Park Hae-il offered lead in Park Chan-wook's new film Actor Park Hae-il, left, has been offered a role in director Park Chan-wook's new melodrama. Korea Times fileBy Lee Gyu-lee Actor Park Hae-il is in talks to appear in a new film by Park Chan-wook, who is known for directing “Oldboy” (2003) and “Lady Vengeance” (2005). The actor's agency SWMP Entertainment said Tuesday that he has been offered a role in the director's melodrama “Decision to Break Up” (direct translation). “Park Hae-il is positively reviewing and will work out the details (of the offer),” it said. The flick will be director Park's first film since the award-winning romance-drama “The Handmaiden” in 2016. The director's production company Moho Film told a local news outlet that the main roles were offered to Park and Chinese actress Tang Wei. “We are aiming to start filming this fall,” it said. In regards to the genre, company said “this film could be said to be a melodrama compared to the director's previous films … But as all of his films are, it's hard to pinpoint one specific genre.May 20, 2020By Lee Gyu-lee
Rapper Cheetah makes big screen debut in 'Jazzy Misfits' Rapper-turned-actress Kim Eun-young (aka Cheetah) in a scene from “Jazzy Misfits” / Courtesy of Triple PicturesBy Kwak Yeon-sooRapper Cheetah is making her big screen debut under her real name Kim Eun-young in “Jazzy Misfits,” in which she stars alongside actress Cho Min-soo.Kim plays aspiring singer Sun-deok, who looks for her missing sister Yu-ri with her mother, to whom she has not spoken in years. The mother and daughter search Itaewon, Seoul's most diverse and foreigner-friendly (in the film) district, to find Yu-ri, who ran off with their money.The two run into individuals who are vulnerable to prejudice ― a homosexual, a black-Korean and a drag queen ― in Itaewon. However, the setting and the story are about overcoming such prejudice and embracing difference.Kim said it was an honor to work alongside Cho, the award-winning actress of Kim Ki-duk's “Pieta.” “Like the image I have as rapper Cheetah, there was a strong and powerful image of Cho Min-soo in my mind,” Kim said during a press conference for “Jazzy Misfits” inMay 19, 2020By Kwak Yeon-soo
Netflix picks up Dwayne Johnson-Emily Blunt film 'Ball and Chain' Dwayne Johnson. YonhapNetflix announced Thursday it will release Ball and Chain, a film based on Scott Lobdell's 1990s comic book of the same name.It will star Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt, the leads in Disney's Jungle Cruise, which is scheduled to open in theaters in the summer of 2021.Emily V. Gordon ― whose credits include The Big Sick and Little America ― is writing the screenplay for Ball and Chain, which is about "a troubled married couple that receive superpowers that only work when they are together," a Netflix press release said.No director has been named yet.Johnson is producing through his Seven Bucks Productions banner."One of our main initiatives at Seven Bucks is to continue to find the best platforms to tell stories that entertain and inspire on a global scale. Netflix is the perfect partner to deliver this epic superhero/romantic comedy experience alongside us, and we're excited to be back in business with the Netflix team. I'm also excited to not only reunite with dear friend Emily Blunt in front of the camera, but to also collaborate as producing partners as we brMay 15, 2020
Movie 'Bori' presents child's eye view of disability, differences Actors Kim Ah-song, left, and Kwak Jin-suk in a scene from “Bori” / Courtesy of JinJin PicturesBy Kwak Yeon-sooUnlike a myriad of tear-jerking films that tell the story of disabled characters and their struggle to fit into society, the family drama “Bori” approaches the issue of disability and difference with a child's eye. As the title suggests, the movie is centered on 11-year-old Bori, who is the only hearing member of her family. As a CODA, an acronym for children of deaf adults, Bori often feels left out of the close-knit circle of her deaf parents and younger brother because she finds it difficult to join in sign language conversations at home. One day, she gets lost at a crowded firework festival. After being temporarily separated from her family, Bori strongly feels alienated and wishes that she was deaf, too. So she makes several attempts to lose her hearing by first listening to music at ear-splitting volumes and then by throwing herself into the sea. When she finally wakes after having been pulled out of the water and hospitalized, it appears that sMay 13, 2020By Kwak Yeon-soo
'Cinema sales expected to fall 70 percent this year' Seen above is an empty cinema foyer in Seoul, April 22. / YonhapBy Kwak Yeon-sooAmid the COVID-19 pandemic, Korea's film industry is facing billions of won in losses as theater chains are struggling with dwindling audiences and film productions are being pushed back.The film industry had been showing signs of recovering with the subsiding of the virus and eased social distancing rules starting the fourth week of April. However, a jump in the number of new virus cases that spread through visitors to a number of nightclubs during a six-day holiday from April 30 to May 5 has sparked fear of a second wave of COVID-19 cases.Major releases of local films, including “The Fortress” and “Call,” have been postponed to the second half of this year, and for now, movie theaters are heavily relying on smaller films and re-releases. In its survey of 82 film projects that have suffered losses from the coronavirus outbreak, the Korean Film Council (KOFIC) said their total amount of loss (January-April) was estimated to be 21.4 billion won ($17.4 million). Of them, 51 percent oMay 12, 2020By Kwak Yeon-soo
