The disaster film returns to Korean theaters with a comedy twist this summer when EXIT bows on July 31. From debut director LEE Sang-geun, the action-comedy features JO Jung-suk (The Drug King, 2018) and K-pop star Yoon-a (Confidential Assignment, 2017) of Girls’ Generation and was produced by Filmmaker R & K, the company run by director RYOO Seung-wan and producer KANG Hae-jung.
JO plays Yong-nam, an out-of-work 30-something slacker who used to be a rock-climbing prodigy in university. He decides to throw a 70th birthday party for his mother at the venue where his old rock-climbing club crush Eui-ju works. However, during the party, disaster strikes the city as a poisonous gas descends on Seoul. Now, Yong-nam and Eui-ju must put their rusty rock-climbing skills to the test if they’re going to guide everyone to safety.
Reframing the popular disaster drama, which has yielded hits such as Haeundae (2009), The Tower (2012) and Tunnel (2016) over the years, as a big-budget comedy vehicle, EXIT is CJ Entertainment’s entry in this year’s high summer box office race. The studio has already scored two ten million viewer hits this year with the comedy Extreme Job and BONG Joon-ho’s Palme d’Or winner PARASITE.