Song Joong-ki buys $2.28 million condo in Hawaii: report Song Joong-ki.By Park Si-soo Top actor Song Joong-ki has bought a luxury condo near Hawaii's Waikiki beach for $2.28 million, Sports Chosun reported on Sunday with a captured image of related information.Citing a real estate expert there, the newspaper said the actor had bought the property to have a “private vacation.” The condo is reportedly near Ala Moana Beach Park surrounded by luxury high rises and mansions. Meanwhile Song is in self-isolation at home after returning to South Korea on March 24 from Colombia, where he took part in the filming of “Bogota.” Mar 29, 2020
Commercially successful directors ready to return to screen Choi Dong-hoon. Korea Times fileNew films by star South Korean directors are poised to hit theaters this year, giving a boost to the movie industry hit hard by the novel coronavirus.Choi Dong-hoon, famous for smash-hit crime thrillers, including "Tazza: The High Rollers" (2006), "The Thieves" (2012) and "Assassination" (2015), will return with a new crime science-fiction film about aliens living in Korea.The film, which stars Kim Tae-ri, Kim Woo-bin and Ryu Jun-yeol, is now in pre-production and will start shooting later this month.Prominent director Kim Tae-yong, whose previous film is the English-language remake "Late Autumn" (2010), is coming back with a star-studded fantasy film, "Wonderland," his first release in nine years.A-list celebrities, including Gong Yoo, Park Bo-gum, Tang Wei and Suzy, will take roles in the film, which revolves around two couples who visit a virtual world called Wonderland, where people can reunite with their loved ones.The film is expected to kick off shooting next month.Before them, two other well-known filmmakers ― Yeon Sang-ho, who helmed the populMar 25, 2020
Film industry urges gov't to come up with rescue plans A movie theater in Seoul is empty amid growing fears over the spread of COVID-19, March 18. / YonhapBy Kwak Yeon-sooAs the number of moviegoers and ticket sales hit rock bottom due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the film industry urged the government to come up with emergency rescue plans so that artists and workers can overcome the unprecedented challenges they face.The Producers Guild of Korea, the Directors Guild of Korea, the Korean Film Marketers Association and many other related groups called on the government to provide various financial bailout packages, emergency rescue measures and be included in a state-led special sectors for employment support.“The Korean film industry is sinking into the abyss,” industry officials said in a joint statement. “Many firms in the industry have already given up hope and have been bidding farewell to their employees.”The statement acknowledges that the heavy delays in film releases and productions resulted in large scale unemployment among industry workers. The number of moviegoers plunged to less than 30,000 per day this Mar 25, 2020By Kwak Yeon-soo
Musical movie 'La La Land' reopens in theaters with top ticket sales The 2016 musical movie “La La Land” hit local movie theaters again Wednesday. Courtesy of PancinemaBy Lee Gyu-leeThe 2016 musical movie “La La Land” reopened in local theaters Wednesday and is topping daily ticket sales.The feel-good musical ― which posted about 3.6 million ticket sales after its premiere ― recorded a 16 percent seat reservation rate as of Wednesday morning, surpassing the biographical film “Judy” that opened on the same day. Over 7,000 seats have been booked so far. The film, starring Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone, stirred a worldwide phenomenon on its release in 2016 with its exuberant musical performances and compelling storyline. As the coronavirus continues to strike the nation, the big-budget films' distributors have been reluctant to release movies originally planned to premiere in the coming months. Hollywood blockbusters such as the superhero film “Wonder Woman 1984,” Universal's “007 No Time to Die” and the Disney live-action film “Mulan” have had their release dates delayed. The highly aMar 25, 2020By Lee Gyu-lee
Korean films, actors continue winning streak at international events Director Lee Jung-sub, second from right, gives an acceptance speech after receiving the Jury Special Mention Award at the 40th Fantasporto-Oporto International Film Festival in Portugal, which was held Feb. 28-March 7. / Courtesy of Newplus OriginalBy Kwak Yeon-sooIn the wake of Bong Joon-ho's immense success for international hit “Parasite,” Korean films and actors are continuing to make history at international film festivals. Sci-fi thriller “Fallen,” directed by Lee Jung-sub, won the Jury Special Mention Award at the 40th Fantasporto-Oporto International Film Festival, the film distributor said Tuesday. “Fallen” is the first Korean film to win the award.The FantasPorto-Oporto International Film Festival in Portugal is a major event on par with Spain's Sitges International Fantastic Film Festival and Belgium's Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival. The festival specializes in film genres such as science fiction, fantasy and horror, with an emphasis on innovative storytelling and creativity.“Although it was a new challenge for me Mar 24, 2020By Kwak Yeon-soo
