Well Go USA Entertainment and Fox International Productions has acquired North American rights to "The Wailing" (Goksung), a Korean thriller film directed by Na Hong-Jin that stars Kwak Do Won, Hwang Jung Min, and Chun Woo Hee. The film has been set for a May 27 debut in theaters across North America, 16 days after its May 11 released in Korea.
"We're delighted to partner with Fox on director Na's newest vision," Well Go USA Entertainment President and CEO Doris Pfardrescher said in a statement obtained by Variety. "It's a visceral, gripping and shocking film that will stun and thrill both fans of his previous works as well as newcomers to the genre."
The deal was negotiated by Well Go USA Entertainment's Doris Pfardrescher and Fox International Productions' Vice President of Business Operations' Dmitry Kaplun on behalf of the filmmaker. Apart from that, a brand new international trailer has also been unleashed, giving fans a good idea of what the movie is all about.
The film tells the tale of a series of mysterious deaths in a rustic village after a stranger, played by Japanese actor Jun Kunimura, arrives. It follows Jong-Goo (Kwak), a police officer who is drawn into the incident and is compelled to solve the mystery after his daughter falls ill and shows the same strange symptoms just like the other victims.
Police officer Jong-Goo entrusted his daughter under the care of shaman Il-Gwan (Hwang), in an effort to protect her while he is trying to solve the puzzle behind the mysterious sickness. "The Wailing" marks director Na's first film in six years, following the critically acclaimed 2010 film called "The Yellow Sea."
The film has also been chosen to bow at the out-of-competition section at the 69th annual Cannes Film Festival on May 11-22, along with the catastrophic blockbuster film called "Train to Busan," starring Gong Yoo, Ma Dong Seok, Jung Yu Mi with film director Yeon Sang Ho at the helm.
Meanwhile, Park Chan Wook's mystery-lesbian thriller film, "The Handmaiden," will vie for the Palme d'Or award at the upcoming prestigious French festival, Hollywood Reporter reported. It is also the first South Korean film to compete at the main competition in Cannes since 2012.
Take a look at the new trailer below: