Korean western to hit Japanese theaters this summer

Korea`s spaghetti western "The Good, the Bad, the Weird" will be released in Japan this summer with a domestic distributor directly handling the film`s marketing, Korea`s CJ Entertainment said Thursday, according to Yonhap News.



"The Good…" will be screened at over 100 theaters in Japan beginning Aug. 29 with CJ Entertainment and Japan`s Show Gate jointly handling the distribution, the Korean distributor said in a press release.



This marks the first time a domestic firm has formed a consortium with a foreign distributor for a local film`s overseas release.



"The Good…," directed by Kim Jee-woon, has been well received by audiences in Korea and abroad, debuting at the Cannes Film Festival and topping last year`s box office sales at home with 6.8 million viewers.



A comedy inspired by Italian director Sergio Leone`s "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly," the film depicts a battle between three men over a treasure map in Japanese-occupied Manchuria in the 1930s.