INTERVIEW Song Joong-ki says filming 'Space Sweepers' was learning experience Actor Song Joong-ki / Courtesy of NetflixBy Kwak Yeon-sooSong Joong-ki said he is blessed to have worked with the most warm-hearted, kind and supportive actors in the hit movie “Space Sweepers,” adding that he always loves working with director Jo Sung-hee.“I have so many wonderful memories. It's a really special movie for me because I filmed it during a dark period of my life. It's not something that I could get over with on my own, but I tried to accept distressing emotions as a natural part of life and brought all energy to my character,” he said during an interview with The Korea Times via Zoom, Tuesday.The actor didn't specify what triggered this dark period but his remarks appear to be associated with his divorce from actress Song Hye-kyo. “I'm really drawn to movies that encompass extended-family dynamics, and I think family is the most important value in our life. Whenever I have needed a reference for an emotional performance, I watched 'Legends of the Fall,' starring Brad Pitt, to understand the family code. I think I've watched it more than 50Feb 9, 2021By Kwak Yeon-soo
'Space Sweepers' webtoon premieres in 4 countries A scene from the sci-fi blockbuster “Space Sweepers” / Courtesy of NetflixBy Park Han-solAfter Korea's first sci-fi blockbuster set in space, “Space Sweepers,” conquered Netflix's global Top Movies chart just a day after its debut, Daum and Kakaopage launched the international premiere of a webtoon based on the film's premise, with the same title and characters, in North America, Japan, Indonesia and France, Feb. 8.The comic “Space Sweepers” was first published in this form in Korea back on May 26, 2020, and so far is comprised of 20 episodes that have had more than 5.5 million views.On Feb. 8, it premiered on four web comic platforms ― North America's Tapas, Japan's Piccoma, Kakaopage Indonesia, and France's Delitoon. Kakaopage announced that it is also working on releasing the webtoon in other countries, including Thailand and Taiwan.Although the film and webtoon are set in the same universe, sharing characters and basic plot points, their main narratives differ. The two marked the beginning of Kakaopage's project, the Space Sweepers Universe, whFeb 9, 2021By Park Han-sol
Korean animated film 'Red Shoes' competes with 26 others for Oscars A still from the Korean animated film “Red Shoes and the Seven Dwarfs” / Courtesy of SIDUS By Kang Hyun-kyungThe homegrown animated movie “Red Shoes and the Seven Dwarfs” made it onto a preliminary list of nominations for Best Animated Feature Film at the 93rd Academy Awards, becoming the first Korean animation movie to achieve such a feat.It will compete for the final list of Oscar nominations along with 26 other animated movies. “Red Shoes and the Seven Dwarfs” directed by Hong Sung-ho revolves around a group of heroic princes known as the Fearless Seven who save a fairy princess from a dragon.The movie attracted some 820,000 viewers in Korea in 2019. It was screened in 129 countries, including the U.S. and Australia, and topped the box office in Spain. SIDUS studio said it was an honor for the film to make the cut for the Oscars, as it meant a lot to be selected, albeit in the preliminary round, to compete for Best Animated Feature along with 26 other candidates.Feb 9, 2021By Kang Hyun-kyung
Youn Yuh-jung of 'Minari' wins best supporting actress at US film critics award Youn Yuh-jungSouth Korean actress Youn Yuh-jung has been awarded her 21st best supporting actress award from a U.S. film critics association for her performance in the immigration drama "Minari."The Washington, D.C. Area Film Critics Association (WAFCA) said Monday (U.S. time) that the annual WAFCA Award's best supporting actress title went to Youn, who took the role of an eccentric grandmother in Lee Isaac Chung's semi-autobiographical film."Minari" depicts first-generation immigrants from Korea pursuing their own American dream on an Arkansas farm from the point of view of a 7-year-old boy named David (Alan Kim) and his parents, Jacob (Steven Yeun) and Monica (Han Yeri). The family's life faces changes after the boy's grandmother, Soon-ja (Youn), arrives in the United States from Korea.It is the 73-year old actress' 21st title in the ongoing award season in the run-up to the Oscars, with other titles including one from the Los Angeles Film Critics Association.She is considered a leading contender for the Oscars' best actress category and expected to become the first South Korean acFeb 9, 2021
'Minari' distributor threatens legal action against illegal distributors “Minari” will make local release on March 3. Courtesy of PancinemaBy Lee Gyu-leePancinema, the local distributor of the award-winning film “Minari,” threatened to take legal action Monday against anyone making unauthorized attempts to distribute the movie online.“It came to our attention that Minari has been illegally distributed not only on local and overseas websites but also through social media, cloud sharing platforms, and messengers,” Pancinema said in a statement.It added that it is tracking down every illegal post containing the full video of the movie.Noting that it has not authorized any individuals or group to share the film, the distributor said: “Posting, sharing, distributing and downloading the film is clearly copyright infringement and is unlawful, and we will take necessary legal action.” Directed by Lee Isaac Chung, the drama film revolves around a South Korean immigrant family who moves to the United States. In a small town in Arkansas, the family members struggle to adjust to their new life as they pursue their AmeriFeb 9, 2021By Lee Gyu-lee
