Cannes-winning 'Parasite' tops 9 mln admissions in S. Korea "Parasite," the winner of the Palme d'Or at this year's Cannes Film Festival, has surpassed 9 million in ticket sales and is running toward the 10 million milestone. Courtesy of CJ Entertainment"Parasite," the winner of the Palme d'Or at this year's Cannes Film Festival, has surpassed 9 million in ticket sales and is running toward the 10 million milestone, data showed Sunday.The comedy-thriller film by Bong Joon-ho drew 9,000,284 moviegoers as of Sunday morning, 25 days after its official release on local screens, according to the data from the Korean Film Council (KOFIC).The film surpassed the 5 million threshold on its eighth day on the screen before hitting the 8 million mark on the 17th day.Currently, "Parasite" is ranked fourth at the box office and is running toward the milestone of 10 million admissions, a rare commercial hit for Korean films recognized at prominent international film festivals.The film has also set a new Korean cinematic record, having been sold to a record high number of 202 foreign countries.Having won the top prize at the 2019 Sydney Film Festival a week Jun 23, 2019
Actress Kim Hye-soo returns to big screen as policewoman Actress Kim Hye-soo poses for an Elle Magazine photoshoot. Facebook of HODU&U EntertainmentBy Lee Han-naActress Kim Hye-soo, well-known from her movies “Tazza: The High Rollers” and “The Thieves” is returning to the big screen after a year with the movie “The Day I Died.”Her agency, HODU&U Entertainment, confirmed it through a phone call with a local media outlet Tuesday.Directed by Park Ji-wan of the Korean Academy of Film Arts, the movie is about how the characters try to get their lives back on track after an event totally changes their plans and hopes. Kim will play the role of a police officer whose life turns a new chapter after the case of a girl who committed a suicide. Kim, who debuted in 1986 in the movie “Ggambo,” is a popular and highly respected actress with several hit movies. The veteran has played leading roles in about 33 movies and has shot more than 80 commercials since 1985. Lee Han-na is a Korea Times intern. Jun 18, 2019
'Parasite' features in North Korea's propaganda against South By Park Si-soo Cannes-winning South Korean movie “Parasite” has found itself loaded into North Korea's propaganda campaign. DPRK Today reported Tuesday the ongoing craze for the award-winning dark comedy at South Korea's box office, saying the film has reminded South Koreans of “the dark side of capitalism,” in which “people live without hope amid the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer.” “Parasite” depicts the inevitable cracks that appear when two widely different classes brush up against each other in today's economically polarized society. The movie, released on May 30, has attracted over 8 million moviegoers here. Along with the movie's plot, the outlet reported statistics representing the South's economic polarization. Jun 18, 2019
'Welcome to Korea, Spiderman' tickets snapped up in seconds Director Jon Watts, left, with actors Tom Holland, center, and Jake Gyllenhaal during a promotion for the latest Spider-Man movie sequel, in Beijing on June 11. AP-YonhapBy Ko Dong-hwanHundreds of free tickets for a Seoul fan meeting for Tom Holland, the male lead in “Spider-Man: Far From Home,” were snapped up in less than a minute.The 650 seats for the fan fest “Welcome to Korea, Spiderman” at Dongdaemun Design Plaza on June 30 were released through online ticketing platform YES24 on Monday. The tickets were for two of four zones in the event hall in the Dongdaemun entertainment area in Seoul's central Jongno District. The other two zones were for winners of a social network raffle. As of Tuesday, the British actor is the only star from the movie confirmed to attend the event. It is unknown whether other stars ― including Jake Gyllenhaal, Samuel L. Jackson, and Zendaya Coleman ― will appear. Actors Tom Holland, Jacob Batalon, Zendaya Coleman, Jake Gyllenhaal and director Jon Watts during a photo call for their latest film "Spider-Man: Far From Home," at the Jun 18, 2019By Ko Dong-hwan
'Parasite' wins top film prize in Sydney A scene from Bong Joon-ho's latest film “Parasite” / Courtesy of CJ EntertainmentBy Park Jin-haiCannes-winning Korean auteur Bong Joon-ho's “Parasite” won the Sydney Film Prize, the top prize at this year's Sydney Film Festival. According to the film festival, the director received the trophy and prize money during the closing ceremony at the State Theatre in Sydney, Sunday. Earlier in late May, Bong's tragicomedy won Cannes Film Festival's most coveted Palme D'Or, making Korean film history. The Sydney Film Prize is awarded to the most “audacious, cutting-edge and courageous” film in the festival's official competition. John Maynard, jury president of the festival, was quoted as saying, “Parasite has an outrageous disregard for genre conventions ― it is tender and brutal; beautiful and harsh; funny and tragic and a masterwork in its exploration of class.”The director's 2017 film “Okja” was selected as the closing film at the same film festival in the past. Australian movie fans can Bong's latest film when it is released in Jun 17, 2019By Park Jin-hai
