'Avatar 2' hits theaters in Korea with strong reservation rates From left, James Cameron, director of "Avatar: The Way of Water" and cast members, Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang X, and Jon Landau, co-producer, attend a press conference held in Seoul, Dec. 9. Yonhap"Avatar: The Way of Water" hit theaters in Korea on Wednesday, making it the first country in the world to screen James Cameron's long-awaited sequel to his 2009 sci-fi blockbuster.Local multiplexes have a jampacked screening schedule for "Avatar 2" from 8 a.m. till midnight, with tickets in some premium theaters, such as 3-D IMAX and 4-D theaters, sold out on the first day. "Avatar 2" had scored a reservation rate of 88.8 percent and sold over 850,000 tickets as of 9 a.m., according to data by the Korea Film Council (KOFIC)."Avatar 2" features a new mixed-species family composed of former human Jake (Sam Worthington), Na'vi Neytiri (Zoe Saldana) and three children living in the underwater world of Pandora.A scene from "Avatar: The Way of Water" / Courtesy of Walt DisneyDuring his trip to Seoul last week, Cameron said the 192-minute film was shot mainly undDec 14, 2022
Chung Sung-hwa proud to be part of Korea's 1st film based on stage musical Actor Chung Sung-hwa / Courtesy of CJ ENMMusical star takes same role in film adaptationBy Kwak Yeon-sooIn 2009, actor Chung Sung-hwa started playing the role of independence fighter Ahn Jung-geun in the homegrown musical, “Hero.” Since then, the celebrated actor has reprised the lead role in numerous iterations of the famous story. He is now playing it again in the musical's film adaptation under the same name, which will hit theaters on Christmas week.“Reprising an iconic role for over a decade is never an easy task. I think it has to do with a certain gravity about him. He is our national hero, so taking on the role of Ahn comes with a lot of pressure and responsibility,” he said during an interview with The Korea Times at a cafe in Seoul, Monday. Chung initially didn't have high hopes when he heard about the film adaptation. When he was cast as the lead role, he was essentially dumbfounded. “Until recently, I have had a small handful of roles in films, so getting the lead role in a film was a big deal for me. To be honest, it was a bit intimidating,&Dec 13, 2022By Kwak Yeon-soo
'Decision to Leave' nominated for Golden Globe best non-English language film Tang Wei speaks after she was honored as the Best Actress at Korea's Blue Dragon Film Awards. Courtesy of KBSThe Korean film "Decision to Leave" has been nominated as the best non-English language film at the 80th Golden Globe Awards slated for January.According to the nominations announced by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association on Monday (U.S. time), Park Chan-wook's romantic thriller was named in the category, along with four other films: "All Quiet on the Western Front" (Germany), "Argentina, 1985" (Argentina), "Close" (Belgium) and "RRR" (India).The film, starring Korean actor Park Hae-il and Chinese actress Tang Wei, tells the story of a detective who suspects a mysterious Chinese widow is the culprit of a murder case and later falls in love with her after days of a stakeout and interrogations. Park Chan-wook, winner of the Best Director Award for 'Heojil Kyolshim' (Decision to Leave), attends the Award Winners' press conference at the Closing Ceremony of the 75th annual Cannes Film Festival, in Cannes, France, May 28. Getty Images-YonhapIt brought home the Best Director priDec 13, 2022
'Hero' brings musical songs to big screen in grandiose scale The poster of musical film "Hero" is seen in this photo provided by its distributor CJ ENM. YonhapIf you haven't had a chance to watch the award-winning musical "Hero" about Korean independence fighter Ahn Jung-geun (1879-1910), check out its film adaptation under the same name to enjoy its famous tracks. A biopic focused on the final year of Ahn, "Hero" faithfully recreates the majestic songs in the original work by starring Chung Sung-hwa, who has gained acclaim for charismatic singing in the musical premiered in 2009.Ahn assassinated Ito Hirobumi, Japan's first prime minister and resident-general of Korea, on Oct. 26, 1909, at Harbin Station in northern China and was executed at the age of 31 in March 1910.In between songs, the film shows the challenges ahead of Ahn and his colleagues, sacrifices made by Ahn's family and the unfortunate fate of Korea in the early 1900s. Five months after his death, Japan formally annexed Korea and maintained its colonial rule until 1945.Director Yoon Je-kyoon tries to tell a heartwarming story of the patriots, but he faces the challenge of gettingDec 9, 2022
James Cameron talks about universal theme of nature in 'Avatar' sequel Director James Cameron speaks during a press conference for the film, “Avatar: The Way of Water” at Conrad Seoul, Friday. YonhapBy Kwak Yeon-sooAfter a 13-year wait, director James Cameron has returned with a sequel to “Avatar,” containing a strong environmental message.The sequel “Avatar: The Way of Water” centers on Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) and Neytiri (Zoe Saldana), now parents to five children, who try to protect their family from a new threat to Pandora. They seek refuge with the oceanic Metkayina clan and learn the way of water to survive. The cast also includes Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang and Kate Winslet. Compared to the first film, which questions human greed in mining or extraction projects, the second film talks about the exploitation of the ocean. “I think the film is an adventure first and foremost. It's a family story and an emotional story ― a love letter to family and how family makes you stronger. It is not a film that beats you over the head with its message, but it asks you to feel for the ocean and then maybe a few Dec 9, 2022By Kwak Yeon-soo
