#Korean Drama ‘A Normal Family’ Inks Distribution Deals Ahead of Toronto Premiere

South Korean drama A Normal Family, directed by Hur Jin-ho, has inked a raft of international distribution deals ahead of its upcoming world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival. 

Based on just a showreel, leading Korean sales outfit Finecut has sold the film to key territories including France and French-speaking Switzerland (Diaphana Distribution), Vietnam (Lumix Media Co.) and worldwide inflight, excluding South Korea and Taiwan (Encore Inflight Limited).

A Normal Family marks the third time that Hur, one of Korea’s leading auteurs, will premiere a film in Toronto, following Dangerous Liaisons (2012) and April Snow (2005). A Normal Family is an adaptation of Herman Koch’s bestselling Dutch novel, The Dinner, which has been translated into English, French, Spanish, Chinese and Portuguese.

A Normal Family follows the intense dilemma of two families facing a crime committed by their children, leading to a shocking and ironic ending. Sul Kyung-gu (seen recently in Kill Boksoon on Netflix) portrays an older brother who is a materialistic lawyer, while Jang Dong-gun (Friend) plays the morally adept pediatrician younger brother. Kim Hee-ae (Queenmaker) and Claudia Kim (The Avengers: Age of Ultron) portray the wives of the brothers, respectively.

“A drama about privilege, nepotism, and moral decline, A Normal Family explores the darker side of normalcy in a transglobal tale of binding blood ties that end up disintegrating the lives of its protagonists” says Giovanna Fulvi, one of Toronto’s international programmers. “Hur Jin-ho’s solid direction and impeccable performances from the A-list cast add weight and finesse to this dysfunctional story on the ‘normal’ life of a family, in what is the greatest and most powerful adaption of Herman Koch’s bestseller, The Dinner.”

Produced by Hive Media Corp, A Normal Family is currently in post-production. It will premiere in the special presentations section of TIFF, which runs Sept. 7-17.