Korean film distributor CJ E&M has announced the release date for director Bong Joon-ho’s upcoming thriller, “Snowpiercer.”

Bong’s English-language debut, starring Song Kang-ho, Tilda Swinton and Chris Evans, will hit local theaters on Aug. 1 and open later in North America, France, Japan and Russia, CJ E&M officials said in a statement on Wednesday.

The sci-fi film is based on the French graphic novel “Le Transperceneige” by Jacques Lob and Jean-Marc Rochette. Set mostly on a train in a post-apocalyptic future, the film portrays all living creatures aside from riders on the train, the “Snowpiercer,” dying with the arrival of an ice age.

The train never stops and travels around the world to ensure the remaining people’s survival. The survivors must also fight their way to the first carriage, a critique of rigid social class structures.

Park Chan-wook of “Old Boy” fame co-produced the film and CJ E&M reportedly poured around 45 billion won ($39.8 million) into the project.



By Suk Gee-hyun
(monicasuk@heraldcorp.com)