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Space Sweepers

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Space Sweepers
Official release poster
Directed byJo Sung-hee
Written by
  • Yoon Seung-min
  • Yoo-kang Seo-ae
  • Jo Sung-hee
Starring
CinematographyByun Bong-sun
Edited by
  • Nam Na-young
  • Ha Mi-ra
Music byKim Tae-seong
Production
companies
  • Bidangil Pictures
  • Dexter Studios
Distributed byNetflix
Release date
  • February 5, 2021 (2021-02-05)
Running time
136 minutes
CountrySouth Korea
LanguageKorean
Budget₩24 billion[1]
(~US$21.2 million)

Space Sweepers (Korean: 승리호; RR: Seungriho; lit. Spaceship Victory) is a 2021 South Korean space opera film directed by Jo Sung-hee, starring Song Joong-ki, Kim Tae-ri, Jin Seon-kyu and Yoo Hae-jin.[2] Regarded as the first Korean space blockbuster,[3] it was released on Netflix on February 5, 2021.[4][5]

Plot

Set in the year 2092, Earth has become nearly uninhabitable. Fleeing the sick earth, UTS corporation builds a new orbiting Home for humanity. But only a chosen few can ascend.

The plot follows the crew of a space junk collector ship called The Victory. But their lives take a huge turn when they discover a humanoid child robot named Dorothy that’s known to be a weapon of mass destruction. Burdened with debts and wishes to fulfill, they get involved in a risky business deal and maybe something more than they might have imagined.

Cast

  • Song Joong-ki as Tae-ho - Former Commander of the Space Guards and the first ever UTS Genius.
  • Kim Tae-ri as Captain Jang - Former Special Forces Squad officer who later deserted her post to create her own pirate organization. She attempted to assassinate CEO James Sullivan in which her entire pirate crew were killed.
  • Jin Seon-kyu as Tiger Park - Former Drug King who escaped Earth after being arrested and sentenced to death.
  • Yoo Hae-jin as Robot Bubs
  • Richard Armitage as James Sullivan - The CEO of UTS and Tae-ho's adoptive father. He is motivated to destroy Earth using Kot-nim.
  • Kim Mu-yeol as Kang Hyeon-u - Kang Kot-nim's father and a scientist.
  • Park Ye-rin as Dorothy / Kang Kot-nim - First believed to be a robot, she is actually a human who was injected with nanobots by her father as a last resort to heal her.

Production

Development

Early working title of the film is Lightning Arc (Korean: 번개호; RR: Beongaeho).[6]

Jo Sung-hee started writing the story 10 years prior to the film's release, after a friend talked to him about the dangers of space junk. "It started with the idea of space travelers collecting space junk. [He] heard about how these fast-moving fragments of space debris are growing and leading to in-space collisions [and] realized that this subject has already been dealt with in animations and games, but never in a film. [He] started writing the script wondering how Koreans, who possess a tenacious mentality, would approach this problem."[7]

In May 2019, the Chinese multinational entertainment company Huayi Tencent invested $4.2 million in the film.[8] The visual effects company Dexter Studios, which was behind the production of the action films Along with the Gods: The Two Worlds and Ashfall, was hired for Space Sweepers.[9]

Casting

In June 2018, it was reported that Song Joong-ki agreed to star in Jo Sung-hee's next film, making it their second collaboration after A Werewolf Boy (2012).[10] Kim Tae-ri was offered the role of the spaceship captain in January 2019, followed by Jin Seon-kyu for the role of the keeper in April.[11][12] The final lineup was confirmed in June 2019, with Yoo Hae-jin joining the main cast in the form of robotic motion capture and voice acting.[13][14] English actor Richard Armitage also revealed through his Instagram account that he would start filming in July 2019, making Space Sweepers his first Korean film.[15][16]

Filming

Principal photography began on July 3, 2019 and filming was completed on November 2.[17]

Release

In June 2020, it was announced that the release was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic with a plan for the film to premiere during the Chuseok holiday.[18][19] In August 2020, the release was once again postponed due to the rise of COVID-19 cases in South Korea.[20]

In November 2020, it was announced that the film would be released exclusively on Netflix.[21] Space Sweepers was released on February 5, 2021.[22]

Reception

Audience viewership

The film debuted at number 1 in the film category on Netflix.[23]

Critical response

On the review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 50% based on 6 reviews, with an average rating of 6.5/10.[24]

Adaptations

A webtoon based on the film premiered on May 26, 2020 on Daum and KakaoPage.[25]

