It’s official: No Other Choice, starring Lee Byung-hun, is officially in the race for the 2026 Oscars.
According to Variety, the Korean Film Council has chosen the 2025 thriller comedy directed by Park Chan Wook, known for hits like Oldboy, The Handmaiden and Decision to Leave, to represent South Korea in the Best International Feature Film category at the 98th Academy Awards. This could finally give Park Chan Wook his first Oscar win, as surprisingly, he has never been nominated before.
Previously, only one of his movies had been submitted in this category. His 2022 film Decision to Leave was shortlisted, but with No Other Choice earning incredible praise and holding a perfect 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes, it’s considered a strong contender for the 2026 Oscars.
To qualify for Best International Feature at the 98th Academy Awards, as reported by Deadline, a film must be produced outside the United States, be at least 51% in a non-English language, and have a theatrical run in its home country for at least seven straight days between October 1, 2024 and September 30, 2025. The submission deadline is October 1. The shortlist will be announced on December 16 and the final five nominees on January 22, 2026.
No Other Choice is based on Donald E. Westlake’s novel The Ax and tells the story of a desperate man, played by Squid Game star Lee Byung-hun, who decides to eliminate his job competition after being suddenly laid off from a paper company where he worked for years. The cast also includes Son Ye Jin, Park Hee Soon, Lee Sung Min, Yeom Hye Ran and Cha Seung Won.
The film premiered last month at the 82nd Venice International Film Festival. It will also open the 30th Busan International Film Festival on September 17 and hit theaters in South Korea on September 14, 2025 through CJ Entertainment.
In a 2019 interview, Park called No Other Choice a “lifetime project.” At that time, he said if the movie ever got made, he wanted it to be his “masterpiece.” He has been attached to this project since 2009 when it was first announced as a remake of Costa Gavras’ 2005 film The Axe. Park had long admired the original book even before knowing about the earlier adaptation. However, after the announcement, other projects kept him busy, delaying this film until now.
Neon recently confirmed that No Other Choice will premiere in select U.S. theaters on December 25, Christmas Day, starting a limited release before going nationwide in January.
Source: MovieWeb