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Park Chan-wook’s ‘No Other Choice’ Recoups Budget on Presales as Festival Buzz Builds

Presales to over 200 territories converted festival momentum into full cost recovery, with NEON and Mubi lining up a staged global rollout.

Overview

  • Industry reports say the film recouped roughly 17 billion won in production costs before release through overseas presales, decoupling its finances from a fragile Korean box office.
  • The Venice world premiere was followed by high-profile slots at Toronto, the BFI London Film Festival, the New York Film Festival and Chicago, drawing strong reviews and awards chatter.
  • KOFIC figures cited across coverage put gross receipts above $18 million to date, described as the strongest opening of Park’s career.
  • Distribution is set with NEON for North America and Mubi internationally, and Mashable reports a limited theatrical start in late December ahead of a broader January rollout.
  • Critics highlight the film as a dark, anti-capitalist satire of a laid-off manager’s ruthless job hunt, with several noting that the financing model is difficult to replicate without Park’s track record and Lee Byung-hun’s star power.