'Paradise Lost' Sells to 118 Countries, Sets Hawaii Premiere — SkimNews
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- CJ ENM has sold "Paradise Lost" to 118 countries, with the company stating overseas sales revenue alone has already topped the film's net production budget — before any domestic theatrical release.
- "Paradise Lost" will make its U.S. premiere at the 46th Hawai'i International Film Festival in the Spotlight on Korea section on Nov. 1 and 4, with HIFF running Oct. 21 to Nov. 15.
- Kim Hyun-joo stars as Ryu So-young, a mother whose son disappeared nine years earlier with a busload of children and unexpectedly returns home; Bae Hyeon-seong plays the son in his first feature-film lead role.
- The film sold out all four official TIFF screenings (~2,300 seats in the Special Presentations section) and all four screenings at the Busan International Film Festival before the Hawaii bow.
- "Paradise Lost" opens in South Korea on Oct. 21 via CJ ENM, followed by Taiwan (Oct. 23), Singapore (Nov. 5), a Well Go USA North American release on Nov. 6 (the same day as Vietnam), and Indonesia on Nov. 13.
Why it matters: Overseas revenue alone clearing the production budget before domestic release means Korean theatrical on Nov. 21 is pure upside on an already-profitable slate — a meaningful shift for how Korean genre IP is now financed. CJ ENM credited Yeon's "Train to Busan" track record and its own distribution network built across years of selling Korean films abroad.
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