INTERVIEW Lee Ha-nee talks 'Phantom' transformation, motherhood Actress Lee Ha-nee / Courtesy of CJ ENM By Kwak Yeon-sooLee Ha-nee proves she is a certifiable action star through solid action sequences in spy thriller “Phantom.” Set in 1933 during the Japanese colonial occupation of Korea, “Phantom” follows five people suspected of being spies for an anti-Japanese resistance group. Trapped inside an isolated hotel, the five characters must use their wits to survive and escape while suspecting one another. The star-studded cast includes actors Seol Kyung-gu, Park Hae-soo, Park So-dam and Seo Hyun-woo. “Three years ago, I read the script for 'Phantom' and I loved it. As an actor, it was an intriguing project and I was overjoyed to be offered a role that has a lot of weight,” she said during a recent interview with The Korea Times. Lee described her character, Park Cha-kyung, a communications department employee and from an upper-class family, as “a person who lives in order to die.”“I was drawn to the whirlwind of fate Park finds Jan 15, 2023By Kwak Yeon-soo
'Kill Boksoon' to screen at 73rd Berlin Film Festival A scene from the film, "Kill Boksoon" / Courtesy of Netflix By Kwak Yeon-sooDirector Byun Sung-hyun's Netflix film, “Kill Boksoon,” was invited to screen at the 73rd Berlin International Film Festival, which will run from Feb. 16 to 26. The film will be presented as part of the Berlinale Special program, a non-competitive section of the festival that includes “documentary, feature and short films that elevate and explore cinema as an art form.” Some recognizable titles for this year's program include: Guy Nattiv's “Golda,” Andrea Di Stefano's “Last Night of Amore” and Mario Martone's “Massimo Troisi: Somebody Down There Likes Me.”“Kill Boksoon” stars Jeon Do-yeon, who won the best actress award at the Cannes Film Festival in 2007 for her performance in “Secret Sunshine.” In the upcoming action thriller, she will star as single mother and hired killer who struggles to find work-life balance. Actor Seol Kyung-gu, a frequent collaborator of director Byun who starred inJan 15, 2023By Kwak Yeon-soo
'Jung_E' director, cast pay tribute to legendary actor Kang Soo-youn Actors Kim Hyun-joo, right, and Ryu Kyung-soo pose during a press conference for the film, “Jung_E” held in Seoul, Thursday. Courtesy of Netflix By Kwak Yeon-sooDirector Yeon Sang-ho and the cast of “Jung_E” paid tribute to legendary actor Kang Soo-youn during a press conference for the film held in Seoul, Thursday. Kang, 55, died of a cerebral hemorrhage in May 2022 while “Jung_E” was in post-production. Yeon, the mastermind behind hit films and series such as “Train to Busan” (2016) and “Hellbound” (2021), revealed that Kang was the reason he wanted to turn “Jung_E” into a film.Set in the post-apocalyptic 22nd century, “Jung_E” follows the story of Yoon Seo-hyun (Kang), a researcher at Kranoid Lab who clones the brain of an elite soldier called Jung_E to create a combat AI warrior in an attempt to end a civil war.“At first, I didn't have the intention of creating this film. I was rather skeptical because it's a rare science-fiction genre and a small, personal storJan 12, 2023By Kwak Yeon-soo
Lee Dong-hwi, Jung Eun-chae's anti-romance film to release in February Actor Lee Dong-hwi in a scene from the film "Maybe We Broke Up" (tentative title) / Courtesy of 26 Company By Kwak Yeon-sooAn anti-romantic film, starring Lee Dong-hwi and Jung Eun-chae, will hit local theaters in February. Directed by Hyung Seul-woo, “Maybe We Broke Up” (tentative title) follows the story of a young couple who are in a long-term relationship. They are in the process of breaking up as they no longer share the same beliefs about life and love.Lee takes on the role of Jun-ho, who moves into girlfriend Ah-young's house to keep studying for the civil service exam. Things start to crumble when he loses hope in life and places blame on his girlfriend. “I instantly fell in love with the script. I liked how it portrays the struggles of young adults in a realistic way. I'm sure that the film can gain the audience's sympathy,” Lee said.Jung stars as Ah-young, who gives up on her dream and becomes a real estate agent to support Jun-ho financially. She graduallJan 11, 2023By Kwak Yeon-soo
Two animated films enjoy increasing popularity at box office A scene from the film, "The First Slam Dunk"/ Courtesy of SMF HoldingsBy Kwak Yeon-sooWhile “Avatar: The Way of Water” has been topping the box office for a month, two animated films, one from Japan and the other from the U.S., are enjoying a surge in popularity at the box office since their launch at local cinemas a week ago.“The First Slam Dunk,” based on Takehiko Inoue's basketball-themed manga series, “Slam Dunk,” ranked second with 460,000 moviegoers since Jan. 4, and DreamWorks' “Puss in Boots” sequel was ranked fourth with 330,000 people buying tickets to see the animated adventure. The top spot has been retained by “Avatar 2” with a total audience of 8.8 million since its Korean release on Dec. 14.“Slam Dunk” follows Ryota Miyagi, a high school student who plays point guard in his school's basketball team and his journey to become the champion of a nationwide tournament.According to data by CGV and Naver Movie, more than 60 percent of viewers were people in their 30s and 40s, who grew up reading the origiJan 10, 2023By Kwak Yeon-soo
