Acclaimed Korean directorPark Chan-wookhas his next movie lined up. PerThe Hollywood Reporter, theOldboydirector is set to begin production onNo Other Choice, an adaptation of Donald Westlake’s novelThe Ax, this weekend. Director Park’s 12th feature film sees the beloved filmmaker team up withSquid Gamestar Lee Byung-hun and acclaimed South Korean actress Son Ye-jin. This isn’t Lee Byung-hun’s first outing with Director Park – Lee starred in the filmmaker’s feature debut, the acclaimed thrillerJoint Security Area.
Published in 1996, Westlake’s novel follows Burke Devore, who’s laid off from his job at a paper company. After months of unemployment, Devore resorts to murdering the other candidates for a prospective job.The Axwas previously adapted into a French-language film in 2005 by Costa Gavras. The official synopsis reads:
“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 ne never knew ne had – and that come to him far too easily.”
Park Chan-wook is best known for popularizing South Korean cinema among western audiences.His 2003 hitOldboyis still revered as one of his best movies, and one of the greatest thrillers of all time.Many of his subsequent films, includingLady Vengeance,Decision to Leave, andThe Handmaiden, all received equal praise from critics and audiences. Director Park made his English-language debut withStoker, a Gothic thriller starring Mia Wasikowska, Nicole Kidman, and Matthew Goode. Most recently, Director Park returned to TV,co-directing the hit HBO seriesThe Sympathizer, starring Hoa Xuande and Robert Downey Jr. (who plays four different characters). He previously directed AMC’s limited-series adaptation of John le Carré’sThe Little Drummer Girl, starring Florence Pugh and Alexander Skarsgård.
Park Chan-wook Is Remaking His Most Famous Film
Fans of Park Chan-wook have a lot to be excited about in the coming years. As well as directing his first feature filmsince 2020’sDecision to Leave, the director is continuing to push boundaries in TV. After co-directingThe Sympathizer, Park Chan-wook is also re-imagining hismost popular movie,Oldboy, as an episodic series.The new series, produced by Lionsgate Television, will transform the dark South Korean thriller into an English-language story for a new audience. In a statement following the project’s announcement, Director Park said:
“Lionsgate Television shares my creative vision for bringing Oldboy into the world of television. I look forward to working with a studio whose brand stands for bold, original and risk-taking storytelling.”
Here’s What to Watch if You Loved Oldboy and Want Similar Movies
Park Chan-Wook’s Oldboy is largely accepted as one of the best thrillers ever made. Here are some movies to watch if you want something similar.
Park Chan-wook’s seminalOldboyhas become so popular that many audiences don’t know it is an adaptation of a Japanese manga by Garon Tsuchiya. The violent thriller follows Oh Dae-su (Choi Min-sik) on his quest for revenge against the people who mysteriously held him captive for 15 years.Oldboyhelped popularize South Korean cinema in the west, and features one of the greatest one-shot action scenes ever put to film. Director Park’s new series won’t be the only time his movie has been remade in the English-language. In 2013, beloved director Spike Lee remadeOldboy, with Josh Brolin in the leading role. The remake failed to capture the same mystery, depth, and gravitas as the original, reportedly due to studio interference, which led to Lee removing his traditional credit – “A Spike Lee Joint” – from the film.
