The Korea Herald

지나쌤

Hirokazu Koreeda’s first film with Korean superstars set for June release

By Song Seung-hyun

Published : April 11, 2022 - 16:01

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Poster of Japanese director Hirokazu Koreeda’s new film ”Broker“ (CJ ENM) Poster of Japanese director Hirokazu Koreeda’s new film ”Broker“ (CJ ENM)


Japanese director Hirokazu Koreeda’s film ”Broker,“ starring several Korean actors including Song Kang-ho, Bae Doo-na, Gang Dong-won and IU, is set to hit local theaters in June, according to film distributor CJ ENM.

Koreeda wrote and directed the film and also worked with CJ ENM, the entertainment unit of South Korean conglomerate CJ Group, which financed and produced the project.

It is the first Korean movie directed by Koreeda, the Palme d’Or winner at the Cannes Film Festival in 2018 for “Shoplifters.“

The highly anticipated film centers around the relationships formed through a “baby box.”

The baby box is a drop box installed at churches or institutions where desperate parents can leave behind babies anonymously to prevent them from abandoning or even killing their newborn.

“Parasite” star Song plays broker Sang-hyun who finds parents to adopt the abandoned babies and makes special deals with them. Korean heartthrob Gang plays Sang-hyun’s business partner.

Fans can look forward to a repeat of the firecracker performance between Song and Gang in “Secret Reunion” directed by Jang Hun in 2010.

K-pop artist and actor IU, also known as Lee Ji-eun, plays a mother who returns to the baby box for her child.

Bae stars as a detective chasing after the brokers.