Train to Busan director Yeon Sang-ho revives zombies again with Peninsula – Houston Chronicle

Scene from the South Korean zombie film, 'Peninsula.'

Four years ago, Train to Busan in which commuters are trapped on a speeding bullet train with zombies roared out of South Korea to become a worldwide cult hit. It gave a previously little-known director, Yeon Sang-ho, a global profile and is due to get an English-language Hollywood remake. Now, Sang-ho returns with a sequel, the bigger-budget Peninsula, opening Aug. 21 in theaters across the U.S. Set four years after the original, it takes place amid the detritus of a post-apocalyptic Korea in which bullet trains are a distant memory. Through a translator, we conducted an email interview with him about how he breathed life into a genre many thought had hit a dead end. The exchange has been lightly edited for clarity and space.

Q: Did you have an idea for the story of Peninsula when you were putting together Train to Busan, or was this something that came to you after Busan was finished?

A: While making Train to Busan, we had an idea for a sequel of an outsider who enters into a post-apocalyptic Korea that has become a ghetto. The specific ideas for the world depicted in Peninsula came after production for Train to Busan was completed.

Q: Were you wary of making a sequel? How much pressure was there from the industry in South Korea to make a sequel?

A: I was very cautious about making a sequel for a very successful movie. As a director, I was very reluctant to make a sequel in the same genre as the original film because I didnt want to repeat what had already been done. However, as I was conceptualizing Peninsula, the realization that I didnt have to make it the same as Train to Busan gave me much joy. The movie Peninsula is very similar in theme and mood compared to Train to Busan, but the action concepts are very different.

South Korean film director Yeon Sang-ho who made 'Train to Busan' and "Peninsula'

Q: Youve said that Mad Max and Akira are both inspirations for Peninsula. What exactly from those films inspired you?

A: In the second half of the anime Akira, there is a story about foreign special forces infiltrating Neo-Tokyo, which came to ruin and became post-apocalyptic. They enter Neo-Tokyo and investigate the post-apocalyptic mob and the religious groups centered around Akira and Tetsuo. That part was very interesting to me. It felt like I was exploring unknown places with the main characters I tried to reflect those parts into Peninsula. In the Mad Max series, it was very interesting to see the portrayal of the mysterious characters in the post-apocalyptic world.

Q: Much of Peninsula takes place in the dark or at night. Thats very different from Busan, which is set mostly during the day. Why the emphasis on darkness?

A: One of the character setups created for the zombies from Train to Busan is when they are in the dark; their vision is similar to someone with night blindness. As a result, because the sequel was set four years later, the people realized this characteristic of the zombies, which gave way to make the people move mostly at night. In addition, I believe that the post-apocalypse would result in a fallen world. It seemed interesting to have people who usually thrive during the day be overthrown and become nocturnal.

Q: The budget is much bigger for Peninsula, and theres more use of English. Because of the success Busan had, did you feel you had to make this for a broad international market?

A: The budget for Peninsula was bigger, but we didnt initially have the goal to target international markets. When we were in the planning phase for Peninsula, I did not think that much of the production costs could be recovered from sales in international markets. In the end, international sales were significant, which greatly helped in recovering production costs. That was a great help during COVID-19. Using Peninsula as an opportunity to do so, I thought it would be important to further solidify and systemize the targeting of international markets. The English lines were necessary for the story and were not included to reach more global markets.

Gong Yoo and Kim Su-an in 'Train to Busan'

Q: How did that affect the filmmaking decisions you made?

A: As I mentioned, due to COVID-19, there was no way to guarantee that the situation of Korean theaters would return to the pre-COVID-19 state, so international distribution methods for the movie became even more important. It seems future Korean films will have to move in that direction as well.

Q: Once again, you have a child in this case, two children at the heart of the story. Why is the presence of children important to you?

A: Whether it is an apocalyptic or post-apocalyptic film, I think its all about generations. There is obvious interest in the new generation that will be living in the new world. The world I will be living in will be much different from the world I have lived in in the past. I am always looking for the answer to this in children who will live their daily lives in the new world.

Q: You began in animation with The King of Pigs and The Window and made the animated zombie film Seoul Station. What made you decide to move into live action with Train to Busan?

A: Korea is not a country that produces many feature films that are animated, and even more so for animation films that are not geared toward families or children. Under those circumstances, many movie officials who watched The King of Pigs suggested I should work on a live-action film. Initially, I declined because it was an area I had never worked in, but I was later persuaded.

