'Sanyang-ui Sigan' Landing in Living Room, Lee Je-hoon and Netflix Begin Promotion After Trials and Tribulations

[Lee Isul, Entertainment Reporter]

It is time for Time to Hunt to unveil itself in the living room.

The film Time to Hunt (director Yoon Sung-hyun) has finally completed censorship and is set to land on home screens.

Previously, due to the impact of COVID-19 (novel coronavirus infection), the release of Time to Hunt was temporarily postponed. As the situation prolonged, the distributor Little Big Pictures turned to OTT platforms as a lifeline.

Before the spread of COVID-19, Time to Hunt had been preparing for a February 26 release, carrying out promotional schedules such as production presentations, movie talks, and variety show appearances. It was the first Korean film invited to the Berlinale Special Gala section at the 70th Berlin International Film Festival, where actors Lee Je-hoon, Ahn Jae-hong, Choi Woo-shik, Park Jung-min, and director Yoon Sung-hyun attended and walked the red carpet.

As planned, they were to hold a press screening and interviews the day after returning to Korea, but these schedules had to be canceled due to COVID-19. Ultimately, Little Big Pictures sold Time to Hunt to the foreign company Netflix for approximately 12 to 15 billion KRW.

However, this process caused some friction. There was a disagreement with the overseas sales agency Content Panda over international rights. Content Panda stated, "Without sufficient discussion, we received a verbal notice in early March requesting contract termination for the full sale to Netflix," and added, "We clearly expressed that unilateral contract termination is unacceptable," indicating they would not hesitate to engage in legal disputes.

With Netflix acquiring all rights to Time to Hunt, official marketing began on the 1st. Lead actor Lee Je-hoon posted the Netflix version poster of Time to Hunt on his SNS that day, writing, "Please check it on April 10."

Recently, the Korea Media Rating Board (KMRB) completed the classification of Time to Hunt as suitable for viewers aged 15 and above.

The KMRB explained the rating decision, stating, "There are several scenes of gunfire and shootings that are somewhat intense, and relatively frequent use of harsh profanity and vulgar language, resulting in a somewhat high level of harmfulness in terms of violence and dialogue."

Earlier, the completed Time to Hunt and video content featuring EBS trainee Pengsoo were also released through online channels.

Netflix officially began promotion by releasing previously unseen stills in a press release on the 2nd.

Despite finally settling on Netflix after many twists and turns, Time to Hunt still carries various issues. Perhaps the most regretful are director Yoon and the actors who had eagerly awaited a theatrical release. Since the film was not originally made as OTT platform content, the disappointment of the team involved is understandably significant. Moreover, as a film closely watched by the theater industry, there remains a bittersweet feeling.

Especially since Time to Hunt reunites Lee Je-hoon and Park Jung-min with director Yoon Sung-hyun, who previously worked together on Guardians (2011), the disappointment of those involved and those who have been anticipating the film cannot be erased.

In any case, Time to Hunt is now ready to land in the living room.

Netflix is expected to aggressively ramp up promotion for Time to Hunt. With social distancing continuing due to COVID-19, interest in OTT platform content enjoyed at home has increased. Therefore, even one more new piece of content is highly valued.

Kingdom 2, released on March 13, also drew worldwide attention amid the situation. However, the video interviews conducted during the promotion process at that time, which were unavoidable, sparked significant backlash due to their one-sided communication style. It remains to be seen whether Time to Hunt will also push forward with video interviews as a last resort.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.