Yeon Sang-ho’s ‘Paradise Lost’ Sells to 118 Countries, Sets U.S. Premiere at Hawai‘i International Film Festival

Yeon Sang-ho’s Paradise Lost sells to 118 countries, with international sales revenue exceeding its net production budget, ahead of its U.S. premiere at the Hawai‘i International Film Festival Poster of “Paradise Lost“ “Paradise Lost,” the psychological thriller from “Train to Busan” director Yeon Sang-ho, has officially sold to 118 countries worldwide and surpassed its net production budget solely through international sales revenue. Following massive international acclaim and sold-out festival runs, the film is set for its U.S. premiere at the 46th Hawai‘i International Film Festival (HIFF). ■ Global Festival Performance & Metrics Festival / EventSectionScreening StatusKey Metrics51st Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF)Special PresentationsSold Out4 official screenings, approx. 2,300 seats31st Busan International Film Festival (BIFF)Gala PresentationSold Out4 official screenings46th Hawai‘i International Film Festival (HIFF)Spotlight on KoreaScheduledU.S. Premiere (Screenings on Nov 1 & 4, 2026) ■ Global Theatrical Release Schedule Region / CountryRelease DateDistributorSouth KoreaOctober 21, 2026CJ ENMTaiwanOctober 23, 2026Long ShongSingaporeNovember 5, 2026ShawNorth AmericaNovember 6, 2026WELL GO USAVietnamNovember 6, 2026Local DistributorIndonesiaNovember 13, 2026 ■ Storyline & Production Overview Starring Kim Hyun-joo and Bae Hyeon-seong, “Paradise Lost “follows Ryu So-young, a mother whose life takes an unexpected, haunting turn when her son, Ryu Sun-woo — who mysteriously vanished nine years earlier along with a bus carrying children to a camp — returns alive after long being presumed dead. Kim stars as So-young, anchoring the film’s complex mother-son relationship alongside Bae, who takes on his first feature film leading role as Sun-woo. ■ Strategic Success & Industry Outlook CJ ENM attributed the record-breaking sales performance to international buyers’ strong confidence in Yeon’s visionary direction, the film’s distinctive premise, and CJ ENM’s robust global sales capabilities. “The film combines a distinctive premise with a deeply felt exploration of family and motherhood,” said a representative of CJ ENM’s international distribution team. “These universal emotions are resonating across cultures and generating strong interest in international markets.” Presented by WOWPOINT and CJ ENM, and produced by WOWPOINT, “Paradise Lost” continues its worldwide expansion following its domestic launch on October 21, 2026. ■ About CJ ENM CJ ENM is a leading entertainment company founded in Korea in 1995. CJ ENM’s entertainment division has been continuously shaping the next chapter of K-culture within the global entertainment industry, spanning media content, music, film and performing arts. CJ ENM has created, produced and distributed globally-acclaimed content, including Oscar-winning film Parasite, Tony Award-winning musicals such as Kinky Boots, hit TV series such as Queen of Tears, globally successful music competition show I Can See Your Voice and more. CJ ENM is further pursuing opportunities to develop talent such as leading K-pop boy group ZEROBASEONE and global rookie sensation ALPHA DRIVE ONE. United under the slogan We live to discover Untold Originals, CJ ENM has three major production and distribution studios: a drama production powerhouse Studio Dragon, U.S.-based studio Fifth Season and K-OTT content production studio CJ ENM STUDIOS. It also operates No.1 K-content platform TVING and global K-POP content platform Mnet Plus. CJ ENM also presents KCON, world’s No.1 K-Lifestyle Festival, and MAMA AWARDS, world’s No.1 K-POP Awards, in order to bring K-culture experiences to people all over the world. To learn more about CJ ENM, please visit: http://www.cjenm.com