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The Pirates 2, which has been busy ruling the Korean box office, has achieved yet another major milestone in just ten days. As per a recent report, the film has officially crossed a tally of one million moviegoers in the short duration of its theatrical release since January 26, 2022.
This incredible feat has made The Pirates 2, 2022's first Korean film to be watched by more than 1 million moviegoers. While it is an impressive accomplishment, what makes it even more commendable is the fact that theaters in Korea are still under strict COVID-19 guidelines.
Rules like social distancing effectively halves a film’s earning potential. Thus, the film's major accomplishment speaks volumes about the film’s director Kim Jung-hoon and the talented cast who went through a rather tough experience to make the film.
The Pirates 2 had to be filmed in the dead of winter
While the shooting began during the summers, the film’s production schedule was first delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic. As they attempted to begin filming again, the pouring rains once again stalled their plans.
As shared by Jung-hoon, this only left them with the winter season and to somehow trump the bitter cold to complete the filming. This became even more difficult because The Pirates 2 includes many scenes in the water, especially underwater. Jung-hoon shared that filming these scenes was much harder than it appears and for the cast as well as the crew it became an unimaginable task.
“The actors can hardly do anything when they’re submerged in water, and so it’s meaningless for a director to try to give directions. I am so grateful to the actors who could act even when they were in the water.”
“Park Ji Hwan got water in his ear during filming and got a middle ear infection. Kang Ha Neul got water up his nose and had to go to the hospital to have it extracted. Lee Kwang Soo and Han Hyo Joo would spit up water when I yelled ‘cut.’ That’s how hard it was on everyone. The production staff, who were assisting, also went through a lot as well.”
The Pirates 2 is a spiritual sequel to the 2014’s hit film, The Pirates. The action-adventure comedy follows a rag-tag team of pirates who embark on adventures in the seas to look for lost treasures that have disappeared without a trace.
