South Korean films have caught the attention of one of the biggest studios in Hollywood.
Variety recently reported that Warner Bros will be financing and distributing "Secret Agent," the studio's first ever Korean-language film.
Acclaimed director Kim Jee-woon, who helmed notable films such as "The Last Stand," "I Saw The Devil" and "The Good, The Bad, The Weird," will reportedly be directing the period film.
Set in the 1930s, Twitch noted that the movie will be rooted in "the history of Organization of Righteous Bravery, a part of the armed independence movement during Korea under Japanese rule."
South Korean iconic actor Song Kang-ho, who starred alongside Chris Evans and Tilda Swinton in the dystopian film "Snowpiercer," has been tagged as the lead in the Warner Bros' "Secret Agent." He will be joined by another notable Korean star, Gong Yoo ("The Suspect").
Described by Variety as being "one of the most vibrant film industries in the world," South Korea is the sixth largest box office territory in the world, drawing in billions of dollars from cinema-goers.
Comingsoon.net also noted that the country has become a "hotspot for major Hollywood productions" such as "Avengers: Age Of Ultron." The latest "Star Trek" is scheduled to film there as well.
"In most years recently local films have accounted for most of the box office, prompting Hollywood studios to examine co-production or investment strategies in Korean-made titles," Variety continued.
On the other hand, Slash Film wanted to know what kind of effect Warner Bros' influence will have on the "Secret Agent" production.
The site described the South Korean movie industry as "robust and somewhat idiosyncratic" which creates feature films that have "distinct [identities]."
Will the upcoming Kim Jee-won film still carry that uniqueness that Korean films seem to have mastered even with Hollywood breathing down its neck?
