Daily box-office attendance hits 7-month high on Children's Day A scene from "The Croods: A New Age" / Screen capture from YouTubeThe number of daily moviegoers reached a seven-month high on the Children's Day holiday in South Korea, thanks to strong performances by animated films, data showed Thursday.According to the data from the Korean Film Council, a total of 326,000 people went to theaters Wednesday, up sharply from 77,000 tallied the previous day.It is the highest daily box-office number since Oct. 3 when it hit 389,000 amid the five-day Chuseok holiday, the Korean version of Thanksgiving."The Croods: A New Age," an American animated adventure film released on Children's Day, topped the daily list, garnering 102,000 people.It is the strongest opening day record in 2021, beating Disney-Pixar's "Soul," which sold 66,000 tickets on its first day of Jan. 20 and the award-winning "Minari" with 40,000 attendees on March 3.Also, it is the first time in nearly 40 days that a film has attracted more than 100,000 moviegoers on a single day since the U.S. monster film "Godzilla vs. Kong" achieved the feat in March.In the top 10 were three other animaMay 6, 2021
Park Jeong-min and Yoona realize lofty dream in 'Miracle' Actors Park Jeong-min, left, and Im Yoon-a, right, in a scene from “Miracle” / Courtesy of Lotte EntertainmentBy Kwak Yeon-sooPark Jeong-min and Im Yoon-a, better known by her stage name, Yoona, of Girls' Generation, are set to star as best friends who passionately encourage each other's big, lofty dreams in the upcoming moving drama, “Miracle.”Set in 1986, “Miracle” tells the story of math prodigy Joon-kyung (Park), who lives in a remote town in North Gyeongsang Province. His five-hour commute to school weighs on him, and that encourages him to come up with a plan to build a train station in his hometown. Joon-kyung joins hands with townspeople to obtain approval for the project to create a train station. The film is based on a true story ― Yangwon Station located in Bonghwa County, North Gyeongsang Province, which was built by townspeople in 1988 and is recorded as Korea's first private train station. Director Lee Jang-hoon, who previously directed the romance drama, “Be With You,” explained that the upcoming film is about people who May 5, 2021By Kwak Yeon-soo
Angelina Jolie says filming 'Those Who Wish Me Dead' was therapeutic Actors Angelina Jolie, bottom left, and Finn Little, bottom right, talk during an online press conference for “Those Who Wish Me Dead,” Tuesday. Courtesy of Warner Bros. KoreaBy Kwak Yeon-sooAngelina Jolie, who plays a traumatized firefighter risking her life to protect a 12-year-old boy in the thrilling crime drama, “Those Who Wish Me Dead,” told Korean reporters in an online press conference on Tuesday, that she found the film to be a therapeutic experience.Based on Michael Koryata's book of the same title and directed by Taylor Sheridan, “Those Who Wish Me Dead” tells the story of Hannah, who struggles with PTSD after failing to save three children from a fire. She then comes across Connor (Finn Little), who witnesses his father's murder and is pursued by the assassins as she tries to protect him from the dangers that follow.In the press conference, held via Zoom, Jolie explained that her experiences of parenting and directing helped her portray the character better. “I loved that this character (Hannah) is so broken and overwhelmed, and wMay 5, 2021By Kwak Yeon-soo
'Burning' star Jun Jong-seo signs contract with American talent agency Actress Jun Jong-seo, who appeared in the films “Burning” and “Call” / Courtesy of Netflix By Dong Sun-hwaActress Jun Jong-seo, best known for her role in the 2018 movie “Burning,” has inked a contract with United Talent Agency (UTA) in America in her bid to make Hollywood her next stage. My Company, which manages Jun in Korea, made the announcement Tuesday, saying, “Jun will actively pursue her acting career in Hollywood under the name Rachel Jun.” UTA represents a legion of big-name stars, including Anthony Hopkins ― who won the best actor award at the 93rd Academy Award for his performance in the drama film, “The Father” (2021) ― Johnny Depp, Jessica Alba and Benedict Cumberbatch. Jun lived in Canada before making her big screen debut in Korea with the thriller “Burning,” which competed for the Palme d'Or at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival. It was directed by award-winning filmmaker Lee Chang-dong, who was also behind the success of “Peppermint Candy” (2000), “OasiMay 4, 2021By Dong Sun-hwa
Jin Goo discusses playing father figure to deaf-blind child in 'You're So Precious to Me' Actor Jin Goo / Courtesy of Fine StoryBy Kwak Yeon-sooJin Goo, who has worked closely with some of the big-name directors and writers like Bong Joon-ho in thriller film “Mother” (2009) and Kim Eun-sook in tvN's romance series “Descendants of the Sun” (2016), is back with a tear-jerker about a difficult subject: deafblindness.His upcoming drama film “You're So Precious to Me” tells the story of a man named Jae-sik (Jin) who runs a small entertainment company and lends money to his employee Ji-young. After Ji-young's sudden death, Jae-sik visits her home trying to get his money back. However, he finds a child all alone there named Eun-hye (Jung Seo-yeon), who is both deaf and blind.Jae-sik initially pretends to be her dad with an aim to intercept housing deposits, but grows fond of the child as he spends more time with her. Describing “You're So Precious to Me” as an authentic story of human connection, Jin said the story's emphasis on the value of empathy resonated with him. “To be honest, it wasn't a sense of social responsibilityMay 3, 2021By Kwak Yeon-soo
