Director Park Chan-wook’s upcoming feature “No Other Choice” has secured a spot in the main competition at the 82nd Venice Film Festival, organizers announced Tuesday evening during a livestream unveiling of the official lineup.
Based on Donald Westlake’s 1996 novel “The Ax,” the film follows a laid-off middle-aged man who, after losing his job, begins eliminating rival job candidates to secure employment and support his family. The star-studded cast includes Lee Byung-hun, Son Ye-jin, Park Hee-soon, Lee Sung-min, Yeom Hye-ran, Cha Seung-won, and Yoo Yeon-seok.
“No Other Choice” marks a significant milestone as the first Korean entry to vie for the prestigious Golden Lion since Kim Ki-duk’s “Pieta” clinched the top prize in 2012. Produced by CJ ENM, the film is slated for domestic release in September.
Park’s last appearance in the Venice competition was with “Sympathy for Lady Vengeance” in 2005. The acclaimed director reportedly dedicated 17 years to developing the screenplay for “No Other Choice” before wrapping up production in January.
Also making waves 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.” This genre-bending film stars Emma Stone and is co-produced by CJ ENM.
The 2025 Venice Film Festival is scheduled to run from August 27 to September 6. Other high-profile entries 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” featuring Oscar Isaac.
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