Taylor Swift ‘Eras’ Tour Concert Film Going Global

 Taylor Swift attends the 2023 MTV Video Music Awards at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, US, September 12, 2023. (Reuters)
Taylor Swift attends the 2023 MTV Video Music Awards at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, US, September 12, 2023. (Reuters)
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Taylor Swift ‘Eras’ Tour Concert Film Going Global

 Taylor Swift attends the 2023 MTV Video Music Awards at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, US, September 12, 2023. (Reuters)
Taylor Swift attends the 2023 MTV Video Music Awards at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, US, September 12, 2023. (Reuters)

Taylor Swift's "Eras Tour" concert film is expected to be the cinematic event of the season -- and now it's going global, with tickets expected to go on sale in more than 100 countries.

The film was already slated for an October 13 release in North America but will now be available from that date at cinemas worldwide, including every Odeon location across Europe, according to a Tuesday statement from theater giant AMC.

"The tour isn't the only thing we're taking worldwide... Been so excited to tell you all that The Eras Tour concert film is now officially coming to theaters WORLDWIDE on Oct 13!" Swift posted on Instagram.

When 33-year-old Swift first announced the film it broke the record for pre-sales in the United States in one day, raking in $37 million.

It's expected the film could exceed $100 million in North American its opening weekend.

"I think we could be talking about the biggest film of the fall season, which is pretty incredible," Jeff Bock, an analyst for box office tracker Exhibitor Relations, recently told AFP.

Swift is taking a break from her wildly popular tour that began in March -- performances will resume in November and run late into next year. Some analysts expect it will become the first tour to break the symbolic $1-billion mark.



South Korean Cult-Horror Series ‘Hellbound’ Returns at BIFF

In this picture taken on October 2, 2024, (L-R) South Korean actors Im Seong-Jae, Kim Hyun-joo and Kim Sung-cheol arrive on the red carpet during the opening ceremony of the 29th Busan International Film Festival in Busan. (AFP)
In this picture taken on October 2, 2024, (L-R) South Korean actors Im Seong-Jae, Kim Hyun-joo and Kim Sung-cheol arrive on the red carpet during the opening ceremony of the 29th Busan International Film Festival in Busan. (AFP)
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South Korean Cult-Horror Series ‘Hellbound’ Returns at BIFF

In this picture taken on October 2, 2024, (L-R) South Korean actors Im Seong-Jae, Kim Hyun-joo and Kim Sung-cheol arrive on the red carpet during the opening ceremony of the 29th Busan International Film Festival in Busan. (AFP)
In this picture taken on October 2, 2024, (L-R) South Korean actors Im Seong-Jae, Kim Hyun-joo and Kim Sung-cheol arrive on the red carpet during the opening ceremony of the 29th Busan International Film Festival in Busan. (AFP)

Netflix's Korean cult-horror thriller "Hellbound" returned for its much anticipated second season with a world premiere at Busan International Film Festival, showcasing intense performances from the new cast members, particularly Moon Geun-young.

Created by Yeon Sang-ho, known for zombie flick "Train to Busan", the first season of "Hellbound" achieved critical and commercial success with its portrayal of a world where supernatural beings suddenly appear to tell people of their impending death, followed by monstrous entities that drag the condemned to hell.

Yeon, whose early works included a dark animated film about a Korean cult organization, elevates the dystopian thriller into a more philosophical realm in its second season, while still delivering the spectacle of creatures, violence, and collective religious hysteria.

"I believe that the concept of disaster in the work 'Hellbound' refers more to a mental or ideological catastrophe than to a physical disaster," director Yeon said at a BIFF event late Friday.

The show had to let go of actor Yoo Ah-in, who played a key character in season one, after he was charged with illegal drug use. Yoo was subsequently found guilty.

Kim Sung-cheol takes on the role of the charismatic leader of a cult that arose amid the horrific supernatural deaths that triggered a wave of social media frenzy, delivering a convincing portrayal of this intricate character.

But the most captivating -- and gut-wrenching -- performance of the second season arguably belongs to Moon Geun-young, a much beloved former teen actress in South Korea, who portrays a young wife gradually transforming into a deranged cult fanatic.

Yeon said he decided to cast Moon after seeing her in a 2021 TV drama where she portrayed a tormented wife who succumbs to alcoholism while caring for her alcoholic husband.

Moon did not attend this year's BIFF, but fellow cast member Kim Hyun-joo said: "Moon Geun-young made a tremendous contribution. I already knew (she was immensely talented), but I was pleasantly surprised and delighted by her performance."

The series was featured at BIFF in its big-screen theaters, even as the festival faces criticism from cinephiles for selecting a streaming title, "Uprising", also from Netflix, as its opening film this year.

Cineastes blame OTT streaming platforms for some of the challenges encountered by the traditional theater market and independent filmmakers.

"BIFF has been a key player in showcasing fresh Asian films by young, emerging talents in the region, and this has been their priority," Kay Heeyoung Kim, owner of the film studio K-Dragon, told AFP.

"But the lines between traditional independent cinema and big-budget streaming titles have blurred at this year's festival, which is unfortunate to see."

Yeon, who began his career as an independent animated filmmaker, along with his work "Hellbound," is credited with increasing the global visibility of South Korean content in recent years, alongside works like "Squid Game" and "Pachinko."