'The Roundup' off to record-setting start at box office A poster for the film, “The Roundup” / Courtesy of ABO EntertainmentThe action comedy "The Roundup" has set the best opening-day record among Korean films released during the COVID-19 pandemic, box-office data showed Thursday.The sequel to the 2017 hit comedy "The Outlaws" garnered about 467,000 viewers upon its debut Wednesday, accounting for 89 percent of the tickets sold on the day, according to the Korean Film Council (KOFIC).It marked the largest first-day score for a local film since the pandemic broke out in early 2020, outnumbering the previous record of 354,000 set by the zombie apocalypse thriller "Peninsula" in July 2020.But it lags behind "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness" (2022) with an opening-day score of 715,000 last month and "Spider-Man: No Way Home" (2021) with 635,000 in December."The Roundup" tells the story of Detective Ma Seok-do (Ma Dong-seok) heading to Vietnam to extradite a suspect only to find out about additional murder cases involving an unknown killer who has committed crimes against tourists for many years. (Yonhap)May 19, 2022
INTERVIEW Son Suk-ku portrays different villain in 'The Roundup' Actor Son Suk-ku, right, in a scene from the film, “The Roundup” / Courtesy of ABO Entertainment By Kwak Yeon-sooActor Son Suk-ku had second thoughts about joining “The Roundup,” the sequel to “The Outlaws” (2017), because the first installment in the franchise was a huge success that secured a solid fan base in Korea and internationally.Son opened up about comparisons with actor Yoon Kye-sang, who took up the villainous role of Jang Chen in “The Outlaws,” and left a strong impression on audiences, and how he chose to portray a different kind of villain.Son described his character, Kang Hae-sang, as a villain with a short temper. “He is aggressive and reckless. He is dangerous and ready to kill anyone who gets in his way. He is incapable of rational thought,” he said during an interview with The Korea Times via Zoom, Wednesday. “I know comparison is inevitable, but there was no intention of portraying a striking difference between Kang Hae-sang and Jang Chen becauseMay 18, 2022By Kwak Yeon-soo
Sequels to hit Korean films await theatrical release this year Posters of “The Roundup,” left, “The Witch: Part 2. The Other One,” center, and “Hansan” / Korea Times file, Yonhap and Courtesy of Lotte Entertainment As the Korean movie industry makes its way out of the years-long COVID-19 pandemic, sequels to hit local films are spearheading the move to bring moviegoers back to theaters.Released Wednesday, the Korean action comedy "The Roundup," a sequel to the 2017 hit "The Outlaws," is one of the most-anticipated films in the first quarter for the return of actor Ma Dong-seok as Detective Ma Seok-do.In the film, Seok-do heads to Vietnam to extradite a suspect only to find out about additional murder cases involving an unknown killer who has committed crimes against tourists for many years.The movie is expected to become a box-office hit, as its presale tickets had amounted to 310,000 as of 8 a.m. on the first day of its release. This marked the highest score since the Oscar-winning "Parasite" posted more than 500,000 presold tMay 18, 2022
'Doctor Strange 2' tops 5 million admissions From left, Xochitl Gomez as America Chavez, Benedict Wong as Wong and Benedict Cumberbatch as Dr. Stephen Strange in a scene from "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness" in this screen capture released by Marvel Studios. AP-Yonhap Hollywood blockbuster "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness" surpassed 5 million admissions Tuesday, according to industry data.The latest Marvel Studios' flick hit the milestone at 7:20 a.m., on the 13th day of its theatrical release in Korea, the official box-office data from the Korean Film Council (KOFIC) showed.It became the fastest movie to top 5 million in the past three years, outmatching the country's biggest pandemic-era hit "Spider-Man: No Way Home," the films' local distributor Walt Disney Company Korea said. "Spider-Man" attracted more than 7.5 million moviegoers.Starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Elizabeth Olsen, the sequel to "Doctor Strange" (2016) is about Dr. Stephen Strange's adventure against a terrible threMay 17, 2022
'Broker,' 'Decision to Leave' to kick off summer blockbuster season Posters for the films “Decision to Leave,” left, and “Broker” / Courtesy of CJ ENMBy Kwak Yeon-sooWith “Broker,” “Decision to Leave” and “The Witch: Part 2. The Other One” all due out soon, movies are back in full force this summer. Film studios have been storing up some of their biggest movies over the past two pandemic-plagued years due to concerns over the lagging box office business. However, movies have been trending upward since late April when theaters were allowed to sell popcorn again, as part of the easing social distancing measures. Marvel's “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness,” which opened on May 4, has already earned 52.4 billion won ($40 million) at the box office, selling nearly 5 million tickets as of Monday.“The Roundup,” which is about to open on Wednesday, is expected to be a box office hit as it has already sold more than 110,000 tickets, with two days still to go before its release. A mix of franchise films and high-concept movies are expected to hit theaters this summerMay 16, 2022By Kwak Yeon-soo
