Don Lee’s film on Pogos to screen in Philippine cinemas in August | Contributed photo
Following President Bongbong Marcos’ call to ban Philippine offshore gaming operators (Pogos), Don Lee’s film “The Roundup: Punishment,” which is loosely based on online gambling in the country, is set to hit Philippine cinemas in August.
Filmed in both South Korea and the Philippines, specifically in Angeles and Tarlac City, “The Roundup: Punishment” touches on the controversies of online gambling as it sees the team of Ma Seok-Do (Lee) chasing one of Korea’s dangerous criminals, Baek Chang-gi (Kim Moo-yul), who operates an online gambling ring in the Philippines.
The story unfolds after the murder of a young Korean professional who escaped from Chang-gi’s gambling operations, leading to a deeper exploration of how the ex-special forces mercenary monopolizes Korea’s illegal online gambling business utilizing human trafficking, kidnapping, torture and murder.
En route to solving the abduction and murder of missing Korean citizens as well as hunting the mastermind behind the gambling operation, Seok-do’s team takes the action to the streets in the Philippines, where they ride jeepneys and form alliances with the local authorities.
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According to the press release, the shooting not only magnified the film’s scale but also perfectly captured the reality of “borderless and turfless online crime” by switching locations between Korea and the Philippines.
Meanwhile, the film had its world premiere at the 74th Berlin International Film Festival last Feb. 23. It was then pre-sold in 164 countries including Australia, New Zealand, Singapore and Malaysia, among others, in May.
On April 24, the film was released in theaters in South Korea, showcased in ‘Prime Picks’ at the 23rd New York Asian Film Festival, and is set to screen at the Fantasia International Film Festival in Montreal, Canada, later this month.
According to Variety, “The Roundup: Punishment” extended its dominance in South Korea’s box office, accumulating $75 million in its fourth week.
“The Roundup: Punishment” opens exclusively at SM Cinemas on Aug. 14.