documentaries from the Everything Everywhere and Euphoria maker’s London hub, which opened just over a year ago, helmed by the former BBC Drama and Film bosses.
Tracey Josephs
Josephs spent four years as Head of Production at The Night Manager producer The Ink Factory, where she was EP on Stephen Merchant’s Florence Pugh-starrer Fighting with my Family and also worked across the BBC/AMC’s The Little Drummer Girl. She left The Ink Factory...
Former Film4 and The Ink Factory production boss Tracey Josephs, whose past credits list includes Slumdog Millionaire, 12 Years A Slave and Fighting with my Family, joined as Head of UK Production several months ago. She had previously been freelancing with the Piers Wenger and Rose Garnett-led outfit.
Josephs is overseeing the production and management of TV series, films and documentaries from the Everything Everywhere and Euphoria maker’s London hub, which opened just over a year ago, helmed by the former BBC Drama and Film bosses.
Tracey Josephs
Josephs spent four years as Head of Production at The Night Manager producer The Ink Factory, where she was EP on Stephen Merchant’s Florence Pugh-starrer Fighting with my Family and also worked across the BBC/AMC’s The Little Drummer Girl. She left The Ink Factory...
- 7/18/2023
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
Germany’s Amusement Park, producers of the four-time Oscar winner All Quiet on the Western Front and Emmy-award winners The Ink Factory (The Night Manager, The Little Drummer Girl) are joining forces to adapt Nino Haratischvili’s international best-seller The Eighth Life as a television series.
The Eighth Life follows the epic and mythic saga of a Georgian family from 1900 to the beginning of the 21st century, following the rise and fall of the Soviet Union and the journey of generations from ancient, mountainous cave cities through the turbulent streets of Tbilisi and revolutionary Prague to 1960s Soho and modern-day Berlin.
Sarah Lambert, who adapted Marele Day’s Lambs of God as an Australian limited series in 2019 for Lingo Pictures and Foxtel, and whose adaptation The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart, based on the book by Holly Ringland and starring Sigourney Weaver and Asher Keddie, is set to hit screens courtesy of Amazon Studios,...
The Eighth Life follows the epic and mythic saga of a Georgian family from 1900 to the beginning of the 21st century, following the rise and fall of the Soviet Union and the journey of generations from ancient, mountainous cave cities through the turbulent streets of Tbilisi and revolutionary Prague to 1960s Soho and modern-day Berlin.
Sarah Lambert, who adapted Marele Day’s Lambs of God as an Australian limited series in 2019 for Lingo Pictures and Foxtel, and whose adaptation The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart, based on the book by Holly Ringland and starring Sigourney Weaver and Asher Keddie, is set to hit screens courtesy of Amazon Studios,...
- 7/11/2023
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
So, we’ve had the perennial discussion about which actor could or should be the next James Bond but what about the man behind the camera? Strangely, the conversation around which director should helm a Bond movie doesn’t seem to take off quite as much — but it certainly deserves to. With that in mind, here are 10 directors we’d love to see take charge of the next James Bond movie.
Christopher Nolan
The fans’ number one choice. Nolan’s movies are always events — from “The Dark Knight” all the way up to “Tenet” and the upcoming “Oppenheimer,” Nolan is one of the best technical directors around and he is an expert of melding exquisite action set-pieces into the most intriguing narrative stories. Several of his movies already evoke a sense of Bond, including his Batman trilogy, “Inception,” and “Tenet.” Nolan and Bond would be a marriage made in heaven.
Christopher Nolan
The fans’ number one choice. Nolan’s movies are always events — from “The Dark Knight” all the way up to “Tenet” and the upcoming “Oppenheimer,” Nolan is one of the best technical directors around and he is an expert of melding exquisite action set-pieces into the most intriguing narrative stories. Several of his movies already evoke a sense of Bond, including his Batman trilogy, “Inception,” and “Tenet.” Nolan and Bond would be a marriage made in heaven.
- 4/28/2023
- by Jacob Sarkisian
- Gold Derby
South Korean auteur Park Chan-wook returned to theaters last year with “Decision To Leave.” And by all accounts, it’s another masterwork from him, and one of the best films of 2022. Now Park returns to TV for the first time since 2018’s “The Little Drummer Girl” with “The Sympathizer,” set for an exclusive release on Max in 2024.
Read More: ‘The Regime’ Teaser Trailer: Kate Winslet Stars In Stephen Frears’ New HBO Drama Coming In 2024
Based on Vieth Thanh Nguyen‘s Pulitzer Prize-winning 2015 novel of the same name, “The Sympathizer” follows a half-French, half-Vietnamese communist spy in the last days of the Vietnam War and his subsequent exile to the United States.
Continue reading ‘The Sympathizer’ Teaser: Park Chan-wook Teams Up With HBO, A24 & Robert Downey Jr. For His Latest Limited Series at The Playlist.
Read More: ‘The Regime’ Teaser Trailer: Kate Winslet Stars In Stephen Frears’ New HBO Drama Coming In 2024
Based on Vieth Thanh Nguyen‘s Pulitzer Prize-winning 2015 novel of the same name, “The Sympathizer” follows a half-French, half-Vietnamese communist spy in the last days of the Vietnam War and his subsequent exile to the United States.
Continue reading ‘The Sympathizer’ Teaser: Park Chan-wook Teams Up With HBO, A24 & Robert Downey Jr. For His Latest Limited Series at The Playlist.
- 4/12/2023
- by Ned Booth
- The Playlist
Ready to sympathize with “The Sympathizer,” the miniseries adaptation of the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Viet Thanh Nguyen starring Hoa Xuande and Robert Downey, Jr.? Well, the first trailer for the series from Park Chan-wook and A24 is here. And it’s a doozy. Watch it above.
HBO described the series as “an espionage thriller and cross-culture satire about the struggles of a half-French, half-Vietnamese Communist spy during the final days of the Vietnam War and his resulting exile in the United States.” The show also stars Fred Nguyen, Toan Le, Duy Nguyễn, Vy Le and Alan Trong, with Sandra Oh, Kieu Chinh, Nguyen Cao Ky Duyen and Robert Downey, Jr. in several roles. And it looks wild. HBO head Casey Bloys highlighted the series at an event Wednesday unveiling the new Max streaming service from Warner Bros. Discovery.
The series comes from Park Chan-wook, who serves as co-showrunner, executive producer,...
HBO described the series as “an espionage thriller and cross-culture satire about the struggles of a half-French, half-Vietnamese Communist spy during the final days of the Vietnam War and his resulting exile in the United States.” The show also stars Fred Nguyen, Toan Le, Duy Nguyễn, Vy Le and Alan Trong, with Sandra Oh, Kieu Chinh, Nguyen Cao Ky Duyen and Robert Downey, Jr. in several roles. And it looks wild. HBO head Casey Bloys highlighted the series at an event Wednesday unveiling the new Max streaming service from Warner Bros. Discovery.
The series comes from Park Chan-wook, who serves as co-showrunner, executive producer,...
- 4/12/2023
- by Drew Taylor
- The Wrap
There's something liberating about watching an actor who's spent years working almost exclusively on a single major franchise take advantage of all the clout they've amassed to go off and tackle whatever wild role or bizarre project strikes their fancy. (Call it pulling a Daniel Radcliffe.) It seems Robert Downey Jr. was similarly eager to get his weird on after bidding adieu to the Marvel Cinematic Universe with 2019's "Avengers: Endgame." His first post-"Endgame" film, "Dolittle," was more ill-conceived than inspired, but after more than a decade of shooting countless heads-up display (Hud) shots and acting against green screens, perhaps Downey just needed to let off some steam by extracting a pair of bagpipes from a dragon's nether regions.
Be that the case or not, he's since worked on Chris Smith's acclaimed documentary about Downey's father, "Sr.," snagged a key role in Christopher Nolan's much-hyped historical drama "Oppenheimer,...
Be that the case or not, he's since worked on Chris Smith's acclaimed documentary about Downey's father, "Sr.," snagged a key role in Christopher Nolan's much-hyped historical drama "Oppenheimer,...
- 1/20/2023
- by Sandy Schaefer
- Slash Film
Park Chan-wook is currently in production on the post-Vietnam War drama series The Sympathizer for HBO and A24, but with a weekend off, the Decision to Leave helmer made a decision to enter Saturday’s BAFTA Tea Party in Beverly Hills.
