South Korea’s Sidus FNH has picked up worldwide rights to The Showdown, a period action thriller produced by Bidangil Pictures whose credits include The Chaser.

Currently in production, The Showdown is the directorial debut of screenwriter Park Hoon-jung, whose two other scripts are also in production – Kim Jee-woon’s I Saw The Devil and a new thriller from Ryu Seung-wan.

Set in Manchuria in 1,619AD, the film tells the story of three Korean soldiers who are trapped in an abandoned tavern and have to fight each other for survival during the war against China’s Qing dynasty.

“The Showdown is a raw portrayal of the paradox of human relations when desperate for survival – how allies and friends sometimes become enemies, and vice versa,” said Sidus head of international investment and distribution Juyoung Park.

Sidus FNH’s Cannes slate also includes horse-racing drama Grand Prix, starring Kim Tae-hee; comic noir Villain & Widow, starring Kim Hye-su and Han Suk-kyu; family drama A Long Visit, and love story Camellia, starring Kang Dong-won and Song Hye-kyo. Grand Prix and Villain & Widow are in production, while Camellia is in post-production.

Sidus FNH is the film and media business arm of the Korea Telecom (KT) group. The company is also the financier and domestic distributor of Cannes competition entry The Housemaid, which Mirovision is selling internationally.

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