MANILA -- Pioneer Films has announced a July release date for the much-anticipated follow-up to "Train to Busan," signalling the local distributor's optimistic outlook regarding the COVID-19 situation.

According to a post on Facebook, Viewers' Choice Philippines, "Train to Busan 2: Peninsula," which is about a deadly virus outbreak, will proceed with a July premiere. No exact date was given.

The announcement came amid the planned general community quarantine (GCQ), which states that leisure establishments such as cinemas should remain closed, for areas such as Metro Manila this June.

There's currently no assurance that the quarantine will be lifted, or modified to be less stringent after next month.

The country, as of Friday, has 16,634 confirmed COVID-19 cases, with 942 deaths and 3,720 recoveries.

"Train to Busan 2: Peninsula" will follow the events of the zombie-infested original, which became a box-office hit in the Philippines.

Its official synopsis reads: "Four years after South Korea's total decimation in 'Train to Busan,' Jung-seok (Gang Dong-won), a soldier who previously escaped the diseased wasteland, relives the horror when assigned to a covert operation with two simple objectives: retrieve and survive. When his team unexpectedly stumbles upon survivors, their lives will depend on whether the best — or worst — of human nature prevails in the direst of circumstances."

You can check out the teaser trailer below: