EXCLUSIVE: Park Chan-wook’s anticipated Cannes Competition title Decision to Leave has sold to arthouse streamer, theatrical distributor and producer Mubi in what we understand to be the company’s biggest film deal to date.
Mubi, which has made waves in the past 12 months for its voracious appetite for significant festival movies and its acquisition of German sales firm The Match Factory, has picked up Decision to Leave for North America, the UK, Ireland, Turkey, and India.
The film will be released theatrically in the U.S. and the UK with a fall 2022 date planned, followed by an exclusive Mubi streaming release. Parasite outfit CJ is handling international sales and negotiated the deal with the growing arthouse player.
Korean-language thriller Decision to Leave charts the aftermath of a man falling from a mountain peak to his death. The detective in charge of the investigation, Hae-joon, comes to meet the dead man’s wife Seo-rae. When she becomes a suspect, Hae-joon finds himself slowly developing an interest in her.
Produced by Park’s Moho Film, the film stars Tang Wei (Lust, Caution) and Park Hae-il (The Host).
Among the most celebrated directors of the last 20 years, Park returns to Cannes for the fourth time with Decision to Leave, widely regarded as one of the most anticipated premieres of the festival.
Park was previously at Cannes with Grand Prix winner Oldboy (2003), Thirst (2009) and The Handmaiden (2016), which all world-premiered at the festival. Park is also known for Sympathy For Mr. Vengeance (2002), Sympathy for Lady Vengeance (2005), Stoker (2013, starring Nicole Kidman and Mia Wasikowska), and his TV series The Little Drummer Girl (2018).
Recent and upcoming Mubi releases include Joachim Trier’s Oscar- and BAFTA-nominated The Worst Person in the World, which has taken more than $1 million at the UK box office; Céline Sciamma’s BAFTA-nominated Petite Maman; Sebastian Meise’s Oscar-shortlisted Great Freedom; Leos Carax’s Annette; Paul Verhoeven’s Benedetta; Julia Ducournau’s Palme d’Or winner Titane; Apichatpong Weerasethakul’s Memoria; First Cow from Kelly Reichardt; and Ben Sharrock’s multi-BAFTA winning Limbo. Mubi also recently released Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s Oscar winner Drive My Car in several territories including Latin America.
It was recently announced that Mubi’s co-production One Fine Morning from Mia Hansen-Løve will premiere during Cannes’ Directors’ Fortnight.
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