"Time to Hunt" coming to Netflix after dispute resolved
Click to viewKorean crime thriller "Time to Hunt," whose debut on Netflix was halted after a court injunction, will be heading back to the streamer after the dispute was resolved.
The film was originally scheduled for theatrical release in Korea, Feb. 26, but this was canceled due to COVID-19 concerns.
The film's distributor Little Big Pictures struck a deal with Netflix, which set the premiere for April 10 in 190 countries. It was to become the first Korean film to go to a third-party streaming service after skipping theaters.
But the film's overseas sales company Contents Panda filed a lawsuit against the distributor, claiming the film's debut on Netflix would invalidate sales contracts it had signed in more than 30 countries.
A Seoul court then ruled in favor of Contents Panda, banning the premiere of the film outside Korea. As a result, Netflix halted the film's domestic and international release.
On Thursday, Little Big Pictures and Contents Panda issued separate statements saying they have settled the dispute and agreed that the film will be released on Netflix.
"As the distributor of the film, we feel deeply sorry and responsible for the confusion being caused," Little Big Pictures said.
"We unilaterally notified Contents Panda of the termination of contracts while ignoring its contribution to overseas sales over a year. We respect the court's decision and apologize to Contents Panda for causing frustration."
Contents Panda said: "After renegotiating with overseas buyers, we have reached an agreement with Little Big Pictures to withdraw the injunction and make sure there is no problem to release 'Time to Hunt' through Netflix."
A new release date is yet to be announced.
"Time to Hunt" is the second feature film written and directed by Yoon Sung-hyun, who won the best new director award at the Blue Dragon Film Awards in 2011 with "Bleak Night."
Set in a dystopian near future where the country is suffering from poverty following a financial crisis, the story follows four young men who commit crimes to survive. They are chased by a relentless killer amid their struggle for survival.
The film's cast includes "Parasite" actor Choi Woo-shik, and Lee Je-hoon, Park Jeong-min, Ahn Jae-hong and Park Hae-soo.
source: The Swoon & The Korea Times