[HanCinema's News] December Film Releases Aim for Widely Different Demographics

After the huge success of "12.12: The Day" in last year's holiday season, South Korean film companies have offered numerous possible champions for this year's December box office. "Firefighters" will be the first high concept film to aim for the ten million viewer benchmark. The dramatization of the real-life Hongjae House Fire Incident from March 4th, 2001 will deal with the social causes and consequences of that fire, depicting the poor working conditions of firefighters at the time and lauding their heroism.

Advertisement

"Firefighters" will premiere on December 4th, and is headlined by stars such as Joo Won and Kwak Do-won. "About Family" will have a remarkably different approach when it premieres on December 11th. The sentimental film is about a dumpling chef patriarch played by Kim Yun-seok who unexpectedly must deal with a bunch of grandchildren who seek him out. With writer/director Yang Woo-seok of "The Attorney" and "Steel Rain" leading the project, expectations are high.

With December frontloaded this year, it is as yet unknown when "Harbin" will see its domestic release. The historical spy film stars Hyun Bin and Park Jeong-min among others as Korean independence fighters in China back in 1909. Normally such films come out closer to Christmas or New Year's Day, but "12.12: The Day" seemed to prove that the full month of December has much potential for high admissions. Only time will tell whether such results can be duplicated.

Written by William Schwartz