KOREAN BOX OFFICE SMASH HIT “CONCRETE UTOPIA” TO MAKE STREAMING DEBUT ON RAKUTEN VIKI FOLLOWING LIMITED THEATRICAL RUN

Al Mega

11 months ago

Film Starring Lee Byung-hun of “Squid Game” Fame and “Parasite’s” Park Seo-jun Makes its Way to the Platform Today

Rakuten Viki, one of the largest streaming services for Asian content, announced today that Korean box office hit, Concrete Utopia, will be coming to Rakuten Viki exclusively on January 26. The film, which stars Lee Byung-hun (Squid Game, I Saw the Devil), Park Seo-jun (Parasite, What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim), and Park Bo-young (Strong Girl Bong-soon, Doom at Your Service), opened in Korea in early August and quickly became a smash-hit, securing the number-one spot at the box office for one week, accumulating nearly 4 million admissions. This news comes following the film’s critically acclaimed runs at Toronto International Film Festival, Sitges International Film Festival, and Fantastic Fest.

Concrete Utopia is a gripping disaster-thriller based on the second part of webtoon Cheerful Outcast by Kim Soong-nyung. After Seoul is devastated by a powerful earthquake, the Hwanggoong Apartment complex is the only place still standing. Young-Tak (Lee Byung-Hun) temporarily leads the residents of Hwang Gung apartment, but as the crisis unfolds, moral values are tested.

“As the appetite for Asian entertainment continues to grow with US audiences, this is a significant moment for Rakuten Viki as we look to raise the bar in offering the latest and most buzzworthy titles to fans,” said Jaehee Hong, SVP of Content at Rakuten Viki.

Kyung Joon Lee, Managing Partner at 815 Pictures, the North American distributor of the film said, “Concrete Utopia is a perfect example of current Korean cinema which balances cinematic artistry and entertainment. We are thrilled to have this film to meet audiences through Rakuten Viki, where lovers of quality Asian content gather.”

Since launching its movie rental service in 2021, Rakuten Viki has brought more than 450 films to the platform including blockbusters such as The Point Men, Seobok, Emergency Declaration, and Everything Everywhere all at Once, and the most recent success, Love Reset. Rakuten Viki’s movie rental service brings hit films to fans shortly after their box office run in Asia to homes across the U.S., along with iconic and beloved classic Asian cinema. Through the movie rental service, Rakuten Viki is able to offer viewers a vast and eclectic selection of films from Korea, China, Taiwan, Japan, and other countries across Asia.

Rakuten Viki is available to anyone to watch for free (with advertisements) or without advertisements with tiered subscriptions of Viki Pass Standard for $5.99 USD a month and VikiPass Plus for $9.99 USD a month. Rakuten Viki is available on several platforms, including desktop, mobile, and web. Over 162 million users have downloaded the Viki app.

About Rakuten Viki

Rakuten Viki is a premier destination for Asian entertainment, with a global audience that comes to Rakuten Viki’s over-the-top (OTT) platform for dramas, variety shows, movies, awards shows, and Viki Originals – translated into 150+ languages by a community of avid fans. Reaching users in over 250 countries via Rakuten Viki and its entertainment news community, Soompi, the company also invests in Viki Originals. Viki, Inc. is a part of the Rakuten Group (TSE: 4755), a global leader in e-commerce and internet services that empower individuals, communities, businesses, and society.

Author Profile

Al Mega

I'm Al Mega the CEO of Comic Crusaders, CEO of the Undercover Capes Podcast Network, CEO of Geekery Magazine & Owner of Splintered Press (coming soon). I'm a fan of comics, cartoons and old school video games. Make sure to check out our podcasts/vidcasts and more!