Movie theaters internationally will welcome BTS Army this summer as the solo documentaries J-Hope in the Box and Suga: Road to D-Day hit the big screen for their first wide-spread theatrical release. Both films will begin playing in theaters on June 17 to commemorate the 10th anniversary of BTS’ debut.
Originally released on Disney+ and Weverse in February, J-Hope in the Box takes cameras behind-the-scenes to capture the creation of J-Hope’s debut solo album, Jack in the Box. “Since I’m the first one to go solo, I feel a sense of responsibility and there’s definitely some pressure as well,” J-Hope told Rolling Stone in July 2022, when the album first arrived. “This album is really meaningful to me, and mostly, I feel proud and excited it’s coming out.”
J-Hope in the Box also found J-Hope as he prepared for another solo career milestone without his bandmates by his side: his historic headlining performance at Lollapalooza last summer. The set marked the first time a South Korean artist headlined a main stage at a major American music festival.
“It’s actually a huge challenge for me as artist J-Hope. It’s a very important momentum to just to go forward,” he told Rolling Stone about the performance. “So I actually had to prepare really hard since it’s a very meaningful moment and an important part of my artistry. After this performance, maybe I’m going to feel a lot of things. I’m sure it’s going to help me as an artist to take the next step.”
Suga: Road to D-Day, released in April, also originally arrived on Disney+ and Weverse. The film follows Suga’s solo musical journey as he travels the world in search of inspiration for his solo album D-Day, released under his name and alternate moniker Agust D.
“The stories that I have to tell as Agust D are heavier than those of Suga, right? I don’t have much energy left in me to continue to tell those heavier stories, because I poured out my soul in this album,” Suga told Rolling Stone in a recent interview. “But after a couple of months, maybe I’ll have some more stories to tell as Agust D, or I can put stuff out as Yunki, or release things as Suga. No one knows what’s possible in the future.”
The stories the singer has so far, encapsulated in Road to D-Day, include headlining live performances in Seoul, Tokyo, Pyeongchang, Chuncheon, Las Vegas, Malibu, and San Francisco. “This is my first time walking down this road,” Suga explained in the film. “I’m really excited right now.” He adds, “Whenever a concert ends, and I go in [and say] ‘Ah, I’m tired.’ No, like, it’s my first time doing this in my life! Even in Korea I’ve never done this before.”