Train To Busan's One True Successor, Colony, Has Finally Arrived

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A man covered in blood in the Korean Movie Train To Busan.

Published Jun 20, 2026, 11:00 PM EDT

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When it comes to modern zombie cinema, Train to Busan still stands in a league of its own. The 2016 Korean thriller breathed new life into the genre by trapping its characters inside a speeding bullet train as society collapsed around them. While the zombie epic reached its conclusion years ago, director Yeon Sang-ho has spent the last decade quietly building out his own cinematic zombie universe. Now, almost a decade later, the franchise has finally found its true successor in an ambitious new chapter.

Set to hit US theaters this summer, Yeon’s upcoming zombie epic, Colony (Gunche), follows the survival formula that made Train to Busan such a global hit while taking the story in a different direction. The movie brings together an exciting cast, starring Jun Ji-hyun (best known for My Love from the Star), who leads the film alongside Ji Chang-wook of The Worst of Evil and Koo Kyo-hwan, who gained widespread praise for his performance in D.P.

Colony’s setup is familiar enough to immediately grab fans of Train to Busan, but different enough to stand on its own. This time, the outbreak unfolds inside a massive biotech skyscraper in Seoul after a dangerous virus is accidentally unleashed. As the infection spreads floor by floor, a group of survivors is forced to fight their way out while being hunted by a terrifying new kind of infected. Unlike the zombies seen before, these creatures are able to adapt, coordinate, and hunt together, making escape far more difficult than anyone expects.

Colony Poster Featuring Jun Ji-hyun As The Professor

Like typical zombie outbreaks, the nightmare in Colony also kicks off because medical science went a bit too far. During a major biotech conference inside a towering Seoul skyscraper, a rogue biologist launches a brutal bio-terror attack after being pushed to his limits. Within moments, chaos erupts as the infection spreads throughout the building, transforming people into violent creatures and forcing the authorities to quarantine the entire complex from the outside.

With no way out, a small group of desperate survivors must navigate the maze-like building to track down the very scientist who started it all, desperately hoping he holds the antidote to the deadly virus. But reaching him means surviving wave after wave of infected herd through laboratories, corridors, and abandoned floors.

What makes Colony stand out, however, is the way it reimagines its undead creatures. These are not the usual slow-moving zombies or even the frenzied infected that the viewers are used to seeing. The creatures operate almost like a colony of ants, sharing information and adapting to changing situations as they hunt. Every encounter becomes unpredictable because the infected are constantly learning, making escape feel less certain with every passing moment.

That idea feels right at home for Yeon as a director, whose best work balanced the intense action with desperate survival. With Jun Ji-hyun leading the cast as a biotechnology professor caught in the middle of the outbreak, Colony looks ready to deliver the same tension that made Train to Busan such a phenomenon, while taking the franchise in a darker and far more terrifying direction. It's a fun addition to South Korea's growing lineup of horror hits, joining titles on the big and small screens like The Wailing and All of Us Are Dead.

Colony Redeems The Beloved Franchise After The Disappointment Of Peninsula

What really makes Colony worth checking out is its commitment to horror. The film makes good use of its R rating, throwing in plenty of gore and some pretty brutal moments without feeling excessive. The hive-mind infected are also a fun addition. Watching them communicate, adapt, and corner survivors gives the movie a different energy from most zombie stories around.

After Peninsula failed to live up to the massive expectations set by Train to Busan, a lot of fans gave up on the franchise entirely. Colony is probably not changing anyone's all-time rankings, and it does not come close to matching the emotional punch of the original. But as a straightforward zombie thriller with a fresh concept and nonstop chaos, it is honestly a pretty fun watch.

All 3 Train To Busan Movies Ranked

The Train to Busan trilogy has quickly become new zombie film royalty, but they still stack up to one another quite definitively in terms of quality.

Following its screening at the 79th Cannes Film Festival on May 15, 2026, Colony heads to US theaters on August 28. Viewers can also catch the movie early at the New York Asian Film Festival, which runs from July 10 to July 26, 2026. It may not truly be the next Train to Busan, but for fans waiting for a bloody zombie movie that keeps things entertaining, this one is more than enough.