Park Chan-wook directs upcoming HBO original ‘The Sympathizer’

Korean director Park Chan-wook, the maestro behind Bafta-nominated “Decision to Leave” (2022), is coming to the small screen with an HBO original, “The Sympathizer.”

HBO released the official teaser and photos for the series, which is based on Vietnamese-American author Viet Thanh Nguyen’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of the same name. Robert Downey Jr. plays multiple roles as the main antagonists, while Australian actor Hoa Xuande stars in the protagonist role of “The Captain.” Korean-American actor Sandra Oh, Vietnamese-American actor Kieu Chinh and others join in an ensemble cast.

“The Sympathizer” tells the story of the Captain, a North Vietnamese spy in the South Vietnam army who flees to the United States near the end of the Vietnam War.

“The Sympathizer” is Park’s first foray into television since the 2018 BBC series “The Little Drummer Girl.” “The Little Drummer Girl” received rave reviews with a rating of 95 percent on the aggregator Rotten Tomatoes. Park’s “Decision to Leave” garnered him the Best Director award at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival and was shortlisted for the Best International Feature Film at the 95th Academy Wards.

BY LIM JEONG-WON [lim.jeongwon@joongang.co.kr]