Before he ducked into the ballroom, Park took a moment to speak to The Hollywood Reporter on the red carpet, where he shared a little about what it’s like to not only direct Robert Downey Jr. in the adaptation of the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Viet Thanh Nguyen but to watch the way he moves about the set.
“First of all, he is very delightful and pleasant character, with a personality that really lights up the entire set and makes everyone happy to be there and having such an enjoyable experience,” Park relayed through a translator. “He remembers every single crew member and all the background actors. He...
Before he ducked into the ballroom, Park took a moment to speak to The Hollywood Reporter on the red carpet, where he shared a little about what it’s like to not only direct Robert Downey Jr. in the adaptation of the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Viet Thanh Nguyen but to watch the way he moves about the set.
“First of all, he is very delightful and pleasant character, with a personality that really lights up the entire set and makes everyone happy to be there and having such an enjoyable experience,” Park relayed through a translator. “He remembers every single crew member and all the background actors. He...
- 1/16/2023
- by Chris Gardner
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Park Chan-wook is revealing what fans can expect from the upcoming series “The Sympathizer.”
Set at HBO from A24, Park confirmed that Robert Downey Jr. will have a sizable role in the show alongside Sandra Oh.
“Overall, it’s a seven-episode series, and it’s set in 1975, immediately after the Vietnam War,” Park told IndieWire at the 2023 Golden Globes red carpet. “The story covers Vietnamese refugees who have migrated to L.A. and the stories surrounding that environment. Because of the context, casting revolves around having a lot of diversity, especially a heavy presence of Vietnamese and Vietnamese Americans.”
“The Sympathizer” is based on Viet Tanh Nguyen’s 2016 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of the same name. Park is confirmed to be helming three out of the seven episodes in the limited series.
The official synopsis teased that the show will center on a mole from North Vietnam embedded in the South...
Set at HBO from A24, Park confirmed that Robert Downey Jr. will have a sizable role in the show alongside Sandra Oh.
“Overall, it’s a seven-episode series, and it’s set in 1975, immediately after the Vietnam War,” Park told IndieWire at the 2023 Golden Globes red carpet. “The story covers Vietnamese refugees who have migrated to L.A. and the stories surrounding that environment. Because of the context, casting revolves around having a lot of diversity, especially a heavy presence of Vietnamese and Vietnamese Americans.”
“The Sympathizer” is based on Viet Tanh Nguyen’s 2016 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of the same name. Park is confirmed to be helming three out of the seven episodes in the limited series.
The official synopsis teased that the show will center on a mole from North Vietnam embedded in the South...
- 1/11/2023
- by Samantha Bergeson and Vincent Perella
- Indiewire
South Korea’s Oscar© 2023 Entry for Best International Feature: ‘Decision to Leave’ by Park Chan-wookSure to be on the top of many people’s list as one of the best films of the year (including my own along with ‘Eo’), at the very least it should be nominated for for best international feature Oscar. This melodrama keeps you in the tense suspense of ‘Double Indemnity’, ‘The Postman Rings Twice’ or ‘Gaslight’.
From a mountain peak in South Korea, a man plummets to his death. Did he jump, or was he pushed? When detective Hae-joon (Park Hae-il) arrives on the scene, he begins to suspect the dead man’s wife Seo-rae (Tang Wei). As he digs deeper into the investigation, he finds himself trapped in a web of deception and desire. By falling in love with her, he commits worst crime he could commit as a police officer.
writer Jeong Seo-kyeong
Decision to Leave is co-written by Jeong Seo-kyeong with the director Park Chan-wook. It is shot in and around Busan. The romantic thriller premiered at this year’s Cannes Film Festival and is being released in select U.S. theaters by Mubi.
During the Hammer Museum- Moma Contender Series, the screenwriter Jeong Seo-kyeong spoke about her many collaboration with Park Chan-took.You can watch the 32 minute conversation here with film critic Katie Walsh. Or read below for the written version, slightly edited and abridged.
The music itself is exceptional. I wanted to go out immediately and buy it and could not stop singing it as I drove home from the movie. The original music was composed by his long time collaborator Cho Young-wuk (Oldboy, The Handmaiden, The Little Drummer Girl, Lady Vengeance, Thirst). The soundtrack is available to stream/download in most international markets and on Spotify. Watch the offical music video here for the theme song “Fog” or “Mist” (안개)” by Jung Hoon Hee(정훈희) & Song Chang Sick(송창식). Record label: Bertelsmann Music Group. Awards: Blue Dragon Film Award for Best Music, Grand Bell Award for Best Music, Korean Film Awards for Best Music.
Aside from the original mustic there is the recurring fourth movement of Mahler’s 5th Symphony thoughout the film. When asked her about the use of music this is what she answered.
When we were writing the script, the Mahler’s Fifth was actually the first score that we thought of. I needed a song that goes with someone in that lone space high up on the mountain, a music that speaks to how he feels separated from the rest of the world. That’s why I chose two songs by Mahler. And when Director Park saw the first draft, he called me up and he said, “Oh, it’s all good, but why did you have to use Mahler? Did you not watch Death in Venice? That song was perfectly used there already, so why would we have to use it again?”
But I never saw Death in Venice.
So he said, “Okay, I’ll try to work it out on my own.” And I think he did try his best to find something else, but he had to return to Mahler.
Have you seen Tar? They also use Mahler. No.
She conducts Mahler’s Fifth in Tar. So it’s a theme this year.
To return to her writing, Katie Walsh and Jeong Seo-kyeong’s conversation is below.
You started working with Director Park in 2005 with Lady Vengeance. So I’m so curious how you two connected and started working together on that film.
There was a short film competition and he was a jury member and he selected the film. And that’s how we got to know each other. From what I remember, the script of the short film was very weird and I think that’s exactly what he liked about it. So he said, I’ve got this idea. I’m working on this this vengeance trilogy and I want your sensibility on this.
At that point, just when we were about to start working together, he had just won the Grand Jury Prize at Cannes [for Oldboy] and he became a worldwide director.
I thought to myself, wow, I’m going to be working with such a worldwide famous director. I was very stunned by that and he was busy at the time, so I had to start on the screenplay on my own at first.
He was on his promotional tour for the film and I was working on the first draft of the screenplay by myself. And from what I remember, it was a pathetic first draft.
But he was not taken aback by the draft at all. And instead he calmly said, “okay, let’s start revising it together”.
In Korea, there’s a method of working in which we share one hotel room and we stay there and work together for days. So the crew members were sitting around this large table in this hotel room. There are two monitors, two keyboards and one hard drive. And we were working together. When one person is writing, the other person can see it on the screen. Next to that table was a long couch where all the other crew members were sitting. It almost felt like writing that screenplay was a game of table tennis.
So he writes and then I write. I would see something that I ddin’t like and I would revise it. He would see something he didn’t like and he would revise it. So we would go back and forth like that. Instead of sharing conversations by mouth, we were seeing what was happening on the screen and that’s how we talked about the story.
At that time I was a first time writer and I was working on my first screenplay. So I really had to give it all my best to catch up with him. It really was an unfair game, if I may say. Whenever we would ask people which they liked better, they would always be on the director’s side.
But 20 years later, today, the crew member actually take my side more now.
So you still work like this?
No. Oh. After Thirst, I had my first child. And while we were working on Stoker I had my second child close. That’s why I couldn’t make a lot of time. And that’s why we can’t spend that much time together anymore.
So now I write the first draft of the screenplay and we revise it for three or four days or up to a week. Then he writes the final draft after a discussion with the crew members and the actors and myself.
Wow. That’s remarkable. I was going to ask how you guys work together, what you’re working process was like. So I’m I’m thrilled that it just came up naturally. And that is such a trial by fire. I mean, I’m sure that was like film school being in that hotel room, having to write against Park Chan-wook in a competitive manner.
I actually majored in screenwriting at school, but after graduation, I realized I actually don’t know anything about screenwriting. Like, really, like, genuinely. I was learning screenwriting from director Park Film School and I’m still learning today.
Park Chan-wook
And I’m sure director Park feels the same way.
Yeah. Yeah. So Decision to Leave is an original script.
