Netflix are reportedly in talks to show the Korean film, The Match on their platform. The news was broken by The Korean Herald, which stated that The Match starring Squid Game’s Lee Byung-hun and Hellbound’s Yoo Ah-in, might be heading towards the streaming service rather than opting for a traditional theatrical release.
The producers of The Match had reportedly previously arranged a theatrical premiere, but things now look on the verge of changing. The decision is reportedly down to cinema attendance not recovering from Covid-19 in South Korea. Earlier this week, it was alleged a deal was done with Netflix. However, they have informed the Korean publication that “nothing has been decided yet”.
The film is based on a true story of two Go players, a traditional Chinese board game. Cho Hun-hyun (played by Lee) is a Go champion who takes Lee Chang-ho (played by Yoo) under his wing after discovering his talent at an amateur contest.
The Match has been directed by Kim Hyung-ju, who was also behind 2017’s The Sheriff In Town. According to The Korea Herald, The Match is currently in post-production, and filming was finished in April 2021. The upcoming film is highly anticipated as it marks the first time Lee and Yoo have worked together.
Meanwhile, it was recently announced an exhibit of South Korean culture is heading to London.
