Netflix "Hunting Time" Release Postponed... Respecting Court's Decision

[Asia Economy Reporter Jonggil Lee] The movie "Time to Hunt," which went straight to Netflix, will not be released for the time being. A Netflix representative stated on the 9th, "We are postponing the scheduled release of the 'Time to Hunt' content and all related events planned for the 10th." They added, "This decision was made out of respect for the court's ruling," and expressed regret to those around the world, including Korea, who have been waiting for "Time to Hunt."

This is a measure following the court's injunction banning overseas release. On the 8th, the Seoul Central District Court accepted the provisional injunction filed by Content Panda against the distributor Little Big Pictures, prohibiting overseas screenings and invalidating the contract termination. As a result, the contract termination between Little Big Pictures and Content Panda was nullified. Content Panda regained the rights to sell the overseas distribution rights of "Time to Hunt." Little Big Pictures is prohibited from releasing "Time to Hunt" worldwide except in Korea. If violated, they must pay Content Panda 20 million KRW per day.

The film was originally scheduled to be screened domestically on February 26 but was indefinitely postponed due to the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). Little Big Pictures, concerned about additional promotional and marketing costs, transferred all rights to Netflix, marking the first time a Korean film new release has done so. However, "Time to Hunt" had already been sold to about 30 countries. Content Panda, which signed an overseas sales contract with Little Big Pictures on January 24 of last year, achieved this after more than a year of work. A Content Panda representative said, "We were also about to sign contracts with an additional 70 countries." Little Big Pictures was aware of the contract but transferred all rights to Netflix. Instead, they requested Content Panda to terminate the contract for Netflix sales in early March.

Little Big Pictures could have contracted with Netflix excluding countries where rights had already been sold, similar to Japan's Studio Ghibli. Netflix does not provide 21 Studio Ghibli works in the United States and Canada because HBO Max holds exclusive screening rights for Studio Ghibli works in those two countries. Regarding the "double contract" controversy, Little Big Pictures explained, "We conducted sufficient prior negotiations and legally terminated the contract after legal review based on a contract clause allowing termination due to force majeure or similar reasons." However, Content Panda countered, "There was only verbal notification and the sending of official letters."

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