Horror film 'Guimoon' to bring chills to summer with immersive format From left, actors Lee Jung-hyung and Kim So-hye, director Sim Deok-geun, and actors Hong Jin-ki and Kim Kang-woo pose during a media conference for the film “Guimoon: The Lightless Door,” held in Yongsan District, central Seoul, Tuesday. Courtesy of CJ CGV By Lee gyu-leeThe upcoming horror film “Guimoon: The Lightless Door” is set to offer a tense chill to moviegoers around the world this summer with an immersive theater experience. A poster for the film / Courtesy of CJ CGV Director Director Sim Deok-geun's commercial debut comes amid great anticipation as it will be the first Korean film to be produced in three formats: 2D, ScreenX and 4DX.ScreenX provides a 270-degree viewing experience with multi-projection on three walls, whereas 4DX adds a multi-sensory experience to ScreenX with moving seats and water and wind effects. “2D gets viewers to focuAug 6, 2021By Lee Gyu-lee
Disaster meets comedy in upcoming film “Sinkhole” From left, actors Lee Kwang-Soo and Kim Hye-jun, director Kim Ji-hoon, actors Kwon So-hyun, Nam Da-reum, Cha Seung-won and Kim Sung-kyun, pose for pictures during a media conference held in Yongsan-gu, central Seoul, Monday. Courtesy of Showbox By Lee Gyu-leeThe upcoming tentpole, “Sinkhole,” about a group of people who fall 500 meters underground, is seeking to set a new paradigm of disaster movies by adding comedy to the genre.“Combining two different genres didn't come easy. It was a great challenge (for me and the production team) to put light-hearted humor into a disastrous situation,” the film's director Kim Ji-hoon said during a media conference held in Yongsan-gu, central Seoul, Monday. A poster for the film / Courtesy of Showbox Dong-won (Kim Sung-kyun) is an ordinary father figure, who is the patriarch and breadwinner of his family. He hasAug 4, 2021By Lee Gyu-lee
'Mogadishu' tops 1 million admissions on 7th day of release A scene from "Escape from Mogadishu" / Courtesy of Lotte EntertainmentHomegrown actioner "Escape from Mogadishu" has topped a cumulative 1 million admissions on the seventh day of its release, becoming the first South Korean flick to achieve the feat this year, box office data showed Wednesday.The film, released on July 28, attracted 121,000 people on the previous day, bringing its combined total to 1.03 million, according to the data by the Korean Film Council.Directed by Ryoo Seung-wan, the film became the first South Korean-made title shown in 2021 to achieve the milestone. Previously, the crime action thriller "Hard Hit" had been the most-watched Korean show with a total of 951,000 moviegoers.At the same time, "Mogadishu" is among the seven 2021 films that have surpassed the 1 million threshold, including Marvel Studios' superhero movie "Black Widow."The big-budget tentpole starring popular actors, like Kim Yun-seok and Zo In-sung, is based on the true story of the life-and-death escape by diplomats in South and North Korean missions in the capital city of Somalia during the civiAug 4, 2021
Yoo In-young to return to silver screen Actress Yoo In-young / Courtesy of WIPBy Lee Gyu-leeActress Yoo In-young is returning to the silver screen with the upcoming film, “A Day in Tongyeong” (direct translation).The actress' agency, WIP, announced Tuesday that Yoo will be playing the lead role in the movie. “Yoo In-young has taken the role of Hee-yeon,” it said. “As she had previously shown strong performances in various works, she is once again set to portray a colorful character through 'A Day in Tongyeong.'”The new film revolves around a woman named Hee-yeon, who is in despair. She has been working at a musical production company for eight years, earning her position as the production director. But when the musical piece she produced fails to be a success, she is forced to step down from her position. She discovers a new source of hope in life when she encounters a light-hearted woman named Sung-sun and the two becomes friends.This film will be the actress's first work in three years. The last role she played was the hot-tempered troublemaker, Baek In-ha, in the 2018 film, “CheAug 3, 2021By Lee Gyu-lee
'The Suicide Squad' comes back with bigger blast, but there's more to it, director says Director James Gunn speaks during an online press conference of the film “The Suicide Squad,” Monday. Courtesy of Warner Bros.By Lee Gyu-leeAbout five years after DC Comics' “Suicide Squad” found box office success in 2016, the super-villain team-up is back for the reboot, “The Suicide Squad,” featuring more action, bloodshed and violence with a touch of humor. The latest outing, which shares some of the characters from the previous film, follows yet another team of super-villains forced to complete a dangerous mission by the government. Led by mercenary Bloodsport (Idris Elba) who can make anything into a weapon, Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie), Peacemaker (John Cena), King Shark (voiced by Sylvester Stallone), Ratcatcher II (Daniela Melchior), Polka-Dot Man (David Dastmalchian) team up for a mission to destroy a secretive bioweapon research facility on a remote island in South America.“I love the action and adventure in the movie, and I love the comedy. But really to me, at its core, this is the movie about a core group of characters who have Aug 3, 2021By Lee Gyu-lee