Pixar's 'Soul' tops weekend box office again Pixar's latest film “Soul” topped the weekend box office in Korea. Courtesy of Walt Disney Company KoreaBy Lee Gyu-leePixar's latest film “Soul” has topped the local box office over the weekend for the third consecutive time since its Jan. 20 release. The animated film garnered about 20,900 ticket sales from Friday to Sunday, grossing about 1.9 billion won ($1.7 million). So far, it has sold 1.2 million tickets, accumulating 11.1 billion won ($9.9 million). Directed by Pete Docter, “Soul” revolves around a middle school music teacher Joe Gardner (voiced by Jamie Foxx) who dreams of becoming a jazz pianist in New York. After receiving a once-in-a-lifetime job offer he falls down a manhole and gets stuck in the afterlife. As Gardner tries to find the way back to his physical body, he learns the meaning of a soul and reflects on his past. The film, after landing on the top spot on its opening day, has been soaring in the box office, along with the contender “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yiba the Movie ― Mugen Train,” which was released Jan. 27Feb 9, 2021By Lee Gyu-lee
'House of Hummingbird' star Park Ji-hu embraces her full potential in 'Black Light' Park Ji-hu in a scene from “Black Light” / Courtesy of One-Take Film By Kwak Yeon-sooPark Ji-hu, who jumpstarted her career with the independent gem “House of Hummingbird” (2019), is returning to the big screen in the crime drama “Black Light.”The heroine of “Hummingbird” won multiple accolades for her role, including awards for best new actress in the Blue Dragon Awards and the Korean Association of Film Critics Awards. She also won the award for Best Actress in an International Narrative Feature at the 18th Tribeca Film Festival “for her subtle performance of enormous range and complexity,” according to jury.Park stars in “Black Light” as Eun-young, a teenager whose life gets turned upside down after a traffic accident puts her father in a coma. Hee-joo (Kim Si-eun), the widow of the perpetrator who died in the accident, later learns that Eun-young's father tried to kill himself before the accident. Suspecting that Eun-young's father might have been attempting suiFeb 8, 2021By Kwak Yeon-soo
'Space Sweepers' making waves on Netflix Sci-fi flick “Space Sweepers” is enjoying popularity on Netflix. Courtesy of NetflixBy Dong Sun-hwaThe Korean sci-fi movie “Space Sweepers” has become the most sought-after Netflix movie in 28 countries since its release Feb. 5. The film, starring Song Joong-ki and Kim Tae-ri, conquered the top movies chart on Netflix in France and Vietnam, among others, according to FlixPatrol, Monday. The analytics company provides daily updates of video-on-demand charts for 327 streaming platforms in 101 countries. Points for rankings are calculated based on chart positions.“Space Sweepers” scored 648 points, outperforming “Finding Ohana” (459) and “The Dig” (370).Set in 2092, the film revolves around the crew of a junk-collecting spaceship named The Victory, who collect and sell space debris. After they discover the humanoid Dorothy, later found out to be a weapon of mass destruction, the crewmembers embark on a "risky deal."Song plays the shuttle's pilot Taeho, while Kim appears as Captain Jang. Jin Sun-kyu and Yoo Hai-jin also feature Feb 8, 2021By Dong Sun-hwa
Cinema looks for ways to survive with games, re-releases, trot Official posters for films "Parasite: Black and White Version," left, and "Song Ga-in THE DRAMA" / Courtesy of CJ Entertainment, Pocketdol Studio By Park Han-solThe victor emerging from the strife between COVID-19 and the movie theater industry worldwide in 2020 was obvious from the start. As the pandemic has lasted for an unexpectedly long period of time, total sales of the domestic cinema industry last year were a paltry 510 billion won ($450 million), a whopping 73.3 percent decrease from the year before, according to a Korean Film Council report. Audiences shrank to the level seen back in 1999, right after the Asian financial crisis.The unbelievable loss of profits and filmgoers has led Korea's multiplex chain operators to look for other ways to survive the coronavirus pandemic. With the upcoming Lunar New Year holiday and Valentine's Day, the industry is gearing up to attract family audiences and couples to fill the seats with new releases and niche content sucFeb 8, 2021By Park Han-sol
Child abuse movie 'Go Back' moving and timely yet unconvincing Actress Park Ha-seon in a scene from the film “Go Back” / Courtesy of Little Big PicturesBy Kwak Yeon-sooThe tragic death of a 16-month-old baby last year, as a result of her adoptive parents' chronic, repeated abuse, shocked the nation, sparking a public debate about better ways to protect children from violence, which has resulted in the revision of the law on child abuse. The revised law calls for dispatching police to sites where abuse has been reported and separating children from their abusive parents.Despite the strengthened legislation, the tremor felt from the poor baby being lost is still being felt. The upcoming crime drama, “Go Back,” raises public awareness of child abuse and holds adults accountable for neglecting children vulnerable to domestic violence. “Go Back” follows the story of a child named Bo-ra (Gam So-hyun), who disappears on the day of a mysterious kidnapping. The kidnapper demands that the public collect 100 million won ($89,465) within seven days, or otherwise they will kill the child. Police officer Ji-won (Ha Yun-kyunFeb 8, 2021By Kwak Yeon-soo
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