You’ve worked on some adaptations before, but what was the spark of idea for this screenplay?
Director Park, while working on Little Drummer Girl in London, sent me an email. He suggested, “What about a story about a detective? And in his area, there are two husbands who are murdered by his wife.”
His idea at the time actually reminded me a lot of Thirst… a murder caused by adultery.
I told him, “I don’t think we can work on this one. First of all, neither of us can write a melodrama. But even more, I really can’t write a story about adultery.”
But Director Park answered, “What do you mean? I’m great at writing this stuff.”
I told him no. I don’t think we can work like this. So we had an argument about that, actually. During that argument, I realized I was already developing the characters for this story. And I found myself with a finished synopsis for the film. That’s how the film came to be.
It sounds like there’s some creative energy in the conflict or in the argument. Can you talk a little bit about that and how you’re sort of working against each other and then it’s generating ideas for you.
For this film and it’s so for most of the films that we work together on, I relate a lot to the female characters and director Park tends to relate to the male characters. And the reason I didn’t want to work on a melodrama is because I had a terrible memory from Thirst. I did not like the ending of Thirst. Why did the female character have to die when she did not want to. It would have been nice if she lived on as a vampire. So when the film was over I think I felt just like Tae-ju. She’s like, “I don’t want to die but since I love him, I guess there’s no other choice”. So I thought to myself, “Well, I don’t want it to be that way, but I guess I have no other choice.”
For Decision to Leave, I do like the ending but I did have to ask the question why the female character had to die. I had a lot of frustrations regarding that. Why Seo-rae seem to like Hae-jun more than he likes her. Why does Hae-jun seem like he can’t give up on his wife or Seo-rae.
Seo-rae says, “The moment you said you loved me, your love is over. The moment your love ends, my love begins.”
And Seo-rae has to give up give up her whole life for Hae-jun. But Hae-jun only gives up on his self-esteem.
But watching the finished film, I was struck with a realization that for some people, giving up on one’s self-esteem is the same as giving up one’s life.
There was some conflict while we were writing the film, but watching the finished film, I think I understood and connected with the overall ending.
I’m also curious about the casting of Tang Wei, who’s a Chinese actress, obviously living in Korea. And did you write the character of Seo-rae for Tang Wei or was it? Did you change that character to be Chinese once you knew she was going to be in the film?
I told director Park I didn’t want to write a melodrama because I was not confident I would do a good job. One exception was, that if the female character were played by Tang Wei, then I would write it. Because I was in love with Tang Wei.
That’s a good answer. Makes sense. I understand.
And that’s why the female character turned out to- turned out to be a Chinese person.
Well, she’s fabulous in the film. So we thank you for your instincts, for being in love with her.
One of the things I love about this film is the use of technology. It feels so honest as to how we use technology in our everyday lives, how we’re always texting and the way the characters communicate through technology. But also it becomes part of the mystery and how he solves the mystery and then also how he’s sort of driven mad at the end. So when you’re writing with director Park, how are you incorporating how the characters are using technology into the writing process? He makes it so cinematic, but I know that you must be putting that into the script as well.
If you consider authors like Agatha Christie at the time when she was writing her crime novel and compare them to those who are writing crime novels today, we have so much technology. Phones are always filming and are recording evidence. There’s not a lot that we can work with because anyone can take photos and have voice recordings and there are always CCTV cameras everywhere.
So I realized it’s impossible to have that romanticist classical crime story. Instead we must actively incorporate the use of modern technology. When Director Park first received a draft of the script. He asked me, “Why are there so many scenes with cell phones? I’ve never seen so many cell phones in a movie except in Searching.”
Director Park initially did not want to film any scenes with cell phones. But later he gave up on giving up on those cell phone scenes and instead filmed from the point of view of a cell phone. That is actually a very innovative, creative take on that. But I do feel that people took that in very well because we often feel that phones are looking at us.
As for me as a writer, the use of Apple Watches actually gave me a lot of creative freedom because it’s difficult to have scenes to incorporate the protagonist in a voiceover out of nowhere. But with the Apple Watch and the recording, it made that so much easier.
You have worked across so many genres with Director Park, vampire, vengeance, melodrama. The Handmaiden is a historical drama, romance. It’s an adaptation. Do you think there’s a consistent theme or tone that you and Director Park always come back to that spans your body of work?
The thing is, Director Park and I actually don’t agree on the themes most of the time. For instance, for Lady Vengeance, the theme was vengeance. But I don’t quite understand why people are so obsessed with vengeance.
So I actually called my friend and asked, “Why do people have to take revenge on each other instead of striving for peace?”
As for Thirst, the theme was guilt or salvation. But the thing is, I don’t feel a lot of guilt in my life. As long as I don’t do anything bad, there is no need for guit or salvation. That’s what I think.
If I were a vampire, I would think to myself, “Oh, this is how the mankind is going to evolve. So I should find a new method of life”.
So in those ways I don’t think the themes quite worked with me, but as we were working together, I didn’t realize we were working toward one common theme. I think it has to do with respect or the dignity of mankind.
In all of these different genres, the protagonists tend to be thrown into very extreme situations. And yet even in these extreme situations, these protagonists try not to lose their sense of dignity. I think when Hae-jun was talking about how Seo-rae had such upright posture, I think it really spoke to her sense of dignity.
That is a common theme throughout films like I’m a Cyborg But That’s Okayor The Handmaiden.
I was wondering, did you ever come up with that alternative finale or like, did you suggest an alternative finale?
The ending is actually something that makes logical sense. This is a story that begins very high up and then ends very low. We start on the mountain and close on the ocean. So conclusively it makes logical sense that it would end up with someone digging a hole.
I actually tend to think that an ending in which a woman dies for love is quite unnatural. But if a man dies, that’s a little more natural. But despite those personal frustrations, I cannot think of any other ending that would work better.
Director Park seems to write a lot of stories featuring female protagonists. What are the difficulties you face when you’re writing about a female protagonist while you’re working with a male director?
It is very easy. I’ve actually written a story in which it only features male protagonists. It’s called Believer. That story is filled with male characters. And I had such a hard time, I thought I was going to die.
I think one of the most difficult parts of being a writer is if a female writer is trying to write a good male character, and when a male writer is trying to write a good female character.
But despite all those difficulties, Director Park actually portrays the female characters very well. He writes characters in such a way that they don’t have to sacrifice their femininity in order to walk their path of life.
Over 20 years of working together, our collaboration has evolved so much that it’s actually difficult to tell which line is written by me and which line is written by Director Park.
In the movie The Handmaiden, one of the most feminine looking lines, was actually written by Director Park. I’m not sure if I’m allowed to say that line out loud.
It’s a line by the character Sook-hee and she says, “If I could have milk from my breasts, I wish I could feed you, my lady.”
Can you imagine that?
Well, his female characters are so strong, I’m sure that is your influence, of course, in your writing, but also, in just the working relationship that he has with you.
I wish I could also have developed writing better male characters, but I think I’m a little behind if we have to make a comparison.
Keep writing women, we like it.
I wanted to ask about Seo-Rae’s mother-daughter relationship because I felt like that was such a pivotal moment in the story.
The relationship between Seo-rae and her mother was actually described in more lengthy terms. Because I think the entire story started the moment Seo-rae killed her mother. There is nothing more serious. She doesn’t commit a more serious crime than killing the mother that she loves so much.
So I think in some ways, Seo-rae has already died the moment she had to go through that.
I think she has taken a journey with her mother and her grandfather to the mountain that her mother said belonged to her, and then she starts her journey down. After she has placed the ashes of her mother and her grandfather at that mountain, she starts her own journey towards death down from the mountain. Because I think every animal, including mankind, wants to find death where they were born.
So that is why Seo-rae believed that her mother wanted to be buried in the mountains and Seo-rae goes towards the ocean because she belongs to the ocean.
I think the only way she might have found salvation from her ordeal could have been to leave and go somewhere else with Hae-jun, but that didn’t happen, so inevitably she had to go to the ocean.
And all of that began with the death of Seo-rae’s mother.
Well, thank you all so much for being here. Thank you so much. Thank you, Jiwon. Thank you, Chung Seo-kyung. And thank you for watching this film and talking to us about it.
