There's a reason why South Korean cinema has experienced such a huge wave of stateside popularity the last couple of years. Similar to the invasion of Hong Kong cinema in the 80s and 90s, the films of directors like Park Chan-Wook(Oldboy, Thirst) and Kim Ji-Woon(I Saw the Devil) are unrelenting, unpredictable in a way most Hollywood productions simply aren't anymore. As much as I love the works of those two guys, my favorite South Korean film ever was Mother, the twisty murder mystery from Bong Joon-Ho. He also helmed the new age monster movie, The Host, which is really the film that put him on to American audiences. Well now he's back, and his next project sounds like his most ambitious yet.
Next on his slate is Snow Piercer, an adaptation of the French graphic novel, Le Transperceneige. Joon-Ho got the rights to this one a couple of years ago, with his colleague Park Chan-Wook producing. Due to begin shooting next March, the story takes place in a future where most of the world's population has died due to extreme climate change, leaving the world in a perpetual winter. The few survivors board a train with no clear destination, and struggle to survive with the few supplies that are left. As those supplies dwindle, lawlessness takes hold.
Sounds like Lord of the Flies or Infinite Ryvius set on a train. I'm all for it. Even better, the film will reunite Joon-Ho with Song Kang-Ho, probably the preeminent South Korean actor working today, having starred in Thirst, Sympathy for Lady Vengeance, and The Host. [KoreanCinemaToday]
