Disney's 'Frozen 2' sets pre-release sales record A scene from Walt Disney's film “Frozen 2.” Korea Times fileBy Cho Hae-minHighly anticipated Walt Disney animation sequel “Frozen 2” opens in Korean theaters on Thursday and record advance sales indicate the film will dominate the box office. According to data collected by the Korean Film Council (KOFIC), the film accounted for 92.6 percent of the nation's movie seat reservations, with more than 1.1 million booked as of 6 a.m. Thursday.This makes “Frozen 2” the first animated film to sell over 1.1 million seats pre-release in Korea.“Frozen 2,” which comes six years after the original film, is about the adventures of Elsa the snow queen and her sister Anna to reveal the mysteries surrounding Elsa's magical powers.Nov 21, 2019
Crime drama 'Black Money' hits local box office and storms to top The white-collar crime movie “Black Money,” left, has topped the local box office for seven consecutive days since its premiere on Nov. 13. Action film “The Divine Move 2: The Wrathful” took the second spot for this week's chart. Courtesy of Acemaker Movie Works and CJ Entertainment By Lee Gyu-leeWhite-collar crime film “Black Money” conquered the local box office on the day it premiered on Nov. 13 and has since been going strong for a week. The film saw about 1.28 million ticket sales in a week with 10.9 billion won ($9 million) grossing, as of Tuesday.Directed by Chung Ji-young, who is known for films based on true stories, this film revolves around Prosecutor Yang Min-hyeok (Cho Jin-woong) who gets falsely accused of sexually harassing a key witness in a financial case. As he works to clear his name, he discovers the truth behind the case and the involvement of prominent political figures. The film is based on the financial scandal that occurred back in the earlyNov 20, 2019By Lee Gyu-lee
'Frozen 2' explores world of unknown A scene from Frozen 2 / Courtesy of Walt Disney KoreaBy Jung Hae-myoung Sequels that come after hugely successful first movies can easily fall victim to high expectations. Fans' anticipation of the follow-up film serve as pressure, rather than encouragement, for the filmmaker as well as the cast. It is no wonder pressure runs high for those who are involved in Walt Disney's “Frozen” sequel. Frozen's immense popularity could not be ignored, with “Let It Go” sung by Elsa (Idina Menzel) becoming a hit that was played endlessly in public spaces in Korea.Anderson Lopez and Robert Lopez, the two composers of “Let It Go,” came up with “Into the Unknown” for the second movie but the song doesn't seem appealing enough to match the popularity of the original mega hit. Although some songs were hummable with catchy tunes, it is doubtful that the success of the second film will be as sensational as the first one. “Frozen 2” delves deeper into Elsa's identity with the help of her sister, Anna (Kristen Bell). Elsa, now the queen, starts toNov 19, 2019
Comedy drama film 'A Little Princess' explores true meaning of family Actresses Kim Soo-ahn, left, and Na Moon-hee pose for picture during a press conference for new comedy drama film “A Little Princess," Tuesday, held in Jongno-gu, northern Seoul. YonhapBy Lee Gyu-leeThe new “comedy drama” film "A Little Princess" explores the true meaning of family through the story of a grandmother-granddaughter duo.“As I was filming, I came to think about what it really means to be a family. And I hope many people will think about it too after watching this film,” said veteran actress Na Moon-hee during a press conference at Megabox Dongdaemun in Jongno-gu, northern Seoul, Tuesday. Known for playing various roles as a mother-figure, Na plays 72-year-old Byeon Mal-soon who has been enjoying living alone in the coastal area of Busan. But one day, 12-year-old Na Gong-joo (Kim Soo-ahn) shows up at her door with her infant sister, introducing herself as her granddaughter. Ending her single life, Byeon tries to cope with living under the same roof as the two granddaughters she has just met. Debuting at the age of five, 14-year-old actress KiNov 17, 2019By Lee Gyu-lee
CJ ENM, Walt Disney neck-and-neck at S. Korean box office Two film distributing powerhouses, CJ ENM and Walt Disney Company Korea, were neck-and-neck at the South Korean box office in the first 10 months of this year, data showed Friday.In January to October, CJ ENM, an entertainment unit of CJ Group, distributed 13 films, garnering 45.4 million admissions and taking up 24.5 percent of the total tickets sold.Walt Disney Company Korea, the local unit of the U.S.-based media titan, also managed 13 movies, which attracted 45.2 million moviegoers with a market share of 24.4 percent.On the list of the top 10 hit movies in 2019, three blockbusters -- "Extreme Job," "Parasite" and "Exit" -- were distributed by CJ ENM, while Walt Disney had four -- "Avengers: Endgame," "Aladdin," "Captain Marvel" and "The Lion King."For the remaining two months of the year, the two giants are expected to continue their fierce competition for the top spot at the end of 2019.Walt Disney will deliver the highly anticipated "Frozen 2," set to hit South Korean screens on Thursday next week. "Frozen" was the first animated film seen by more than 10 million cinemagoers inNov 15, 2019