'Decision to Leave,' 'Broker' eye prize at Cannes Posters for the films "Decision to Leave" (left) and "Broker" / Courtesy of CJ ENMAt this year's Cannes Film Festival set to kick off next week, two Korean films ― "Decision to Leave" by renowned director Park Chan-wook and "Broker" by award-winning Japanese auteur Hirokazu Kore-eda ― will compete for the top Palme d'Or honor.This is the first time in five years that two Korean titles have been invited to the official competition section since 2017, when Bong Joon-ho's "Okja" and Hong Sang-soo's "The Day After" made the list.Hopes are high that at least one of the two contenders will be awarded at the world's most prestigious film festival, following Bong's black comedy "Parasite," which clinched the Palme d'Or in the 2019 edition.The mystery romance "Decision to Leave" is director Park's first feature in six years after the psychological thriller "The Handmaiden" (2016), which was also invited to Cannes' competition.The new film is about a detective who suspects a mysterious widow in a murder case and later becomes interested in her. Chinese actress Tang Wei of "Lust, Caution" (2007May 13, 2022
'The Roundup,' sequel to 'The Outlaws,' boasts expanded cinematic universe A scene from the film, “The Roundup” / Courtesy of ABO Entertainment By Kwak Yeon-soo“The Roundup,” the sequel to the 2017 crime action film, “The Outlaws,” has expanded the cinematic universe with improved action sequences, according to lead actor Ma Dong-seok. Ma, also known by his English name, Don Lee, promised that his latest action franchise will deliver a more action-packed thrill ride. In “The Roundup,” the actor engages in a reprise of his role as police officer Ma Seok-do, who heads to Vietnam to catch a serial killer named Kang Hae-sang (Son Suk-ku), who commits heinous crimes against Korean tourists and businesspeople in the Southeast Asian country. The first installment, which revolves around Ma bringing down notorious Chinese gang boss Jang Chen (Yoon Kye-sang), sold over 6.8 million tickets here.Director Lee Sang-yon, who is making his directorial debut with “The Roundup,” drew comparisons between the first and second installments of the franchise. HMay 12, 2022By Kwak Yeon-soo
Film icon Kang Soo-youn laid to rest A portrait of the late actress Kang Soo-youn is carried during her funeral service at Samsung Medical Center in southern Seoul, Wednesday. She died at the age of 55 due to a cerebral hemorrhage Saturday, two days after having a cardiac arrest. Joint Press CorpsIconic movie star Kang Soo-youn was laid to rest in Seoul, Wednesday, after half a century in the Korean film industry.Her funeral service began at 10 a.m. in a funerary hall at Samsung Medical Center in southern Seoul with about 100 family members, friends and film industry people attending.Kang, the first Asian to win best actress at the Venice International Film Festival, died of a cerebral hemorrhage at the hospital Saturday, two days after suffering a cardiac arrest. She was 55."I wish this could be just a scene from a movie," actor Yoo Ji-tae, who led the funeral, said. He became so emotional that he could not speak any more.Kim Dong-ho, a former chairman of the board of the Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) who had known Kang for decades, regretted the burden her early-found status as an iconic figure in the film May 11, 2022
'La La Land' composer to perform his first solo concert in Korea Film composer Justin Hurwitz / Courtesy of JIMFF By Kwak Yeon-sooJustin Hurwitz, the composer who wrote original soundtracks for the 2014 indie breakout film, “Whiplash,” and the 2020 musical drama film, “La La Land,” will hold his first-ever solo concert in Korea in August.The American music director will visit this year's Jecheon International Music and Film Festival (JIMFF), scheduled for Aug. 11 to 16 in the North Chungcheong provincial city of Jecheon. Hurwitz received the Jecheon Film Music Honorary Award, according to the JIMFF organizing committee.From 2006 to 2016, the award was given to film musicians whose achievements have undeniably shaped the history of Korean film music. From 2017 to 2019, the award was presented to outstanding Asian film composers such as Kawai Kenji of Japan, Tan Dun of China, and Lim Giong of Taiwan.Since 2020, the JIMFF organizing committee expanded the scope to include international film composers to recognize the most influentiaMay 11, 2022By Kwak Yeon-soo
Hirokazu Kore-eda says 'Broker' is his dream project A scene from "Broker" provided by CJ ENM. YonhapCannes-winning Japanese auteur Hirokazu Kore-eda said Tuesday his latest drama "Broker" is a longtime dream-come-true project that allowed him to work with Korean actors and crew members."I've met superb Korean actors like Song Kang-ho, Gang Dong-won and Bae Doo-na in many film festivals and have kept in close contact with them for a long time," Kore-eda said through an interpreter during a press conference in Seoul. The Japanese director participated in the event online in Tokyo."About six years ago, a short plot popped up in my mind, and I thought this story would help me make a film with Korean actors. The idea includes a scene in which Song, dressed as a Catholic priest, holds a baby in his arms," he said. "I'm so pleased that I've completed the project, which was my longtime dream."Starring renowned Korean actors like Song of "Parasite," "Broker" features the relationships of characters formed through a baby box, where people anonymously drop off newborns that they can't raise.It is Kore-eda's first Korean-language project and one May 10, 2022
