CJ Entertainment has announced thatK.T. Kwak's $14.5m action blockbuster Typhoon is set to hit North America throughDreamWorks' distribution network, marking the first Korean film to go through amajor distributor in the US.

"At a time when Korean films aregaining popularity around the globe, we are very excited to be able to expandthe market of high quality films such as Typhoon into the US," said head ofDreamWorks distribution Jim Tharp.

CJ Entertainment reached anagreement last week with DreamWorks to exhibit Typhoon in US and Canadiantheaters. The release dates, scale and conditions are still under discussion,but marketing materials are set to cross the water next month in preparationfor a North American campaign.

Kim Joo Sung, CJ Entertainment CEO,credited the deal "to the mutual trust built over 10 years of partnership withDreamWorks". CJ made a founding investment in DreamWorks SKG in 1994 and hasAsian distribution rights for the studio's films.

Director K.T. Kwak is scheduled tovisit DreamWorks next month to discuss collaborating on a US version of Korea'smost expensive film to date. Typhoon broke local B.O. records with 1.8million admissions in this, its first week, and was pre-sold to Japan for $4m.

With international stars Jang Dong-gun(The Promise) and Lee Jung-jae (Il Mare), Typhoon is already anticipatedto rival record-breaker Taegukgi, Kang JeGyu's blockbuster war epic.Taegukgi was released in the US by Samuel Goldwyn Films and IDP Films.

Kim also stated hopes that Typhoonwouldopen up more opportunities for direct distribution of Korean films in NorthAmerica. In a move to aggressively pursue US distribution and co-productionacross multiple platforms, CJ set up a branch office in L.A. this past March.