Korea, China team up for movie production
“A Wedding Invitation” directed by Korean director Oh Ki-hwan with all Chinese cast / Courtesy of CJ E&M
By Chung Ah-young
Korean filmmakers are turning their eyes to China where hundreds of millions of people crave high quality films.
To woo Chinese audiences, Korean filmmakers are joining a growing tide of co-operative ventures with China. In the past, joint productions between the two nations were done on and off but mostly they fell flat due to a lack of understanding of each other’s markets.
Nowadays more aggressive marketing and thorough market research reflecting the tastes of both Chinese and Korean audiences are making a breakthrough to generate more successful joint productions. The projects seem to be a win-win strategy for both parties ― a combination with China which has abundant capital and a vast market and Korea equipped with high quality content-processing technology.
A China-produced horror flick, Bunshinsaba 2 starring Korean actress Park Han-byul and directed by An Byung-ki and “Mr. Go,” a co-production between Showbox/Mediaplex Inc and Huayi Brothers Media Corporation, dominated China’s box office over past weekends.
According to JF Entertainment, Park’s management agency, “Bunshinsaba 2” has grossed some 9 billion won (50 million yuan) in the first seven days since it opened on July 17. The horror film is being shown on 2,000 screens in China with a market share of more than 30 percent.
The agency said that Park had difficulty in speaking Chinese in the early stages of making the film but overcame this with continuous efforts. “Maybe her fluency in Chinese has helped the popularity of the movie there,” said the agency.
Due to the soaring popularity of the movie, Park is becoming one of the most sought-after Korean actresses in China.
“Mr. Go,” a co-production between Showbox/Mediaplex Inc. and Huayi Brothers Media Corporation, dominated China’s box office over past weekends. / Courtesy of Dexter Studios
An is already a well-known Korean director among Chinese cineastes because his original Korean-language ““Bunshinsaba” (2004) was a hit, raking in some 61 million yuan ($9.93 million) in 2012 there. An’s own sequel uses the same title of the previous rendition but its story is different from his original Korean-language flick, which was made to target Chinese moviegoers.
Last weekend, Mr. Go came third in the weekly rankings. It became China’s box office No. 1 on July 18, the opening day. The co-production about a baseball-playing gorilla has taken 100 million yuan since it opened July 17. Set mostly in Seoul, the film stars Chinese actress Xu Jiao playing opposite the eponymous ape. The film is a hybrid live action/CGI comedy-drama about Chinese gorilla Ling Ling who becomes a super-sized hero in Korea’s professional baseball league. Its director Kim Yong-hwa who is renowned for “200 Pound Beauty” and “Take Off” uses some 1,000 out of 2,000 shots to digitally create the scenes with the gorilla and the computer production was made by Dexter Film, a leading Korean VFX studio with some 150 CG artists.
It is a rare case for Chinese studios to invest a large sum of cash for a minor role. Huayi has invested some $6 million or 25 percent of the production cost as Mr. Go is one of its four major movies this year.
Both Korean and Chinese studios are teaming up with touting the movie. China is using the star-friendly marketing of Xu Jiao while Korea is promoting the made-in-Korea post-production targeting the local audiences and operating a fan club.
“I want the Korean film market to be extended wider. To truly globalize the Korean films, I would tell my stories through the films that I can do the best with my emotions. China will be the best choice for me to make my dream come true,” Kim said at a recent press showcase.
Also, “A Wedding Invitation” directed by Oh Ki-hwan with all Chinese cast is a good example of a successful co-production based on Korean content and Chinese distribution and investment.
The movie was planned by CJ E&M and Korean filmmakers including Oh who is renowned for “Last Present” and “The Art of Seduction” and China’s national distribution company, China Film Group, which is responsible for the release across China in April.
The film is a romantic comedy revolving around a chef and a crockery designer who have been waiting long for love to come. It is a touching story because soon as they realize their love for one another, they have to part.
The Korean crew comprise of Kim Young-ho cinematographer from “Haeundae,” Hwang Soon-wook, lighting designer, from “The Yellow Sea,” Lee Ji-su, music director from “Architecture 101” and editor Shin Min-kyung from “The Thieves.” Jeffrey Kong from Malaysia who is known for “Lust: Caution” worked for the production design.
According to CJ E&M, the film has been completely localized for the Chinese-speaking audience because both Korea and China worked together on it from the development stage. The film garnered 30 million yuan (5.4 billion won) in the first two days after the release, setting up a new record in China’s box office in April.