The forthcoming "Battleship Island" film, which takes place in the 1930s during the Japanese colonial era, will be shooting in Chuncheon, Gangwon Province, South Korea, starting mid-July.
"Battleship Island's" production company is set to build a 6,600-square-meter film set on the Camp Page (K-47 Air Base), a former United States' Army base in Chuncheon-si. The 6,600-square-meter based will recreate the Hashima Island, wherein around 70 percent of the filming will take place there.
"The city's economy will revitalize as film staff members stay here. Also, we expect many Hallyu fans from inside and outside of the country to visit [the city] during the shooting," Kpop Herald quoted an official of the city as saying.
The upcoming historical feature film will feature renowned actors - Song Joong Ki, Hwang Jung Min, So Ji Sub and Lee Jung Hyun. It will be directed by award-winning filmmaker, Ryu Seung-Wan.
The upcoming film recounts the dark history of conscripted Koreans and Chinese prisoners of war, who stage a daring escape in the 6.3-hectare island along with the help of Korean independence fighters. It highlights the concealed story of more than 400 civilians who were forced to work in the undersea coal mines under the exceptionally cruel conditions and brutal treatment of Japanese soldiers from 1930s until the end of World War II.
In the film, "Descendants of the Sun" star Song will play an independence fighter, Park Moo Young, who sneaks in the island to rescue a fellow member, while "Oh My Venus" star, So, will portray the thug character, Choi Chil Sung.
"A Good Lawyer's Wife" star Hwang will take on the part of Lee Kang-ok, who was drafted into the island by force in the wake of being deceived that he is going to Japan to follow his daughter. Singer-actress Lee, on the other hand, takes on the role of Mal Yeon, a sex slave who encounters hardships while living on the said island, The Kpop Buddy has learned.
The historical feature film will be released in theaters across South Korea in early 2017. Check out the video below for more information: