Ma Dong-seok returns tough in new movie The poster for Actor Ma Dong-seok's new movie “The Gangster, The Cop, The Devil.” Courtesy of Ace Maker Movie WorksActor Ma Dong-seok has carved out his own presence in the South Korean movie industry, with viewers mostly knowing him for his muscular arms, rock-solid build and rugged looks. But alongside his tough exterior, he exhibits a friendly demeanor that has earned him the nickname "Mavely," a combination of his surname, "Ma," and "lovely.”In the action-adventure film "The Gangster, the Cop, the Devil," to be released next week, movie fans may find themselves in unfamiliar territory with Ma as he plays a character that largely emphasizes his masculinity."I chose this movie because of its uniqueness that stands out among crime action flicks," Ma said in a recent interview with Yonhap News Agency ahead of the film's release. "I was interested in a plot where evil people join hands to catch a criminal."The movie is about a gang boss collaborating with a police officer to catch a serial killer who is trying to kill him. Ma plays the boss, making full use of his phMay 11, 2019
Korean films ready to strike back on Avengers A scene from the film "“Inseparable Bros." Courtesy of NEWBy Park Jin-hai As the box-office smash “Avengers: Endgame” enters its third week, Korean films are set to strike back to reclaim their home turf. With the front-running comedy drama “Inseparable Bros,” premiering May 1, more Korean films, based on true stories, will be released in the coming days.“Inseparable Bros,” starring Shin Ha-kyun and Lee Kwang-soo, is a comedy telling the story of two men, one physically and the other mentally handicapped, becoming as inseparable as real brothers. Against the Hollywood blockbuster, the small-budget film ― based on a true story of two men who lived together for over a decade ― is having a meaningful box office achievement. The heartening comedy currently ranks second in the local box office, attracting 920,000 viewers as of Tuesday. On May 15, “Juror 8” and “The Gangster, The Cop, The Devil” will hit local theaters. The former film is inspired by the stories of jurors who participated in the first jury trial right after May 8, 2019By Park Jin-hai
Ma Dong-seok to make Hollywood debut as producer The poster for Actor Ma Dong-seok's new movie “The Gangster, The Cop, The Devil.” Courtesy of Ace Maker Movie WorksBy Lee Gyu-leeIn yet another pre-release achievement for a Korean movie, “The Gangster, The Cop, The Devil” starring Ma Dong-seok will be remade in the United States. Kiwi Media Group, the crime-action movie's domestic distributor, said Monday it had signed a contract with Hollywood-based Balboa Productions, founded by actor Sylvester Stallone, for the remake. “The Gangster, The Cop, The Devil” is due for domestic release on May 15.Distribution rights for the movie, directed by Lee Won-tae, have been sold to 104 countries including France, Canada, Germany and China. The movie has also been offered a screening at the upcoming Cannes Film Festival. The movie is about a gang boss collaborating with a police officer to catch a serial killer trying to kill him. Ma plays the boss. Ma will also play the leading role in the remake, according to Kiwi. He will also be co-producer of the remake with two counterparts from Balboa ― Sylvester StalloMay 6, 2019By Lee Gyu-lee
'Avengers: Endgame' becomes fastest film to top 10 mln admissions A scene from "Avengers: Endgame." Courtesy of Walt Disney Company Korea"Avengers: Endgame" surpassed 10 million in attendance Saturday, becoming the fastest film to top the mark in South Korea, its distributor said.The latest Marvel superhero flick had set the record by 7:30 p.m., Walt Disney Company Korea said based on a real-time box-office tally from the Korean Film Council.It exceeded the mark in the 11th day since it hit the silver screen, outpacing the earlier record of 12 days set by the Korean historic action film "Roaring Currents" in 2014. "Roaring Currents" is still the most-viewed film of all time in the country with 17.6 million viewers."Endgame" also became the 24th film to attract more than 10 million moviegoers and the sixth foreign-made movie following "Avatar" (2009), "Interstellar" (2014), "Frozen" (2014), "Avengers: Age of Ultron" (2015) and "Avengers: Infinity War" (2018)."Avengers: Endgame" poster for Korea. Courtesy of Walt Disney Company Korea"Endgame," the epic finale to the superhero studio's decadelong series, has been breaking South Korea's box-office recoMay 4, 2019
Bong's new movie 'Parasite' out May 30 The poster for director Bong Joon-ho's new movie “Parasite.” Courtesy of CJ EntertainmentBy Lee Gyu-leeDirector Bong Joon-ho's new movie “Parasite” will be released May 30, after premiering at the Cannes Film Festival mid-May. “Parasite” is Bong's first film in two years after the big-budget Netflix film “Okja.” This tragicomedy revolves around two families from different environments. A brief preview was revealed April 7, but the detailed plot has not been released. Song Kang-ho, Lee Sun-kyun and Cho Yeo-jeong star in the movie. Bong plans to attend the red carpet event at Cannes and will hold a news conference after the film's screening. The film is Bong's fifth to be invited to compete at this international festival. Bong debuted in 1994 with the independent film “Incoherence.” He directed several award-winning movies including “Snowpiercer” and “The Host,” both action and sci-fi films that became globally recognized.May 3, 2019By Lee Gyu-lee
