The highly anticipated film Peninsula finally unveiled through online press conference and showcase.
Set four years after Train to Busan, Peninsula is a film about the final struggle of those left behind in the ruined land. Earlier, it was named on the official list of films invited to the 73rd Cannes International Film Festival. Director Yeon Sang Ho, Kang Dong Won, Lee Jung Hyun, Kwon Hae Hyo, Kim Min Jae, Gu Kyo Hwan, Kim Do Yoon, Lee Re, and Lee Ye Won attended the online press conference and showcase held on June 16 to talk about their upcoming film.
About his third invitation to the Cannes Film Festival with Peninsula, following The King of Pigs and Train to Busan, Director Yeon Sang Ho said, “I also wonder what has captured the Cannes Film Festival. But I’m glad that they like it (my work).“
When asked about the reason they chose Peninsula, Kang Dong Won said, “I really wanted to participate because there has never been a movie with the post-apocalypse worldview in Korea.” Lee Jung Hyun said, “The script was so fun. and I’m so grateful to director Yeon Sang Ho for giving me this opportunity.” Kwon Hae Hyo said that he was curious about the story after Train to Busan, whereas Kim Min Jae said he joined the film with trust in director Yeon Sang Ho. Gu Kyo Hwan, the star in the independent films, said, “It was like a gift,” expressing his pleasure.
Director Yeon Sang Ho, who announced the start of K-Zombie with Train to Busan, mentioned that for Peninsula, he wanted to “draw a separate story though it may continue the stream of Train to Busan.” He added, “We wanted to make a hands-on film that allowed the audience to experience the dangerous situations with the characters, and the scale of action such as car chasing and gun-action became bigger.”
“I think the bigger the commercial movies, the more important the messages become,” said Yeon Sang Ho, who has sharply pointed out the society. “If it’s the era of post-apocalypse, hope should be the appropriateness. Please think of it as a story of people who set their hopes as their appropriateness.”
On the evening of June 16, more than 26,000 prospective audiences logged on to the online showcase held through a live chat on Kakao TV, proving the keen interest. Director Yeon Sang Ho said, “I talked a lot about movies with actor Kang Dong Won on video calls during the pre-production stage, but it was really embarrassing to see my face with Kang Dong Won’s face together.”
He also continued, “If there’s Ma Dong Seok in Train to Busan, there’s Lee Re in Peninsula. She’s one the best fighters who sweeps zombies at once as if she was cleaning out the trash,” expressing his affection for the actors he worked with. After introducing their characters, the actors had a fun time with the viewers, including taking survival tests and engaging in a real-time chatting.
Peninsula will be released in July at the same time in major countries.