This summer's most anticipated films
By Jason Bechervaise
The summer season has arrived and marketing campaigns for this year’s summer tentpole releases have begun with many now entering their stride.
Here’s a preview of what to expect this summer, and the films are ranked in terms of what I am most eagerly awaiting to see beginning with the film I most want to see. This is, of course, subjective, but it aims to provide a glimpse of what to expect over the coming weeks.
1. The Tunnel
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A scene from “The Tunnel.” / Courtesy of Showbox
I’ve been curious about this project ever since it was announced last year. Directed by Kim Seong-hun who helmed the expertly orchestrated “A Hard Day” that become a critical and commercial hit, and invited to Cannes Film Festival in 2014, there is evidently talent behind this new film.
Featuring an all-star cast: Ha Jung-woo, Bae Doona and Oh Dal-su, it’s based on the 2013 novel of the same name by So Jae-won about a man trapped in a collapsed tunnel echoing many of the recurring safety lapses that have occurred in Korea.
Bae plays his wife while Oh stars as a captain leading the rescue operation, but they face mounting opposition when rescue efforts delay the construction of a new tunnel.
What worked so well in “A Hard Day” was the use of dark humor, which if Kim can master once again, could resonate well with audiences when it’s released on Aug.10.
Furthermore, having already secured its first international festival invitation at Locarno next month, it could also play well overseas.
2. Jason Bourne
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A scene from “Jason Bourne.” / Courtesy of UPI Korea
A new film by Paul Greengrass is enough for me to start taking interest, but returning to the Bourne franchise with Matt Damon playing the former CIA assassin is something to get genuinely excited about. Both “The Bourne Supremacy” and The Bourne Ultimatum” are arguably up there with the best spy-thrillers of the noughties.
In “Jason Bourne” the protagonist returns amidst a significant amount of instability, but a new program has been set up to hunt him down.
At a press conference in Seoul earlier this month, Damon said a car chase in the film set on the Las Vegas Strip “totalled 170 vehicles. That was definitely a record for us. It’s bigger than anything we’ve done.”
“Jason Bourne” arrives in local multiplexes on July 27.
3. Train to Busan
Directed by Yeon Sang-ho who directed the animated prequel “Seoul Station” and starring Gong Yoo, Jung Yu-mi, Kim Su-Ahn and Ma Dong-seok it’s certainly an entertaining ride even though it lacks the layers seen in Bong Joon-ho’s dystopian “Snowpiercer”.
Having premiered as a midnight screening in Cannes in May, it’s been able to generate a great deal of momentum ahead of its release, which appears to be working in its favor given the high reservation rates ahead its opening on July 20.
4. Star Trek Beyond
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A scene from “Star Trek Beyond.” / Courtesy of Lotte Entertainment
J.J Abrams’ rebooting of “Star Trek” has been an enthralling adventure and while he has handed on the baton to Justin Lin (“Fast & Furious”), the cast that includes Chris Pine, Simon Pegg, John Cho and the late Anton Yelchin who tragically died in an accident in June, return for the third instalment.
The crew of the USS Enterprise are attacked again but this time by powerful and unknown aliens. Forced to abandon ship and stranded on a distant planet, they have only themselves to rely on to defeat this new enemy.
Early reviews are generally positive, but audiences in Korea will have to wait until August before it hits screens here.
5. Operation Chromite
This production started generating headlines last year when it was announced that Liam Neeson was to star in the film as General Douglas MacArthur illustrating how the increasing presence of Korean films is beginning to attract Hollywood stars.
Also starring Lee Jung-jae and Lee Beom-soo, it’s directed by Lee Jae-han (“71: Into the Fire”) and set in the Korean War, it follows eight South Korean troops to carry out “Operation X-Ray” that led to the Incheon Landings, a turning point in the Korean War.
Released on July 27, it should open strongly, but the all-important word-of-mouth factor will dictate whether it has any longevity.
6. Suicide Squad
The last film involving characters from DC comics to hit the silver screen “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” was a disaster. David Ayer’s “Suicide Squad” though looks a lot more interesting with its gritty but comical approach seen in the trailers.
It has an electric cast too: Will Smith, Jared Leto, Margot Robbie and Viola Davies.
The story of a group of super villains hired by a secret government agency to execute dangerous black ops missions sounds somewhat formulaic, but strong execution, colorful characters and entertaining storytelling could make this a serious contender at the box office. After all, audiences have repeatedly demonstrated there is a great deal of appetite for comic book movie adaptations.
7. Take Off 2
Sequel to the 2009 hit, but this film sees a new cast, director and sport. This time it’s based on a true story of a team of women who come together to form South Korea’s first national ice hockey team.
Directed by Kim Jong-hyeon and starring Soo-ae, Oh Yeon-seo and Oh Dal-su as their coach, it sounds like a cross between “Take Off” and Yim Soon-rye’s 2008 box office hit “Forever the Moment.”
It faces some fierce competition at the box office when it is released in August, but it’ll no doubt want to replicate the success that made the first one a hit.
8. The Last Princess
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A scene from “The Last Princess.” / Courtesy of Lotte Entertainment
Hur Jin-ho is one of many local filmmakers including Park Chan-wook and Kim Jee-woon who have set their latest features in the colonial period.
Based on Kwon Bi-young’s novel ‘Princess Deokhye,’ Son Ye-jin takes on this role as the last princess of Korea but she is taken as a hostage to Japan. A fighter for the Korean resistance played by Park Hae-il tries to bring her back to Korea.
Films set in this period have performed well in Korea of late (“Assassination,” “Dongju,” “The Handmaiden”) but this is a very crowded season meaning it will have its work cut out when it’s released in August.
Jason Bechervaise is a film columnist for The Korea Times. He can be reached at
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