Park Chan-wook (Decision to Leave, The Handmaiden, Oldboy) is one of the world’s most sought-after filmmakers, and NEON wants to be at the head of the table when he serves up something new. On Thursday, NEON announced its reteaming with Park Chan-wook for his next feature film, No Other Choice. NEON holds the North American rights to No Other Choice, starring Lee Byung-hun (I Saw the Devil, Squid Game 1 & 2) and Son Ye-jin (The Last Princess, A Moment to Remember) as husband and wife alongside an ensemble cast including Park Hee-soon (My Name), Lee Sung-min (The Spy Gone North), Yeom Hye-ran (The Glory), Cha Seung-won (Believer 1&2), and Yoo Yeon-seok (Mr. Sunshine).
“No Other Choice, Park’s 12th feature, is based on the 1997 novel The Ax by Donald Westlake. It follows a man (Lee) who is abruptly laid off by the paper company where he worked tirelessly for many years. He grows increasingly desperate in his hunt for new work, eventually he comes to a certain decision,” says NEON’s official press release.
For more plot details, here’s a synopsis of Donald Westlake’s The Ax, courtesy of Amazon:
Burke Devore is a middle-aged manager at a paper company when the cost-cutting ax falls, and he is laid off. Eighteen months later and still unemployed, he puts a new spin on his job search — with agonizing care, Devore finds the seven men in the surrounding area who could take the job that rightfully should be his and systematically kills them. Transforming himself from mild-mannered middle manager to ruthless murderer, he discovers skills he never knew he had — and that come to him far too easily.
After winning Best Picture at the Academy Awards with Anora and Parasite, NEON wants Park Chan-wook’s No Other Choice to be in the Oscars conversation, adding to the project’s mystique and buzz.
No Other Choice is produced by Park Chan-wook and Back Jisun of Moho Film and Michèle Ray Gavras and Alexandre Gavras of KG Production, and executive produced by Miky Lee of CJ Group. CJ ENM financed the project, which is currently in post-production.
