South Korean sci-fi movie Space Sweepers set for release on Netflix

South Korean sci-fi action movie Space Sweepers is finally set for release — on Netflix. The streamer said Wednesday that the film will launch on its platform worldwide on Feb. 5.

Space Sweepers, directed by Jo Sung-hee (A Werewolf Boy), is considered South Korea’s first big-budget action epic set in space. The movie was supposed to be released at home in Korea during the summer blockbuster season, but was postponed to September due to the coronavirus pandemic. With Korean cinemas still ailing throughout the fall, Netflix stepped in and acquired the worldwide streaming rights to the title.

Set in 2092, Space Sweepers takes place aboard the spaceship Victory, one of many vessels surviving on scavenged space debris. The film stars K-drama favorite Song Joong-Ki (The Battleship Island) as the ship’s genius space pilot, popular actress Kim Tae-Ri (The Handmaiden) as a mysterious ex-pirate, Jin Sun-Kyu as a spaceship engineer, and Yoo Hai-jin as the reprogrammed military robot Bubs. After successfully snatching a crashed space shuttle in their latest debris chase, Victory’s crew discovers a 7-year-old girl inside. Realizing that she’s the humanlike robot wanted by UTS Space Guards, they decide to demand ransom.

The film was primarily produced by South Korean film company Merry Christmas, with additional financing from China’s Huayi Tencent Entertainment and visual effects from Seoul-based Dexter Studios.

Netflix released a new teaser trailer Wednesday (below) in support of the upcoming release date.