Possible Love Netflix release gets theaters before streaming debut
Netflix will put Lee Chang-dong’s Possible Love in select theaters before its Nov. 6 global streaming launch, Deadline reports.
By Georgia Hale · Staff Writer
3 min read
Netflix is giving Lee Chang-dong’s new film an old-school runway: the Possible Love Netflix release will start in theaters in Korea, the U.S. and other selected markets before the movie lands worldwide on the streamer, according to Deadline.
The Korean director’s first feature in eight years is set to arrive after high-profile festival stops at Venice and Toronto. Deadline reported that the theatrical plan positions the Netflix-financed original for awards eligibility, including the Best International Feature category at next year’s Academy Awards, along with other races.
When is Possible Love coming to theaters and Netflix?
Deadline reported that Possible Love will open in Korean cinemas on September 23. Australia follows on October 22, while the U.S., Canada, the UK, Ireland and Japan are scheduled for October 23.
The film is then due to begin streaming globally on Netflix on November 6. That gives the drama a short but notable big-screen window before its online rollout.
What is Possible Love about?
Possible Love centers on two married couples whose lives become tangled through a film project. One couple is made up of an unemployed worker and his wife; the other includes a documentary filmmaker and her husband.
According to Deadline, the story turns when the documentary filmmaker decides to record the other couple. That decision puts both relationships under pressure as the characters confront gaps between their lives and the desires they have kept out of view.
The ensemble cast is led by Jeon Do-yeon, Sul Kyung-gu, Zo In-sung and Cho Yeo-jeong. Deadline described the lineup as a strong ensemble for Lee’s return to filmmaking.
Why the theatrical dates matter for awards
A theatrical release can be more than a prestige flourish for a Netflix title. Deadline reported that the timing indicates an awards push because the film will qualify for the Academy Awards’ Best International Feature category, as well as other categories.
The Academy’s international feature race is one of the key prizes for non-English-language cinema. A limited cinema release can also help a film build critical momentum before it becomes available to Netflix subscribers around the world.
Possible Love will have its world premiere in competition at the Venice Film Festival. It has also been chosen for the Special Presentations section at the Toronto International Film Festival, giving it two major festival platforms before its theatrical and streaming dates.
For Netflix, the move places Lee’s film in a familiar awards-season pattern: festival launch, limited theatrical play, then a worldwide streaming debut. For Lee, it marks a return with a relationship drama built around marriage, class, filmmaking and private longing, as described in Deadline’s report.
This story draws on original reporting from Deadline.