Entertainment news website Deadline reported on Friday that London-based distributor Celsius Entertainment has accused Chinese streaming platform iQIYI with streaming Chan-wook Park‘s live-action Oldboy film for at least six years without permission.

Deadline stated lawyers for Celsius Entertainment and Oldboy producer Egg Films had contacted iQIYI in a legal letter in August 2023 to accuse iQIYI of streaming the film for years after IQIYI‘s license for the film expired in 2016.

According to Deadline’s report, Celsius Entertainment asked for compensation in a “low six-figure” range in U.S. dollars. Deadline added that according to its sources, iQIYI removed the film within three days of receiving the legal warning, but has not yet paid any compensation.

Baidu’s iQIYI streaming service was founded in 2010 and has more than 100 million subscribers. The streamer also streams anime in Southeast Asia.

Park’s acclaimed film is based on Garon Tsuchiya and Nobuaki Minegishi‘s Old Boy manga. Dark Horse publishes the manga in English.

Park was the director of the original film adaptation and co-wrote the script. The manga and the Korean film also inspired Spike Lee’s 2013 Hollywood remake.

The Korean film returned to theaters in 2023 in celebration of the 20th anniversary and earned US$878,212 in its first five days in the United States.

Park is currently developing a live-action English-language series based on his film adaptation.

Source: Deadline (Jake Kanter)