'Parasite' wins Sydney Film Festival top prize South Korean director Bong Joon-ho's "Parasite" has grabbed the Sydney Film Prize, the main award of the 2019 Sydney Film Festival (SFF), according to the festival's homepage Monday.The awarding of the AUD60,000 ($41,288) cash prize, which took place during the festival's closing ceremony at the State Theatre in Sydney on Sunday (local time), follows the tragicomedy's winning of the prestigious Palme D'Or at Cannes in late May."'Parasite' has an outrageous disregard for genre conventions. ... It is tender and brutal, beautiful and harsh, funny and tragic, and a masterwork in its exploration of class," Jury president John Maynard said.The family satire will be released in Australia on June 27.Bong's action-adventure film "Okja" was screened as the closing film at the 2017 SFF. (Yonhap)Jun 17, 2019
'Aladdin' outperforms 'Parasite' to top 5 million admissions Actor Will Smith arrives for the premiere of “Aladdin” at the El Capitan Theatre in Los Angeles on May 21. APBy Jung Min-hoDisney's live-action remake of “Aladdin” outperformed the Cannes-winning “Parasite” at the Korean box office over the weekend to reach an accumulated 5 million admissions.Walt Disney Company Korea said Sunday the musical fantasy film added 427,984 admissions on Saturday alone to surpass the 5-million mark the next day ― 25 days after its release.Meanwhile, Parasite reached the 8-million mark after adding 278,974 admissions Saturday.Aladdin's pace is faster than “Bohemian Rhapsody” (2018) and “Les Miserables” (2012), which reached that mark in 29 and 30 days, respectively.Aladdin, a live-action version of Disney's 1992 animated movie of the same name, is about a thief who encounters a wish-granting genie and falls in love with Princess Jasmine.Jun 16, 2019By Jung Min-ho
'Parasite' surpasses 8 million in admissions The Cannes-winning "Parasite" surpassed 8 million in total admissions on Saturday, looking poised to join other films in the 10 million club.According to data from the Korean Film Council (KOFIC), "Parasite" reached over 8 million in admissions just past 3 p.m. Saturday, the 17th day since its much anticipated release. The family satire directed by Bong Joon-ho earned the Palme d'Or at this year's Cannes Film Festival and has stayed at the top of the local box office since its premiere on May 30."Parasite" is ahead of the pace set by a handful of earlier films that sold more than 10 million tickets, including Bong's own 2006 film "The Host.""Roaring Currents," a 2014 film about Admiral Yu Sun-shin's heroics in the 16th century, remains the most-viewed film ever in South Korea with 17.6 million admissions. (Yonhap)Jun 16, 2019
Song Joong-ki cast for blockbuster space movie Actor Song Joong-ki returns to big screen with movie, tentatively titled, "Space Shuttle Victory," which also stars actress Kim Tae-ri. Korea Times fileBy Lee Han-naActor Song Joong-ki returns to the big screen after a two-year hiatus since the 2017 film “Battleship Island.” Song and actress Kim Tae-ri will appear in a sci-fi blockbuster movie, tentatively titled “Space Shuttle Victory,” the nation's first space movie directed by Jo Sung-hee. The director is well-known for his creative and unique storylines. It took him 10 years to come up with the idea for the film. After the box office hit movie, “A Werewolf Boy,” it will be the second collaboration between Song and director Jo. Song will play the role of “Taeho,” a pilot of the space shuttle. His character is a sly man who does anything to make money. Actress Kim Tae-ri, who rose to stardom through TV series “Mr. Sunshine” and film “Little Forest,” will play the captain. In the blockbuster film, robot motion capture will be used for the first time in Korean moJun 10, 2019
'Parasite' likely to be remade into US drama series Following the previous globally acclaimed film "Snowpiercer," director Bong Joon-ho's latest, Cannes-winning "Parasite" is presumed to become his second flick to be dramatized in the United States.Winning the top Palme d'Or prize at this year's Cannes Film Festival, the film was sold to film distributors in 192 foreign countries, becoming the most exported South Korean film title ever.With its piercing depiction of economic class division universally appealing to international cinephiles, "Parasite" has reportedly drawn proposals for being remade outside of Korea.The director Bong has hinted at the possibility himself, saying during a recent media interview, "I am getting questions from the U.S. for the dramatization of 'Parasite.'"It will be very interesting to turn it into a drama series where untold stories of each character can be further explored," Bong said. If made into a TV series, "Parasite" will become his second flick to be dramatized in the U.S. His previous film, "Snowpiercer," based on a French graphic novel, is being dramatized in the U.S. and will hit the small screenJun 9, 2019
