Lee Chang-dong’s ‘Possible Love’ Gets First Poster and Release Date, Eight Years After ‘Burning’

Honestly, looking at what’s been announced so far by the fall fests—Venice, TIFF, and NYFF—not much is being feverishly anticipated, with a few exceptions, most notably Lee Chang-dong’s “Possible Love,” from one of the very few true masters premiering a new film.

It’s been a long, silent stretch since Lee’s “Burning” lit up Cannes back in 2018—over eight years, to be exact. But the revered South Korean filmmaker of melancholic realism is readying his return.

We now have our first poster for Lee’s “Possible Love” and a release date: it will hit theaters on October 23 and arrive on Netflix on November 6. The official runtime is 2 hours and 44 minutes.

“Possible Love,” starring Jeon Do-yeon, Seol Kyung-gu, and Jo In-sung, would have premiered in Cannes competition if it weren’t for the fact that Netflix is distributing it. I won’t be blaming the streamer either, since they hopped onboard the project and essentially saved it after producers backed out. Even after the main cast agreed to take pay cuts to reduce the budget, the producers remained adamant about not funding the project. Once private funding couldn’t be secured, the Korean Film Commission’s financial support also disappeared, leaving Lee with little choice but to turn to Netflix for backing.

The story involves “two couples whose vastly different lifestyles create unexpected intersections, leading to disruptions in their seemingly stable routines.” Much like Asghar Farhadi’s Cannes-premiered “Parallel Tales,” this is another part of producer Maciej Musiał’s new Dekalog project inspired by Kieślowski—only eight more to go. No word yet on which chapter Lee’s film tackles.

“Burning”—arguably Lee’s best—capped off a run that includes “Poetry,” “Secret Sunshine,” and “Peppermint Candy,” all acclaimed works. Netflix or not, this one’s shaping up to be the major event of the upcoming Venice Film Festival.