TIFF 2022: Epic Pictures Group Acquires South Korean Action Feature A MAN OF REASON For N.A. Ahead of World Premiere

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Epic Pictures Group announces today the acquisition of South Korean action feature A MAN OF REASON for North America ahead of the film’s anticipated world premiere at the 47th Toronto International Film Festival as part of the Special Presentation section. A MAN OF REASON is the directorial debut of famed Korean actor Jung Woo-sung, who also leads the cast alongside Kim Nam-gil (LOVERS VANISHED) and Park Sung-woong (FOR THE EMPEROR). 

The film follows Jung as Soo-hyeok, a man who wants to live a normal life after spending 10 years in prison. Upon visiting his long-abandoned girlfriend, he finds out he is the father of a young girl but his attempts to cut ties with his former gang are unsuccessful when his old boss begins to question his loyalty and uses his newly discovered daughter as leverage. Forced into a corner and with nothing to lose, Soo-hyeok must resort to violence to save her and get his revenge. 

Jung is notably known for his breakthrough performance in BEAT (1997) and went on to receive acclaim for his roles in THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE WEIRD (2008) and COLD EYES (2013), among others, before hitting international recognition with the action thriller STEEL RAIN (2017). More recently, he was an executive producer on the Netflix Original Korean sci-fi series The Silent Sea and reprised his role in STEEL RAIN for the 2020 sequel.

Celebrated by TIFF’s programming team for its ‘hi-octane action sequences’ and ‘memorable characters, ’A MAN OF REASON is co-written by Jung and Jung Hae-sin and produced by Studio Take Co., Ltd. Song Dae-chan produced while Jung Hyun-joo executive produced. 

“Shakespearean in its violence, Jung Woo-Sung’s A Man of Reason is a modern masterpiece in storytelling that is filled with some of the most adrenaline inducing and innovative action sequences,” said Epic Pictures Group CEO and Owner Patrick Ewald on the acquisition. “We are deeply grateful to the team at ACEMAKER movieworks and Jung Woo-Sung for allowing us to introduce this amazing thrill ride of a film to North American audiences."

“We’re thrilled to present Jung’s first — but overwhelming — feature A Man of Reason to North American audiences, and look forward to the reception from TIFF and further festivals, " said Hana Choi, International Business Team Leader at ACEMAKER movieworks. "We are very happy to start our business with Epic Pictures, who have rich experience distributing genre films in the US and Canada, and are sure to provide an excellent platform for Jung's feature." 

Epic Pictures Group will release the film theatrically and digitally in North America in Q1 2023 following its festival run via Epic Pictures Group’s North American distribution arm, Epic Releasing. The deal was negotiated by Patrick Ewald and Epic Pictures Group CFO Katie Page on behalf of Epic Pictures and Hana Choi on behalf of ACEMAKER movieworks.

Jung Woo-sung can also be seen in another high-profile South Korean directorial debut from an actor-turned-filmmaker world premiering in Toronto this month — Squid Game star Lee Jung-jae’s THE HUNT, featuring Lee and Jung in the leads, which premieres in the festival’s Gala Presentations section.