Lee Chang-dong Movies Head to Netflix Worldwide After ‘Possible Love’ Venice Win
Netflix is expanding international access to Burning, Poetry, Secret Sunshine and other films by the South Korean director as his new drama begins its awards-season rollout.
Lee Chang-dong movies on Netflix are becoming available to substantially more viewers around the world following the South Korean filmmaker’s latest awards success. Netflix announced Monday, September 14, that it is expanding international access to Lee’s earlier filmography after Possible Love won the Silver Lion Grand Jury Prize at the 83rd Venice International Film Festival.
The initiative covers films including Green Fish, Peppermint Candy, Oasis, Secret Sunshine, Poetry and Burning, although the exact titles and release timing differ by territory. In its official September 14 announcement, Netflix said the wider rollout is intended to make more of Lee’s work accessible ahead of the global streaming premiere of Possible Love on November 6.
Lee Chang-dong movies on Netflix are expanding market by market
The rollout is not a single worldwide release date for all six films. Netflix has instead been adding different parts of Lee’s catalog across individual markets.
Green Fish and Secret Sunshine began streaming in late August in Italy, the United Kingdom, France, Australia and New Zealand. Peppermint Candy and Oasis followed in Italy and Spain on September 4.
Netflix says Poetry and Burning are also planned for additional markets including the United States, Canada, Japan, Australia and New Zealand. Depending on location, the films will be available with subtitles in as many as six languages.
Variety independently reported the international expansion, connecting the catalog rollout directly to the renewed attention around Lee following his Venice success.
Possible Love gives Netflix a new entry point into Lee’s filmography
The timing centers on Possible Love, Lee’s first feature since the 2018 drama Burning. The new film stars Jeon Do-yeon, Sul Kyung-gu, Zo In-sung and Cho Yeo-jeong as two married couples whose lives intersect through a documentary project.
The film won the Silver Lion Grand Jury Prize when the Venice Film Festival concluded on September 12. It is also South Korea’s official submission for Best International Feature Film at the 99th Academy Awards.
Netflix has given the film a theatrical window before its streaming debut. It opens in South Korea on September 23, followed by Australia and New Zealand on October 22. The United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and Japan are among markets scheduled for theatrical release on October 23 before the November 6 global Netflix premiere.
The Hollywood Reporter also confirmed Netflix’s expanded Lee Chang-dong rollout as the company positions Possible Love for an international theatrical, streaming and awards-season campaign.
Burning and Secret Sunshine are among Lee Chang-dong’s best-known films
The catalog expansion gives newer viewers a route through a filmmaking career that has developed slowly but accumulated considerable international recognition.
Lee made his feature directing debut with Green Fish in 1997. Peppermint Candy followed in 1999, while Oasis earned him the Best Director prize at Venice in 2002.
Secret Sunshine brought another major international breakthrough in 2007 when Jeon Do-yeon won Best Actress at the Cannes Film Festival for her performance. Lee later won Best Screenplay at Cannes for Poetry in 2010.
His most recent film before Possible Love, Burning, premiered at Cannes in 2018. The mystery drama stars Yoo Ah-in, Steven Yeun and Jeon Jong-seo and helped introduce Lee’s work to another generation of international moviegoers.
The September 14 expansion therefore does more than promote one new Netflix release. It places a larger portion of the director’s catalog alongside the film generating renewed attention around his career.
Netflix is linking Possible Love to Lee’s earlier work
The strategy resembles a filmmaker retrospective built inside a streaming service, although availability remains fragmented by territory. Viewers who encounter Possible Love through the Venice win or its upcoming Netflix release will increasingly be able to move backward through Lee’s career without relying entirely on specialty theatrical screenings or physical-media editions.
Aju Press reported from Seoul that the expansion includes the planned addition of Poetry and Burning in markets such as the United States and Canada while several earlier films are already streaming in parts of Europe and the Asia-Pacific region.
Netflix also notes that Lee recently became the first Korean filmmaker to receive the Toronto International Film Festival’s Ebert Director Award, adding another career honor during the same period as the Venice recognition for Possible Love.
For viewers, however, the practical development is straightforward. More Lee Chang-dong movies on Netflix are moving into additional territories, turning the release of Possible Love into an opportunity to revisit the filmmaker’s work across nearly three decades of Korean cinema.
About the author
Annelise Sylta
Annelise Sylta is an accomplished digital marketing and public relations professional with an MBA from FIDM. Her academic background and industry experience have shaped her strategic approach to communications, branding, and audience engagement. She has also been invited to contribute to The Showbiz Journal, where she shares insights informed by her expertise and professional perspective.
