'Spirits' Homecoming' director Cho Jung-rae returns with historical drama By Kwak Yeon-sooDirector Cho Jung-rae poses for a photo during a press conference for the film “The Singer” in Seoul, Monday. Courtesy of Little Big PicturesDirector Cho Jung-rae, known for his 2016 film “Spirits' Homecoming,” has returned with the historical pansori drama “The Singer.” Its original Korean title “Sorikkun” is a term that refers to a traditional lyrical storyteller accompanied by a drummer. Set in 1734 during the Joseon Kingdom, the movie centers on the lives of pansori performers, who held very low social status. Pansori is a narrative music style comprised of various melodies and rhythms.In “The Singer,” Sim Hak-gyu (played by pansori singer Lee Bong-geun) embarks on a journey with his daughter Cheong (played by Kim Ha-yeon) to search for his wife Gannan (played by Lee Yu-ri), who is kidnapped.Hak-gyu performs the pansori “Simcheongga,” which revolves around a girl and her sacrifice to cure her father's blindness, on his way to find Gannan. Poverty and human trafficking are featured in the storyJun 23, 2020By Kwak Yeon-soo
Actor Ryu Seung-beom becomes father Ryu Seung-beom. / Korea Times file By Park Si-sooKorean actor Ryu Seung-beom, 40, has become a father.“Ryu's girlfriend gave birth to a daughter last week,” said Ryu's agency SEM Company on Tuesday. “The delivery was expected later this month, but the baby came earlier.”The mother and baby are healthy, the agency added. Ryu's girlfriend is Slovakian. She is known as an artist mainly working in France and is 10 years his junior. Further details are unknown. In the June 11 statement, the agency said Ryu was staying in France with his bride-to-be and planning a “small wedding ceremony” this year with only family and friends. Ryu debuted in 2000 in the film "Die Bad," directed by his older brother Ryu Seung-wan. He has starred in several hit films such as "Crying Fist" (2005), "The Unjust" (2010) and "The Berlin File" (2013).Jun 23, 2020
'The Shaman Sorceress' wins jury award at Annecy animation film festival Ahn Jae-huun, artistic director of Studio Meditation With a Pencil, poses during an interview with The Korea Times at his office in Seoul, June 9. Ahn's film “The Shaman Sorceress” won the Feature Film Contrechamp Jury Distinction at Annecy International Animation Film Festival, France, Friday, local time. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-sukBy Park Ji-wonOrganizers of the Annecy International Animation Film Festival awarded the South Korean animated film “The Shaman Sorceress” a special jury award, Friday.“The Feature Film Contrechamp Jury Distinction is awarded to The Shaman Sorceress by Jae-huun Ahn,” said Marcel Jean, artistic director of the international festival in an official video, released that day (local time).Seen are still cells of animated characters from “The Shaman Sorceress” on the sidelines of The Korea Times interview with its director Ahn Jae-huun, artistic director of Studio Meditation With a Pencil, at his office in Seoul, June 9. The animated film won the Feature Film Contrechamp Jury Distinction Award at the Annecy Jun 22, 2020By Park Ji-won
'Audio cinema' - voice actors have new way to express emotions By Ko Dong-hwanPromotional still for “Man and Woman,” starring Kang So-ra, left, and Kim Dong-wook.Voice actors in Korea have a new way to express their emotions and deliver as good a plot and sound effects as in conventional film. It is the “audio cinema,” which the country's largest online portal Naver has rolled out with actress Kang So-ra at the forefront. Released on June 18 on the portal's Audio Clip channel for free, “Man and Woman” is an 82-minute-long audio story sound that purports to be a movie for the ears, not the eyes. With the voices of Kang and Kim Dong-wook as a couple in their 20s who go over a cycle of meeting and breaking over seven years, the romance is based on a Korean webtoon of the same title that ran on Naver from 2014 until 2015 over 59 episodes. Before “Man and Woman,” Kang drew acclaim for her previous voice acting with the Pixar-Disney animation “Brave,” where she dubbed its lead character Princess Merida, and Samsung Electronics' artificial intelligence secretary Bixby.Because audio cinema cannJun 21, 2020By Ko Dong-hwan
INTERVIEW 'Acting is frightening but rewarding' Actor Cho Jin-woong poses for a photo after an interview with The Korea Times at a cafe in Seoul, June 16. / Courtesy of AceMaker MovieworksBy Kwak Yeon-sooActor Cho Jin-woong got his start with a minor role in “Spirit of Jeet Kune Do ― Once Upon a Time in High School” (2004). Since then, he has starred in films of diverse genres, including “Nameless Gangster: Rules of Time” (2011), “Roaring Currents” (2014), “Assassination” (2015) and “The Handmaiden,” dominating every scene he is in. With more than 60 films under his belt now, the actor is still as in demand as ever. Cho credits his longevity for his ability to maintain great working relationships with fellow actors and directors and see the bigger picture. Even after he became a much-sought-after actor, he continued to reinvent himself by working alongside rookie filmmakers to diversify his portfolio.“There is a time-tested formula for making a hit film. It's pretty simple ― cast A-listed stars and invest big money. However, I'm a type of person who feels more joy wJun 21, 2020By Kwak Yeon-soo
