Chinese director Chen Kaige's The Promise will be screened in 500 cinemas in South Korea from Dec. 15, making it the "Chinese film receiving the most favorable treatment in South Korea," according to the Wednesday edition of the Southern Metropolis Daily.

Appearing in 500 cinemas would break the record of Chinese-language film Hero — by heavyweight Chinese director Zhang Yimou — which two years ago was shown in 400 cinemas in South Korea.

"Even a South Korean production can hardly get the same favorable treatment," said a South Korean distributor.

Sympathy for Lady Vengeance, starring Lee Young-ae screened in only 420 cinemas for its premiere, while South Korea's top box office Taegukgi debuted in 430 cinemas.

Chen Hong, chief producer of The Promise, said distributors in Japan, China's Taiwan and Hong Kong had been busy preparing for the screening of The Promise which would be marketed as a Hollywood production.

But while promotional trailers for The Promise had originally been planned for inclusion with this summer's showings of Steven Spielburg's latest blockbuster War of the Worlds in China's mainland, Hong Kong and Taiwan theaters, audiences will now have to wait until October for their first glimpses, as Chen Kaige is still working on special effects for The Promise in Hong Kong.

Interestingly, a winter release for The Promise coincides with the South Korean-made film Typhoon, which is due to start showing Dec. 23 — meaning South Korean actor Jiang Dong-jun, who plays the leading role in The Promise, and also appears in Typhoon, would be competing against himself for audience share.

Asked how she thought The Promise would fare against Typhoon in South Korea, Chen was optimistic.

"We are very confident about the box-office success of The Promise. Though nationalities differ in each country and audiences may have their special fondness for different tastes, the real good films are beyond boundaries and will definitely touch viewers' hearts," she said.

"What we feel now is like a lavishly-dressed girl, who waits for others to release her veil and astonish the whole world with her incredible beauty," Chen concluded.

(Shenzhen Daily August 18, 2005)