Sleep

Source: Cannes International Film Festival

‘Sleep’

Magnolia Pictures’ genre arm Magnet Releasing has picked up North American rights to Jason Yu’s South Korean Cannes Critics’ Week selection Sleep.

The thriller stars Lee Sun-kyun (Parasite) and Jung Yu-mi (Train To Busan) as newlyweds whose domestic bliss is disrupted when the man begins to develop sleep problems, claiming someone is inside.

As the man appears to become someone else during sleep, the expectant couple turn to a shaman who diagnoses something far more sinister than they could have imagined.

The Lewis Pictures production was also written by Yu, and produced by Lewis Tae-wan Kim.

“Jason Yu has fashioned an incredibly well-realized debut with Sleep,” said Magnolia Pictures co-CEOs Eamonn Bowles and Dori Begley. “We’re thrilled to introduce US 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,” said Yu. “I am deeply honoured 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!”

Begley and SVP of acquisitions John Von Thaden negotiated the deal with Hana Choi at Lotte Entertainment.