Space Sweepers, South Korea's first space movie, is currently the new number one film on Netflix and directer Jo Sung-hee teased that he's open to a sequel if only for one thing.

Speaking with Pinkvilla, the director said that he was largely motivated to do Space Sweepers because he wanted to see "an ordinary Korean saving the planet." However, he had to temper down on making the film too Korean as he didn't want to alienate Netflix's global audience.

Jo said that seeing a Korean-made space movie, with the main characters speaking their language, was weird enough for the international audience. But he does have several ideas he'd like to incorporate if given a chance to do the sequel.

The director said that it might be too soon to discuss a follow-up to Space Sweepers. However, as a viewer, he will probably be curious about the backstories of the other "Seungriho" (space sweepers) and he's looking forward to more movies in this genre from his fellow South Korean filmmakers.

Space Sweepers is set in 2092 and stars Song Joong-ki, Kim Tae-ri, Jin Seon-kyu, Yoo Hae-jin as struggling space junk collectors aboard The Victory spaceship. Their lives turn upside down when they find a child, who was dubbed as a weapon of mass destruction. Desperate for money, the crew from The Victory try to close a deal with the UTS, the company that built a new home for selected citizens. The space junk collectors, however, ended up getting more than they have bargained for.

Jo started developing Space Sweepers over 10 years ago after a discussion with a friend about the dangers of junk in space. The director found investors in 2019 that made filming possible and cast Song, a household name in South Korea for Descendents of the Sun, in the lead after working with him in A Werewolf Boy (2012).

Jo was also able to convince British actor Richard Armitage to join an Asian film. In November 2020, Netflix confirmed that it has the exclusive rights to distribute the movie.

The lack of big-budget blockbuster movies due to the pandemic has been impacting the worldwide movie industry. But according to Slate, Space Sweepers is a worthy substitute for a Marvel or Star Wars film.

The film is not without its flaws but as the first South Korean space movie, it is quite impressive. One week of its release and Space Sweepers already number one in 16 countries, including South Korea, France, Malaysia, Philippines and Hong Kong.