Kim Seon-ho, Cha Seung-won reunite with director Park Hoon-jung in 'Tyrant' Actors Cha Seung-won, left, and Kim Seon-ho / Courtesy of YG Entertainment, Salt Entertainment By Kwak Yeon-sooActors Kim Seon-ho, Cha Seung-won and Kim Kang-woo are set to star in “Tyrant,” a neo-noir action film directed by Park Hoon-jung, known for “New World” (2013) and “The Witch” franchise (2018, 2022).“Tyrant” follows the story of people who try to retrieve the last sample of the “tyrant” program, a secret government project, after it goes missing. Kim Seon-ho will play the role of a government agent who has been running the program unofficially. This is his second time the actor has teamed up with the director following “The Child,” an action thriller that is expected to be released in 2023.“It's an honor to work with director Park again after 'The Child' and be able to show a new side of me,” he said in a statement. The 36-year-old actor is best known for starring in the series, “Startup” (2020), and “Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha” (2021). Up next, he is in talks toJan 9, 2023By Kwak Yeon-soo
'Avatar 2' tops box office for 4th consecutive week Posters of "Avatar: The Way of Water" are displayed at a Seoul theater, Jan. 1. Yonhap"Avatar: The Way of Water" stayed on top of the Korean box office for the fourth straight week, data showed Monday. James Cameron's sequel to his 2009 sci-fi blockbuster registered 592,000 admissions from Friday to Sunday, according to the data from the Korean Film Council.Tickets of "Avatar 2" were selling slower compared with the previous weekend when the movie drew 1.27 million moviegoers. The Hollywood blockbuster has accumulated 8.78 million viewers and generated 109.6 billion won ($86.8 million) in sales since its release in Korea on Dec. 14. "Hero," a homegrown musical film about Korean independence fighter Ahn Jung-geun, remained at No. 2 with 322,000 admissions over the period. It has amassed 2.22 million viewers since its release on Dec. 21. The Japanese basketball animation film "The First Slam Dunk" came in third with 309,000 admissions in its opening weekend. (Yonhap)Jan 9, 2023
Film 'Gentleman,' starring Ju Ji-hoon, sold to 42 countries A scene from the film, "Gentleman" / Courtesy of Contents Wavve By Kwak Yeon-sooFilm “Gentleman,” featuring actors Ju Ji-hoon and Park Sung-woong, has been sold to 42 countries across the world, its distributor said Thursday. According to Contents Panda, the list of countries includes Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Russia and Poland. The film is slated for release in Taiwanese theaters on Jan. 6, Vietnamese theaters on Jan. 27 and Mongolian theaters on Feb. 9. “'Gentleman' has steadily attracted attention from film distributors across the globe since its launch at the 2022 Cannes Market,” a Contents Panda official said in a statement. The crime comedy film centers on a private detective named Ji Hyun-soo (Ju) who is falsely accused of kidnapping his client. Ji disguises himself as a prosecutor to chase Kwon Do-hoon (Park), an alleged mastermind of kidnapping and sex trafficking crimes.It is local streaming platform Wavve's first original film and currently playiJan 6, 2023By Kwak Yeon-soo
Veteran actor Na Moon-hee continues to push boundaries to reach younger audiences Veteran actor Na Moon-he / Courtesy of CJ ENMBy Kwak Yeon-sooNa Moon-hee is a tireless actor who has worked steadily on the stage, in film and television for over six decades. At the age of 81, she is still eager to do something new. Last October, she debuted as a TikTok creator to reach younger audiences.“I post at least one video per week, and I'm having a lot of fun with TikTok because I get to interact with young people, who know me better for the 'Unstoppable High Kick.' As much as my fans love my character from the 2006 sitcom, I love it too,” she said in an interview with The Korea Times, Wednesday. In 2022, she debuted as the television host of Channel S' “Real Granny” and challenged herself to sing a score from the musical film, “Hero.” In the film, now playing in theaters, Na plays the role of Jo Maria, the mother of Korean independence movement activist Ahn Jung-geun.Ahn was executed in a Japanese prison in China in March 1910 after he assassinated Hirobumi Ito, Japan's prime minister and the first resident general of Korea, in October 1Jan 5, 2023By Kwak Yeon-soo
'Slam Dunk' creator Takehiko Inoue on bringing comics to big screen Manga artist-filmmaker Takehiko Inoue / Courtesy of SMF HoldingsBy Kwak Yeon-sooIt was an extraordinary challenge for Takehiko Inoue, the creator of the all-time favorite manga, “Slam Dunk,” to turn the basketball-themed sports story into the animated film, “The First Slam Dunk.” The original comic, which sold more than 170 million copies worldwide, is the seventh best-selling manga series in history.Inoue revealed that he had received many offers to adapt his anime into a movie more than 10 years ago. However, he initially declined them all because he wasn't satisfied with the pilots sent to him. Then in 2014, he finally approved the film adaptation of “Slam Dunk.”“The pilot video I received in 2014 contained the spirit of the creator. The animator's enthusiasm and devotion appealed to me rather than the computer-generated imagery and the quality of the video. So I decided to give it a go,” he said in a written interview released by the production company, SMF Holdings. Inoue decided to get involved in the filmmaking process as well toJan 4, 2023By Kwak Yeon-soo
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