'Innocence' passes 500,000 ticket sales amid virus-hit cinema downturn Shin Hye-sun, left, and Bae Jong-ok, stars of Korea's No.1 box office hit “Innocence,” thanked the moviegoers after the film sold more than 500,000 tickets amid a gloomy theater market hit hard by COVID-19. Korea Times fileBy Ko Dong-hwanTheatrical poster for "Innocence."“Innocence” has defied the COVID-19 scare and attracted more than 500,000 theatergoers Saturday, further cementing its top box office spot since opening on June 10.The record is particularly meaningful because cinemas here have been suffering from a huge audience loss due to the pandemic. After being discouraged from visiting public venues, people instead have increasingly opted for home movies via Netflix or to watch TV shows at home.The Korea Film Council's ticket sales tally shows the movie has had an accumulated 500,507 audience via 919 screens nationwide. The court thriller's achievement comes following consistent critical acclaim. Sony Pictures Entertainment Korea and KIDARI ENT, which distributed the film, released Sunday photos of Shin Hye-sun, who plays the movie's female lead, and BaJun 21, 2020By Ko Dong-hwan
INTERVIEW Actor Yoo Ah-in seeks to get closer to fans with boy-next-door appeal Yoo Ah-inActor Yoo Ah-in has played a variety of adolescent characters on both the big and small screens since he made his debut with the coming-of-age TV series "Sharp" (2004).His roles have been unusually deep and emotionally serious for a young actor, ranging from a rebellious high school student in "Punch" (2011) and an insane crown prince in the historical drama "The Throne" (2015) to a sensitive young man in the psychological thriller "Burning" (2018), a critics' prize winner at Cannes.Therefore, he is well known as a dramatic actor on the South Korean entertainment scene, who chooses a project or a character with thoughtful impressions or social implications.In the upcoming zombie thriller "#Alive," however, Yoo takes the role of a young guy named Joon-woo who lives a mundane life, getting up late in the morning and enjoying computer games like the boy next door.Directed by Cho Il-hyung, known as Il Cho abroad, "#Alive" revolves around Joon-woo, completely isolated and struggling to survive in a city infected by a mysterious virus. Joon-woo, one of the two survivors in a zombiJun 21, 2020
'The Pirates' sequel set to film with star-studded cast Clockwise, from top left: Actors Kang Ha-nuel, Han Hyo-joo, Kwon Sang-woo, Chae Soo-bin, Lee Kwang-soo and Sehun will star in the comedy-action film “The Pirates: Goblin Flag.” Courtesy of Lotte EntertainmentBy Lee Gyu-leeThe sequel to the hit 2014 action film “The Pirates” will begin production in July with a strong cast including Kang Ha-nuel, Han Hyo-joo, Kwon Sang-woo and EXO's Sehun.The comedy-action film “The Pirates: Goblin Flag” will revolve around a group of pirates and bandits who go on a journey to discover the lost royal treasure. Kang will play the head of the bandits who happens to join the band of seafarers, led by the pirate chief Han. Lee Kwang-soo, Chae Soo-bin and Sehun are the pirate crew. Kwon is the antagonist, competing against the pirates on the treasure hunt. The previous movie, starring Son Ye-jin and Kim Nam-gil, garnered about 8.7 million ticket sales in 2014. It won several awards, including Best Actress in the Grand Bell Award. Cheon Seong-il, who wrote the previous movie, has written the sequel. But it will be led by Jun 18, 2020By Lee Gyu-lee
'Innocence' soars at local box office “Innocence” has topped the local box office for six consecutive days since June 10. Courtesy of Acemaker MovieworksBy Lee Gyu-leeThe film “Innocence” has topped the local box office for almost a week since it hit theaters on June 10. The drama has garnered over 365,000 ticket sales, grossing 3.3 billion won ($2.7 million). The film, directed by Park Sang-hyun, revolves around Jung-in (Shin Hye-sun), a lawyer at a prestigious law firm, and her estranged mother Hwa-ja (Bae Jong-ok). When Hwa-ja is accused of killing a person with chemicals, Jung-in battles to prove her innocence, facing the dark secrets of the townspeople. The film was originally set to premiere in March but was rescheduled twice due to COVID-19 cluster infections in March and May. When the movie finally hit theaters after the long delay, it roared to the top of the box office, opening with 27,000 ticket sales, taking about 224 million won ($184,000).Jun 17, 2020By Lee Gyu-lee
Yeon Sang-ho shares first glimpse of zombie blockbuster 'Peninsula' Director Yeon Sang-ho, left, and the cast of “Peninsula” pose for a photo at the online press conference for the film in Seoul, Tuesday. / Courtesy of NEWBy Kwak Yeon-sooFilmmaker Yeon Sang-ho has finally unveiled the first glimpse of the post-apocalyptic world of “Peninsula,” the sequel to 2016 box office juggernaut “Train to Busan.”“Peninsula,” which has been invited to this year's Cannes Film Festival, is expected to open in July. Set four years after “Train to Busan,” the upcoming film tells the story of the survivors and the world taken over by zombies. It is Yeon's third Cannes entry following the animated film “The King of Pigs” in 2012 and “Train to Busan” in 2016. Gang Dong-won plays Jung-seok, a former soldier who goes back to the zombie-packed peninsula on a mission, while Lee Jung-hyun plays Min-jung, a mother of two daughters and an uninfected survivor of the zombie apocalypse. Lee saves the lives of Jung-seok and his mission crew from a massive zombie attack and they join forces to escapJun 17, 2020By Kwak Yeon-soo
