Psychokinesis helmer Yeon Sang-ho’s forthcoming zombie follow-up, Peninsula, was acquired in Berlin by Well Go USA according to Screendaily‘s EFM coverage. The film, currently in post-production, serves as a shared-universe successor to his 2016 hit zombie opus, Train To Busan, and its corresponding animated Cannes trailblazer, Seoul Station.
Produced by Redpeter Films and set four years after Train To Busan with twice that film’s budget, Peninsula stars Gang Dong-won and Lee Jung-hyun in the story of a former soldier who finds himself on a mission back into the ravaged country where there are still survivors. Contents Panda is repping the film in Berlin whose sales extend to well over a dozen territories globally outside the U.S., with Next Entertainment World (NEW) reportedly planning a post-Cannes summer release in Korea.
Esther Yeung, general manager, head of Sales & Distribution at Edko Films, said: “We’re thrilled to be joining again Yeon Sang-ho’s breathtaking and hair-raising journey. Train to Busan is a game changer in contemporary world cinema. It’s the first Korean film which won both rave reviews at Cannes and huge box office successes around the world. It has become the highest grossing Asian film in Hong Kong. Our audiences are looking forward to taking the new Peninsula ride.”
“Four years ago we boarded an amazing movie we saw in Cannes and we could not have imagined our audience would have received Train to Busan so well the way they did. Since then many Korean titles have been released and now we can see Parasite’s amazing performance everywhere. Momentum is built for Korean cinema to consolidate its presence not only in Latin America but worldwide. 2020 it’s the perfect year to bring Peninsula to the world,” said Carlos Hansen, CEO of BF Distribution.
Doris Pfardrescher, president and CEO of Well Go USA said: “Train To Busan is timeless. Four years after its North American release, it’s still one of our top performing titles. Our fans can’t get enough of it, so when we heard about Peninsula, we knew that not only was this a title that belongs under the Well Go brand, but also a story we wanted to continue to tell.”
Jed Benedict, vice president, International Acquisitions and Productions at Studio Canal said: “We could not be more thrilled to board the next ride from the extraordinary Train to Busan filmmaking team, especially in such a ground-breaking year for Korean cinema.”