The film’s producer, CJEnt is also the international sales agent as well as the So. Korean distributor of the film. Internationally it has licensed the film to Mubi for USA, UK, Ireland, France, Germany, Latin America, Turkey, India, and Airlines and to Arna Media and Vesta for Russia, Bac Films for France, Cinobo for Greece, Cinéart for Benelux, Golden Village Pictures for Singapore, Happinet Phantom Studios for Japan, Lucky Red for Italy, Madman Entertainment for Australia and New Zealand, Movie Cloud for Taiwan, NonStop Entertainment for Scandinavia, Plaion Pictures for Germany, Purple Plan (2022) (Brunei, Malaysia and Singapore, The Filmbridge for Mongolia, Alambique Filmes for Portugal, Avalon for Spain
MoviesOscarsSouth KoreaThriller...
From a mountain peak in South Korea, a man plummets to his death. Did he jump, or was he pushed? When detective Hae-joon (Park Hae-il) arrives on the scene, he begins to suspect the dead man’s wife Seo-rae (Tang Wei). As he digs deeper into the investigation, he finds himself trapped in a web of deception and desire. By falling in love with her, he commits worst crime he could commit as a police officer.
writer Jeong Seo-kyeong
Decision to Leave is co-written by Jeong Seo-kyeong with the director Park Chan-wook. It is shot in and around Busan. The romantic thriller premiered at this year’s Cannes Film Festival and is being released in select U.S. theaters by Mubi.
During the Hammer Museum- Moma Contender Series, the screenwriter Jeong Seo-kyeong spoke about her many collaboration with Park Chan-took.You can watch the 32 minute conversation here with film critic Katie Walsh. Or read below for the written version, slightly edited and abridged.
The music itself is exceptional. I wanted to go out immediately and buy it and could not stop singing it as I drove home from the movie. The original music was composed by his long time collaborator Cho Young-wuk (Oldboy, The Handmaiden, The Little Drummer Girl, Lady Vengeance, Thirst). The soundtrack is available to stream/download in most international markets and on Spotify. Watch the offical music video here for the theme song “Fog” or “Mist” (안개)” by Jung Hoon Hee(정훈희) & Song Chang Sick(송창식). Record label: Bertelsmann Music Group. Awards: Blue Dragon Film Award for Best Music, Grand Bell Award for Best Music, Korean Film Awards for Best Music.
Aside from the original mustic there is the recurring fourth movement of Mahler’s 5th Symphony thoughout the film. When asked her about the use of music this is what she answered.
When we were writing the script, the Mahler’s Fifth was actually the first score that we thought of. I needed a song that goes with someone in that lone space high up on the mountain, a music that speaks to how he feels separated from the rest of the world. That’s why I chose two songs by Mahler. And when Director Park saw the first draft, he called me up and he said, “Oh, it’s all good, but why did you have to use Mahler? Did you not watch Death in Venice? That song was perfectly used there already, so why would we have to use it again?”
But I never saw Death in Venice.
So he said, “Okay, I’ll try to work it out on my own.” And I think he did try his best to find something else, but he had to return to Mahler.
Have you seen Tar? They also use Mahler. No.
She conducts Mahler’s Fifth in Tar. So it’s a theme this year.
To return to her writing, Katie Walsh and Jeong Seo-kyeong’s conversation is below.
You started working with Director Park in 2005 with Lady Vengeance. So I’m so curious how you two connected and started working together on that film.
There was a short film competition and he was a jury member and he selected the film. And that’s how we got to know each other. From what I remember, the script of the short film was very weird and I think that’s exactly what he liked about it. So he said, I’ve got this idea. I’m working on this this vengeance trilogy and I want your sensibility on this.
At that point, just when we were about to start working together, he had just won the Grand Jury Prize at Cannes [for Oldboy] and he became a worldwide director.
I thought to myself, wow, I’m going to be working with such a worldwide famous director. I was very stunned by that and he was busy at the time, so I had to start on the screenplay on my own at first.
He was on his promotional tour for the film and I was working on the first draft of the screenplay by myself. And from what I remember, it was a pathetic first draft.
But he was not taken aback by the draft at all. And instead he calmly said, “okay, let’s start revising it together”.
In Korea, there’s a method of working in which we share one hotel room and we stay there and work together for days. So the crew members were sitting around this large table in this hotel room. There are two monitors, two keyboards and one hard drive. And we were working together. When one person is writing, the other person can see it on the screen. Next to that table was a long couch where all the other crew members were sitting. It almost felt like writing that screenplay was a game of table tennis.
So he writes and then I write. I would see something that I ddin’t like and I would revise it. He would see something he didn’t like and he would revise it. So we would go back and forth like that. Instead of sharing conversations by mouth, we were seeing what was happening on the screen and that’s how we talked about the story.
At that time I was a first time writer and I was working on my first screenplay. So I really had to give it all my best to catch up with him. It really was an unfair game, if I may say. Whenever we would ask people which they liked better, they would always be on the director’s side.
But 20 years later, today, the crew member actually take my side more now.
So you still work like this?
No. Oh. After Thirst, I had my first child. And while we were working on Stoker I had my second child close. That’s why I couldn’t make a lot of time. And that’s why we can’t spend that much time together anymore.
So now I write the first draft of the screenplay and we revise it for three or four days or up to a week. Then he writes the final draft after a discussion with the crew members and the actors and myself.
Wow. That’s remarkable. I was going to ask how you guys work together, what you’re working process was like. So I’m I’m thrilled that it just came up naturally. And that is such a trial by fire. I mean, I’m sure that was like film school being in that hotel room, having to write against Park Chan-wook in a competitive manner.
I actually majored in screenwriting at school, but after graduation, I realized I actually don’t know anything about screenwriting. Like, really, like, genuinely. I was learning screenwriting from director Park Film School and I’m still learning today.
Park Chan-wook
And I’m sure director Park feels the same way.
Yeah. Yeah. So Decision to Leave is an original script.
You’ve worked on some adaptations before, but what was the spark of idea for this screenplay?
Director Park, while working on Little Drummer Girl in London, sent me an email. He suggested, “What about a story about a detective? And in his area, there are two husbands who are murdered by his wife.”
His idea at the time actually reminded me a lot of Thirst… a murder caused by adultery.
I told him, “I don’t think we can work on this one. First of all, neither of us can write a melodrama. But even more, I really can’t write a story about adultery.”
But Director Park answered, “What do you mean? I’m great at writing this stuff.”
I told him no. I don’t think we can work like this. So we had an argument about that, actually. During that argument, I realized I was already developing the characters for this story. And I found myself with a finished synopsis for the film. That’s how the film came to be.
It sounds like there’s some creative energy in the conflict or in the argument. Can you talk a little bit about that and how you’re sort of working against each other and then it’s generating ideas for you.
For this film and it’s so for most of the films that we work together on, I relate a lot to the female characters and director Park tends to relate to the male characters. And the reason I didn’t want to work on a melodrama is because I had a terrible memory from Thirst. I did not like the ending of Thirst. Why did the female character have to die when she did not want to. It would have been nice if she lived on as a vampire. So when the film was over I think I felt just like Tae-ju. She’s like, “I don’t want to die but since I love him, I guess there’s no other choice”. So I thought to myself, “Well, I don’t want it to be that way, but I guess I have no other choice.”
For Decision to Leave, I do like the ending but I did have to ask the question why the female character had to die. I had a lot of frustrations regarding that. Why Seo-rae seem to like Hae-jun more than he likes her. Why does Hae-jun seem like he can’t give up on his wife or Seo-rae.
Seo-rae says, “The moment you said you loved me, your love is over. The moment your love ends, my love begins.”
And Seo-rae has to give up give up her whole life for Hae-jun. But Hae-jun only gives up on his self-esteem.
But watching the finished film, I was struck with a realization that for some people, giving up on one’s self-esteem is the same as giving up one’s life.
There was some conflict while we were writing the film, but watching the finished film, I think I understood and connected with the overall ending.
I’m also curious about the casting of Tang Wei, who’s a Chinese actress, obviously living in Korea. And did you write the character of Seo-rae for Tang Wei or was it? Did you change that character to be Chinese once you knew she was going to be in the film?
