Director Yeon Sang-ho's low-budget project has hit the mark once again.

Distributor CJ ENM announced, "'Paradise Lost' has been sold to 118 countries worldwide, generating revenue from overseas sales alone that exceeds its net production cost." It added, "This sales achievement across 118 countries is the result of overseas market trust in Director Yeon Sang-ho's cinematic world and the power of his original story, combined with CJ ENM's global business competitiveness."

Having achieved massive success by drawing 5.95 million moviegoers in May with 'Colony', Director Yeon Sang-ho has presented another low-budget film with his new work. 'Paradise Lost' was made with a production budget of 500 million won. In 2025, Director Yeon achieved success by making the film 'Face' on a budget of 200 million won, drawing 1.08 million viewers nationwide.

At a time when the average production cost for a Korean film exceeds 5 billion won, Director Yeon Sang-ho's low-budget project has been regarded as a sort of experiment. It was the result of top-tier actors and staff reducing their guarantees and signing contracts to receive running guarantees or equity, backed by the director's reputation and personal relationships.

'Paradise Lost' was also completed with a low budget of 500 million won, pre-premiered through the Toronto International Film Festival, and is ahead of its domestic theatrical release. Having recovered its production cost solely through overseas pre-sales ahead of its release, the film has been able to ease the burden of domestic box office pressure.

'Paradise Lost' tells the story that begins when Ryu So-young (Kim Hyun-joo), a mother who lost her son in a camping school bus disappearance incident 9 years ago, is miraculously reunited with her son Ryu Sun-woo (Bae Hyun-sung), whom she had believed to be dead. Kim Hyun-joo and Bae Hyun-sung star in the film. The movie is scheduled to open on October 21.



(SBS Entertainment News, Reporter Kim Ji-hye)