Neon, CJ ENM Buy Kore-eda Hirokazu’s ‘Broker’ Ahead of Cannes Debut

Neon has teamed with CJ ENM to acquire North American distribution rights to “Broker,” the new film from writer and director Kore-eda Hirokazu. The deal was inked prior to the film’s premiere in Cannes, where “Broker” is slated to premiere in competition. Kore-eda is no stranger to the festival, having previously won the Palme d’Or in 2018 for “Shoplifters” and winning the Jury Prize in 2013 for “Like Father, Like Son.”

“Broker” was produced by Zip Cinema. Neon and CJ ENM previously teamed on “Parasite,” the South Korean thriller that won best picture at the 2020 Oscars.

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“Broker” follows Sang-hyun (Song Kang Ho) and Dong-soo (Gang Dong Won) as “brokers of goodwill,” who connect unwanted babies with new parents on the black market. When a new baby is dropped off, Sang-hyun and Dong-soo embark on a road trip to meet prospective parents, but are surprised when the birth mother (Lee Ji Eun) unexpectedly shows up to join them on their journey.

“Parasite” also won the Palme d’Or, as did “Titane,” another Neon release. Both films were acquired by the studio at the script stage.

At this year’s Cannes, Neon will unveil David Cronenberg’s “Crimes of The Future,” starring Léa Seydoux, Kristen Stewart and Viggo Mortensen. It’s a twisty thriller that even the director predicted would provoke walkouts. The company will also showcase Brett Morgen’s look at David Bowie’s career in “Moonage Daydream.” Recent Neon releases include Jonas Poher Rasmussen’s “Flee,” Joachim Trier’s “The Worst Person in the World” and Pablo Larraín’s “Spencer.”

Neon’s Jeff Deutchman, executive vice president of acquisitions and production, negotiated the North America deal with Namyoung Kim on behalf of CJ ENM.

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