INTERVIEW GOT7's Jinyoung on playing twins in 'Christmas Carol' Singer and actor Park Jin-young / Courtesy of NK ContentsBy Kwak Yeon-sooSinger and actor Park Jin-young has had a busy year of music, TV and film in 2022. Beyond filming “Christmas Carol,” he has been booked with a multitude of projects, including making new music with his band, GOT7, and starring in the second season of Tving's “Yumi's Cells.”In “Christmas Carol,” Park takes on an intense dual role as a rebellious teen who is placed in a juvenile detention center as well as his twin brother, who has a mental disability.Adapted from the novel of the same title, the film revolves around Il-woo (Park) who deliberately gets himself sent to a juvenile detention center as part of a plan to avenge his brother's death. Il-woo suspects his twin brother, Wol-woo (also Park), was murdered by youth gang members on Christmas Eve. Park revealed that he read the original book written by Ju Won-kyu first and then read the script. “The novel was repulsive and deeply disturbing. The script, on the other hand, was a more refined version of it. It's good that Dec 4, 2022By Kwak Yeon-soo
Filming of sequel to 'Veteran' starts From left are actors Oh Dal-soo, Jang Yoon-ju, Hwang Jung-min, Jung Hae-in, Oh Dae-hwan and Kim Si-hoo, as well as director Ryoo Seung-wan of “Veteran 2.” Courtesy of CJ ENMBy Kim RahnFilming for the sequel of 2015 megahit film “Veteran” will start this month, with several major cast members of the original film returning, according to the distributor, CJ ENM, Friday. Under the helm of director Ryoo Seung-wan, who also led the original film, actors Hwang Jung-min, Jang Yoon-ju, Oh Dae-hwan, Kim Si-hoo and Oh Dal-soo will come back for the cop action flick.Hwang, who has since appeared in films including “The Wailing” (2016), “The Spy Gone North” (2018) and “Deliver Us from Evil” (2020), as well as Netflix series “Narco-Saints” (2022), will again play Seo Do-cheol, who is a tough and principled police detective.Seo will lead a violent crime investigation team, with the aforementioned actors being his team members. Jung Hae-in, who has performed in a wide spectrum of acting roles in films including “Tune in fDec 2, 2022By Kim Rahn
Netflix to make documentary film about young Bong Joon-ho "Parasite" director Bong Joon-ho is seen in this photo provided by Netflix. YonhapNetflix said Friday it will make a documentary film focusing on "Parasite" director Bong Joon-ho in his 20s.Set for release next year, the new film with the working title "Yellow Door: Looking for Director Bong's Unreleased Film" will delve into the story behind Bong's first short film made during his university days, according to the global streaming service.The 1992 short film, "Looking for Paradise," was screened for the first and last time for 10 members of his cinephile club, Yellow Door, on Christmas of that year. It has since not been seen.Actress Kim Hye-ja, left, poses with director Bong Joon-ho in an event to promote the film “Mother.” YonhapThe Netflix documentary was directed by Lee Hyuk-rae, who was a member of the film club. He interviewed all of the 10 members of the audience who saw Bong's first film together to explore the origins of the Oscar-winning artist's career, the service said. (Yonhap)Dec 2, 2022
'Men of Plastic' director's reunion with Ma Dong-seok leads to good-natured comedy Director Lim Jin-sun / Courtesy of ShowboxBy Kwak Yeon-sooThe new Ma Dong-seok (aka Don Lee)-Jung Kyung-ho buddy film, “Men of Plastic,” is director Lim Jin-sun's first return to the comedy genre in a decade since “Super Star” (2012). The director revealed that worked on the plastic surgery-themed comedy drama for nearly eight years with Ma, who serves as the executive producer on the film.“There was a script that was already in development, and I was prepping for another movie. After I finished shooting crime thriller 'The Villagers' with Ma, I was called on this project. I rewrote the entire script for two years,” he said during an interview with The Korea Times, Wednesday. The film revolves around Dae-guk (Ma), a quick-talking con man who was born and raised in Apgujeong-dong, an affluent neighborhood in the Gangnam District of southern Seoul, where plastic surgery and skin care clinics abound. He joins hands with Ji-woo (Jung), the most talented plastic surgeon in the area who unfortunately loses his medical license. Dae-guk persuades Ji-woo toDec 1, 2022By Kwak Yeon-soo
Pixar's Korean American director says 'Elemental' based on personal experience Peter Sohn, a director at Pixar Animation Studios, speaks at Disney Content Showcase 2022 in Singapore, Nov. 30. Courtesy of the Walt Disney CompanyPeter Sohn, a director at Pixar Animation Studios, said Wednesday the upcoming film "Elemental" is inspired by his own childhood in New York with parents who had emigrated from Korea and made sacrifices for their family. Sohn introduced Pixar's 27th computer-animated project and his second feature film during Disney Content Showcase held in Singapore, along with its footage, concept art and logo. The heartwarming fantasy story features four elements ― fire, water, land and air ― living in a bustling bayside city connected by bridges. The fiery young woman Ember and the go-with-the-flow Wade are central characters, and the unlikely pair discovers they have something in common.Sohn said the movie is ultimately a love story of different personalities and hoped viewers would relate it to their own experiences. "The film is about our differences that bring us together, but it is a love story," Sohn said during the press event held at Marina BaNov 30, 2022
