“Snowpiercer” has been sold to 167 countries prior to its release. This is a new record in Korean cinema. With just a 10-minute highlight of “Snowpiercer” (director Bong Jun-ho, production Moho Films, Opus Pictures), the movie sold distribution rights to North America, France, UK, Japan, Eastern Europe, Australia, South America, and Scandinavia.
The distribution rights in North America, UK, New Zealand, and Australia belong to The Weinstein Company, a major American film studio with the most number of Oscar trophies. French company Wildside, which also distributed “Thirst” (2009), “Masquerade” (2010), and “The Taste of Money” (2012), will cover France, Eastern Europe, and South America. “Snowpiercer” will be screened in 167 countries in total. 

It is not a common feat for a Korean movie to be purchased by other countries prior to its release. As if to attest the global spotlight shining on the movie, “Snowpiercer” graced the main page of the largest film database in America, IMDB, on July 9. Dedicated to everything about films, FirstShowing also posted the trailer of “Snowpiercer” and praised the short clip for capturing the essence of the movie. 
Even the UK-based “Guardian” predicted that “Snowpiercer” will be able to excel previous Hollywood-debut Korean movies. In the article, it stated that “Snowpiercer” looks much more promising than previous Hollywood releases.  
The largest film magazine in North America, Twitch Film, also showed high expectations of “Snowpiercer”, stating; “We’ve been waiting for a while and now the first footage from Snowpiercer has finally surfaced in the form of a mini teaser and a behind-the-scenes clip.”
 
“It’s a historical event for Korean cinema that ‘Snowpiercer’ has brought in more than USD 20 million, which is equivalent to the total yearly export of Korean movies. It has been sold to 167 countries,” said CJ Entertainment. “167 countries refer to almost all countries where films are watched. Hence, ‘Snowpiercer’ should be seen more as a global project than a Korean movie or an international debut of filmmakers.”
“What’s particularly eye-catching is the response from Latin America and Eastern Europe, which weren’t enthusiastic about Korean movies,” CJ Entertainment added. “It’s the first Korean movie to get a wide release in Latin America and Eastern Europe.”
The record-breaking “Snowpiercer” will be released first in Korea on August 1.