After months of delay due to the pandemic, Space Sweepers, one of the most anticipated high budget South Korean sci-fi action films of the year, has found a home on Netflix and is providing movie fans an opportunity to see what the first blockbuster Korean space opera looks like. Now, director Jo Sung-hee, as well as members of the high-profile cast -- Song Joong-ki, Kim Tae-ri, Jin Seon-kyu and Yoo Hae-jin -- are inviting everybody on board as Space Sweepers launched on the streaming service last week to subscribers in 190 countries.
The film arrives just over 50 years since mankind left our planet and first landed on the Moon. Inspired by this event and by the possibility of the exploration of space and the cosmos, hundreds of sci-fi movies set in outer space have been made to satisfy the thirst of fans of extra-terrestrial stories. However, it can no longer be said that the West is the only entertainment industry that makes movies about space or missions about saving the world as other countries are playing catch up. In Asia alone, we have had movies like Space Battleship Yamato (2010) and Cowboy Bebop (2021) from Japan; The Wandering Earth (2019) from China; and Mission Mangal (2019) from India. And now, the launch of Space Sweepers has also added South Korea to the growing list of countries producing movies about space.
"Well, this might be something obvious but in Space Sweepers, you will for the very first time see Korean people speaking in Korean in an outer space setting," said film director Jo Sung-hee at a recent online press conference for Space Sweepers where he appeared alongside four other cast members to discuss stories and insights about the film.
"It was my goal to really make the movie seem as less odd or strange as possible and to make it familiar for all types of audiences."
Set in 2092, the film depicts an era in which Earth has become almost uninhabitable. As people rush to flee the ailing planet, UTS corporation takes the opportunity to build a new orbiting home for humanity. The plot of Space Sweepers revolves around the crew of a space junk collection ship called The Victory, one of many that survive by salvaging space debris. However, one day, after crashing the shuttle in a space chase, the team discovers a seven-year-old humanoid child robot named Dorothy -- known to be a weapon of mass destruction. Burdened with debts and dreams to fulfil, the crew decide to get involved in a risky business deal and maybe something far more menacing than they might have imagined.
Jo revealed that the concept of the film came to him about 10 years ago.
"I had heard stories about space and the orbital debris from friends and I found it quite fascinating. So, this was an idea that we had tried to develop," he said. "The movie took a long time to finish and the pre-production process was especially difficult. There was a lot to do during pre-production compared to other films I've made. We had to prepare a lot. Moreover, on the set, when we were shooting the scenes, it required a great deal of imagination from all of us."
Space Sweepers is also a 10-year reunion project between the director and Korean superstar Song Joong-ki, who worked together in A Werewolf Boy, a fantasy romance film back in 2012. In fact, Song said that he decided to come on board on this project without reading the full script first.
"When I worked with Jo Sung-hee in A Werewolf Boy, I had actually already heard that he was planning to create this sci-fi movie and I thought it would be interesting and amazing. And after a decade literally, he proposed this role and when he mentioned it, I immediately thought I would do it," said Song about his long friendship with the director.
"In A Werewolf Boy, I played the role of Chul-soo. Sometimes, people still ask me, 'Where do you think Chul-soo is today?'. I think people ask this because that kind of character remains alive in our hearts and I think director Jo is like that to me. It's been 10 years but he's always been there for me."
The crew of The Victory spaceship consists of three humans and a robot. Each character has their own unique personality and characteristics, which very much resembles Hollywood movies like Star Wars and Guardians Of The Galaxy. Song plays a reckless scavenger and pilot Tae-ho who flies alongside enigmatic ex-pirate Captain Jang, played by Kim Tae-ri. Captain Jang is a former special forces squad officer who deserted her post to create her own pirate organisation. Despite being the youngest woman on the team and with a smaller physique than others, she still succeeds in commandeering the spaceship and bossing everyone around.
"In the beginning, I also wondered why the director wanted me to play the role. A typical captain tends to have very broad shoulders and they're very charismatic -- that's the visual you would expect. However, then I thought maybe it was just the director's style to move away from the obvious," said Kim. "And if you look at the T-shirt that the captain is wearing in the film, it's very colourful and has a little cutesy drawing. So I think that's the kind of character the captain is. So, to me, I feel like Captain Jang is someone who is very determined. She lives like a pirate, but in her heart, she has something else that holds her. And you will know what I'm talking about once you see the film."
The rest of the crew consists of Jin Seon-kyu as Tiger Park, the engineer of the ship and a former drug lord who escaped Earth after being arrested and sentenced to death. Also, actor Yoo Hae-jin did the voiceover for Bubs, a reprogrammed military robot who acts as the accounting manager of the ship. Yoo described the robot as not just a typical robot but one that it is very warm-hearted, almost like a human being. Bubs also has his own dream to achieve.
With its high budget production and stunning visuals and sound designs, Space Sweepers was originally meant for theatrical release in order to provide an immersive experience. However, due to Covid-19, the film has landed on Netflix instead. When the cast members were asked whether or not they're disappointed that the film couldn't get a theatrical release, Kim pointed out that the most important thing is being able to communicate with the audience.
"Yes, of course, I do feel a little bit sad because I'm also a member of the audience and I love watching movies in the theatre. However, I still feel very happy and grateful that we get to meet the audience through Netflix. When you're watching the movie at home, please make sure that the volume is very loud and pay attention to the sound effects. I think that would make it a better experience," she said.
"When it comes to the sci-fi genre, we are usually reminded of Hollywood because that's what we are used to. So, imagine what would it be like to have an outer space created in Korea? I think that's exactly what we have created together. I am excited to see what other sci-fi films that take place in outer space will come about from Korea. I hope that Space Sweepers has started something."