I told director Park I didn’t want to write a melodrama because I was not confident I would do a good job. One exception was, that if the female character were played by Tang Wei, then I would write it. Because I was in love with Tang Wei.
That’s a good answer. Makes sense. I understand.
And that’s why the female character turned out to- turned out to be a Chinese person.
Well, she’s fabulous in the film. So we thank you for your instincts, for being in love with her.
One of the things I love about this film is the use of technology. It feels so honest as to how we use technology in our everyday lives, how we’re always texting and the way the characters communicate through technology. But also it becomes part of the mystery and how he solves the mystery and then also how he’s sort of driven mad at the end. So when you’re writing with director Park, how are you incorporating how the characters are using technology into the writing process? He makes it so cinematic, but I know that you must be putting that into the script as well.
If you consider authors like Agatha Christie at the time when she was writing her crime novel and compare them to those who are writing crime novels today, we have so much technology. Phones are always filming and are recording evidence. There’s not a lot that we can work with because anyone can take photos and have voice recordings and there are always CCTV cameras everywhere.
So I realized it’s impossible to have that romanticist classical crime story. Instead we must actively incorporate the use of modern technology. When Director Park first received a draft of the script. He asked me, “Why are there so many scenes with cell phones? I’ve never seen so many cell phones in a movie except in Searching.”
Director Park initially did not want to film any scenes with cell phones. But later he gave up on giving up on those cell phone scenes and instead filmed from the point of view of a cell phone. That is actually a very innovative, creative take on that. But I do feel that people took that in very well because we often feel that phones are looking at us.
As for me as a writer, the use of Apple Watches actually gave me a lot of creative freedom because it’s difficult to have scenes to incorporate the protagonist in a voiceover out of nowhere. But with the Apple Watch and the recording, it made that so much easier.
You have worked across so many genres with Director Park, vampire, vengeance, melodrama. The Handmaiden is a historical drama, romance. It’s an adaptation. Do you think there’s a consistent theme or tone that you and Director Park always come back to that spans your body of work?
The thing is, Director Park and I actually don’t agree on the themes most of the time. For instance, for Lady Vengeance, the theme was vengeance. But I don’t quite understand why people are so obsessed with vengeance.
So I actually called my friend and asked, “Why do people have to take revenge on each other instead of striving for peace?”
As for Thirst, the theme was guilt or salvation. But the thing is, I don’t feel a lot of guilt in my life. As long as I don’t do anything bad, there is no need for guit or salvation. That’s what I think.
If I were a vampire, I would think to myself, “Oh, this is how the mankind is going to evolve. So I should find a new method of life”.
So in those ways I don’t think the themes quite worked with me, but as we were working together, I didn’t realize we were working toward one common theme. I think it has to do with respect or the dignity of mankind.
In all of these different genres, the protagonists tend to be thrown into very extreme situations. And yet even in these extreme situations, these protagonists try not to lose their sense of dignity. I think when Hae-jun was talking about how Seo-rae had such upright posture, I think it really spoke to her sense of dignity.
That is a common theme throughout films like I’m a Cyborg But That’s Okayor The Handmaiden.
I was wondering, did you ever come up with that alternative finale or like, did you suggest an alternative finale?
The ending is actually something that makes logical sense. This is a story that begins very high up and then ends very low. We start on the mountain and close on the ocean. So conclusively it makes logical sense that it would end up with someone digging a hole.
I actually tend to think that an ending in which a woman dies for love is quite unnatural. But if a man dies, that’s a little more natural. But despite those personal frustrations, I cannot think of any other ending that would work better.
Director Park seems to write a lot of stories featuring female protagonists. What are the difficulties you face when you’re writing about a female protagonist while you’re working with a male director?
It is very easy. I’ve actually written a story in which it only features male protagonists. It’s called Believer. That story is filled with male characters. And I had such a hard time, I thought I was going to die.
I think one of the most difficult parts of being a writer is if a female writer is trying to write a good male character, and when a male writer is trying to write a good female character.
But despite all those difficulties, Director Park actually portrays the female characters very well. He writes characters in such a way that they don’t have to sacrifice their femininity in order to walk their path of life.
Over 20 years of working together, our collaboration has evolved so much that it’s actually difficult to tell which line is written by me and which line is written by Director Park.
In the movie The Handmaiden, one of the most feminine looking lines, was actually written by Director Park. I’m not sure if I’m allowed to say that line out loud.
It’s a line by the character Sook-hee and she says, “If I could have milk from my breasts, I wish I could feed you, my lady.”
Can you imagine that?
Well, his female characters are so strong, I’m sure that is your influence, of course, in your writing, but also, in just the working relationship that he has with you.
I wish I could also have developed writing better male characters, but I think I’m a little behind if we have to make a comparison.
Keep writing women, we like it.
I wanted to ask about Seo-Rae’s mother-daughter relationship because I felt like that was such a pivotal moment in the story.
The relationship between Seo-rae and her mother was actually described in more lengthy terms. Because I think the entire story started the moment Seo-rae killed her mother. There is nothing more serious. She doesn’t commit a more serious crime than killing the mother that she loves so much.
So I think in some ways, Seo-rae has already died the moment she had to go through that.
I think she has taken a journey with her mother and her grandfather to the mountain that her mother said belonged to her, and then she starts her journey down. After she has placed the ashes of her mother and her grandfather at that mountain, she starts her own journey towards death down from the mountain. Because I think every animal, including mankind, wants to find death where they were born.
So that is why Seo-rae believed that her mother wanted to be buried in the mountains and Seo-rae goes towards the ocean because she belongs to the ocean.
I think the only way she might have found salvation from her ordeal could have been to leave and go somewhere else with Hae-jun, but that didn’t happen, so inevitably she had to go to the ocean.
And all of that began with the death of Seo-rae’s mother.
Well, thank you all so much for being here. Thank you so much. Thank you, Jiwon. Thank you, Chung Seo-kyung. And thank you for watching this film and talking to us about it.
The film’s producer, CJEnt is also the international sales agent as well as the So. Korean distributor of the film. Internationally it has licensed the film to Mubi for USA, UK, Ireland, France, Germany, Latin America, Turkey, India, and Airlines and to Arna Media and Vesta for Russia, Bac Films for France, Cinobo for Greece, Cinéart for Benelux, Golden Village Pictures for Singapore, Happinet Phantom Studios for Japan, Lucky Red for Italy, Madman Entertainment for Australia and New Zealand, Movie Cloud for Taiwan, NonStop Entertainment for Scandinavia, Plaion Pictures for Germany, Purple Plan (2022) (Brunei, Malaysia and Singapore, The Filmbridge for Mongolia, Alambique Filmes for Portugal, Avalon for Spain
MoviesOscarsSouth KoreaThriller...
- 12/20/2022
- by Sydney
- Sydney's Buzz
The “Dune” prequel series at HBO Max has cast both Josh Heuston and Edward Davis in recurring roles.
Currently titled “Dune: The Sisterhood,” the series is set 10,000 years before the events of “Dune” and is based on the novel “Sisterhood of Dune” by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson. It hails from Legendary Television, with Legendary producing the “Dune” film reboot.
Per the official logline, the show “follows the Harkonnen Sisters as they combat forces that threaten the future of humankind, and establish the fabled sect known as the Bene Gesserit.” It is currently in production.
Along with Watson and Henderson, Heuston and Davis join previously announced cast members Mark Strong, Jade Anouka, Chris Mason, Travis Fimmel, Indira Varma, Sarah-Sofie Boussnina, Shalom Brune-Franklin, Faoileann Cunningham, Aoife Hinds, and Chloe Lea.
Heuston will appear as Constantine, the illegitimate son of the Emperor (Strong). His character is described as being “torn between...
Currently titled “Dune: The Sisterhood,” the series is set 10,000 years before the events of “Dune” and is based on the novel “Sisterhood of Dune” by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson. It hails from Legendary Television, with Legendary producing the “Dune” film reboot.
Per the official logline, the show “follows the Harkonnen Sisters as they combat forces that threaten the future of humankind, and establish the fabled sect known as the Bene Gesserit.” It is currently in production.
Along with Watson and Henderson, Heuston and Davis join previously announced cast members Mark Strong, Jade Anouka, Chris Mason, Travis Fimmel, Indira Varma, Sarah-Sofie Boussnina, Shalom Brune-Franklin, Faoileann Cunningham, Aoife Hinds, and Chloe Lea.
