Lee Chang-dong Returns After Eight Years: 'Possible Love' Gets Global Release Plan Through Theaters and Netflix

Lee Chang-dong's first feature film in eight years, Possible Love, will open in South Korean theaters on September 23 before rolling out to cinemas worldwide and landing on Netflix globally on November 6. The full release calendar, confirmed by Variety on July 28, maps a six-week corridor from theatrical debut to streaming — a window designed to give the film festival exposure and big-screen runs before it reaches subscribers.
The film will have its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival, followed by its North American premiere at the Toronto Film Festival. From there, it moves into commercial release: South Korea first on September 23, then Australia on October 22, and the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Japan all on October 23. The global Netflix streaming debut follows on November 6.
Possible Love is a relationship drama starring Jeon Do-yeon, Sul Kyung-gu, Zo In-sung, and Cho Yeo-jeong — a cast spanning some of South Korea's most recognised screen actors. Lee co-wrote the screenplay with Oh Jung-mi. The film is a South Korean production, produced by Pinehouse Film Co., Anonymous Content, and Nowfilm Co. Netflix confirmed the cast, description, and a date-announcement poster in a press release on July 27.
For context, the theatrical-to-streaming gap — the number of weeks a film plays in cinemas before it becomes available to stream — has become a central negotiating point in the industry. A six-week window is shorter than the traditional 90-day theatrical exclusivity that once defined the business, but longer than the day-and-date releases some streamers have tried. For a director like Lee, whose previous films earned critical acclaim and festival prestige rather than blockbuster grosses, the arrangement gives audiences in multiple countries a genuine chance to see the film on a cinema screen before it moves to living rooms.
Lee's last feature was Burning, which premiered at Cannes in 2018. That eight-year gap between films places Possible Love among the more anticipated returns on the autumn festival calendar. Venice and Toronto serve as both premiere stages and industry marketplaces, where sales agents, distributors, and streamers assess films for acquisition and release planning.
The producing partnership behind the film reflects an increasingly common structure for international productions: Pinehouse Film and Nowfilm, both Korean companies, paired with Anonymous Content, a US-based production outfit known for both film and television. Netflix's involvement as the global streaming home means the film will reach the platform's subscriber base in over 190 countries simultaneously on November 6.
What makes this stand out is the reach of the theatrical plan itself. Many Netflix-backed films receive limited or symbolic cinema runs before streaming. Possible Love has specific dated releases across at least seven markets spanning Asia, North America, Europe, and Australia — a footprint that treats theatrical exposure as a meaningful part of the release rather than a formality.
For audiences, the calendar offers a clear set of dates to watch. Festival premieres in Venice and Toronto come first. South Korean cinemagoers get the film in late September. Much of the rest of the world follows in late October. And on November 6, it arrives on Netflix for anyone with a subscription.


