| No Other Choice | |
|---|---|
 Teaser poster | |
| Hangul | 어쩔수가없다 |
| Literal meaning | I Can't Help It |
| Directed by | Park Chan-wook |
| Screenplay by |
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| Based on | The Ax byDonald Westlake |
| Produced by |
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| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Kim Woo-hyung |
| Edited by | Kim Sang-bum |
| Music by | Jo Yeong-wook |
Production company |
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| Distributed by | CJ Entertainment |
| Country | South Korea |
| Language |
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No Other Choice (Korean: 어쩔수가없다;lit. I Can't Help It) is an upcoming South Koreanblack comedythriller film directed byPark Chan-wook. It is based upon the novelThe Ax byDonald Westlake. The film follows Man Soo, a man who engages in a desperate hunt for new employment after being fired from a position he's held for 25 years.
During theBusan International Film Festival in 2009, it was announced that Park would remakeCosta-Gavras' 2005 filmThe Axe.[2] Park would later clarify that he had readDonald Westlake's 1997 novelThe Ax upon which the film was based and decided to adapt it prior to knowing about Costa-Gavras' film.[3] However, the project was delayed when Park received the screenplay for his 2012 filmStoker.[4] In 2012, Park said he planned to make the film his next project but it still needed "more work on the casting and attracting investors".[4]
During a live discussion with Costa-Gavras at the 2019 Busan International Film Festival, Park told audiences that he was still working on his adaptation of Westlake's novel.[3] The film was described by Park as a "lifetime project" and that while he hadn't begun filming it yet, he wished "to make this film as my masterpiece.”[5] Gavras, who still held the rights to the book, had helped Park to develop the project. The film was set to be an English-language picture, withDon McKellar co-writing the script alongside Park.[3]
Park's team toldThe Hollywood Reporter that he was approaching the project with the intent to "strengthen the moral dilemma in this story as much as possible, and he will increase the role of protagonist’s wife".[3]
At the2022 Cannes Film Festival, Park stated that the project was still in development and followed "a heartbreaking story about a middle-aged man who lost a job, and now he needs to bring the bread to the table to feed his family. So, he struggles in the process of looking for a job in a specialized field, and he becomes a serial killer."[6]
In March 2024,Lee Byung-hun andSon Ye-jin were announced as the film's leads.[7] Park revealed that the film would now be set in Korea.[8]
In August 2024, Park's frequent collaboratorsLee Kyoung-mi and Lee Ja-hye were also announced as writers on the project.
Principal photography began in August 2024.[9][1] Filming wrapped in January 2025, lasting a total of five months.[10]
