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| Netflix has suspended the domestic and international release of crime film "Time to Hunt," scheduled for April 10, after a court granted an injunction Wednesday. Courtesy of Netflix |
By Lee Gyu-lee
Netflix has suspended the domestic and international release of crime film "Time to Hunt," set for April 10, after the Seoul Central District Court accepted a request for an injunction to stop it on Wednesday.
The streaming giant made the announcement on its social media Thursday. It also said it would put a brake on all promotional events for the film, "in respect of the decision of the court."
"We express our sincere regret to viewers all over the world, including Korea," Netflix said.
The movie's distributor Little Big Pictures signed an exclusive premiere deal with Netflix in March. But the film's former overseas sales agency Contents Panda claimed that the deal violated the contract between it and the distributor.
Contents Panda then filed an injunction to stop the film's overseas release, saying it would invalidate sales contracts it had already signed in several countries.
The court accepted the request, citing that the termination of the overseas sales contract between the two parties was invalid.
"If Little Big Pictures were to stream the film abroad, it has to pay Contents Panda 10 million won ($16,000) per day as compensation," the court said.
The movie was scheduled for theatrical release in February but this was canceled due to rising concerns over the coronavirus.
Little Big Pictures claimed that the contracts with the overseas distributors and the agency were terminated through legal procedures before it signed the Netflix deal.
