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Director Shim realizes dream through 'D-War'

Shim Hyung-rae, who has directed a monsterfest "D-War", said he has had a strong conviction about the massive film project from the outset. "Without confidence, I might not be able to reach this point", he told reporters at a press preview held in Seoul on Monday.

Despite his sense of confidence, Shim had struggled hard to achieve his ultimate goal -- a wide release in the United States and full-fledged computer-generated graphics. Not only local filmmakers but also foreign distributors did not expect Shim to complete the film, because the project was plagued by rumors of failure. Repeated delay in a formal release was also cited as a sign that the project would collapse.

The budget was also problematic. It cost about $33 million in production, making "D-War" the most expensive move ever made by a Korean filmmakers. Yet the bigger the budget, the more risks. And Shim was also suffering from a failure of his previous pic "Yonggary".

"If other foreign directors like James Cameron made this film, far better publicity might have been generated", Shim said, referring to the prejudice heaped on him over the past years. "But I feel proud that my film is finally being released in 1,500 screens in the United States soon".

The project of "D-War" traces back to February 2003 when director Shim held a news conference at a hotel in Seoul and announced he would produce the film with a production cost of $15 million.

But Shim's original plan to release the film in the summer of 2004 did not materialize. Instead, major casting members joined the project and only a shooting in downtown Los Angeles was completed in November 2004.

To the skeptical press, Shim made another pledge: a formal release of "D-War" in October 2005 in about 100 countries, competing with "King Kong". Unfortunately, "King Kong" was not able to stage a showdown with the Korean monster in 2005 because Shim's film was not ready yet -- again.

After repeated delays, "D-War" is now finally meeting audiences in Korea on Aug. 1 -- a crucial test ahead of its American release that will prove whether Shim's confidence has been right all along.

By Yang Sung-jin

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