Korean Zombie Movie Train To Busan's Sequel Gets Scary First Image

Parasite is one of the most successful foreign language movies ever released in the US, but it's not the only South Korean hit to have found a big audience in the west in recent years. The 2016 zombie action movie Train to Busan is one of the biggest movies ever released in South Korea and grossed more than $1.2 million at the US box office. Anticipation is high for the the follow-up Peninsula, which arrives later this year. The first image and new details have now been revealed.

In an interview with ScreenDaily, director Yeon Sang-ho spoke about the movie and explained that it wouldn't be a direct sequel featuring the same characters as Train to Busan. "It takes place four years after Train To Busan, in the same universe, but it doesn't continue the story and has different characters," he said. "Government authority has been decimated after the zombie outbreak in Korea, and there is nothing left except the geographical traits of the location--which is why the film is called Peninsula."

"The scale of Peninsula can't compare to Train To Busan, it makes it look like an independent film,” he continued. "Train To Busan was a high-concept film shot in narrow spaces whereas Peninsula has a much wider scope of movement."

The first image from Peninsula has also been released. It shows an infected zombie charging through water, and looks suitably scary and action-packed. Check it out below.

The movie is set to focus on a soldier who must return to zombie-infested Seoul on a dangerous mission and teams up with a group of non-infected survivors. In the interview, Sang-ho also spoke about the current coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, and how it related to his movies, which also deal with a global pandemic. "Of course I never dreamt of anything like the new coronavirus,” he said. "But recently I have been learning news about the collective selfishness that you do see facets of in Train To Busan and in Peninsula, that brings about tragedy."

Peninulsa doesn't yet have a US release date. However, it's due to hit Korean theaters in August and has already been picked up for a US release by Well Go USA, who have released numerous Asian movies over the past few years. For more, check out GameSpot's guide to the biggest upcoming horror movies of 2020.