'Wonder Woman 1984' to debut in theaters and on HBO Max This image released by Warner Bros. Entertainment shows Gal Gadot in a scene from "Wonder Woman." AP``Wonder Woman 1984'' isn't skipping theaters or moving to 2021, but it is altering course. The last big blockbuster holdout of 2020 is still opening in U.S. theaters on Christmas Day but it will also be made available to HBO Max subscribers free of charge for its first month, Warner Bros. said Wednesday. The film will also debut in international theaters on Dec. 16.``As we navigate these unprecedented times, we've had to be innovative in keeping our businesses moving forward while continuing to super-serve our fans,'' said Ann Sarnoff, Chair and CEO of WarnerMedia Studios and Networks Group in a statement.After the first month for free on HBO Max, ``Wonder Woman 1984'' will play in theaters for an additional few weeks before being made available for rental on demand. It is an unprecedented strategy for a film of its size, but a sign of the extraordinary measures that many Hollywood studios have had to resort to in the COVID 19-era. Most major films that had been set for 2020 have eithNov 22, 2020
Two Hong Kong political films win at Taiwan Golden Horse Awards Team members of movie "My Missing Valentine" hold their awards for press at the 57th Golden Horse Awards in Taipei, Taiwan, Saturday, Nov. 21, 2020. APTwo Hong Kong films that cast an uncomfortable spotlight on China won accolades at Taiwan's Golden Horse Awards on Saturday, as the island staged its largest film festival after successfully containing the coronavirus.While many film festivals have been forced largely online or cancelled by the Covid-19 pandemic, the Golden Horse Awards ― dubbed the Chinese-language "Oscars" ― went ahead in Taiwan which has seen just 611 infections and seven deaths.US-based Oscar-winning director Ang Lee and Chinese American actress Bai Ling, dressed in a red gown with a long train reading "Love Peace," were among the legion of entertainers who walked down the red carpet ahead of the ceremony in Taipei's Sun Yat-sen memorial hall.Chinese cinematic talents used to dominate the Golden Horse nominations but the festival has fallen victim to the deteriorating relations between Beijing and Taipei.China boycotted the event last year after a Taiwanese directoNov 22, 2020
Korean sci-fi 'Space Sweepers' to be released on Netflix The South Korean science-fiction blockbuster "Space Sweepers" will be released through Netflix without a theatrical run, the U.S. media giant said Friday."We are happy to announce that Netflix will open 'Space Sweepers' simultaneously in 190 countries," Netflix said in a release. "As Korea-made dramas and movies have become the most beloved content in the world, we expect that 'Space Sweepers' will also create a global buzz."But it did not elaborate on the exact release date of the film.Directed by Jo Sung-hee, the film features a group of space scavengers who hunt for debris to make money in the year 2092. It's set in a fictional universe where Earth is nearly destroyed by pollution and a group of upper class people build a new habitable world in outer space.It has been one of the most anticipated films in South Korea this year for its star-studded cast of Song Joong-ki and Kim Tae-ri.But its release schedules have been put off several times due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which has led to a handful of South Korean commercial movies going to Netflix without a run in theaters."Time to Nov 20, 2020
'Actor's life begins at 40:' Jung Woo says turning 40 affected his outlook on acting Jung Woo poses after an interview with The Korea Times at a cafe in Seoul, Tuesday. Courtesy of Little Big PicturesBy Kwak Yeon-sooIt's been a long and winding road for the film “Best Friend” to ultimately land in theaters, but even amid the pandemic, it's a big moment for Jung Woo who has been out of the public eye for nearly three years.“I shot three films ― 'Hot Blooded,' 'Best Friend' and 'Dirty Money' ― after 'Heung-boo: The Revolutionist' (2018), but all of their release dates got pushed back due to internal and external circumstances. I'm relieved that the film could come out right now,” he said during an interview with The Korea Times, Tuesday. “After wrapping up shooting for three films, I went on a one-year hiatus because I experienced a burnout. During that period of time, I tried to use my time wisely ― waking up early, working out regularly and reviewing scripts.”The upcoming film is set in the 1980s when the country was still under authoritarian rule. It follows an undercover surveillance team tasked with monitoring an opposition poliNov 19, 2020By Kwak Yeon-soo
'Minari' star Youn Yuh-jung nominated for best actress at Gotham Awards Youn Yuh-jung / Courtesy of Hook EntertainmentBy Kwak Yeon-sooYoun Yuh-jung, who stars as loving grandmother in director Lee Isaac Chung's “Minari,” has been nominated for Best Actress at the 30th Gotham Awards, which honors independent films. The other nominees in the category are Jessica Buckley (“I'm Thinking of Ending Things”), Nicole Beharie (“Miss Juneteenth”), Carrie Coon (“The Nest”) and Frances McDormand (“Nomadland”). The ceremony is scheduled for Jan. 11, 2021. “Minari” tells the story of a Korean-American family that moves to rural Arkansas in the 1980s, as Jacob (Steven Yeun) and his wife Monica (Han Ye-ri) attempt to grow crops on the land that they've purchased. In the film, Youn plays the grandmother Soon-ja, who moves to America to live with Jacob's family.The film has garnered tremendous critical acclaim, winning both the Grand Jury Prize and the Audience Award at the Sundance Film Festival in January. In October, it won the Ensemble Award and Audience Award for Best Narrative Film at the MiddleNov 16, 2020By Kwak Yeon-soo
