The Thieves (2012 South Korean Film)

The Thieves (Korean: 도둑들; RR: Dodookdeul) is a 2012 South Korean heist action film directed by Choi Dong-hoon. The film follows a group of professional thieves from South Korea and Hong Kong who collaborate on a high-stakes heist to steal a rare diamond known as the "Tear of Sun" from a Macau casino.

Production

Principal photography for the film began in May 2011 and concluded on December 7, 2011. The production spanned multiple locations, including Seoul, Busan, Hong Kong, and Macau. The final scene was filmed at the Hotel Walkerhill in Seoul, featuring actor Kim Yun-seok. During its development, the film utilized the working title The Professionals before reverting to The Thieves.

Box Office Performance

Upon its release on July 25, 2012, The Thieves achieved significant commercial success in South Korea. It became the first film of 2012 to exceed 2 million ticket sales during its opening weekend. By August 2, 2012, it reached 4.87 million admissions, surpassing Nameless Gangster: Rules of the Time to become the top-selling domestic film of the year. On August 6, 2012, it overtook the U.S. film The Avengers to become the highest-grossing film in South Korea for 2012, with 7.27 million tickets sold.

On August 15, 2012, the film became the seventh production in South Korean history to surpass 10 million admissions. By the end of its theatrical run, The Thieves had sold approximately 12.98 million tickets, ranking as the third highest-grossing film in South Korean box-office history at that time, trailing only The Host and Avatar.

Cast

The film features an ensemble cast, including:

• Kim Yun-seok as Macao Park
• Kim Hye-soo as Pepsee
• Lee Jung-jae as Popie
• Gianna Jun as Yenicall
• Kim Hae-sook as Chewingum
• Kim Soo-hyun as Zampano
• Simon Yam as Chen
• Oh Dal-su as Andrew
• Angelica Lee as Julie
• Kwok Cheung Tsang as Johnny