Director Park Hoon-jung, known for his action thrillers, will begin production on “Tristes Tropiques” this month. The film will be released to distributors during the Toronto International Film Festival by Finecut, which will handle the sales rights.
The film follows a group of young assassins belonging to the Tristes Tropiques, an organization specializing in jungle warfare and subject to the absolute rule of the Master.
The film will be produced in Thailand and will run from September to December. Finecut said the film will feature an international cast skilled in various action styles, but did not provide any details about the Korean or foreign elements.
“Tristes Tropiques” was produced by Park’s production company, Gold Moon Film, and co-produced with Mindmark, a content company owned by the Shinsegae department store and duty-free shopping conglomerate. Recent films include “A Normal Family,” “Victory,” “Love Reset” and “Honey Sweet.”
This is also the fourth time Finecut has represented a Park film. It previously handled sales of the 2013 hit “New World,” 2017’s “V.I.P.” and 2018’s “The Witch: Parts 1. The Subversion.”
Park started out as a screenwriter before expanding into directing. He is best known for writing the screenplays for Ryu Seung-wan's 2010 film “The Unjust” and Kim Ji-won's “I Saw the Devil”.
His directorial debut “The Showdown” in 2010 was followed by the hit film “New World” starring Lee Jung-jae. His Netflix original film “Night in Paradise” was selected for an out-of-competition screening in Venice in 2021. He recently completed the feature film “The Childe” and the Disney+ series “The Tyrant.”
At the Toronto Unofficial Market, Finecut will present “Noise,” a horror thriller about a woman who uses an earpiece and experiences mysterious voices linked to her sister’s disappearance. The film will also be in the official competition at the Sitges Fantasy Film Festival.
In a completely different vein, Hong Sang-soo’s “By the River,” which premiered last month at Locarno, will have its North American premiere at the Luminaries Festival in Toronto. Finecut is once again holding the rights to the property.