Cult film 'Save the Green Planet' slated for Hollywood remake Shin Ha-Kyun as Byung-gu in the 2003 film "Save the Green Planet," which will become a Hollywood remake by original director Jang Joon-hwa / Korea Times fileOriginal director Jang to helm US productionBy Kwon Mee-yooKorean sci-fi black comedy "Save the Green Planet" will become a Hollywood remake with original director Jang Joon-hwan to once again direct the cult hit. CJ ENM, which is behind the multiple Oscar wins of "Parasite," announced Saturday that it will remake the 2003 film in the United States. Will Tracy, who wrote HBO's "Succession," will adapt the screenplay for Hollywood.The offbeat cult film revolves around Byung-gu, a paranoid man who believes that Earth is on the brink of alien invasion. Byung-gu tries to stop the aliens by kidnapping a powerful businessman Man-sik, suspecting him to be the leader of aliens from Andromeda.Jang made his debut with "Save the Green Planet" and continued to direct thrillers "Hwayi: A Monster Boy" (2013) and "1987: When the Day Comes" (2017).CJ Group Vice Chairwoman Lee Mi-kyung said in a statement, “One thing we learned from our sucMay 10, 2020By Kwon Mee-yoo
'A Rainy Day in New York' rules local box office Hollywood actor Timothee Chalamet stars in the rom-com film “A Rainy Day in New York,” which has been topping the local box office. Courtesy of Green Narae MediaBy Dong Sun-hwaAmerican director Woody Allen's rom-com flick “A Rainy Day in New York” had secured first place at the local box office for four consecutive days as of Saturday, according to the Korean Film Council. The movie, starring Hollywood heartthrob Timothee Chalamet, has sold more than 34,000 tickets here since its premiere on May 6, the council said Sunday. The film attracted over 17,000 moviegoers on Saturday alone, outperforming DreamWorks Animation's “Trolls World Tour,” which drew an audience of around 8,700 the same day. The number of moviegoers in Korea hit an all-time low in April following the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, with 972,447 people going to the cinema during the month.Sales began rebounding at the beginning of May as the number of virus cases decreased and the government eased the social distancing campaign. But with the number of cases rising again following tMay 10, 2020By Dong Sun-hwa
CJ CGV Q1 net loss widens sharply on virus YonhapSouth Korea's top multiplex chain CJ CGV Co. said Friday its first-quarter net loss widened sharply from a year earlier due to the coronavirus outbreak.CJ CGV said in a regulatory filing that it lost 118.6 billion won (US$97.3 million) in the January-March period, compared with a net loss of 8.6 billion won a year earlier.Yet, the first-quarter net loss was down from a shortfall of 213.5 billion won recorded in the previous quarter.Revenue nose-dived 47.6 percent on-year to 243.3 billion won in the first quarter. The company posted an operating loss of 71.6 billion won, compared with a profit of 23.5 billion won a year ago.CJ CGV attributed the worsened first-quarter performance to a tumble in the number of moviegoers following the COVID-19 outbreak.The theater chain said the number of its domestic customers plunged nearly 53 percent on-year in the first quarter, with sales sinking about 48 percent to 127.8 billion won.The coronavirus pandemic also battered CJ CGV's overseas operations, with its revenue in China plummeting 85.6 percent on-year to 15.8 billion won. The company hMay 8, 2020
Ok Taec-yeon to star in his first historical film Ok Taec-yeon will star in the period movie “Han San.” Korea Times fileBy Lee Gyu-leeSinger and actor Ok Taec-yeon will star in a period movie for the first time in his career. The actor's agency 51K said Thursday that Ok “is making his first attempt in the historical piece through the movie 'Han San.'”The film will be directed by Kim Han-min, who is known for writing and directing award-winning period films like “Roaring Currents.” His latest film will follow a historical battle between Korea and Japan in 1592 ― the “Battle of Hansan Island.”Ok will play a Korean navy soldier. Actors Park Hae-il, Byun Yo-han and Kim Sung-kyu also have confirmed roles. The film is scheduled to start production in the latter half of the year.May 7, 2020By Lee Gyu-lee
VIDEO Song Joong-ki's 'Space Sweepers' gives sneak peek Actor Song Joong-ki will star in the new movie “Space Sweepers.” Courtesy of Merry ChristmasBy Dong Sun-hwa“Space Sweepers,” a Korean space opera film starring Song Joong-ki and Kim Tae-ri, offered a sneak peek on Thursday. Distributor Merry Christmas floated a trailer for the movie, which is dubbed the first Korean sci-fi flick set in space. Watch the trailer: bit.ly/2WBI16a“Space Sweepers” will premiere this summer. Courtesy of Merry ChristmasThe film, set in 2092, follows the crew of a space junk sweeper named “The Victory.” As they look for lucrative space debris, they discover the humanoid “Dorothy” ― a weapon of mass destruction ― and start a “risky deal.” Song plays the shuttle's pilot Taeho. Kim appears as the crew's young and confident leader. Acclaimed actors Jin Sun-kyu and Yoo Hai-jin also feature in the much-anticipated movie. Filmmaker Jo Sung-hee, who previously teamed up with Song for the fantasy romance movie “A Werewolf Boy” (2012), directed “Space Sweepers.” The flick wiMay 7, 2020By Dong Sun-hwa
