Will the unreleased projects of the late Lee Sun-kyun be available for audiences to view this year – distributors are grappling with this profound question over whether they can further postpone the release or hastily confirm a release date.
The ‘Parasite’ actor passed away in December 2023 while being under investigation for drug use allegations at the time. Following his passing, the police closed the investigation citing a ‘lack of prosecutable evidence.’
Professionally, two of the movies he completed filming for before his demise have not yet been released for cinemagoers. Recently, there have been reports that these two films – ‘Project Silence,’ directed by Kim Tae-gon, and ‘Heaven: To the Land of Happiness,’ directed by Choo Chang-min – are likely to be released this year.
CJ ENM, the distributor of ‘Project Silence’ stated, “The release timing is still undetermined. It’s under ongoing discussion.” Similarly, NEW, the distributor of ‘Heaven: To the Land of Happiness’ commented, “We are considering the second half of the year for release, possibly in August.”
‘Project Silence’ narrates the story of people trapped on the crumbling Airport Bridge amidst dense fog, battling to survive an unforeseen threat. Lee Sun-kyun portrayed the character of a presidential aide who finds himself stranded on the bridge while bidding farewell to his daughter. The filming wrapped up in 2021 and was screened at the 76th Cannes Film Festival in May 2023 where it received mixed responses.
The other project, ‘Heaven: To the Land of Happiness’ is about the story of a soldier embroiled in a history-altering event, alongside a lawyer who fights to save him. Lee Sun-kyun played the role of the soldier entangled in the incident that left an indelible mark on modern history. As he concluded filming for the project, he stated, “It was a challenging project in many ways. I want to present a memorable work to the audience for a long time to come. I had a joyful and grateful time working with the director, excellent actors, and staff.”
The primary concern revolves around the fact that these are ‘Lee Sun-kyun’s unreleased works.’ Among the public, there is a mix of sympathy for the late actor. Whether these posthumous films will see the light of day remain to be seen.