Heuston will appear as Constantine, the illegitimate son of the Emperor (Strong). His character is described as being “torn between...
- 12/13/2022
- by Joe Otterson
- Variety Film + TV
With "Decision to Leave" recently hitting theaters to critical acclaim, it's fair to say that Park Chan-wook is on a roll right now. Then again, when hasn't he been? He's been an extremely consistent director in terms of quality and themes, with classics like "Oldboy" and "The Handmaiden" to his name. While he's mostly known for movies, he's certainly dipped his toes into television thanks to his directorial stint on the British miniseries "The Little Drummer Girl."
Now, he's returning to the small screen with an adaptation of "The Sympathizer," the 2015 debut novel of Viet Thanh Nguyen that garnered critical acclaim. While this series has been in the works since 2021, it has finally begun production in both Los Angeles and Thailand, according to The Hollywood Reporter. If you're eagerly anticipating Park's next project as much as we are, then you're in luck. We've compiled all you need to know about "The Sympathizer,...
Now, he's returning to the small screen with an adaptation of "The Sympathizer," the 2015 debut novel of Viet Thanh Nguyen that garnered critical acclaim. While this series has been in the works since 2021, it has finally begun production in both Los Angeles and Thailand, according to The Hollywood Reporter. If you're eagerly anticipating Park's next project as much as we are, then you're in luck. We've compiled all you need to know about "The Sympathizer,...
- 11/10/2022
- by Erin Brady
- Slash Film
Click here to read the full article.
After an extensive casting search, HBO has lined up the core cast for its post-Vietnam War drama The Sympathizer.
Hoa Xuande (Cowboy Bebop) will play the lead role in the series, based on Viet Thanh Nguyen’s Pulitzer Prize-winning debut novel. He’s one of five actors of Vietnamese descent cast in The Sympathizer, along with Fred Nguyen Khan, Toan Le, Vy Le and Alan Trong. HBO and co-prodcuer A24 put out an open casting call worldwide for the series and did an extensive search for the actors across North America, Vietnam, Europe and Australia.
The quintet join the previously announced Robert Downey Jr., who will play several supporting roles and is an executive producer of the series.
The Sympathizer, which HBO ordered to series in July 2021, is part espionage thriller and part cross-culture satire. It follows the Captain (Xuande), a half-French, half-Vietnamese...
After an extensive casting search, HBO has lined up the core cast for its post-Vietnam War drama The Sympathizer.
Hoa Xuande (Cowboy Bebop) will play the lead role in the series, based on Viet Thanh Nguyen’s Pulitzer Prize-winning debut novel. He’s one of five actors of Vietnamese descent cast in The Sympathizer, along with Fred Nguyen Khan, Toan Le, Vy Le and Alan Trong. HBO and co-prodcuer A24 put out an open casting call worldwide for the series and did an extensive search for the actors across North America, Vietnam, Europe and Australia.
The quintet join the previously announced Robert Downey Jr., who will play several supporting roles and is an executive producer of the series.
The Sympathizer, which HBO ordered to series in July 2021, is part espionage thriller and part cross-culture satire. It follows the Captain (Xuande), a half-French, half-Vietnamese...
- 11/9/2022
- by Rick Porter
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
‘Midsommar star Florence Pugh is all set to headline the psychological thriller ‘The Pack with Swedish actor-director Alexander Skarsgard of ‘Big Little Lies fame directing and co-starring in the film.
It is being billed as one of the hottest packages at next week’s American Film Market.
The cameras are expected to roll in March next year, reports ‘Deadline’. The film follows a group of documentarians who brave the remote wilderness of Alaska in an effort to save a nearly extinct species of wolves.
When the crew is brought back together at a prestigious awards ceremony, tensions flare as a deadly truth threatens to unravel their work.
According to ‘Deadline’, Jennifer Fox will produce the original script written by Rose Gilroy. The project has echoes of Fox-produced thriller ‘Nightcrawler’.
Director Skarsgard is a Golden Globe and Emmy winner for ‘Big Little Lies’. His credits include ‘The Northmen’, in which he...
It is being billed as one of the hottest packages at next week’s American Film Market.
The cameras are expected to roll in March next year, reports ‘Deadline’. The film follows a group of documentarians who brave the remote wilderness of Alaska in an effort to save a nearly extinct species of wolves.
When the crew is brought back together at a prestigious awards ceremony, tensions flare as a deadly truth threatens to unravel their work.
According to ‘Deadline’, Jennifer Fox will produce the original script written by Rose Gilroy. The project has echoes of Fox-produced thriller ‘Nightcrawler’.
Director Skarsgard is a Golden Globe and Emmy winner for ‘Big Little Lies’. His credits include ‘The Northmen’, in which he...
- 10/30/2022
- by Glamsham Bureau
- GlamSham
Production scheduled to start in March.
In what is certain to draw buyers at AFM, The Veterans is launching international sales on The Pack, a psychological thriller with darkly comedic elements that marks Alexander Skarsgard’s feature directing debut and will star Florence Pugh.
Jennifer Fox is producing and Rose Gilroy (Project Artemis) wrote the screenplay.
Production is scheduled to start in March on The Pack, which follows a documentary crew who reunite at a prestigious awards show at New York’s Lincoln Center following an arduous expedition to Alaska to save a near-extinct species of wolf.
At the ceremony,...
In what is certain to draw buyers at AFM, The Veterans is launching international sales on The Pack, a psychological thriller with darkly comedic elements that marks Alexander Skarsgard’s feature directing debut and will star Florence Pugh.
Jennifer Fox is producing and Rose Gilroy (Project Artemis) wrote the screenplay.
Production is scheduled to start in March on The Pack, which follows a documentary crew who reunite at a prestigious awards show at New York’s Lincoln Center following an arduous expedition to Alaska to save a near-extinct species of wolf.
At the ceremony,...
- 10/28/2022
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Exclusive: In-demand Oscar nominee Florence Pugh (Dune: Part Two) is set to lead the psychological thriller The Pack, we can reveal.
Alexander Skarsgård (Big Little Lies) is set direct and co-star in the film, which will be one of the hottest packages at next week’s American Film Market.
The film, which begins shooting in March, follows a group of documentarians who brave the remote wilderness of Alaska in an effort to save a nearly extinct species of wolves. When the crew is brought back together at a prestigious awards ceremony, tensions flare as a deadly truth threatens to unravel their work. The team lived through the harsh elements of the wild but will a secret they share survive the night?
Jennifer Fox (Michael Clayton) will produce the original script written by Rose Gilroy with 30West financing and executive producing. The project has echoes of Fox-produced thriller Nightcrawler.
The Veterans...
Alexander Skarsgård (Big Little Lies) is set direct and co-star in the film, which will be one of the hottest packages at next week’s American Film Market.
The film, which begins shooting in March, follows a group of documentarians who brave the remote wilderness of Alaska in an effort to save a nearly extinct species of wolves. When the crew is brought back together at a prestigious awards ceremony, tensions flare as a deadly truth threatens to unravel their work. The team lived through the harsh elements of the wild but will a secret they share survive the night?
Jennifer Fox (Michael Clayton) will produce the original script written by Rose Gilroy with 30West financing and executive producing. The project has echoes of Fox-produced thriller Nightcrawler.
The Veterans...
- 10/28/2022
- by Andreas Wiseman and Justin Kroll
- Deadline Film + TV
As we told you last month, Antiviral and Possessor director Brandon Cronenberg‘s next is the sci-fi movie Infinity Pool for Neon and Topic Studios, which received an “Nc-17” rating from the MPA for “Some graphic violence and sexual content.” We also told you that an appeal was underway, and this week the MPA has finally handed the film an “R” rating.
The film’s previous “Nc-17” rating has been voided and the film has been re-edited a bit to achieve the “R” rating. This edited version of Infinity Pool has been rated “R” for…
“Graphic violence, disturbing material, strong sexual content, graphic nudity, drug use, and some language.”
The good news? It sounds like the film will remain violent and boundary-pushing!
Stay tuned for more as we learn it.
Mia Goth (Pearl) and Alexander Skarsgård (The Northman) star in Infinity Pool.