References

  1. ^ Yoo, Jae-hyuk (January 1, 2020). "'남산의 부장들' '승리호' '반도'…200억대 韓 영화 대작 쏟아진다". Hankyung (in Korean). Retrieved May 6, 2020.
  2. ^ Conran, Pierce (May 31, 2019). "Song Joong-ki and Kim Tae-ri Confirmed for The Victory". Korean Film Council. Retrieved May 6, 2020.
  3. ^ Conran, Pierce (July 12, 2019). "Jo Sung-hee's Victory with Song Joong-ki, Kim Tae-ri Takes Off". Korean Film Council. Retrieved May 6, 2020.
  4. ^ Choi, Ji-won (August 18, 2020). "'Space Sweepers' is not the usual sci-fi hero blockbuster". The Korea Herald. Retrieved August 18, 2020.
  5. ^ Lee, Jae-lim (August 18, 2020). "'Space Sweepers' promises to take moviegoers on the ride of a lifetime". Korea JoongAng Daily. Retrieved August 18, 2020.
  6. ^ Kim, Joo-hyung (June 18, 2018). "송중기 측 "영화 '번개호' 출연, 결정된 바 없다" (공식입장)". Beff Report (in Korean). Retrieved May 6, 2020.
  7. ^ Kwak, Yeon-soo (August 18, 2020). "Song Joong-ki returns to cinema with 'Space Sweepers'". The Korea Times. Retrieved August 18, 2020.
  8. ^ Kil, Sonia (May 29, 2019). "Huayi Tencent Invests in Korean Sci-Fi Film 'The Victory'". Variety. Retrieved May 6, 2020.
  9. ^ Lee, Gyu-lee (January 1, 2020). "What to expect in 2020 box office: upcoming films from comedy to sci-fi". The Korea Times. Retrieved May 6, 2020.
  10. ^ "Song Joong-ki Reunites With Director Jo Sung-hee in "Space Sweepers"". HanCinema. June 25, 2018. Retrieved May 6, 2020.
  11. ^ "Kim Tae-ri Offered a Role in "Space Sweepers" Starring Song Joong-ki". HanCinema. January 24, 2019. Retrieved May 6, 2020.
  12. ^ Conran, Pierce (April 4, 2019). "Jin Seon-kyu Joins Space Drama Victory Ship". Korean Film Council. Retrieved May 6, 2020.
  13. ^ Lee, Han-na (June 10, 2019). "Song Joong-ki cast for blockbuster space movie". The Korea Times. Retrieved May 6, 2020.
  14. ^ ""Space Sweepers" Song Joong-ki, Kim Tae-ri, Jin Seon-kyu, Yoo Hae-jin on Board". HanCinema. June 10, 2019. Retrieved May 6, 2020.
  15. ^ Cho, Yeon-kyung (July 4, 2019). ""'승리호' 탑승" 英배우 리처드 아미티지, 오늘(4일) 한국行 '인증'". JoongAng Ilbo (in Korean). Retrieved May 7, 2020.
  16. ^ Park, Sae-jin (August 28, 2019). "British actor Richard Armitage tastes cold noodle at meal with actor Song Joong-ki". Aju Business Daily. Retrieved May 7, 2020.
  17. ^ Lee, Hye-ri (May 12, 2020). "영화 '승리호', '우주 청소부' 송중기표 SF물…"기대되네"". DongA (in Korean). Retrieved August 4, 2020.
  18. ^ Jang, Woo-young (June 12, 2020). "'승리호' 측 "코로나19 여파로 개봉 연기, 여름→추석 검토 중" [공식입장]". Osen (in Korean). Naver. Retrieved June 12, 2020.
  19. ^ Kwak, Yeon-soo (June 14, 2020). "Summer tent-pole films set new release dates despite increase in movie attendance". The Korea Times. Retrieved June 14, 2020.
  20. ^ Choi, Ji-won (August 28, 2020). "Song Joong-ki's 'Space Sweepers' release shelved again". The Korea Herald. Retrieved August 28, 2020.
  21. ^ Lee, Jae-lim (November 20, 2020). "Korean sci-fi 'Space Sweepers' set for release on Netflix". Korea JoongAng Daily. Retrieved November 20, 2020.
  22. ^ Lee, Gyu-lee (January 6, 2021). "Blockbuster 'Space Sweepers' to debut on Netflix Feb. 5". The Korea Times. Retrieved January 6, 2021.
  23. ^ Lim, Jang-won (February 7, 2021). "'Space Sweepers' debuts at No. 1 on Netflix". The Korea Herald. Retrieved February 7, 2021.
  24. ^ "Space Sweepers (2021)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved February 7, 2021.
  25. ^ Lee, Jae-lim (May 25, 2020). "'Space Sweepers' set for webtoon release ahead of movie premiere". Korea JoongAng Daily. Retrieved May 26, 2020.
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