Film Academy Museum completes pre-fundraising goal A view of the recently restored facade of the Saban Building from the corner of Fairfax and Wilshire Boulevard in Los Angeles is seen in this Dec. 4, 2018, file photo. After eight years and 13,000 donors including the likes of Barbra Streisand and Steven Spielberg, the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures has reached and exceeded its pre-fundraising goal. Academy Museum Director and President Bill Kramer said Nov. 13 that the new museum has raised $388 million. AP-YonhapIt took eight years and 13,000 donors including the likes of Barbra Streisand and Steven Spielberg, but the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures has reached and exceeded its pre-fundraising goal. Academy Museum Director and President Bill Kramer said Friday that the new museum has raised $388 million. A donation from LAIKA, the film company behind ``Coraline,'' helped push the campaign over the finish line, adding to the contributions of many Hollywood studios, private individuals and companies. The largest single contribution came from Haim and Cheryl Saban, who gave $50 million.The fundraising campaign was chaired by WaltNov 14, 2020
Labor activist Chun Tae-il reborn in animated movie By Kwak Yeon-sooActor Jang Dong-yoon stars as labor activist Chun Tae-il in the animated film “Chun Taeil.” / Courtesy of Myung FilmThe life of Chun Tae-il, a labor activist who immolated himself to raise awareness about the poor labor conditions of garment workers in 1970, will be retold through an animated film named after him. Chun (1948-1970) was born in the southern city of Daegu. His father was a tailor who ran a small family business. Due to his underprivileged upbringing, he was forced to quit school and did not receive a proper education. Chun left home and started working as an assistant to a tailor at age 16.In an attempt to improve garment workers' conditions, Chun became a master tailor and began to study the Labor Standards Law. He then visits a labor supervisor and raises the issue of the poor conditions of workers. But conditions did not improve until Chun set himself on fire during a demonstration for workers' rights.The voice actors cast for roles in “Chun Taeil” include actors Jang Dong-yoon as Chun, Yeom Hye-ran as Chun's mother Lee So-sun,Nov 10, 2020By Kwak Yeon-soo
INTERVIEW Kim Hye-soo on inner struggle, criticism, role in 'The Day I Died' Kim Hye-soo. / Courtesy of Hodu&U EntertainmentBy Kwak Yeon-sooKim Hye-soo, who started acting in the 1980s, has definitely made her mark on the entertainment industry. She is well-known for her iconic roles in films like “Tazza: The High Rollers” (2006), “The Thieves” (2012) and “Default” (2018).After starring in the recent hit TV series “Hyena” as a quirky yet brilliant lawyer, the actress chose the complete opposite character in the mystery thriller “The Day I Died: Unclosed Case.”In the upcoming film, Kim plays Hyun-soo, a police detective assigned to investigate the suspicious disappearance of a teenage girl named Se-jin (Roh Jeong-eui).While tracing Se-jin's last day before she disappears from a cliff, Hyun-soo finds out about the girl's intimate relationship with a local island resident (Lee Jung-eun), who lost her voice and lives with her comatose niece. With a resident's help, Hyun-soo gets one step closer to the truth.One notable aspect of the mystery thriller is that it dives deeper into Hyun-soo's emotional sNov 6, 2020By Kwak Yeon-soo
Comedy film 'Collectors' opens at top of local box office A scene from the comedy film “Collectors.” / Courtesy of CJ ENMBy Lee Gyu-leeThe comedy film “Collectors” landed at the top of the local box office on its opening day Wednesday, selling about 80,000 tickets and grossing 701.6 million won.Director Park Jung-bae's debut feature film revolves around a group of excavators going on a scavenger hunt for ancient treasure. Antiquities thief Kang Dong-goo (Lee Je-hoon) teams up with tomb mural expert Dr. Jones (Jo Woo-jin) and tunnel digger (Lim Won-hee) to find a priceless sword hidden inside Seolleung ― a royal tomb from the Joseon Kingdom (1392-1910) ― in Seoul's Gangnam District.With “Collectors” at the top, another comedy film, “Samjin Company English Class,” slipped to second after topping the chart since its release on Oct. 21. The film sold 32,000 tickets on Tuesday, for a total of 1.04 million tickets and a gross of 9.2 billion won ($8.1 million).Directed by Lee Jong-pil, the film follows three colleagues ― Ja-young (Ko Ah-sung), Yoo-na (Esom) and Bo-ram (Park Hye-soo) ― who fight to reNov 5, 2020By Lee Gyu-lee
Krystal of f(x) plays first lead role in comedy film 'More than Family' From left, actors Gang Mal-geum, Jung Soo-jung and Jang Hye-jin pose during a press conference for the film “More than Family” in Seoul, Tuesday. YonhapBy Kwak Yeon-sooAfter a decade in the public eye thanks to her successful music career as a K-pop idol, Jung Soo-jung (a.k.a. Krystal) is betting big on her acting career with her first lead movie role in the comedy drama “More than Family.”In the film, Jung plays To-il, a pregnant college student who heads out on a mission to find her birth father Hwan-gyu (played by Lee Hae-young), whom she hasn't heard from for more than a decade, before her wedding. Once she tracks down her birth father, To-il faces another challenge: her soon-to-be-husband Ho-hoon (Shin Jae-hwi), who is still a high school student, goes completely off the grid. So she wanders from place to place with her family to find him.“When I first heard the role would be a pregnant woman, I sighed deeply,” Jung said during a press conference held in Seoul, Tuesday. “But I read the script in one sitting and was really drawn to it. SoNov 4, 2020By Kwak Yeon-soo
