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| Posters for the films "Decision to Leave," left, and "Broker" / Courtesy of CJ ENM |
By Kwak Yeon-soo
With "Broker," "Decision to Leave" and "The Witch: Part 2. The Other One" all due out soon, movies are back in full force this summer. Film studios have been storing up some of their biggest movies over the past two pandemic-plagued years due to concerns over the lagging box office business.
However, movies have been trending upward since late April when theaters were allowed to sell popcorn again, as part of the easing social distancing measures. Marvel's "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness," which opened on May 4, has already earned 52.4 billion won ($40 million) at the box office, selling nearly 5 million tickets as of Monday.
"The Roundup," which is about to open on Wednesday, is expected to be a box office hit as it has already sold more than 110,000 tickets, with two days still to go before its release.
A mix of franchise films and high-concept movies are expected to hit theaters this summer.
Directed by Japanese auteur Hirokazu Kore-eda, "Broker" will be released on June 8. The film, which centers on baby boxes that are left out for people to drop off their unwanted babies anonymously, will compete for the highest honor of the Palme d'Or at this year's Cannes Film Festival.
Another Cannes invitee, "Decision to Leave" directed by Park Chan-wook, will premiere on June 29. It is about a detective drawn to a mysterious widow during a murder investigation in the mountainous countryside.
"The Witch: Part 2. The Other One," a sequel to "The Witch: Part 1. The Subversion," will also be released in local theaters on June 15. It tells the story of a lone survivor who escapes from a secret lab that conducted various experiments on her.
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| A poster for the film "Alienoid" / Courtesy of CJ ENM |
In July, the action fantasy film "Alienoid," directed by Choi Dong-hoon of "The Thieves" and "Assassination," will hit theaters. The time-slip movie depicts swordsmen during the 918-1392 Goryeo era and aliens living in the present attempting to find a mysterious sword. The two-part blockbuster was shot simultaneously with a star-studded cast, including Ryu Jun-yeol, Kim Woo-bin, Kim Tae-ri, So Ji-sub, Lee Ha-nee, Yum Jung-ah and Jo Woo-jin.
Naval epic film "Hansan: Rise of the Dragon," directed by Kim Han-min, the masterful mind behind "War of the Arrows" (2011) and "Roaring Currents" (2014), is expected to drop in late July. The film, with a production budget of 30 billion won, centers on the legendary historical figure Admiral Yi Sun-sin.
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| A scene from the film "Hunt" / Courtesy of Megabox Plus M |
In August, aviation disaster film "Emergency Declaration" and espionage thriller "Hunt" are likely to draw the most moviegoers. "Emergency Declaration," which premiered at Cannes last year and stars Song Kang-ho and Lee Byung-hun, centers on a commercial airliner that must make an emergency landing following an unexpected disaster.
"Hunt" marks the directorial debut for "Squid Game" actor Lee Jung-jae, who also stars alongside Jung Woo-sung as two agents who are tasked with uncovering a North Korean spy within the Korean Central Intelligence Agency.
