I’ve been receiving a few emails wondering about the status of Park Chan-wook’s “No Other Choice.” Last we checked, Park was hard at work in the editing room, and semi-rushing a possible cut of the film for this year’s Cannes Film Festival.
Here’s The Korea Times reporting that “No Other Choice” has not been submitted for Cannes, but that the festival is willing to extend the submission deadline for him just in case he does end up completing post-production on the film. The film is set up with a fall release date in Korea, and that could mean a premiere at Venice in September.
“No Other Choice” stars Cha Seung Won, Park Hee Soon, Yoon Ga Yi, Lee Byung Hun and Son Ye Jin. Notably, Lee already teamed up with Park on 2000’s “Joint Security Area” and 2004’s “Three Extremes.”
The story follows a desperate and unemployed man, seeing his marriage deteriorating, who concocts a grimly audacious plan to identify and kill his fellow job applicants so that he is the only qualified person left.
The film, described as Park’s “lifelong passion project,” will be his first outing since 2022’s acclaimed “Decision to Leave.” He also co-created, wrote and directed the recent HBO limited series “The Sympathizer.”
Park, 60, is the Korean mastermind behind “Oldboy,” “The Handmaiden,” and “Lady Vengeance.” His films, usually set in thriller or noir environment, delve deeply into the physical and psychological violence of their characters. Park loves to depict sex and murder.