Netflix's 'Self Made' tells of first female millionaire This image released by Netflix shows Octavia Spencer in a scene from "Self Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam C.J. Walker." AP-YonhapMadam C.J. Walker may be one of America's most successful ``pull yourself up by your own bootstrap'' stories, but many have never heard of her. However, that's changing, thanks to the recent release of a Netflix limited series starring Octavia Spencer.``Self Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam C.J. Walker,'' which also stars Blair Underwood, Tiffany Haddish, Bill Bellamy and Carmen Ejogo, tells the story of America's first female millionaire, who was also black, at the turn of the 20th century. Her path to riches would be noteworthy in any era, but it's particularly impressive given the discrimination and roadblocks women and blacks had to endure at the time.``I knew about her since I was a little girl because my mother taught us about her. We were from humble beginnings and Madam was from humble beginnings,'' said Spencer. ``She dictated her path in life, and what an inspirational and aspirational story to use as an example for young people who were fMar 24, 2020
Coronavirus pandemic: Song Joong-ki stops filming in Colombia Actor Song Joong-ki returned to Korea from Colombia on Tuesday. Korea Times fileBy Dong Sun-hwaActor Song Joong-ki has stopped filming his crime thriller “Bogota” in the capital city of Colombia due to the coronavirus pandemic. Song and some crew members returned to Korea on Tuesday morning. Other actors including Lee Hee-joon and staff came back on Sunday. The South American country closed its land and sea borders on March 16 to stem the virus and has only allowed restricted air travel. As of Monday, it had 210 confirmed cases of virus and one death.All cast and crew are reportedly showing no signs of illness. But they are still expected to put themselves into self-quarantine, as the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) recommends overseas travelers isolate themselves for two weeks after returning to Korea. It is unknown when the filming will resume in Bogota. Since the movie is the story of Korean men who immigrate to Colombia, it practically has no scenes to film in Korea. Song debuted in the movie “A Frozen Flower” (2008) and has appeareMar 24, 2020By Dong Sun-hwa
'Time to Hunt' to premiere through Netflix A poster for “Time to Hunt” which will be released on Netflix on April 10. Courtesy of Little Big PicturesBy Lee Gyu-lee“Time to Hunt,” a crime drama, will be released through Netflix on April 10 instead of in movie theaters due to concerns over the coronavirus. Announcing the Netflix release, Little Big Pictures said it had made the decision so people could watch in a safe environment. “As threats of the coronavirus are continually pervading throughout the world, we sought a most effective and safe means for the film to reach a larger audience,” it said. The thriller will be released exclusively on the streaming site and will be available in 190 countries.The movie was supposed to be released in Korean theaters on Feb. 26. But the release was postponed indefinitely due to the virus. Directed by Yoon Sung-hyun, the movie follows a group of unfortunate youngsters who fall into poverty in a dystopian world. An ex-con Jun-seok(Lee Je-hoon) teams with his best friends ― Jang-ho (Ahn Jae-hong), and Ki-hoon (Choi Woo-shik) ― for a heist. The film was invMar 23, 2020By Lee Gyu-lee
'Time to Hunt' skips theaters and goes straight to Netflix From left, actors Park Jeong-min, Lee Je-hoon, Ahn Jae-hong and Choi Woo-shik pose for a photo in the film “Time to Hunt.” / Courtesy of Little Big PicturesBy Kwak Yeon-sooThe theatrical release of crime thriller “Time to Hunt” has been canceled and it will head straight to streaming on Netflix in the midst of COVID-19 outbreak. This marks the first time a Korean film has gone to a third-party streaming service after skipping theaters and video-on-demand services. Conventionally Netflix releases Korean films after a holdback period where they hit VOD platforms for purchase, or after the amount of time it takes for a film to be transferred to other forms of distribution. Traditionally, films usually have a two-to-three week holdback period, in which multiplex chains hold the exclusive distribution rights before the films are circulated on other distribution services.Distributor Little Big Pictures confirmed that the film will be available exclusively on Netflix starting April 10. “After a long wait, we are delighted to announce that Time to Hunt will be aMar 23, 2020By Kwak Yeon-soo
Drive-in cinemas enjoy sales boom over virus fears People watch a movie at a drive-in cinema in Seoul. YonhapA long queue of cars forms in front of a drive-in cinema in Seoul, as South Koreans look for safer spaces to enjoy a movie without the risk of contracting the coronavirus raging across the world.Box office numbers in South Korea ― which has 8,897 confirmed virus cases ― have plummeted in recent weeks due to the epidemic, with authorities urging the public to avoid large crowds.But at Park Dong-ju's drive-in cinema, moviegoers can enjoy a film from the comfort of their cars, parked in front of a large outdoor screen. "We've had a 10-20 percent increase in sales for weekdays, and sell out on weekends," Park said, adding: "We're definitely getting many more calls and internet inquiries after the coronavirus outbreak."A website for his drive-in cinema shows a large banner that reads, "Open throughout the year", a stark contrast to some theatres worldwide forced to suspend business over virus fears.Choi Jin-young, a 22-year-old hospital worker, said she had to wait two hours for tickets and was worried that it might sell out for thMar 22, 2020
