'' The Host '' marked a step up in scale in Bong 's career , and indeed for the Korean film industry as a whole . The big-budget ( $ 12 million ) work centered on a fictional monster that rises up out of the Han River to wreak havoc on the people of Seoul — and on one family in particular . Featuring many of the actors who had appeared in his previous films , the film was the focus of strong audience interest even before it started shooting , but many doubts were raised about whether a Korean production could rise to the challenge of creating a full-fledged , believable digital monster . After initially contacting New Zealand 's Weta Digital — the company responsible for the CGI in '' The Lord of the Rings '' — scheduling conflicts led Bong to San Francisco-based The Orphanage , who took on the majority of the effects work . After rushing to meet deadlines , the film received a rapturous premiere in the Directors ' Fortnight section of the 2006 Cannes Film Festival . Although local audiences were slightly more critical of '' The Host '' than attendees at Cannes , the film was nonetheless a major summer hit . With theater owners calling for more and more prints , the film enjoyed South Korea 's widest release ever ( on over a third of the nation 's 1800 screens ) and set a new box-office record with 13 million tickets sold
2006 Cannes Film Festival
2006 Cannes Film Festival
Bong Joon-ho