Fresh off of co-directing HBO’sThe Sympathizerearlier this year, acclaimed Korean directorPark Chan-wookwill soon get cameras rolling on his latest feature,No Other Choice. Filming begins this Saturday for the BAFTA winner’s latest, which is set to adaptDonald Westlake’s 1996 novelThe Ax. This will mark the auteur’s 12th feature film and his first since the 2022 release of hismuch-lauded mystery romanceDecision to Leave. CJ ENM, which is handling distribution and financing, doesn’t have a release window in mind yet, though it is highly likely Park could make his grand return at the 2025Cannes Film Festival.
No Other Choicefollows Man-soo, a man down on his luck after being abruptly laid off from the paper company where he has spent many years toiling away. His desperation only grows by the day as his search for employment fails miserably, leading him to a point where he’s willing to kill his competitors to secure a new job. Billed as a comedy thriller,it’ll mark the second time Westlake’s novel has made it to the big screen. French directorCosta-GavrasadaptedThe Axinto the 2005 titleLe Couperetwith critical fanfare, and Park’s film similarly plans to stick close to the source material.
At the head of the cast is Korean mega-star andSquid Game’s Front ManLee Byung-hun, marking a reunion over 20 years in the making since Park previously cast him in his acclaimed 2000 DMZ thrillerJoint Security Area. He’ll play Man-soo alongside another big name,Son Ye-jin, who’ll co-star as his warm-hearted wife Mi-ri in her first proper collaboration with Park. Joining the pair areLee Sung-minandYeom Hye-ranas another couple facing similar unemployment strife,Park Hee-soonas the paper company’s team leader,Cha Seung-wonas one of Man-soo’s chief job competitors, andYoo Yeon-seokas one of Mi-ri’s colleagues.
‘No Other Choice’ Keeps Chan-wook Busy Amid Multiple Projects
With production soon beginning onNo Other Choice, Park continues a crowded stretch of projects following the release ofDecision to Leave.The Sympathizersaw him take up showrunner duties alongsideDon McKellarto adapt the 2015 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of the same name earlier this yearto great success. Featuringthe pairing ofHoa XuandeandRobert Downey Jr.at the top of the call sheet, the historical black dramedy miniseries follows a North Vietnamese captain’s journey towards the end of the Vietnam War as he flees to the United States and lives among South Korean refugees. Park’s masterpiece revenge thrillerOldboyalso saw a re-release in theatersfor its 20th anniversary last year through Neon, but the director has bigger plans as he’s slated toadapt it for television in the near futurethrough Lionsgate Television.
Stay tuned here at Collider for more onNo Other Choiceas filming gets underway. In the meantime, all episodes of Park’s last project,The Sympathizer, are available to stream now on Max.
The Sympathizer
Near the end of the Vietnam War, a plant who was embedded in the South Vietnam army flees to the United States and takes up residence in a refugee community, where he continues to secretly spy and report back to the Viet Cong.
Watch on Max
