Magnet Releasing, the genre arm of indie distributor Magnolia Pictures, has acquired North American rights to “Sleep.” The horror-thriller, which sounds designed to make you rethink your thoughts about sleepwalking, recently had its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival’s critics week.
It was directed and written by Jason Yu, who worked with Korean filmmaking legends Bong Joon-ho and Lee Chang-dong before making his feature directing debut with “Sleep.” Magnet will release the film early next year.
The director’s previous collaborator, Bong, called “Sleep,” “the most unique horror film and the smartest debut film I’ve seen in 10 years.” So that’s some high praise from the director of “The Host” and “Parasite.”
According to an official synopsis, “Sleep” “follows newlyweds Hyun-su (Lee Sun-kyun) and Soo-jin (Jung Yu-mi), whose domestic bliss is disrupted when Hyun-su begins speaking in his sleep, ominously stating, ‘Someone’s inside.’ From that night on, whenever he falls asleep, Hyun-su transforms into someone else, with no recollection of what happened the night before. Overwhelmed with anxiety that he may hurt himself or their young family, Soo-jin can barely sleep because of this irrational fear. Despite treatment, Hyun-su’s sleepwalking only intensifies, and Soo-jin begins to feel that her unborn child may be in danger.”
“Jason Yu has fashioned an incredibly well-realized debut with ‘Sleep,’” said Magnolia Pictures co-CEOs Eamonn Bowles and Dori Begley in a statement. “We’re thrilled to introduce U.S. audiences to a new, distinctive voice in the long tradition of visionary South Korean cinema.”
“Magnolia Pictures is home to many of my favorite films and has played a crucial part in my growth as a filmmaker,” Yu said. “I am deeply honored to embark on this journey with such a renowned distributor, and I cannot wait to show ‘Sleep’ all across the United States. I truly believe it will be a fun and crazy time that will keep you on the edge of your seats!”
“Sleep” is a Lewis Pictures production. It was produced by Lewis Tae-wan Kim. It boasts cinematography by Kim Tae-soo, editing by Han Mee-yeon, and music by Chang Hyuk-jin and Chang Yong-jin.
The deal was negotiated by Magnolia’s Begley and John Von Thaden, the company’s senior VP of acquisitions. Hana Choi at Lotte Entertainment represented the filmmakers in those talks.
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