Korean cinema turns to AI, low budgets as industry slump continues

Filmmakers are turning to micro-budget production and using artificial intelligence (AI) technology to inject vitality back into the industry, as Korean cinema faces a sharp decline in output, soaring costs and weak box office returns. Director Yeon Sang-ho is among the filmmakers leading this experimental shift. Known for "Train to Busan" (2016) and the Netflix series "Hellbound," Yeon achieved unexpected success this year with "The Ugly," a film made on an exceptionally small budget. He plans to apply the same low-budget strategy to his upcoming project. Produced on a budget of around 200 million won ($136,275), "The Ugly" attracted over 1 million moviegoers and grossed approximately 11 billion won, achieving a return more than 50 times its production cost. Building on that success, CJ ENM and Yeon’s production company, Wowpoint, recently announced that the director will make a new film, "Paradise Lost," with a budget of around 500 million won. The new project will center on a mystery surrounding a boy who returns nine years after his disappearance. It will star veteran actor Kim HyuWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Korea Times Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Korea Times