Overview

• Lotte Entertainment sold international rights to 113 territories with staggered premieres beginning July 23 in South Korea and Taiwan and rolling out through early August
• Early reviews praise the cast’s commitment but fault the film for underdeveloped worldbuilding, awkward visuals and heavy exposition
• Director Kim Byung-woo defended casting BLACKPINK’s Jisoo as Lee Ji-hye and arming her character with a gun, saying star power was needed for her late plot entry
• The ensemble cast led by Lee Min-ho and Ahn Hyo-seop—making his big-screen debut—joins Chae Soo-bin, Shin Seung-ho and Nana in a high-profile adaptation
• The 30 billion won production must attract at least six million admissions to break even amid Korea’s worst box office slump in decades