First Batch of Stills and More Information on Upcoming Korean Monster Movie Author: Kim Song-ho Source: CJ Entertainment
This week, the Korean film company and distributor CJ Entertainment and production company JK Film released a batch of new stills for the upcoming 3D creature feature SECTOR 7 (7??, Chil gwangu). These are the first images issued from the movie itself other than the conceptual/advertising artwork. Most of the photos depict the struggle against the hostile undersea creature (its appearance is yet to be revealed) by the crew members of `Eclipse`, an oil prospecting platform. SECTOR 7 has been described by producer Youn Je-kyun as the Korean equivalent of the ALIEN movie series. The movie recently received a surprise media promotion thanks to an unexpected reference in a popular TV series. The show, entitled SECRET GARDEN (??? ??), aired from November 13, 2010 to January 16, 2011 on the SBS (Seoul Broadcasting System) network. The main cast was headlined by Ha Ji-won— the star of SECTOR 7— along with actors Hyeon Bin (from the upcoming melodrama LATE AUTUMN by Kim Tae-gyun, which will open theatrically on February 17 in Korea), Yoon Sang-hyeon (from the TV series QUEEN OF HOUSEWIVES) and Philip Lee. It was a romantic melodrama with a little fantasy element in which the characters played by Ha and Hyeon sometimes switched their souls with one another. SECRET GARDEN was a big hit in Korea. The final episode marked the series` highest ratings at 38.6% as determined by the Korean TV audience research company TNmS (Total National Multimedia Statistics). The numbers ranked the program as a giant hit by Korean television industry standards (the ratings percentages would be similar to those in the United States for the finales of top rated shows like SEINFELD and FRIENDS). In this final episode of the series, the character Gil Raim, a professional stunt double played by Ha Ji-won, received the script for her new movie from the director. On the cover of the script, the title SECTOR 7 was printed in both Korean and English... and, as you know, SECTOR 7 will be Ha`s next movie in real life. This interesting little `crossover` with a high profile show like SECRET GARDEN clearly helped increase mass interest for the upcoming movie (please note that the names of producer, writer, director and the production company printed on the script did not reflect the real-life counterparts of the movie).
SECTOR 7 is produced by Youn Je-kyun, who directed the box office smash disaster movie HAEUNDAE (???, released in the US as TIDAL WAVE) through Youn`s own company JK Film and CJ Entertainment. The movie is directed by Kim Ji-hoon, who is well known by Korean audiences for his 2008 drama MAY 18 (??? ??, Hwaryeohan hyuga), which depicted the 1980 Gwangju pro-democracy movement. Starring Ha Ji-won (Youn`s HAEUNDAE and MIRACLE ON 1ST STREET), Ahn Seong-gi (SLEEPING MAN), Lee Han-wee (CITY OF GLASS), Park Cheol-min (MAY 18), Oh Ji-ho (MY WIFE IS A GANGSTER 3), Song Sae-byeok (MOTHER) and Cha Ye-ryeon (DOREMIFASOLASIDO), SECTOR 7 is now in post-production and will open in Korea in the summer of 2011. The film has also been picked up for release in Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, and France. There has been no word yet on distribution in the United States or other English speaking territories.
For more information on SECTOR 7 please see the earlier coverage here on SciFi Japan: