SEOUL, September 4 (AJP) - South Korean musical "Maybe Happy Ending," which swept six awards at this year's Tony Awards in the U.S., is set to be released as a film in theaters next month, its distributor said Wednesday.
Kino Films, the film's distributor, said the it will premiere exclusively at the multi-screen chain Megabox nationwide from October 2.
Written by South Korean lyricist Hue Park and composed by American composer Will Aronson, the musical debuted in a 300-seat theater in Seoul in 2016 before moving to Broadway last year, where it claimed six Tony Awards, including the top honor of Best Musical. Maybe Happy Ending depicts a story about two robots who fall in love after being thrown away by humans.
In a recent media interview, Park recalled how the musical was conceived. After briefly working as a lyricist in South Korea, he went to New York University to study visual arts, where he was introduced to Anderson by a mutual friend. Park said the story was inspired by personal hardships, including a breakup and the death of a close friend. Around that time, he heard Damon Albarn’s song “Everyday Robots” at a Brooklyn café, which compares lonely modern people to robots. The song sparked the idea of writing a love story about robots rediscovering forgotten human values.
The film reunites South Korean actors Shin Joo-hyeop and Kang Hye-in, who starred in the 2018 stage production in Seoul, as the lead characters Oliver and Claire. Veteran actor Yoo Jun-sang joins as James, Oliver’s former owner, under the direction of Lee Won-hoe.
Meanwhile, the musical is set to embark on a North American tour next June, starting at the Hippodrome Theatre in Baltimore before traveling to more than 30 cities.
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