The press release explained, “Alexander Skarsgård will star...
The film’s previous “Nc-17” rating has been voided and the film has been re-edited a bit to achieve the “R” rating. This edited version of Infinity Pool has been rated “R” for…
“Graphic violence, disturbing material, strong sexual content, graphic nudity, drug use, and some language.”
The good news? It sounds like the film will remain violent and boundary-pushing!
Stay tuned for more as we learn it.
Mia Goth (Pearl) and Alexander Skarsgård (The Northman) star in Infinity Pool.
The press release explained, “Alexander Skarsgård will star...
- 10/19/2022
- by John Squires
- bloody-disgusting.com
This review originally ran May 23, 2022, for the film’s world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival.
South Korea may have made big inroads on American TV recently with “Squid Game” and “Pachinko,” and the country’s intriguing film and television industry also has a stronger-than-usual presence at this year’s Cannes Film Festival. “Squid Game” star Lee Jung-jae’s political thriller “Hunt” premiered as a midnight screening early in the festival; Davy Chou’s “Return to Seoul” landed a pre-Cannes deal with Sony Pictures Classics and is one of the hits of the Un Certain Regard sidebar; and Japanese director Hirokazu Kore-eda is in the main competition with “Broker,” his first film shot in South Korea in the Korean language.
And on Monday, veteran Korean director Park Chan-wook premiered his new film, “Decision to Leave,” as part of Cannes’ main competition. Park is no stranger to the festival, having won...
South Korea may have made big inroads on American TV recently with “Squid Game” and “Pachinko,” and the country’s intriguing film and television industry also has a stronger-than-usual presence at this year’s Cannes Film Festival. “Squid Game” star Lee Jung-jae’s political thriller “Hunt” premiered as a midnight screening early in the festival; Davy Chou’s “Return to Seoul” landed a pre-Cannes deal with Sony Pictures Classics and is one of the hits of the Un Certain Regard sidebar; and Japanese director Hirokazu Kore-eda is in the main competition with “Broker,” his first film shot in South Korea in the Korean language.
And on Monday, veteran Korean director Park Chan-wook premiered his new film, “Decision to Leave,” as part of Cannes’ main competition. Park is no stranger to the festival, having won...
- 10/13/2022
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
If you know the work of Park Chan-wook — key member of the Korean New Wave, cinematic agent provocateur, architect of the greatest hammer fight sequence ever and the closest thing to a K-Pop Brian De Palma we’re likely to be blessed with in this lifetime — then you know this is a filmmaker who isn’t afraid of high style. His motto seems to be that if it’s baroque, don’t fix it; from his “Vengeance Trilogy” onward, he’s given us dizzying, punch-drunk examples of genre movies and...
- 10/13/2022
- by David Fear
- Rollingstone.com
Slate includes Korean-language series The Plotters.
The Ink Factory has promoted Michele Wolkoff to creative director and Ian Pence to head of finance and operations.
Wolkoff will oversee the global slate of development and production for the company and is based in the Los Angeles office. Formerly head of film and TV, LA, she takes over from Katherine Butler who stepped down from the role this summer.
Spence reports to The Ink Factory co-ceo and founder Simon Cornwell in London. The company, whose credits include The Night Manager, Fighting With My Family, and The Little Drummer Girl, recently completed a...
The Ink Factory has promoted Michele Wolkoff to creative director and Ian Pence to head of finance and operations.
Wolkoff will oversee the global slate of development and production for the company and is based in the Los Angeles office. Formerly head of film and TV, LA, she takes over from Katherine Butler who stepped down from the role this summer.
Spence reports to The Ink Factory co-ceo and founder Simon Cornwell in London. The company, whose credits include The Night Manager, Fighting With My Family, and The Little Drummer Girl, recently completed a...
- 9/28/2022
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Up next from Antiviral and Possessor director Brandon Cronenberg is the sci-fi movie Infinity Pool for Neon and Topic Studios, which boasts a cast including Mia Goth (Pearl) and Alexander Skarsgård (The Northman). This week we’ve learned that the upcoming movie has received an “Nc-17” rating from the MPA, with an appeal currently underway.
For now, Infinity Pool has been rated “Nc-17” for…
“Some graphic violence and sexual content.”
We’re hearing that Neon is intending on appealing to the C.A.R.A. Appeals Board, so we’ll keep you posted as we learn more. Either way, this one is very much on our radar at the moment!
The press release explained, “Alexander Skarsgård will star in Brandon Cronenberg’s Infinity Pool. Skarsgård will further serve as executive producer.”
In the film, “James and Em are young, rich, in love, and on vacation. Their all-inclusive resort boasts island tours and gleaming beaches.
For now, Infinity Pool has been rated “Nc-17” for…
“Some graphic violence and sexual content.”
We’re hearing that Neon is intending on appealing to the C.A.R.A. Appeals Board, so we’ll keep you posted as we learn more. Either way, this one is very much on our radar at the moment!
The press release explained, “Alexander Skarsgård will star in Brandon Cronenberg’s Infinity Pool. Skarsgård will further serve as executive producer.”
In the film, “James and Em are young, rich, in love, and on vacation. Their all-inclusive resort boasts island tours and gleaming beaches.
- 9/21/2022
- by John Squires
- bloody-disgusting.com
Click here to read the full article.
Lacma has zeroed in on a pair of honorees for its Art+Film Gala. Set for Nov. 5 and presented at the museum once again in partnership with Gucci, the annual event will fete artist Helen Pashgian and filmmaker Park Chan-wook.
In making the announcement, Lacma CEO Michael Govan called Pashgian “a friend of the museum for so long” and someone who has played “an indelible role” in Southern California’s art community. Park, who will receive the tribute after making the festival rounds in Cannes and Venice with his latest Decision to Leave, is an auteur “whose unforgettable films never fail to show us the power of cinema,” Govan notes.
He adds: “Honoring these two artists together continues the vitally important dialogue between art and film that this event supports.” Eva Chow, returning as co-chair alongside Leonardo DiCaprio, called them “visionaries who have...
Lacma has zeroed in on a pair of honorees for its Art+Film Gala. Set for Nov. 5 and presented at the museum once again in partnership with Gucci, the annual event will fete artist Helen Pashgian and filmmaker Park Chan-wook.
In making the announcement, Lacma CEO Michael Govan called Pashgian “a friend of the museum for so long” and someone who has played “an indelible role” in Southern California’s art community. Park, who will receive the tribute after making the festival rounds in Cannes and Venice with his latest Decision to Leave, is an auteur “whose unforgettable films never fail to show us the power of cinema,” Govan notes.
He adds: “Honoring these two artists together continues the vitally important dialogue between art and film that this event supports.” Eva Chow, returning as co-chair alongside Leonardo DiCaprio, called them “visionaries who have...
- 8/2/2022
- by Chris Gardner
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
In the wake of the great success of the 2016 mini-series “The Night Manager”, adapted from a novel by John le Carré, the BBC, in collaboration with the American AMC, produced another mini-series, “The Little Drummer Girl”, also adapted from a 1983 novel by Le Carré, and directed by well-known internationally acclaimed South Korean director Park Chan-wook.
on Amazon
The novel is a classic spy story and was previously brought to the big screen by George Roy Hill in a 1984 film starring Diane Keaton, Yorgo Voyagis and Klaus Kinski. This new adaptation has faithfully adhered to the original, condensing the 600 and more pages of the book into 6 episodes of approximately one hour each. Park Chan-wook said that he had always been an avid reader of Le Carrè novels and that a pang of envy for Swedish director Tomas Alfredson at the release of the film “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy...
on Amazon
The novel is a classic spy story and was previously brought to the big screen by George Roy Hill in a 1984 film starring Diane Keaton, Yorgo Voyagis and Klaus Kinski. This new adaptation has faithfully adhered to the original, condensing the 600 and more pages of the book into 6 episodes of approximately one hour each. Park Chan-wook said that he had always been an avid reader of Le Carrè novels and that a pang of envy for Swedish director Tomas Alfredson at the release of the film “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy...
- 8/1/2022
- by Adriana Rosati
- AsianMoviePulse
Florence Pugh is breathing new life into another classic novel: The Little Women star is set to headline Netflix’s adaptation of East of Eden, our sister site Deadline reports.
