Netflix Sets Awards-Qualifying Run for Lee Chang-dong Film
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- Netflix confirmed a theatrical release for Lee Chang-dong's 'Possible Love' across Korea, the U.S., and other select territories after its Venice and Toronto premieres.
- Possible Love opens in Korean theatres on September 23, Australia on October 22, and the U.S., Canada, UK, Ireland and Japan on October 23, before streaming worldwide on Netflix from November 6.
- The theatrical dates qualify the Netflix-financed original for the Best International Feature category at next year's Academy Awards, along with other categories.
- Lee Chang-dong directs his first film in eight years, following two married couples whose paths cross when a documentary filmmaker sets out to film a laid-off worker and his wife.
- The cast is headed by Jeon Do-yeon, Sul Kyung-gu, Zo In-sung and Cho Yeo-jeong.
- The film premieres in competition at this year's Venice Film Festival and has been selected for the Special Presentations section of TIFF.
Why it matters: Netflix is positioning a Korean auteur feature for the Oscars via a qualifying theatrical rollout — a notable strategy for a streamer that built its brand against theatrical windows. With Lee's first film in eight years, a Cannes competition slot already secured, and a top-tier Korean ensemble, 'Possible Love' enters the Best International Feature conversation for the 97th Academy Awards.
