(CJ Entertainment)

The extended version of Cannes-nominated flick “The Handmaiden” will be screened on Thursday on the back of “growing local interest from fans,” according to CGV Arthouse Friday.

The five CGV Arthouses cinemas in Korea -- Apgujeong, Seoul; Myeongdong, Seoul; Yeouido, Seoul; Seomyeon, Gyeonggi Province; Ori, Gyeonggi Province -- will kick off screening on Thursday.

The 168-minute-long movie added more lines to “help deliver change emotions in a more sophisticated way,” according to CGV Arthouses. The new version will also feature more scenes of how Sook-hee (Kim Tae-ri) was trained to be a handmaiden by a count (Ha Jung-woo) who schemes to get his hands on the young Japanese heiress (Kim Min-hee)’ inheritance.

“We decided to screen the new version, as we saw a growing local interest from fans (in the extension) online,” an employee at CGV Arthouses, devoted to screening aesthetic movie, was quoted as saying.

Despite being rated 19 and the infidelity scandal that Kim Min-hee was involved in, “The Handmaiden” drew more than 4 million moviegoers since its nationwide release on June 1. Before its release in Korea, the movie was nominated in the competition section of the Cannes Film Festival in 2016.

By Son Ji-hyoung (json@heraldcorp.com)