A strong global box office for Peninsula (Back to Busan Presents: Peninsula) is a cause for optimism among those in the film industry right now because it shows that audiences will go back to a movie theater if there is something they really want to see. Peninsula is being referred to as a global hit at a time when the reopening of cinemas while ensuring the safety of everyone involved, has been a challenge for the business.

Peninsula is a movie about how to survive the end of the world. The story contains the theme that “we can change our lives through solidarity and hope.” In an exclusive interview, Yeon Sang-ho tells C.M. Rubin, Founder of CMRubinWorld, that these themes resonate with people impacted by the pandemic who hope to see a return to “normal” in the near future. Will we see that also happen in the film community? Yeon Sang-ho believes the industry will be able to invent new ways to create films. “Movies are so precious to us,” he says. “We will still want to see them.”

Yeon Sang-ho is a South Korean film director and screenwriter. He has written and directed the animated films The King of Pigs, The Fake, and Seoul Station, as well as the live-action films, Train to Busan and its sequel Peninsula.

CMRubinWorld’s award-winning series, The Global Search for Education, brings together distinguished thought leaders in education and innovation from around the world to explore the key learning issues faced by most nations. The series has become a highly visible platform for global discourse on 21st-century learning, offering a diverse range of innovative ideas that are presented by the series founder, C. M. Rubin, together with the world’s leading thinkers.