Bong Joon-ho’s ‘Snowpiercer’ hits screens in Korea

Bong Joon-ho’s much-anticipated sci-fi thriller “Snowpiercer” hit local theaters on Wednesday amid growing expectations from moviegoers. Adding another dramatic element is the release of “The Terror Live,” also a promising flick starring top-performing actor Ha Jung-woo.

Attention was placed on which Korean movie would be the box-office winner in the coming weeks -- a period during which many Koreans flock to air-conditioned multiplex cinemas to beat the heat.

The initial winner is Bong’s “Snowpiercer,” which took up a whopping 66.6 percent share of box-office ticket sales on its first day of release. “The Terror Live” tagged along at a distance with only an 11.1 percent share.

Bong’s lead, however, comes as no big surprise for the film has been generously exposed to the media, highlighting its $43 billion production budget and the star-studded cast of Tilda Swinton, Chris Evans and Octavia Spencer, not to mention Song Gang-ho and Go Ah-sung, both of whom have starred in Bong’s previous films.

In contrast, “The Terror Live” spent less than a tenth of the “Snowpiercer” production budget. Director Kim Byung-woo, who built up his career with indie and art house flicks, also makes a big-screen debut.

Kim’s key strategy lies in the performance of Ha Jung-woo, an actor with a meaningful fan-base that could translate into sizable box-office revenue. Even though Ha’s commercial potential is widely recognized, he was modest about his role: “The audience might get tired of seeing my face.”

Ha’s die-hard fans would love to see his face -- as well as acting -- again in the new film, especially those who witnessed his shining talent in “Yellow Sea,” “The Murderer” and “The Berlin File.”

Instead of predicting which Korean film would dominate the summertime cinema, Ha’s fans seem eager to see how “The Terror Live” could extend its box-office life against the behemoth led by Bong.

Jin Eun-soo, Intern reporter
(janna924@heraldcorp.com)