Part 2 of “Alienoid” gets the magic touch from Dexter Studios… Ranks first at the box office and continues to earn great reviews for a spectacular comeback
“Alienoid: Return to the Future,” the sequel to Part 1 that won the Visual Effects Award at the 58th Grand Bell Awards in 2022, capturing worldwide attention as a rare fantasy sci-fi action film in Korea, has been a pleasant surprise, heating up the box office since the beginning of 2024. Available in IMAX, 4DX, and ScreenX, “Alienoid: Return to the Future” is performing well by captivating the audience as an “immersive” film.
Dexter Studios [206560], a company specializing in VFX and content production, announced on January 12 that it had participated in the technical production of “Alienoid: Return to the Future.” Dexter Studios supervised the VFX and DI&DIT (digital intermedaite and digital imaging technician) of the film, whereas its subsidiary Livetone was in charge of the sound effects, which added synergy to the overall quality of the production.
“Alienoid: Return to the Future” is proving to be popular among audiences with a story that connects well with Part 1 released in 2022. Part 2 depicts the story of secular humans and monks trying to save humanity by returning to the future while hidden secrets are revealed in the fierce battle for the sacred sword.
Leading up to its release in cinemas, “Alienoid: Return to the Future” was screen-tested with a small contingent of viewers, which helped the film garner a positive response and go viral. On January 8, it made headlines when it rose to first in pre-booked tickets based on figures from KOBIS (the integrated network for box office ticket sales). When it premiered on January 10, “Alienoid: Return to the Future” attracted 94,446 viewers, ranking first at the box office and giving it the green light for further box office success.
VFX Supervisor Jaegal Seung, who oversaw the VFX work, said, “For Part 1 of ‘Alienoid,’ it was important for us to establish the world view of the alienoid, and to introduce the audience to it. For Part 2, we developed a storyline that was easy for audiences to accept and follow along.”
He continued, “We tried to maintain a good balance between the main characters who were there to solve the case and design each scene without making them stand out too much or feel overbearing. Given the nature of the fantasy genre, we had to add CG cuts with full 3D structures, but we made sure that objects, characters, and backgrounds were harmonized and utilized not to feel out of place.”
He explained, “From pre-production to final post-production, we worked on this for six years. I genuinely hope people love this movie. And also expect Part 1 to be rewatched with the popularity of Part 2.”
Director Park Jin-young, the colorist at Dexter who supervised the digital intermediate, said, “The point of ‘Alienoid,’ which takes advantage of an action series that drops in and out of reality and the past, is how smoothly all the content translates on the screen. That’s why we focused on producing vibrant colors to make difficult-to-produce VFX scenes more interesting.”
Livetone CEO Choi Tae-young, who participated in the film as the sound director, also said, “Given that Parts 1 and 2 are from the same movie series, we needed to maintain a sense of consistency in the sounds. That way, we could ensure the continuity between the two films. On the other hand, unlike Part 1, which focuses on certain events and the outline of the Alienoid’s world, Part 2 follows a narrative-centric story that gives the audience a better chance to immerse themselves in the movie.”