"Seoul Station" is an animated zombie film from the director of "Train to Busan"

Q: Your other films have lots of social commentary The King of Pigs regarding bullying, The Fake was about organized religion, The Window about violence in the military so what issues in South Korean society do Train to Busan and Peninsula deal with?

A: If in Train to Busan we say that selfishness spread like a virus, then in Peninsula I wanted to show that in the beings that hide in groups after the war and only chase after stimulating things. Although I didnt identify specific issues as with these previous works, I wanted both movies to use the power of fables to show various aspects of society.

Q: The concept of Busan is simple but brilliant. People have called it 28 Days Later meets Snowpiercer. What was the inspiration for it?

A: I thought using a continuously moving isolated space like a train would be interesting. And I thought it was similar to our lives. Human life also flows in one direction, toward death, whether we want it to or not Whats important to me is what kind of life I will live in the cube where my final destination has already been decided.

Q: Are you a fan of zombie films in general and, if so, which films/directors? What is the appeal of zombie movies to you?

A: I love the classic zombies of George Romero and fell in love with zombie movies after watching Jack Snyders remake of George Romeros Dawn of the Dead. We tend to immerse ourselves in the process of being broken down by our own unknown existence throughout our everyday lives. In zombie movies, the circumstance where we see a person we thought we knew well and love suddenly turn into an unimaginable entity and attack us is terrifying.

Q: Before Busan was released, many people were saying that there was nothing new that could be done with zombies. Did you feel that way, and in what ways do you think Busan is different from what had preceded it?

A: Honestly, I do not think that Train to Busan is drastically different from other zombie films. However, in Train to Busan, you see different action scenes utilizing the various spaces. And more importantly, the main element that makes Train to Busan special is the sad melodrama commonly seen as the trademark of Korean dramas.

Q: How surprised were you by how well Busan did, not just in South Korea but around the world?

A: I received a lot of enthusiastic love for my indie animations and received some recognition by film enthusiasts at international film festivals, but with Train to Busan, I feel as though I received a more universal love. When I was making indie animation films, I never thought of universal appeal, but with Train to Busan, I realized the power of that appeal. In the end, it seems that movies are an art of universal appeal to the public.

Q: There is supposed to be an English-language remake of Train to Busan. Are you involved in that? If not, how worried are you about what Hollywood will do with your concept?

A: Im not really familiar with the Hollywood system. There are numerous film projects planned in Hollywood, but only a small fraction of them are made into movies. As far as I know about the Hollywood remake, the producer and the company in charge of the investment and distribution, NEW (Next Entertainment World), have signed the agreement. Honestly, I was not involved in the contract and have not received any updates on any progress. So, like everyone else, I am not familiar with that project. I hope that an English remake of Train to Busan can be made.

Q: Will you do another film in the Train to Busan universe?

A: Koreas apocalyptic appearance due to zombies, and a Korea that has been turned into a ghetto, always creates a lot of inspiration. There are some specific ideas I have written in my notebook, but nothing has been decided as to whether or not it will go into production or direct supervision. Personally, because I have been making so many zombie films, I would like to try other types of movies as well.

Q: How has the success of Parasite and the global spotlight on films from South Korea changed either your approach to filmmaking or the approaches of other South Korean directors?

A: I think the worldwide success of Parasite is a personal achievement of director Bong Joon-ho due to the cinematic trust he has accumulated around the world over a period of long time. But I dont believe that achievement will affect every director in Korea. Personally speaking, other than steadily working on my movies, I have not found new ways of making movies.

Q: Has Hollywood come calling for you and, if so, what are you telling them?

A: It is true that I am discussing different projects with various individuals from Hollywood, but there isnt a project that has been finalized yet.

Q: Your next project is a TV project in South Korea called Hellbound. What is that about, and will we see it in the U.S.?

A: Hellbound is the work based on a cartoon I created with my best friend and cartoonist, Choi Kyu-seok. This work is about a society that believes all is normal after a creature suddenly appears, but then undergoes a barbaric change. Because this project is a Netflix original series in the United States and over 190 countries, it is a project that many people can enjoy at the same time. After Peninsula, I am very happy and excited that there is an opportunity to present my work to people from all countries through the platform of Netflix.

cary.darling@chron.com

Cary Darling joined the Houston Chronicle in 2017 where he writes about arts, entertainment and pop culture, with an emphasis on film and media. Originally from Los Angeles and a graduate of Loyola Marymount University, he has been a features reporter or editor at the Orange County Register, Miami Herald, and the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. In addition, he has freelanced for a number of publications including the Los Angeles Times and Dallas Morning News.

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Train to Busan director Yeon Sang-ho revives zombies again with Peninsula - Houston Chronicle