Homegrown action film 'Mogadishu' tops Korean box office over weekend A scene from "Escape from Mogadishu" / Courtesy of Lotte EntertainmentHomegrown actioner "Escape from Mogadishu" topped South Korea's weekend box office in the first week of its release, revitalizing pandemic-hit theaters, data showed Monday. The film, directed by Ryoo Seung-wan, sold more than 561,000 tickets over the Friday-Sunday period, bringing its combined total to over 788,000 since its release last Wednesday, according to data from the Korean Film Council. The big-budget tentpole starring popular actors like Kim Yun-seok and Zo In-sung is based on a true story of the life-and-death escape by diplomats in South and North Korean missions in the capital city of Somalia during the civil war in 1991.DreamWorks Animation's "The Boss Baby: Family Business" fell to No. 2, garnering 138,000 moviegoers. American adventure flick "Jungle Cruise" came in next, followed by Marvel Studios' "Black Widow" and local horror film "The Cursed: Dead Man's Prey."The total number of theater visitors over the weekend jumped by over 25 percent from the previous week to 1 million on the back of the strAug 2, 2021
Documentary 'Assassins' director on following the murderers of Kim Jong-un's half-brother Director Ryan White talks to journalists via video chat during a media conference for the documentary, “Assassins,” in Gwangjin-gu, eastern Seoul, Wednesday. Courtesy of THE COOPThe film traces two-year trial of two female “assassins”By Lee Gyu-leePoster for the documentary, “Assassins,” directed by Ryan White / Courtesy of THE COOPThe murder of Kim Jong-nam, the estranged half-brother of North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un, in Malaysia, shocked the world in February 2017, especially with the crime occurring in broad daylight inside a crowded Kuala Lumpur International Airport. Two women ― Siti Aisyah from Indonesia and Doan Thi Huong from Vietnam ― were arrested shortly after they smeared the lethal chemical agent, VX, on Kim's face, which killed him within an hour.As the case made headlines around the world, many people became aware of Kim's death and the arrests of the two young women who carried out the assassination. But director Ryan White's latest documentary, “Assassins,” brings to light what really happened to these women and whaAug 2, 2021By Lee Gyu-lee
New Netflix documentary on 'multi-layered' Michael Schumacher Seven-time Formula One world champion Michael Schumacher / AP-YonhapSeven-time Formula One world champion Michael Schumacher is the subject of a new Netflix documentary to be released Sept. 15, the platform announced Friday.The film titled "Schumacher" retraces the life and career of the German driver, who has not been seen in public since a serious skiing accident in 2013, and promises unseen archive material that shows the "many facets of his multi-layered personality.” The portrait of the racing legend, now 52, is "the only film supported by his family,” the platform said in a press release. Schumacher's manager Sabine Kehm describes the film as the "family's gift to their beloved husband and father.”The documentary features exclusive interviews with his wife Corinna, his two children Gina and Mick, himself an F1 driver since this season, and brother Ralf, as well as those who worked with or raced against Schumacher, including Jean Todt, Bernie Ecclestone, Sebastian Vettel, Mika Hakkinen, Damon Hill and David Coulthard.Schumacher, who won 91 Grand Prix before retJul 31, 2021
Scarlett Johansson sues Disney over 'Black Widow' release In this Feb. 2, 2020 file photo, Scarlett Johansson arrives at the Bafta Film Awards, London. Johansson is suing the Walt Disney over the company's streaming release of "Black Widow," which she said breached her contract and deprived her of potential earnings. AP-YonhapScarlett Johansson is suing the Walt Disney over its streaming release of ``Black Widow,'' which she said breached her contract and deprived her of potential earnings.In a lawsuit filed Thursday in Los Angeles Superior Court, the ``Black Widow'' star and executive producer said her contract guaranteed an exclusive theatrical release. The Wall Street Journal first reported the news of the lawsuit.Johansson's potential earnings were tied to the box office performance of the film, which the company released simultaneously in theaters and on its streaming service Disney+ for a $30 rental. ``In the months leading up to this lawsuit, Ms. Johansson gave Disney and Marvel every opportunity to right their wrong and make good on Marvel's promise,'' the lawsuit said. ``Disney intentionally induced Marvel's breach of the AgreementJul 30, 2021
Blockbuster 'Escape from Mogadishu' scores highest Korean film opening record of this year A scene from “Escape from Mogadishu” / Courtesy of Lotte Entertainment By Lee Gyu-leeAction blockbuster “Escape from Mogadishu” opened strong, Wednesday, scoring the highest opening record of this year among Korean films.Star director Ryoo Seung-wan's latest flick saw about 127,000 ticket sales on its premiere day, taking up almost 50 percent of the entire ticket sales that day. It topped the local box office and grossed 893 million won ($780,000).This, by far, surpasses the previous opening record among Korean films of the year by thriller action film “Hard Hit,” which opened June 23 with about 55,700 ticket sales. The film ranked the fourth-highest opening score among all films, following the latest Fast & Furious film “F9,” Marvel Studios' “Black Widow” and Thai horror film “The Medium.” Helmed by Ryoo, who has directed tent-pole films like “The Berlin File” (2013), “Veteran” (2015) and “The Battleship Island” (2017), the film unfolds the true story of South andJul 29, 2021By Lee Gyu-lee
