Epic Pictures Releasing has licensed North American rights to Korean action film “Hot Blooded,” from leading Seoul-based film sales agency Finecut. The deal is one of several struck by the agency ahead of Cannes, where it is also launching sales on Critics’ Week title “Next Sohee.”
Starring Bae Doona and Kim Si-eun, “Next Sohee” is directed by Jung July, whose acclaimed “A Girl at My Door” played in Un Certain regard in 2014. It tells the tale of a detective probing the death of a call center worker.
“Hot Blooded,” the directing debut of screenwriter Cheon Myeong-kwan (“Whale”) was also licensed by Finecut to Japan (New Select), Singapore, Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia (CJ ENM Hong Kong) and the Philippines (Viva Networks). These are in addition to previous deals for France (the Jokers Films), Thailand, Cambodia and Laos (M Pictures).
Finecut closed multiple deals on “Chun Tae-il: A Flame That Lives On,” an animated film that examines labor conditions in Korea, to Hong Kong and Macau (Edko Films), Taiwan (Cai Chang Intl.) and inflight in Hong Kong, Singapore and the Philippines (Bofrato).
Both “Hot Blooded” and “Chun Tae-il” will receive screenings in the Cannes Market this week.
The company recently closed deals on its two films by female, first-time directors that were presented at Berlin in February. “The Hill of Secrets,” which recently won the CGV Arthouse Award Upcoming Project Prize at the 23rd Jeonju International Film Festival and is next invited to the Zlin Film Festival, was licensed to Edko for Hong Kong and Macau, and to AV-Jet Intl. for Taiwan. Kim Se-in’s “The Apartment With Two Women” was licensed to Harakiri Films for Japan and Edko for Hong Kong and Macau.
Another Berlin title, Hong Sang-soo’s “The Novelist’s Film,” added sales deals with Midas Filmes for Portugal, Grandfilm for Germany and Austria, with Acephale for Canada and with AV-Jet for Taiwan.
“Contorted,” a genre title about a family and disturbing events in their new home, was licensed to Lumix Media for Vietnam, to Cai Chang Intl. for Taiwan, to New Select for Japan and to Viva Networks for the Philippines.
