South Korean sci-fi thriller “Snowpiercer” will be shown in 250 movie theaters around North America starting this week, an increase of more than 30 times the original eight, the movie’s local distributor said Wednesday.

The English-language debut film by director Bong Joon-ho opened in eight North American theaters on Friday, following a series of openings in 11 countries around the world, including France, China, Taiwan, Japan and Italy, since last October. North America is the world’s largest movie market.

The number of North American theaters screening the movie has since risen sharply and will increase to 250 on Friday, “thanks to favorable reviews from influential U.S. news media, including The New York Times,” CJ E&M said.

“The movie will then be shown in major U.S. theaters as it adopted a roll-out method of gradually increasing the number of screening theaters based on sales records.”

Based on the French graphic novel “Le Transperceneige,” the flick depicts inter-class struggles among the world’s last-remaining inhabitants aboard a perpetually moving train.

The film brought together an international cast featuring South Korean film star Song Kang-ho, Chris Evans, Tilda Swinton, John Hurt, Jamie Bell and Ed Harris. (Yonhap)