[Korean Film News] 'The Host' Hits China in March

The biggest Korean blockbuster to date, "The Host" by director Bong Joon-ho, will open in China in March. A Chinese daily said Beijing recently approved the film, and it is now set to open in early March under the title "The Host of the Han River." China began deliberating whether to show the film from September. The gruesome story of a monster living in the Korean river is expected to be the biggest draw among other films coming out in March in China. The paper praised the film overall, citing good acting and special effects. It said the film's uniquely Korean style narrative is nothing like the Hollywood format and also introduced the plot of how the monster created from chemicals the U.S. army dumped into the river attacks civilians. As to concerns about editing, the paper cited an official from the film's distributor as noting only modest editing was planned during deliberations, as the story itself is not as cruel as the title implies. It also said the film has been rated PG-12 for families. The Chinese agency that imported the film plans to invite director Bong to the Chinese premiere.

[Source: KBS Global]