Entertainment - The Korea Times

Taiwanese time-travel romance series, 'Someday or One Day,' to hit local theaters

Posters for the upcoming theater release of the 'Someday or One day' series / Courtesy of AUDBy Hwang Dong-heeThe Taiwanese drama, 'Someday or One day,' will hit local theaters on Aug. 31 as it was originally aired, as a 13-episode series.The special screenings, showing the 12th and 13th episodes, each with a running time of 70 minutes, will be held only in Korea at the request of avid fans here, according to AUD PRESENT (AUD), the film distribution company.The distributor explained that inquiries for screenings flooded in after the news of its imminent DVD release.The series, which originally aired in 2019, is currently available ― in an edited 21-episode version ― through major local over-the-top (OTT) services, including wavve, TVING, Watcha and Netflix.The time-travel romance series, co-written by Chien Chi-feng and Lin Hsin-hui, revolves around Huang Yu-hsuan, played by Ko Chia-yen (also known as Alice Ko), who is struggling to cope with the death of her boyfriend, Wang Quan-sheng, played by Hsu Kuang-han (Greg Hsu).The story unfolds when a mysterious cassette player takes her b

Aug 19, 2021

Taiwanese time-travel romance series, 'Someday or One Day,' to hit local theaters

INTERVIEW Childhood wound is still fresh for Tina Turner

Filmmaker Dan Lindsay poses before an interview with The Korea Times at Jecheon International Music and Film Festival, Friday. Courtesy of JIMFFFilmmaker Dan Lindsay speaks about capturing Tina Turner's turbulent life, enduring legacy in latest documentary By Kwak Yeon-sooJECHEON, North Chungcheong Province ― As a filmmaker, Dan Lindsay said he is naturally drawn to films that have emotional resonance ― whether it be something of triumph, failure or loneliness. His Oscar-winning sports documentary “Undefeated” (2011), a collaboration with T.J. Martin, told the story of an inner-city high school football team and its coach that try to win a season after years of losses. The duo's Emmy-winning film “LA 92” (2017) followed the days of violence, looting and arson during the Los Angeles Riots of 1992.Their latest film, “Tina,” premiered on HBO in 2021. It is perhaps their most glamorous film yet, centering on Tina Turner, the “Queen of Rock 'n' Roll.” But far from telling a sensational story, Lindsay and Martin instead captured the superstar

Aug 19, 2021By Kwak Yeon-soo

[INTERVIEW] Childhood wound is still fresh for Tina Turner

China boycotts actor after photos of visit to Japan's Yasukuni Shrine

People practice social distancing while visiting Yasukuni Shrine, Tokyo, Aug. 15. Reuters-YonhapChina's Association of Performing Arts on Sunday called for a boycott of a Chinese actor after photos of him at Japan's controversial Yasukuni Shrine taken in 2018 and 2019 circulated online and sparked outrage among Chinese netizens and media.The Yasukuni Shrine is seen by Japan's neighboring countries as a symbol of that country's past militarism, and remains a flashpoint for tension with China.The shrine honors Japan's war dead, including 14 World War Two leaders convicted by an Allied tribunal as war criminals. China, which was occupied by the Japanese from 1937 to 1945, takes offence at visits to the shrine."The misbehavior of actor Zhang Zhehan severely harms national feeling and brings baneful influence to his young age-group audience. Hence, we demand members not to engage him in any employment," said the association in a statement on Sunday.Zhang, 30, apologized on Chinese social media on Friday saying he is "ashamed of his ignorance". Still, state-backed People's Daily commented

Aug 16, 2021

China boycotts actor after photos of visit to Japan's Yasukuni Shrine

Comedy film 'Sinkhole' surpasses 1 million ticket sales

Disaster comedy film “Sinkhole” topped the weekend local box office. Courtesy of ShowboxBy Lee Gyu-leeDisaster comedy film “Sinkhole” has become the fastest Korean film to surpass 1 million ticket sales this year. According to the film's distributor Showbox, its total ticket sales recorded over 1 million as of Monday morning.The film has been topping the box office for five consecutive days, Sunday, since it premiered in local theaters on Wednesday. The blockbuster collected about 522,000 ticket sales over the weekend, grossing 5.27 billion won ($4.51 million). It had accumulated total sales of about 922,000 tickets, worth 9.1 billion won ($7.77 million), as of Sunday. The film already set a record on its premiere day, scoring the new highest opening record of this year among Korean films ― about 147,000 ticket sales grossing 1.36 billion won ($1.16 million). The previous record was about 127,000 ticket sales by another blockbuster "Escape from Mogadishu."“Sinkhole” is directed by Kim Ji-hoon, known for the 2012 disaster film "Tower." This time the

Aug 16, 2021By Lee Gyu-lee

Comedy film 'Sinkhole' surpasses 1 million ticket sales

Indonesia's Edwin wins Locarno film festival

Film Director Abel Ferrara, left and winner of the Pardo of the Best Direction and Film Producer Muhammad Zaidy Amirruddin, center, of the Film, per Vengeance is Mine - All Others Pay Cash, and winner of the Pardo d'Oro at the Pizza Grande on the 74th Locarno International Film Festival in Locarno, Switzerland, Aug. 14. AP-YonhapIndonesian director Edwin on Saturday won the Golden Leopard for the best picture at the Locarno Film Festival with "Vengeance Is Mine, All Others Pay Cash", a homage to 1980s Asian all-action movies.The feature paints a humorous portrait of a violent young man who falls for a woman after fighting her.Edwin, who uses a single name, had already returned to Jakarta before the awards ceremony but the organizers put out a video in which he said the Golden Leopard was "happiness... it's a nice support and it motivates."We need this energy in this not so easy time."Indonesian cinema was still young, he said, as in most of the cinema in the region."I feel connected with the all of southeast Asian region because we are facing more or less the same spirit and also at

