22-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Korea Herald
Park Chan-wook's ‘No Other Choice' heads to Venice competition
Black comedy becomes first Korean title in Golden Lion race since 2012's 'Pieta'
Director Park Chan-wook's upcoming feature "No Other Choice" has been selected for the main competition at the 82nd Venice Film Festival, festival organizers announced Tuesday evening during a livestream unveiling the official lineup.
An adaptation of Donald Westlake's 1996 novel "The Ax," "No Other Choice" follows a laid-off middle-aged man who begins eliminating rival job candidates to secure employment and support his family. Lee Byung-hun stars alongside Son Ye-jin, Park Hee-soon, Lee Sung-min, Yeom Hye-ran, Cha Seung-won and Yoo Yeon-seok.
The film marks the first Korean entry to compete for the Golden Lion since Kim Ki-duk's "Pieta" won the top prize in 2012. It is produced by CJ ENM and is set for domestic release in September.
Park last appeared in the Venice competition with "Sympathy for Lady Vengeance" in 2005. The director had reportedly spent 17 years developing the screenplay for "No Other Choice" before wrapping production in January.
Also in this year's competition is Yorgos Lanthimos's "Bugonia," an English-language remake of Jang Joon-hwan's 2003 cult classic, "Save the Green Planet." The genre hybrid stars Emma Stone and is co-produced by CJ ENM.
The 2025 Venice Film Festival runs Aug. 27-Sept. 6. Other titles in the competition include Kathryn Bigelow's "A House of Dynamite," Noah Baumbach's "Jay Kelly" starring George Clooney, and Guillermo del Toro's "Frankenstein" with Oscar Isaac.