'The Divine Move 2' rocks box office The poster for the movie “The Divine Move 2: The Wrathful.” Courtesy of CJ EntertainmentBy Dong Sun-hwa“The Divine Move 2: The Wrathful” took first place at the local box office, accumulating more than a million ticket sales as of Monday. The movie, a thriller over the subject of “baduk,” or a Chinese board game, has sold more than 1.07 million tickets since its premiere on Nov 7, according to the Korean Film Council. It drew around 680,000 moviegoers during the weekend (Nov. 9-10). The flick outperformed the blockbuster “Terminator: Dark Fate,” starring Hollywood heavyweight Arnold Schwarzenegger. Some 300,000 people watched the movie on Saturday and Sunday. “The Divine Move 2: The Wrathful” is a spinoff of the 2014 film “The Divine Move.” For the 2019 version, actor Kwon Sang-woo assumes the role of desolate baduk player “Gwi-soo,” who plays “live or die” games with his competitors. Actors Kim Hee-won and Woo Do-hwan also appear. “I stayed alone at the shooting site to be immersed Nov 11, 2019By Dong Sun-hwa
Woody Allen settles lawsuit against Amazon over film deal Woody Allen. Capture from Instagram (@woody_allen_instagram)Filmmaker Woody Allen has settled his breach of contract lawsuit against Amazon after the company canceled a deal for four films.Terms were not announced by attorneys for Allen and Amazon on Friday night. In a suit filed in federal court in New York in February, Allen claimed he was owed between $68 million and $73 million in minimum guarantee payments.Allen said Amazon had canceled the deal because of a "25-year-old baseless allegation." Allen has long denied allegations by his adopted daughter, Dylan Farrow, that he raped her when she was 7 years old.In 2018, Amazon halted the release of A Rainy Day in New York and then canceled a deal for three more films. Amazon cited Allen's "controversial comments" about the scandal involving Harvey Weinstein and the #metoo movement.Allen expressed sympathy for Weinstein as well as his victims, saying it was "very sad for everybody involved."He said: "You don't want it to lead to a witch-hunt atmosphere, a Salem atmosphere, where every guy in an office who winks at a woman is suddenly Nov 10, 2019
Film probes history of Native Americans in the US military ``The Warrior Tradition,'' a new film set to air on PBS, examines the complex history of Native Americans in the U.S. military since World War I and how their service transformed the lives for Native Americans from various tribes. Capture from YouTube account of “D.J. Vanas”Before Chuck Boers joined the U.S. Army, the Lipan Apache member was given his family's eagle feathers. The feathers had been carried by his great-great-great-grandfather on his rifle when he was an Apache scout. They also were carried by relatives who fought in World War I, World War II, Korea and Vietnam. In 2004, Boers had the feathers with him during the Battle of Fallujah in Iraq. ``I felt like I had my family with me to protect me,'' he said.``The Warrior Tradition,'' a new film set to air on PBS, examines the complex history of Native Americans in the U.S. military since World War I and how their service transformed the lives for Native Americans from various tribes. Through interviews with veterans and using archival footage, the documentary probes the complicated relationship Native Americans Nov 10, 2019
Iconic actress of '60s suffering from Alzheimer's Yoon Jeong-hee.By Park Si-sooActress Yoon Jeong-hee, 75, who led the renaissance of Korean cinema in the 1960s, is suffering from severe Alzheimer's disease, Yonhap reported on Sunday, citing unidentified aides.She has lost memory to the level of “not discerning her children and siblings” and “asking for a meal right after having one,” according to Yonhap. She reportedly spends most of her time at her home in Seoul, attended by one of her two daughters and an unidentified sibling. Yoon's husband Paik Kun-woo, a renowned pianist, is staying in France with the couple's other daughter. Yoon started showing signs of the disease about 10 years ago, according to Yonhap. Her last movie was “Poetry” in 2010, directed by Lee Chang-dong. Yoon played an Alzheimer's disease patient who brings up her grandson on behalf of her penny-pinching daughter. It was her comeback movie after a 15-year hiatus. The movie earned her the Best Actress award at the Cannes Film Festival that year. Exuding graceful glamour, she rose to stardom in the late 1960s, shortly after heNov 10, 2019
'The Lion King,' 'Toy Story 4' help boost Disney's profit A scene from "The Lion King"Walt Disney Co. on Thursday reported fiscal fourth-quarter net income that beat Wall Street's expectations thanks to strong theater revenue from films like ``The Lion King'' and ``Toy Story 4,'' along with higher parks revenue. The results came as Disney readies for the debut Tuesday of its Disney Plus streaming service. Disney's net income for the three months ended Sept. 28 fell to $1.05 billion, or 58 cents per share, from $2.32 billion, or $1.55 per share last year. Adjusted for one-time items, its net income totaled $1.07 per share. Analysts had expected net income of 94 cents per share, according to FactSet. Disney faced costs related to its $71 billion purchase of Fox's entertainment assets during the quarter. Revenue rose 34% to $19.1 billion, nearly matching analyst expectations of $19.18 billion.A scene from "Toy Story 4" Disney Plus is launching for $7 a month with five content categories: Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars and National Geographic. It will also house 30 seasons of ``The Simpsons,'' a new Star Wars original show ``The Mandalorian,Nov 8, 2019
