LOS ANGELES: South Korean filmmaker Park Chan-wook is set to lead the jury at the upcoming Cannes Film Festival while also preparing to unveil a major new Western project on the French Riviera, featuring an impressive ensemble cast.
The film, titled The Brigands of Rattlecreek, will star Oscar winner Matthew McConaughey alongside Oscar nominee Austin Butler and Pedro Pascal. Chinese actor Tang Wei, who previously collaborated with Park on the critically acclaimed 2022 film Decision to Leave, has also joined the cast.
Penned by S. Craig Zahler, the screenplay has long been a passion project for Park, who has revised its most recent draft. The story centres on a sheriff and a doctor seeking revenge against a gang of bandits who exploit a violent thunderstorm to terrorise and rob a small town.
The film will explore themes that are central to Park’s body of work, including vengeance, the consequences of violence, and the enduring influence of memory and family, all set against the backdrop of the American West.
The project is being produced by Bradley Fischer and Park under the Moho Film banner, with Jisun Back, Mike Medavoy and Georgia Kacandes serving as executive producers.
Park has reportedly been interested in bringing the script, which once featured on the Black List, to the screen for over a decade, although it first emerged more than 20 years ago. Both Warner Bros and Amazon have been linked to the project at various stages.
The director is coming off the success of his crime-comedy No Other Choice, which premiered at Cannes, earned three Golden Globe nominations and grossed more than 40 million dollars worldwide.
His previous English-language work includes the series The Sympathiser, the miniseries The Little Drummer Girl, and the film Stoker. Internationally, he is best known for Oldboy and The Handmaiden.
(With inputs from ANI)