Yeon Sang-ho’s psychological thriller “Paradise Lost” has sold to 118 countries, and its U.S. premiere is set for the Spotlight on Korea section of the Hawaii International Film Festival, according to Deadline. The film will screen at HIFF on Nov. 1 and Nov. 4, 2026, marking its first American audience showing ahead of a wider North American theatrical rollout.
CJ ENM produced the film and is handling its South Korean distribution. Deadline reported that international sales revenue for “Paradise Lost” has already exceeded its net production budget, a notable benchmark for a film still working through its festival and theatrical calendar.
“Paradise Lost” Release Date And Platforms
- Date: Oct. 21, 2026 (South Korea theatrical)
- Date: Oct. 23, 2026 (Taiwan theatrical)
- Date: Nov. 1 and Nov. 4, 2026 (U.S. premiere, Hawaii International Film Festival, Spotlight on Korea section)
- Date: Nov. 5, 2026 (Singapore theatrical)
- Date: Nov. 6, 2026 (North America and Vietnam theatrical)
- Date: Nov. 13, 2026 (Indonesia theatrical)
- Distributors: Twin (Japan), The Jokers Films (France), Well Go USA (North America)
The Hawaii International Film Festival runs from Oct. 21 through Nov. 15 across the Hawaiian Islands, with programming focused on films from Asia and the Pacific. The “Paradise Lost” screenings fall under the festival’s Spotlight on Korea section, which highlights South Korean cinema for island audiences.
What We Know About “Paradise Lost”
“Paradise Lost” follows a mother whose son disappeared nine years earlier when a bus carrying children to summer camp vanished. The film centers on his unexplained return, alive, and the psychological fallout that follows. Hyun-joo Kim and Hyeon-seong Bae star in the film.
Yeon previously directed “Train To Busan,” “Peninsula” and “Colony,” giving him an established track record with South Korean genre films that have traveled internationally. “Paradise Lost” has already drawn sold-out screenings at the Toronto International Film Festival, where it played in the Special Presentations section, and at the Busan Film Festival, where it screened as part of the Gala Presentation lineup, according to Deadline.
Why The Hawaii Premiere Matters
Landing the U.S. premiere at a festival dedicated to Asian and Pacific cinema gives “Paradise Lost” a curated introduction to American audiences before Well Go USA brings it to wider domestic theaters on Nov. 6. The sold-out runs in Toronto and Busan, paired with sales revenue that has already topped the production budget, point to strong international distributor interest in the film even before its home market release in South Korea.
Readers interested in how other festivals are shaping the fall international film calendar can look at the Tokyo Film Festival 2026 lineup.
What’s Next
“Paradise Lost” opens in South Korean theaters Oct. 21, with Taiwan following on Oct. 23. After its HIFF premiere on Nov. 1 and Nov. 4, the film opens in Singapore on Nov. 5, then North America and Vietnam on Nov. 6. Indonesia follows on Nov. 13.
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