By Claire Lee
Korean filmmaker Bong Joon-ho’s sci-fi thriller “Snowpiercer” opened in 300 theaters nationwide in France on Wednesday, about three months after its Korean release.
No other Korean film has ever secured such a large number of theaters in France, according to the movie’s producer CJ Entertainment.
The dystopian sci-fi, which features an international cast that includes Tilda Swinton, Song Kang-ho and Ed Harris, tells the story of a post-apocalyptic future in which the surviving humanity lives on a train divided by social class after the arrival of a new ice age.
The film, which is based on 1984 French graphic novel “La Transperceneige,” was both a critical and commercial success in Korea, garnering 9.3 million viewers.
Director Bong’s 2006 monster flick “The Host” was released in France in the same year in 223 theaters, while Park Chan-wook’s “The Thirst” opened in 78 theaters in France in 2007. In 2002, veteran filmmaker Im Kwon-taek’s drama “Painted Fire” was released in France in 60 theaters.
“Snowpiercer” will also be released in Japan and Taiwan in February next year. Its North American release date has not been announced yet.
(dyc@heraldcorp.com)