'Minari' becomes 3rd movie to top 1 million admissions in Korea this year The immigrant film "Minari" has become the third movie to attract over 1 million viewers in South Korea this year, enjoying a post-award season bump on supporting actress Youn Yuh-jung's historic Oscar victory, data showed Monday.The U.S. drama film about a first-generation Korean American family struggling to build a new life in rural Arkansas sold more than 23,900 tickets Saturday, bringing its combined total to over 1 million, according to the data from the Korean Film Council (KOFIC). It achieved the milestone nearly 60 days after its release on March 3.Among movies released this year, only two ― Disney-Pixar's "Soul" and the Japanese animated film "Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba the Movie: Mugen Train" ― breached the 1 million mark before "Minari."The semi-autobiographical film by Korean American writer-director Lee Isaac Chung got a boost here after veteran actress Youn Yuh-jung won the country's first-ever acting Oscar with her supporting role as the untraditional grandmother in the movie at the 93rd Academy Awards last Monday (Korean time).Meanwhile, the KOFIC data showed thaMay 3, 2021
JIFF opening film: Despite system, father struggles to get children back Serbian filmmaker Srdan Golubovic / Courtesy of Maja MedicIs a poor father unqualified for parenting? Serbian filmmaker Srdan Golubovic sparks discussion about the material base of fatherhood By Kwak Yeon-sooSerbian filmmaker Srdan Golubovic, whose film, “Father,” was the opening film of the 22th Jeonju International Film Festival, said his film is designed to provoke debate about social issues that are often overlooked in his country.Inspired by a true event, the filmmaker tells the story of Nikola (Goran Bogdan), a penniless Serbian day worker who struggles to get back custody of his children after they were taken away by social services. He sets out on a 300-km walk to Belgrade, determined to present his case to the Ministry of Labor and reunite with his family. Golubovic explained that the basic premise of the man making the cross-country journey is based on a real-life story, but the rest of the circumstances, such as where the main character lives and how he fights the bureaucracy, are fictional. Although corruption, the weak social system and injustice are themes hMay 2, 2021By Kwak Yeon-soo
Serbian film opens 22nd Jeonju International Film Festival A movie fan takes a photo of the film poster for “Father,” which was chosen as the 22nd Jeonju International Film Festival's opening film on Jeonju Film Street, Saturday. YonhapBy Kwak Yeon-sooJEONJU ― The Jeonju International Film Festival (JIFF), an annual celebration of indie films, kicked off its 10-day run Thursday and will run through May 8, featuring nearly 200 films. Under the slogan, “Film Goes On,” a total of 194 films from 48 countries will be screened during the festival at four local theaters. For those unable to attend, 142 films are also available on the local streaming platform Wavve. The opening ceremony was held on Thursday at Sori Arts Center in Jeonju, in front of an audience of filmmakers, actors and other industry members.“What is familiar to us is easy, but that cannot change the world. So far, JIFF has supported experimental and alternative films. Social distancing is unavoidable, but I believe the audience members will feel connected through the films,” said Jeonju Mayor Kim Seung-su, who serves as chairman of JIFF's organiMay 2, 2021By Kwak Yeon-soo
Actor Lee Jong-suk stars in upcoming action movie 'Decibel' Actor Lee Jong-suk / Courtesy of A-MAN ProjectBy Dong Sun-hwaActor Lee Jong-suk has taken the lead role in the upcoming action movie tentatively titled, “Decibel,” according to his agency A-MAN Project Thursday. “Decibel” is Lee's first film since his completion of alternative military service in January. It is a story about a terrorist who orchestrates a plan to detonate a sonic weapon in the center of a major city, and a navy captain ― played by Lee ― who tries to stop him.“Lee, who had carefully reviewed numerous scripts, chose to appear on 'Decibel' and showcase his untapped side,” A-MAN Project said in a statement. “He will create great synergy with the other actors.” Several other high-profile stars, such as Cha Eun-woo of K-pop boy band ASTRO, and Kim Rae-won will also be featured in the flick. Cha will take on the role of a navy sailor, while Kim plays a navy commander.Director Hwang In-ho, who was behind the success of the movies “Spellbound” (2011) and “Monster” (2014), will take the helm of “DeciApr 29, 2021By Dong Sun-hwa
Youn Yuh-jung's ex-husband calls her Oscar win 'awesome vengeance to all cheating husbands' In this April 20 file photo, Cho Young-nam speaks during a TV talk show on KBS. The well-known singer is under fire after making “inappropriate comments” about the Oscar win of his ex-wife, Youn Yuh-jung. Courtesy of KBSBy Ko Dong-hwanYuh-Jung Youn, winner of the award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for "Minari," poses in the press room at the Oscars in Los Angeles, California, April 25. Reuters-YonhapCho Young-nam, a singer who had divorced now Oscar-winning actress Youn Yuh-jung over his cheating, caught flak after publicly linking her latest achievement to their former marriage.After Youn won the Best Supporting Actress Award at the Academy Awards in Los Angeles for her role in “Minari” on April 25, Cho, 75, who was a popular musician in Korea in the 1970-80s, had an interview with a Korean media outlet, where he was asked to give his thoughts about the woman he divorced 34 years ago.He said that it was, “Great news and something I want to congratulate her for very much,” and added: “Isn't her Oscar winning like the best, most awesoApr 28, 2021By Ko Dong-hwan