The limited series, currently in early development at the streamer, will be written and executive-produced by actress/writer Zoe Kazan. (Her grandfather Elia Kazan directed the original 1955 film version.) Based on the John Steinbeck novel, East of Eden follows several generations of the Trask family — and the movie version gave a young James Dean his first major screen role. Pugh will play Cathy Ames, the role played by Jo Van Fleet in the film.
The limited series, currently in early development at the streamer, will be written and executive-produced by actress/writer Zoe Kazan. (Her grandfather Elia Kazan directed the original 1955 film version.) Based on the John Steinbeck novel, East of Eden follows several generations of the Trask family — and the movie version gave a young James Dean his first major screen role. Pugh will play Cathy Ames, the role played by Jo Van Fleet in the film.
- 6/21/2022
- by Dave Nemetz
- TVLine.com
Now that moved the move into television (The Little Drummer Girl and the forthcoming The Sympathizer), Park Chan-wook finally returns to Cannes with Decision to Leave – his fourth film in comp. He shook the world in 2004 when Old Boy won the Grand Prix. In 2009 he won the Jury Prize for Thirst. His third trip was six years back with The Handmaiden. This tale about a week detective stars Hae-il Park and Tang Wei.
We begin with a murder scene and what follows is rather large in scope — an ode to old school films within the genre this is long-winded topsy-turvy long-winded tale where not only does the detective hide his true intentions and feelings….but…...
We begin with a murder scene and what follows is rather large in scope — an ode to old school films within the genre this is long-winded topsy-turvy long-winded tale where not only does the detective hide his true intentions and feelings….but…...
- 5/24/2022
- by Eric Lavallée
- IONCINEMA.com
Welcome back, Park Chan-wook. The South Korean auteur returned to Cannes six years after “The Handmaiden” with his new detective thriller “Decision to Leave” and earned a five-minute standing ovation.
Although the ovation matched the amount of time celebrating “The Handmaiden,” the reception was notably more muted. While the camera the festival uses that normally shows on the creative team’s gracious reaction after the movie, and helps to keep the applause rolling, wasn’t working, the response was quiet even before the technical snafu.
“Decision to Leave” centers around a detective who falls in love with a mysterious widow who just happens to be the prime suspect in his latest murder investigation. The synopsis has led many to refer to the film has as Park’s “Basic Instinct.” The cast is led by Park Hae-il and “Lust, Caution” breakout Tang Wei. Supporting roles are played by Lee Jung-hyun, Go Kyung-pyo and Park Yong-woo.
Although the ovation matched the amount of time celebrating “The Handmaiden,” the reception was notably more muted. While the camera the festival uses that normally shows on the creative team’s gracious reaction after the movie, and helps to keep the applause rolling, wasn’t working, the response was quiet even before the technical snafu.
“Decision to Leave” centers around a detective who falls in love with a mysterious widow who just happens to be the prime suspect in his latest murder investigation. The synopsis has led many to refer to the film has as Park’s “Basic Instinct.” The cast is led by Park Hae-il and “Lust, Caution” breakout Tang Wei. Supporting roles are played by Lee Jung-hyun, Go Kyung-pyo and Park Yong-woo.
- 5/23/2022
- by Zack Sharf
- Variety Film + TV
Park Chan-wook made a big impact in Cannes in 2004 with his lurid revenge drama Oldboy, which took the Grand Prix from Quentin Tarantino’s jury, made a cult star of Choi Min-sik, and alerted audiences everywhere to the perils of eating live sushi. Since then, the director has been a semi-regular fixture at the festival, returning in 2009 with his literary vampire horror Thirst and again in 2016 with The Handmaiden, a delirious, taboo-busting erotic thriller set in 1930s Korea. Director Park’s trademark is not just his fluidity when dealing with genre but his mastery in bending it to his will—and Decision to Leave promises to be yet another stylish, category-defying composition.
Deadline: What is the premise of Decision to Leave?
Park Chan-wook: A detective is dispatched to a scene of death of a man who has fallen from the mountains. There are three possibilities with this case: either he...
Deadline: What is the premise of Decision to Leave?
Park Chan-wook: A detective is dispatched to a scene of death of a man who has fallen from the mountains. There are three possibilities with this case: either he...
- 5/22/2022
- by Damon Wise
- Deadline Film + TV
South Korean director Park Chan-wook is set to premiere his new film, “Decision to Leave,” at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival. A detective murder mystery with a romantic twist, the film is widely regarded as one of the most anticipated premieres of the festival.
Park Chan-wook is best known for his movies such as “Oldboy (2003), The Handmaiden (2016),” and “Thirst (2009).” With over 13 features under his directing belt, as well as a series (“The Little Drummer Girl”), the filmmaker is arguably making his best work right now.
Continue reading ‘Decision To Leave’: Watch The New Trailer & The First 2 Clips From Park Chan-Wook’s Cannes Romantic Murder Mystery at The Playlist.
Park Chan-wook is best known for his movies such as “Oldboy (2003), The Handmaiden (2016),” and “Thirst (2009).” With over 13 features under his directing belt, as well as a series (“The Little Drummer Girl”), the filmmaker is arguably making his best work right now.
Continue reading ‘Decision To Leave’: Watch The New Trailer & The First 2 Clips From Park Chan-Wook’s Cannes Romantic Murder Mystery at The Playlist.
- 5/9/2022
- by Molly Cottee
- The Playlist
Mubi has acquired the North American, UK and other territories rights to “Decision to Leave,” the new film from “Oldboy” and “The Handmaiden” director Park Chan-wook, an individual with knowledge told TheWrap.
Park’s film is a Korean crime drama and is playing in the main competition at Cannes next month. “Decision to Leave” tells the story of a detective investigating the death of a man in the mountains, only to develop an interest in the dead man’s mysterious wife once she becomes a suspect in the case.
“Decision to Leave” stars Tang Wei and Park Hae-il (“The Host”). The film is a presentation of Cj Enm (“Parasite”) and was produced by Moho Film.
Mubi is also planning a theatrical release for “Decision to Leave” in the U.S. and the UK for the fall of 2022, followed by an exclusive streamer premiere on the Mubi platform.
The art-house streamer...
Park’s film is a Korean crime drama and is playing in the main competition at Cannes next month. “Decision to Leave” tells the story of a detective investigating the death of a man in the mountains, only to develop an interest in the dead man’s mysterious wife once she becomes a suspect in the case.
“Decision to Leave” stars Tang Wei and Park Hae-il (“The Host”). The film is a presentation of Cj Enm (“Parasite”) and was produced by Moho Film.
Mubi is also planning a theatrical release for “Decision to Leave” in the U.S. and the UK for the fall of 2022, followed by an exclusive streamer premiere on the Mubi platform.
The art-house streamer...
- 4/28/2022
- by Brian Welk
- The Wrap
“Decision to Leave,” the detective mystery by Korean director Park Chan-wook that will debut in competition in Cannes next month, is to be given theatrical releases in the U.S. and U.K. by streaming platform Mubi.
Mubi, which pitches itself as a global distributor, streaming service and production company, picked up multiple territory rights including North America, U.K., Ireland, Turkey, and India, in a deal with South Korea’s Cj Entertainment.
“The film will be released theatrically in the U.S. and the U.K. with fall 2022 release dates planned, followed by an exclusive Mubi streaming release,” Mubi said.
“Decision to Leave” was produced by Moho Film and is presented by “Parasite” studio Cj Enm.
The film stars Park Hae-il and China’s Tang Wei in a tale about a detective who develops a personal interest in the woman who should be the chief suspect in his ongoing murder investigation.
Mubi, which pitches itself as a global distributor, streaming service and production company, picked up multiple territory rights including North America, U.K., Ireland, Turkey, and India, in a deal with South Korea’s Cj Entertainment.
“The film will be released theatrically in the U.S. and the U.K. with fall 2022 release dates planned, followed by an exclusive Mubi streaming release,” Mubi said.
“Decision to Leave” was produced by Moho Film and is presented by “Parasite” studio Cj Enm.
The film stars Park Hae-il and China’s Tang Wei in a tale about a detective who develops a personal interest in the woman who should be the chief suspect in his ongoing murder investigation.
- 4/28/2022
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
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