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- Korean Film News
- THE SWINDLERS Target 10 Offshore Markets
- by Pierce Conran / Dec 08, 2017
- Hyun-bin Led Showbox Hit Rolls Out Globally
Current chart-topper The Swindlers is looking to add to its spoils at home as it begins to roll out internationally, with ten territories confirmed to date. The Showbox film featuring Hyun-bin and YOO Ji-tae opened in Korea on November 22 and hit most English-language markets just over a week later, with several Asian territories to follow.Distributor JBG Pictures rolled out the con man thriller in Australia and New Zealand on November 30 while frequent Korean film buyer Well Go USA put out the film across North America on December 1.Next up will be in Vietnam on December 8 and in Taiwan on December 22 while a release is scheduled for early next year in Japan. The film will also be distributed at some point in UK while MVP Viva will handle a release in Philippines in the near future.JANG Chang-won marks his debut with the con artist tale, after participating in the directing departments of several LEE Joon-ik's films, starting with The King (2017) and King And The Clown (2005), before moving up to assistant director on LEE’s Battlefield Heroes in 2011.Leading the cast is Hyun-bin, hot off his Lunar New Year hit Confidential Assignment, as a con man who teams up with a district attorney played by YOO Ji-tae (Old Boy, 2003) to take down a crook who has absconded with the savings of 30,000 victims in a massive Ponzi scheme.The Swindlers has brought in 3.16 million viewers (USD 22.53 million) in 14 days and remains on top of both the box office and reservations charts as it threatens to score a third weekend in first place.The film caps another strong year for Korean film studio Showbox, following the successes of A Taxi Driver (12.19 million viewers), The Prison (2.93 million viewers) and MEMOIR OF A MURDERER (2.67 million admissions). Among their upcoming films next year are WOO Min-ho’s gangland pic Drug King with SONG Kang-ho and BAE Doo-na, and the third installment of their Detective K franchise.
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