'The Match' starring Lee Byung-hun, Yoo Ah-in mulls skipping theaters for Netflix release

 

Actor Yoo Ah-in (Netflix)

New drama film “The Match,” which stars big-name actors Lee Byung-hun and Yoo Ah-in as Go players, is considering skipping a theatrical release and going straight to a streaming platform.

Netflix on Wednesday said they are in talks with officials of ‘The Match’ concerning its release, but "nothing has been decided yet.”

The announcement denies a local news outlet’s report Tuesday that said Netflix and producers of “The Match” had agreed to release the film on the streaming platform.

According to the report, “The Match,” like many other Korean films, initially sought the right time for a theatrical release, but its producers were considering changing tactics as theater attendance has not improved drastically following the easing of the COVID-19 restrictions.

 

Actor Lee Byung-hun (Showbox)

Several Korean movies, including the thriller “The Call,” directed by Lee Chung-hyun, “Time to Hunt” by director Yoon Sung-hyun and “Space Sweepers” by director Jo Sung-hee, have skipped theatrical releases and were distributed on Netflix since the outbreak of the pandemic.

Based on a true story, the film is about two Go players: Cho Hoon-hyun (Lee) and Lee Chang-ho (Yoo), once a master and his pupil, find themselves having to play against each other in a legendary match.

The film is highly anticipated as it is the first time top stars Lee and Yoo are working together.

Kim Hyung-ju, who created “The Sheriff in Town” (2017), directed "The Match." The shooting started in December 2020 and finished around April last year. The film is currently in the post-production process.

By Song Seung-hyun (ssh@heraldcorp.com)