Space Sweepers (2021 Film)

Space Sweepers (Korean: 승리호; RR: Seungriho) is a 2021 South Korean science fiction film directed by Jo Sung-Hee. The film is set in a future where Earth has become nearly uninhabitable, and humanity struggles for survival in space. The story follows the crew of the spaceship Victory, a group of space debris collectors who navigate the dangers of orbital salvage.

Promotional poster for the film Space Sweepers.

Plot

The crew of the Victory includes the pilot Tae-Ho (Song Joong-Ki), Captain Jang (Kim Tae-Ri), the engineer Tiger Park (Jin Sun-Kyu), and the robot Bubs (voiced by Yu Hae-Jin). Despite their efforts to earn a living by collecting space junk, the crew remains perpetually in debt. Their lives change when they discover a young girl named Dorothy, who is revealed to be a humanoid weapon, leading them into a high-stakes conflict involving the powerful UTS corporation.

Production

Principal photography for Space Sweepers began on July 3, 2019, and concluded in November 2019. The project marked a reunion between director Jo Sung-Hee and lead actor Song Joong-Ki, who had previously collaborated on the 2012 film A Werewolf Boy.

The film's release was significantly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Originally scheduled for a summer 2020 release, it was postponed to October 1, 2020, to coincide with the Korean Thanksgiving holiday. Following further delays, the film was ultimately released globally on Netflix on February 5, 2021.

Cast

Song Joong-Ki as Tae-Ho
Kim Tae-Ri as Captain Jang
Jin Sun-Kyu as Tiger Park
Yu Hae-Jin as Bubs (voice)
Park Ye-Rin as Dorothy / Kang Kot-Nim
Richard Armitage as CEO James Sullivan

Reception and Awards

The film received recognition for its visual effects and production design. It won the Best Technical Award at the 42nd Blue Dragon Film Awards in 2021 for the work of Jung Sung-Jin and Jung Cheol-Min. Additionally, it received an Art Award at the 57th Baeksang Arts Awards in 2021.