Director Yeon Sang-ho’s new film Colony has climbed to No. 1 in both advance ticket sales and reservation rate ahead of its release, recording a 48.7% reservation rate with 144,000 tickets booked.

The film follows survivors trapped inside a quarantined building during a mysterious outbreak as they confront infected beings that evolve in unpredictable ways. The cast includes Jun Ji-hyun, Koo Kyo-hwan, Ji Chang-wook, Shin Hyun-been and Kim Shin-rok.

Yeon returns to the zombie genre for the first time in six years since Peninsula, and the film was invited to the Midnight Screenings section at the Cannes Film Festival, marking his first return there since Train to Busan a decade ago.

Industry observers are paying close attention, as Train to Busan went on to become a major box-office hit after its Cannes premiere.

Colony will hold its press screening on May 20 before opening nationwide on May 21.