"50 Years to Reach Cannes"... Ryu Seung-wan and Hwang Jung-min's 'Veteran 2' Premiere

77th Cannes Film Festival Screening at Lumi?re Theater
Non-competitive Midnight Screening Invitation
"High-quality K-Action and Humor" Attracts Overseas Distributors' Interest

Actors Hwang Jung-min, Director Ryu Seung-wan, and Jung Hae-in on the Cannes Film Festival red carpet
[Photo by CJ ENM]

The movie 'Veteran 2' was unveiled at the 77th Cannes Film Festival. Director Ryu Seung-wan, invited to the official section for the first time in his career, expressed his overwhelming feelings, saying, "It took 50 years to come to Cannes."

At 12:30 AM on the 21st (local time), 'Veteran 2' had its world premiere as a Midnight Screening in the non-competitive section of the 77th Cannes Film Festival at the Lumi?re Theater in Cannes, France. Before the screening, actor Hwang Jung-min, Jung Hae-in, director Ryu Seung-wan, and his wife Kang Hye-jung, CEO of the production company Oeyunaegang, walked the red carpet at the entrance of the Lumi?re Theater and entered.

There are no Korean films invited to the competitive section as contenders for awards at the Cannes Film Festival. 'Veteran 2,' invited to the Midnight Screening in the official section, is the only Korean film. This section is a non-competitive category showcasing commercial genre films, and recently Korean films have been prominently invited. Previously, 'Train to Busan' (2016), 'The Spy Gone North' (2018), 'The Gangster, The Cop, The Devil' (2019), 'Hunt' (2022), and 'Escape' (2023) were invited.

The film is a new work from CJ ENM, which produced the Palme d'Or winner 'Parasite' (2019) and the Best Director winner 'Decision to Leave' (2022). CJ ENM has actively marketed at Cannes, establishing a solid reputation as a distributor locally. Tickets for 'Veteran 2' were sold out early with 2,300 seats, and Vice Chairman Lee Mi-kyung was also present in the audience.

[Photo by CJ ENM]

After the movie ended and the ending credits rolled, applause lasted for about 5 minutes and 30 seconds. Applause during a non-competitive screening is not particularly significant. The applause represents the audience's 'respect' and encouragement toward the filmmakers, including the director and actors present. More important is the audience's reaction and atmosphere in the theater.

After the screening, Director Ryu said, "I am indescribably happy to have my film screened at Cannes. It took 50 years to come here. The way home will feel very short." He added, "I sincerely thank the Cannes Film Festival officials, the audience who came to the theater today, future viewers who have yet to see this film, and all the actors and family members who worked on this film."

Actor Hwang Jung-min, taking the microphone, said, "We will return with your infinite affection, love, and gratitude," and added, "I will definitely convey this warmth to the fans in our homeland who love our film."

Thierry Fr?maux, Executive Director of the Cannes Film Festival, said, "It is a great film invited to the Midnight Screening," and added, "It looks even more spectacular on the big screen."

Distributor CJ ENM reported the local atmosphere, saying, "The thrilling and intense action scenes led by the two main actors playing veteran detective Seo Do-cheol and the newly joined detective Park Seon-woo, who caught Seo Do-cheol's eye, captivated viewers' attention. The delicate and suspenseful seasoned direction, which raises questions about the ambiguous boundary between good and evil and the values distinguishing them, maximized audience immersion and heightened the theater's engagement to the highest level."

[Photo by CJ ENM]

Major foreign media and overseas distributors responded that the action in 'Veteran 2' stands out.

German distributor Splendid said, "'Veteran 2' is a perfect example of why we love Ryu Seung-wan's films," and praised it as "a top director who delivers high-quality action scenes and humor codes scattered throughout."

Spanish distributor Youplanet Pictures said, "It is an immersive work that keeps you glued from start to finish. Especially the opening sequence was the best among the films I have seen in years. It is a work at the forefront of Korean cinema, harmonizing excellent action and narrative."

Russian distributor Provzglyad described it as "creative, dynamic, and captivating. A work with the best action and various charms."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.