Netflix sets Possible Love launch date for Lee Chang-dong

Netflix has set theatrical and streaming dates for Possible Love, Lee Chang-dong’s first film since 2018’s Burning. Among fall Netflix movies, the awards hopeful opens in select theaters in October before a worldwide streaming debut on Nov. 6, following Venice and Toronto premieres.

The Korean auteur’s relationship drama will premiere in competition at the Venice Film Festival in September, then play as a special presentation at the Toronto International Film Festival, according to Deadline and The Hollywood Reporter.

Key Takeaways

• Possible Love streams worldwide on Netflix on Nov. 6 after limited theatrical runs.
• U.S., Canada, UK, Ireland, and Japan theatrical openings are set for Oct. 23; Korea opens Sept. 23.
• The film premieres at Venice (Golden Lion competition) and screens at Toronto.
• Stars include Jeon Do-yeon, Sul Kyung-gu, Zo In-sung, and Cho Yeo-jeong.
• Netflix is positioning the title for an awards-season push, including International Feature eligibility.

When does Possible Love hit theaters and Netflix?

Theatrical windows begin in Korea on Sept. 23, followed by Australia on Oct. 22. The U.S., Canada, UK, Ireland, and Japan open on Oct. 23. Netflix then launches Possible Love globally on Nov. 6.

That staggered plan gives the film an awards-qualifying theatrical footprint before it joins the platform’s slate of Netflix movies. Coverage of the rollout also sits alongside other market and media alerts in our Fintech & Crypto Alerts hub for readers tracking major entertainment releases.

Who stars in Lee Chang-dong’s Possible Love?

Possible Love reunites Lee with Jeon Do-yeon (Secret Sunshine) and Sul Kyung-gu (Peppermint Candy, Oasis). They are joined by Zo In-sung and Cho Yeo-jeong, known globally for Parasite.

The official synopsis follows two married couples whose paths cross when documentary filmmaker Ye-ji begins filming laid-off workers. Mi-ok lives quietly with her laid-off husband Ho-seok and their young son until a funeral draws them into Ye-ji and Sang-woo’s affluent world. As Mi-ok grows close to Ye-ji and is drawn to Sang-woo, fractures surface in both marriages.

Lee co-wrote the film with Oh Jung-mi, his Burning collaborator. Pinehouse Film produces with Anonymous Content and NOWFILM as a U.S.-Korea co-production. Netflix Tudum lists a runtime of 2 hours 44 minutes.

Why does the awards push matter for Netflix movies?

Netflix is framing Possible Love as a high-profile fall awards contender. Deadline notes the theatrical dates should help it qualify for Best International Feature at next year’s Academy Awards, plus other categories.

Lee has never received an Oscar nomination, but Burning became the first Korean film shortlisted in the international feature category and won Cannes’ FIPRESCI Prize. His earlier work earned Venice’s special director’s prize for Oasis and Cannes’ screenplay award for Poetry.

“I’m not the type of filmmaker who can make movies easily,” Lee said in a Netflix Tudum statement. “Before I begin a film, I must be certain of what it means — to me, to the audience, and to cinema itself. That is why Possible Love took so long to make.”

For cinephile audiences, the announcement confirms a rare return from one of South Korea’s most revered directors—and a clear calendar for when to see Possible Love first on the big screen, then on Netflix.