Award-winning filmmaker Lee Chang-dong is making his highly anticipated return to feature filmmaking with Netflix's upcoming drama "Possible Love," the streaming platform announced on Tuesday. This marks the celebrated director's first major film project since his critically acclaimed psychological thriller "Burning" was released in 2018.
The Netflix production brings together Lee with two powerhouse actors who have previously starred in his most celebrated works. Jeon Do-yeon, who earned the Best Actress award at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival for her performance in Lee's "Secret Sunshine" in 2007, will take on a leading role alongside Sul Kyung-gu. Sul previously worked with Lee as the main actor in two of the director's beloved earlier films: "Peppermint Candy" released in 1999 and "Oasis" from 2002.
Interestingly, Jeon Do-yeon and Sul Kyung-gu have established a strong on-screen partnership over the years, having appeared together in three other notable films before this collaboration. Their previous joint projects include "I Wish I Had a Wife" in 2001, the drama "Birthday" in 2019, and most recently Netflix's action thriller "Kill Boksoon" in 2023.
The cast also features other prominent South Korean actors in key roles. Zo In-sung, known for his performances in "The King" and "Escape from Mogadishu," will star alongside Cho Yeo-jeong, who gained international recognition for her role in the Oscar-winning film "Parasite." These two actors will portray another important married couple in the story.
"Possible Love" centers around the intersecting lives of two married couples whose very different lifestyles and approaches to life begin to cross paths in unexpected and surprising ways. As their separate worlds gradually collide and influence each other, significant cracks and tensions start to emerge in what initially appeared to be their stable, routine-driven lives. The screenplay for the film was co-written by Lee Chang-dong himself along with Oh Jung-mi, who previously collaborated with the director on the script for "Burning."
The production is being handled by Pinehouse Film, the same company that was behind "Burning," working in partnership with Anonymous Content and NowFilm Co. to bring the project to life.
Lee Chang-dong has established himself as an international art house cinema favorite, particularly known for creating deeply reflective and contemplative narratives that explore complex human emotions and relationships. Over the course of three decades in filmmaking, he has directed only six feature films, but each has been carefully crafted and has helped maintain his status as a regular fixture at major international film festivals around the world.
His film "Oasis" earned the special director's prize at the Venice International Film Festival in 2002, demonstrating early international recognition of his talent. "Poetry," released in 2010, won the Best Screenplay award at the Cannes Film Festival. Most recently, "Burning" competed for the prestigious Palme d'Or at Cannes and successfully won the International Critics' Prize in 2018, further cementing his reputation as one of South Korea's most respected filmmakers.
Lee's path to filmmaking was quite unconventional. He originally began his professional career working as a high school teacher before making a transition into creative writing as a novelist. From there, he moved into screenwriting and eventually found his calling as a filmmaker with his breakthrough debut feature "Green Fish" in 1997. Beyond his artistic pursuits, Lee also served in a government role as South Korea's Minister of Culture and Tourism from 2003 to 2004.
In a notable literary achievement, Penguin Random House published Lee's first collection of short stories translated into English last year, titled "Snowy Day & Other Stories," allowing international readers to experience his storytelling abilities in written form.
"Possible Love" represents Lee Chang-dong's first collaboration with the streaming giant Netflix, marking a significant partnership between the acclaimed auteur and the global platform. According to Netflix's announcement, the film has just begun principal photography, though the company has not yet announced a scheduled release date for the project.
Most recently, Lee directed a short film called "Heartbeat" in 2022, which was specially commissioned by the World Health Organization as part of their efforts to raise public awareness about depression and mental health issues.
