Jung Joo-yang
Korea Times Intern
The Korean science fiction film "
D-War" by
Shim Hyung-rae is to debut on 1,500 screens in the United States in late August according to Showbox Mediaplex, the movie's local distributor. "
D-War" opens in Korea on Aug.2. American distributor Freestyle is responsible for the U.S. premiere and advertising expenses. According to Showbox, Freestyle was in charge of distributing the popular film "The Illusionist" in the U.S. on 1,432 screens for six weeks. The film was among the top 10 box office hits.
This is the first time a Korean movie will have a wide release at this level, considering that director
Bong Joon-ho's
"The Host" only opened on 100 screens in the U.S. Late August is prime time for "
D-War" to open as students are on their summer breaks and the Labor Day weekend occurs.
Shim, who directed the film featuring a monster snake-like dragon gone awry, has worked with Hollywood staff and actors for six years to complete this project, with a budget of around $30 million. Showbox has stated that thanks to its thorough preparations it expects the debut of "
D-War" to be a success. It hopes the film will show the global movie market the potential of Korean cinema.