Aug 15, 2021

Indonesia's Edwin wins Locarno film festival

Sony delays 'Venom' movie sequel release amid new COVID-19 wave

Poster for “Venom: Let There Be Carnage” / Courtesy of Sony PicturesSony Corp's movie studio announced Thursday that it was delaying the release of superhero sequel "Venom: Let There Be Carnage" by nearly a month to mid-October as the United States grapples with a new wave of COVID-19 infections.The movie starring Tom Hardy as the Marvel Comics character will now debut in theaters Oct. 15 instead of Sept. 24, Sony Pictures said via email.Hollywood studios have been shuffling their schedules throughout the pandemic but had hoped for a movie-going rebound in the autumn.The Delta variant of COVID-19 has led to a rise in infections in the United States, raising concern about whether audiences will feel safe sitting in cinemas.The original "Venom" movie in 2018 took in more than $850 million at global box offices. (Reuters)

Aug 14, 2021

Sony delays 'Venom' movie sequel release amid new COVID-19 wave

New Zealand loses its precious 'Rings' series to Britain

Some of the costumes, props and memorabilia created for the "The Lord of the Rings" and "The Hobbit" movies are displayed in a mini-museum at Weta Cave in Wellington, New Zealand, in this Oct. 26, 2012, file photo. New Zealand has long been associated with "The Lord of the Rings," but with the filming of a major new television series suddenly snatched away, the nation has become more like Mordor than the Shire for hundreds of workers. AP-YonhapNew Zealand has long been associated with ``The Lord of the Rings,'' but with the filming of a major new television series suddenly snatched away, the nation has become more like Mordor than the Shire for hundreds of workers.In a major blow to the nation's small but vibrant screen industry, Amazon Studios announced Friday it would film the second season of its original series, inspired by the books of J.R.R. Tolkien, in Britain.``The shift from New Zealand to the U.K. aligns with the studio's strategy of expanding its production footprint and investing in studio space across the U.K., with many of Amazon Studios' tent-pole series and films alre

Aug 14, 2021

New Zealand loses its precious 'Rings' series to Britain

Disney+ to land in Korea in November

Disney Plus' corporate image / Korea times fileDisney+, a content streaming service from Walt Disney Co., will be launched in South Korea in November, heating up the competition in the local over-the-top (OTT) market, the U.S. entertainment titan has said in a conference call.Disney+ on Thursday (U.S. time) said it will begin its service in South Korea, Hong Kong and Taiwan in November.The streaming service is currently offered in 61 countries in 21 languages. In the Asia Pacific region, it is available in Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Singapore, India, Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand.The service distributes various films and TV series from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, National Geographic and Star, showing their original content hits like "Loki" and "The Mandalorian."The addition of Disney+ will intensify the competition in the local paid video streaming market that is led by Netflix.Netflix had 7.9 million monthly active users as of June, while Wavve, a homegrown streaming platform run by major broadcasters KBS, MBC and SBS, logged 3.88 million users, according to recent data

Aug 13, 2021

Action blockbuster 'Escape from Mogadishu' sold to 50 countries

Actor Zo In-sung in a scene from “Escape from Mogadishu” / Courtesy of Lotte EntertainmentBy Kwak Yeon-sooAction blockbuster “Escape from Mogadishu,” the most-watched homegrown film of this year, has been sold to 50 countries across the world, the film's local distributor said Thursday. Lotte Entertainment confirmed that it has locked in multiple deals on the international sales rights of “Escape from Mogadishu.” Among the 50 countries, the tent-pole film has sold to Europe (Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, Austria and Switzerland), the Middle East and North Africa (the UAE, Egypt, Iraq, Iran, Israel, Kuwait, Yemen, Syria, Oman and Ethiopia) and Asia (Japan, the Philippines, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Thailand, Mongolia, Indonesia and Malaysia).Since the film is intended for theater-only releases, the distributor is considering selling it in various formats, such as IMAX or 4DX. Directed by Ryoo Seung-wan, whose other works include, “The Berlin File” (2013), “Veteran” (2015) and “The Battleship Island” (2017

Aug 12, 2021By Kwak Yeon-soo

Action blockbuster 'Escape from Mogadishu' sold to 50 countries

Women's film festival to open in Seoul, Aug. 26

A scene from “Tove” by Finnish filmmaker Zaida Bergroth / Courtesy of SIWFF, Sami KuokkanenBy Kwak Yeon-sooThis year's Seoul International Women's Film Festival (SIWFF) will open Aug. 26 and run through Sept. 1 in a hybrid of online and in-person activities amid a fourth wave of COVID-19 infections here.Under the slogan “A Caring Reflection,” 119 films that explore feminist issues, from 27 countries, will be screened during the festival at western Seoul's Megabox Sangam World Cup cinema and the nearby Oil Tank Culture Park. Digital screenings of 44 feature films and 22 short films will also be available through the online film festival network ONFIFN.The 23rd edition of SIWFF will open with Finnish filmmaker Zaida Bergroth's “Tove,” a biopic of Finnish author and illustrator Tove Jannson during the formative decade in which she invented the Moomin characters while managing family disapproval and a bisexual love triangle in the shadow of World War II.“Rather than focusing on Tove Jannson's career or the success of the Moomin series, the film c