A lot is being made about Kim Ji-woon’s The Last Stand, and with good reason. Here in the States, it has action junkies fired up for Arnold Schwarzenegger’s return to a genre he basically defined decades ago. We’re all anxious to see if a stint in political office (and an advancement in age) has softened the former Terminator – though if anyone can make Ah-nold look like a badass, it’s Ji-woon.
On a global scale, international audiences are interested in seeing Ji-Woon’s first English-language feature after his fascinating and, at times, challenging efforts like I Saw the Devil, A Bittersweet Life and A Tale of Two Sisters. But the marriage between Hollywod and Ji-woon will be short-lived, apparently, as Twitch says the South Korean filmmaker will head home to make his next picture, tentatively titled The Fall of Humanity.
The site has precious few details about the project, though they do say that it will be a collaboration with Antarctic Journal director Yim Pil-sung. Will they co-direct? Divide up writing and directing duties? No idea. And if Last Stand is a massive hit, you just know that Hollywood studios will be back on Ji-woon’s doorstep offering him multiple, big-budget exercises in an effort to lure him back into the machine. But I don’t think there’s anything wrong with an international filmmaker transitioning back and forth from their home territory to Los Angeles, particularly if it helps create jobs in both markets for creative talents who are simply eager to work. I can’t wait to see what Ji-woon does with Schwarzenegger in Last Stand, and I’m glad we won’t have to wait too long after that film to see his next story, as well.
