The Commercial Potential of Sea Battle Action Scenes is Highly Appreciated

HANSAN: RISING DRAGON, released in Korea on July 27 and is recording the No. 1 box office hit in Korea, was also released in the U.S. on July 29. Lotte Entertainment said, “HANSAN: RISING DRAGON was released in the 32 theaters in the U.S. upon its release in Korea. It is an unusual record for a historical drama." 

"I'm excited to present the long-awaited 2nd episode of Yi Sunsin Trilogy to North American audiences," said an official at Well Go USA Entertainment, in charge of the North American release of HANSAN: RISING DRAGON. He continued, “The tremendous success of the prequel, The Admiral: ROARING CURRENTS, tells a lot about the actual impact of Yi Sunsin on history. I am confident that we can continue to capture the audience, shedding light on a very fascinating era in Korean history." 

HANSAN: RISING DRAGON is an action masterpiece that depicts Admiral Yi Sunsin's Battle of Hansan, which won an overwhelming victory with the admiral’s strategy to protect Joseon, 5 years before the Battle of Myeongnyang when Joseon was on the defensive against the Japanese Invasion of Korea in 1592. In the 1st episode, Actor Choi Minshik played the role of Admiral Yi Sunsin, while in HANSAN: RISING DRAGON, the 2nd episode of the trilogy, Actor Park Haeil took over the role of Admiral Yi Sunsin. Park Haeil recently gained worldwide recognition through Director Park Chanwook's award-winning film, Decision to Leave. 

The 1st episode, The Admiral: ROARING CURRENTS, which was released in 2014 and recorded a remarkable number of Korean box offices with 17.61 million viewers, also achieved significant results in the North American release. At that time, The Admiral: ROARING CURRENTS was screened in 30 theaters across North America and recorded $562,332 in sales in just 3 days, the highest score of Korean films directly distributed by CJ ENM to the U.S. Attention is focused on whether HANSAN: RISING DRAGON, the 2nd episode of ‘Yi Sunsin Trilogy,’ can surpass the brilliant record set by The Admiral: ROARING CURRENTS in North America.