Lee Byung-hun Chanted on the Red Carpet, Theater Erupted in Laughter… Park Chan-wook's New Film Receives 9 Minutes of Standing Ovation

Official Premiere of 'Concrete Utopia' at Venice Film Festival… Park Chan-wook, Lee Byung-hun, Son Ye-jin, and Others Attend

Black Comedy That Made Global Audiences Smile… Park Chan-wook: "I Hope the Compliments on its Funniness Are Sincere"

Premiere Screening of the Film 'Concrete Utopia' at the 82nd Venice International Film Festival (AP=Yonhap News) The premiere screening of the film 'Concrete Utopia' was held on the 29th (local time) at the Sala Grande theater on Venice Lido, Italy, where the 82nd Venice International Film Festival is taking place. (From left) Director Park Chan-wook, actors Park Hee-soon, Son Ye-jin, Lee Byung-hun, Yum Hye-ran, and Lee Sung-min pose for photos. 2025.08.29.

 "Lee, Lee!"

"Director, please sign this."

From the red carpet, where Lee Byung-hun was chanted by name, to the theater filled with laughter and standing ovations, the official premiere of the film 'Concrete Utopia' was a scene brimming with fans' cheers.

The premiere screening of director Park Chan-wook's new film 'Concrete Utopia' was held on the 29th (local time) at the Sala Grande theater on Venice Lido, Italy, as part of the 82nd Venice International Film Festival.

A premiere screening is an official event where a film is first presented to the general audience, attended by actors and the director. 'Concrete Utopia', based on Donald Westlake's novel 'The Ax', depicts the story of Mansu (played by Lee Byung-hun), an unemployed father who seeks re-employment, and was invited to the competition section of the Venice Film Festival, where it was revealed for the first time.

Ten minutes before the screening began, lead actors Lee Byung-hun and Son Ye-jin were the first to appear in front of the Sala Grande theater. Lee Byung-hun plays Mansu, the unemployed father, and Son Ye-jin plays his wife, Miri. As the actors descended from their car and appeared on the red carpet, enthusiastic cheers erupted from fans who had been waiting outside the theater to see them before the screening.

Premiere Screening of the Film 'Concrete Utopia' at the 82nd Venice International Film Festival (Reuters=Yonhap News) The premiere screening of the film 'Concrete Utopia' was held on the 29th (local time) at the Sala Grande theater on Venice Lido, Italy, where the 82nd Venice International Film Festival is taking place. Actor Lee Byung-hun, who attended the premiere, takes photos with fans. 2025.08.29.

Lee Byung-hun's immense popularity, amplified by projects like the Netflix series 'Squid Game', was palpable. Fans packed the area in front of the Sala Grande theater, repeatedly shouting "Lee!" There was also a fan holding a poster of Lee Byung-hun's previous film 'I Saw the Devil' (2010) and waiting for his autograph. Lee Byung-hun responded to the cheers by taking photos and signing autographs for his fans.

Actors including Son Ye-jin, Park Hee-soon, Lee Sung-min, and Yum Hye-ran also engaged with fans, showing their appreciation.

Director Park Chan-wook also received a huge ovation, confirming his renowned status. Director Park was seen taking photos from various angles with his own camera.

Premiere Screening of the Film 'Concrete Utopia' at the 82nd Venice International Film Festival (Reuters=Yonhap News) The premiere screening of the film 'Concrete Utopia' was held on the 29th (local time) at the Sala Grande theater on Venice Lido, Italy, where the 82nd Venice International Film Festival is taking place. Director Park Chan-wook, who participated in the premiere screening, is taking photos. 2025.08.29.

As the actors and director entered the Sala Grande theater, the audience attending the premiere screening rose to their feet and applauded. The screening began with a standing ovation from the audience.

The screening gained momentum as the audience reacted to the black comedy scenes. In particular, a scene where Mansu, who intends to kill his competitor Beom-mo (played by Lee Sung-min) to get re-employed, unexpectedly receives help from the competitor's wife, Ara (played by Yum Hye-ran), elicited loud laughter. Laughter also erupted when Miri (played by Son Ye-jin) mentioned reducing Netflix expenses due to Mansu's unemployment, highlighting the film's universal themes. The audience was deeply engrossed in the interplay of tragedy and comedy, with sighs of lament from the audience at times over the hardship of unemployment.

As the credits rolled, the audience gave a 9-minute standing ovation. Director Park and the actors responded by holding hands and bowing. Director Park was seen embracing the actors one by one, celebrating the moment. Lee Mi-kyung, Vice Chairman of CJ, who served as the executive producer of 'Concrete Utopia', also attended and graced the occasion.

Premiere Screening of the Film 'Concrete Utopia' at the 82nd Venice International Film Festival (Venice=Yonhap News) Reporter Park Won-hee = At the premiere screening of the film 'Concrete Utopia' held at the Sala Grande theater on Venice Lido, Italy, on the 29th (local time), director Park Chan-wook and actors Son Ye-jin and Lee Byung-hun respond to the audience's applause after the screening. 2025.08.29.

Sanni Gabriele, an Italian audience member met at the venue, said, "I haven't seen many Korean films, but I was drawn to the trailer for 'Concrete Utopia' while looking through the Venice Film Festival program and decided to watch it," adding, "I liked that the actors' performances were convincing and realistic."

Director Park Chan-wook shared his thoughts on the film's debut, saying, "It was the first time presenting the film to an audience, and those who saw it came up and told me it was all very funny. I hope their words are sincere."

'Concrete Utopia' will compete for the Golden Lion, the festival's top prize, alongside films such as Yorgos Lanthimos's 'Poor Things' and Guillermo del Toro's 'Frankenstein' at the closing ceremony on the 6th of next month. Yonhap News