[Edaily Starin YUN GI BACK Reporter] Cinema Service, the investment and distribution company that led the Korean film renaissance of the 2000s, is returning to the theater scene. Attention is focused on whether the key player behind box office hits such as “Silmido” and “The King and the Clown” can breathe new life into the Korean film market, which has been sluggish since the pandemic.

On the 25th, Cinema Service officially announced the resumption of its investment and distribution operations and has begun full-scale operations. For its first project since its return, the company has selected director Kim Gu-jeong’s film *The Taste of Prison*, which is currently in production. Starring Lee Sun-bin, Park Ji-hwan, and Bae Hyun-sung, *The Taste of Prison* is a culinary comedy about a star chef who falls from grace overnight and finds himself working in a prison kitchen alongside a cast of colorful inmates. Cinema Service will serve as the film’s primary investor and distributor.
Starting with *Two Cops* in 1993, Cinema Service has invested in and distributed over 100 films, including *Public Enemy*, *Silmido*, and *The King and the Clown*, playing a pivotal role in the growth of the Korean commercial film industry. In particular, *Two Cops* proved the box-office potential of Korean films in a market previously dominated by foreign films, while *Silmido* is credited with ushering in a new era for the Korean film industry by becoming the first domestic film to surpass 10 million viewers.
This comeback is significant not only as a simple resumption of business but also because it aims to rebuild the investment ecosystem based on domestic capital. Cinema Service plans to establish a strategic partnership with domestic venture capital (VC) firms and investment companies, including Michigan Venture Capital, to create an investment system that spans from the planning stage through production and distribution.
Follow-up projects are also in the works. The upcoming lineup includes works that blend genre elements with mass appeal, such as an occult historical thriller set in the Joseon Dynasty, and casting negotiations with leading actors as well as pre-production are currently underway.
The industry views Cinema Service’s return as a signal of the Korean film industry’s recovery. Amid a slump caused by a decline in investment and theater attendance following the pandemic, attention is focused on whether the investment and distribution company—which led the golden age of Korean commercial cinema—will be able to breathe new life into the industry as a whole now that it has re-entered the market.