Park Chan-wook to Begin Shooting Violent Comedy-Thriller ‘I Can’t Help It’

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As a seasoned gamer who has spent countless hours immersed in the virtual worlds of Korean cinema, I am beyond thrilled about Park Chan-wook‘s upcoming adaptation of Donald Westlake’s “The Ax.” With an illustrious career spanning over two decades and collaborations with some of Korea’s finest talents like Lee Byung-hun and Son Ye-jin, this film promises to be a riveting addition to Park’s already impressive repertoire.

Renowned South Korean filmmaker Park Chan-wook is actively moving forward. The globally praised director, aged 60, will commence filming on Saturday for his 12th feature, an adaptation of American author Donald Westlake’s 1996 novel “The Ax“. Tentatively titled “I Can’t Help It“, this movie stars prominent Korean actors Lee Byung-hun and Son Ye-jin. The financial backing and distribution are being provided by major South Korean studio, CJ ENM.

Westlake’s novel was earlier transformed into French film “Le Couperet” (The Ax) by Costa Gavras in 2005. Similarly, Park’s version maintains the storyline about a man, now named Man-soo and played by Lee, who loses his job at a paper factory after years of dedicated service. Struggling to find employment, he reaches a breaking point and decides to eliminate his professional rivals. Son will portray the character’s wife, the compassionate Mi-ri.

As a devoted admirer, I’m thrilled to share that Park’s next cinematic venture will be his first feature film since the acclaimed romantic mystery drama “Decision to Leave” (2022) graced our screens. During this interval between major motion pictures, he collaborated on the HBO miniseries “The Sympathizer,” an adaptation of the 2015 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, and starred alongside Robert Downey Jr. The past year also marked the 20th anniversary of the release of his groundbreaking, ultra-violent film “Old Boy” (2003).

In the realm of cinema, particularly Korean millennial, Park and Lee struck gold early on with their masterpiece, “Joint Security Area” (2000), a film that left an indelible mark and even caught the attention of the renowned Quentin Tarantino who praised it as one of his favorite films since the 1990s. Since then, Lee has cemented his status as one of Korea’s most adaptable actors, and his recent role in Netflix’s “Squid Game” as the Front Man has only increased his global recognition. As for Son, she earned the moniker “Nation’s First Love” in Korea with her radiant, endearing persona and a string of early film roles that captivated audiences. In an exciting turn of events, “I Can’t Help It” will be our first joint venture on screen.

Completing the ensemble in “I Can’t Help It” are Lee Sung-min (“The Spy Gone North”), who joins Yeom Hye-ran (“Life”) as a pair portraying individuals who have both faced joblessness. Park Hee-soon (“The Scam”) takes on the role of the leader of the paper company, while Cha Seung-won (“One Ordinary Day”) enters as one of Man-soo’s professional rivals. Yoo Yeon-seok (“Mr. Sunshine”) steps into the scene as a coworker of Mi-ri, the wife character.

CJ ENM hasn’t specified a definite release date yet for the upcoming film. Notably, Director Park is no stranger to the prestigious Cannes Film Festival, which takes place every year in May, as he has introduced four of his movies at this event.

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2024-08-16 11:54