Overview

• Lotte Entertainment has sold distribution rights to 113 countries across Asia, Europe, North America, and other regions, marking the widest roll-out for a Korean summer blockbuster.
• Director Kim Byung-woo justified casting BLACKPINK’s Jisoo in a late-appearing role to leverage her instant recognizability and boost audience engagement.
• Early reviews commend the film’s visual effects and immersive spectacle while cautioning that dense worldbuilding and jargon-heavy exposition may confuse newcomers.
• At a reported 30 billion won ($22 million) production cost, the film needs roughly 6 million admissions to break even despite one of the worst box office slumps in Korean cinema.
• Lead actors have undergone intense preparations, with Ahn Hyo-seop losing six to seven kilograms during filming and the cast participating in press tours to address adaptation and casting critiques.