Culture minister vows to find optimal measures to ban screen monopolies Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Park Yang-woo / Korea Times fileThe culture minister has vowed to come up with optimal ways to ban screen monopolies by conglomerate-financed big-budget films."Through simulations, I will come up with an optimal ceiling on cinema screens," Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Park Yang-woo told reporters Thursday in the southern heritage city of Jeonju after attending the opening ceremony of the 20th Jeonju International Film Festival. Since taking office a month earlier, the minister has pledged to introduce cinematic regulations aimed at putting a ceiling on the number of movie screens that a single film can be screened on simultaneously.Currently, nearly 80 percent of movie screens nationwide are controlled by multiplexes run by two conglomerates ― CJ and Lotte Group. The market dominance has unfairly allowed one particular movie, often a big-budget flick or a Hollywood blockbuster, to take up the majority of local cinema screens, leaving little chance for the cinematic debuts of indie films or other works by smaller production and distriMay 3, 2019
'It' cinematographer Chung shoots 'Zombieland' sequel Chung Chung-hoon / Courtesy of Dongkuk UniversityBy Park Hyong-kiChung Chung-hoon, a cinematographer best known for his work on “Oldboy,” has been hired to shoot “Zombieland: Double Tap,” according to IMDB. The movie, whose plot has not yet been revealed, is a sequel to 2009 sleeper-hit dark comedy “Zombieland,” starring Oscar winner Emma Stone and Oscar nominee Woody Harrelson. The two will be reprising their roles in “Double Tap.”Chung made his Hollywood debut with director Park Chan-wook's 2013 thriller “Stoker,” which starred Nicole Kidman and was produced by Ridley Scott and his brother Tony.The 49-year-old cinematographer has been known for his long-time collaboration with Park. Besides “Oldboy' and “Stoker,” the duo teamed up for the production of “Lady Vengeance” and “The Handmaiden.”Chung's most recent work was on the Hollywood production of Stephen King's “It,” based on the best-selling novel of the same title. The book about a vengeful monster in the shape of aMay 2, 2019
Hollywood to remake Korean box office hits By Park Jin-haiPoster for the film “Extreme Job”Korean hit films “Extreme Job” and “The Gangster, The Cop, The Devil” will be remade by Hollywood studios. The smash box office hit “Extreme Job,” a cop-comedy directed by Lee Byung-heon, has become Korea's second-most-watched film of all time, attracting more than 16 million moviegoers in local theaters, earlier this year.The film's local distributor CJ Entertainment said the company is collaborating with Universal Pictures to produce an English-language remake. Kevin Hart, American comedian, actor and producer, will star in the film's Hollywood reboot, while Tracy Oliver will write the screenplay. Hart will be also producing through his HartBeat production banner for Universal Pictures, which acquired the worldwide rights to the film. “At Hartbeat, we are always seeking fun projects that tell a story for worldwide audiences, and we could not be more excited to be a part of this one,” Hart said in a statement. Writer Oliver said, “The concept of this film is so unique.&rMay 1, 2019By Park Jin-hai
'Avengers' rekindles screen quota debate Moviegoers stand in front of a poster for the film “Avengers: Endgame” at a local theater in Seoul, Thursday. / YonhapBy Park Jin-haiThe “Avengers” have no rival. On its opening day, Wednesday, “Avengers: Endgame” attracted 1.34 million viewers at the local box office. On its fifth day, Sunday, the number is nearing 5 million. The superhero film single-handedly raked in 9.7 billion won in sales that day. Social media shows stories of movie fans who said they took a day off work to watch the Marvel film on its premiere. The film was screened 12,545 times in 2,760 local theaters on its opening day, accounting for about 85 percent of all seats at cinemas nationwide and 80.9 percent of all shows available on local screens. The record-smashing performance of the film has rekindled the decade-long dispute over “anti-monopoly” regulations in the local cinema market. The government is moving to pass legislation to prevent a market monopoly. Culture Minister Park Yang-woo, two days before the Avengers' release, said he was mulling over introduciApr 28, 2019By Park Jin-hai
Actress Kong invites 1,000 underprivileged people to Jeonju film festival Actress Kong Hyo-jin holds a sign inviting people to the 20th Jeonju International Film Festival. Captured from InstagramBy Lee Gyu-leeActress Kong Hyo-jin has made a handsome cash donation to invite 1,000 underprivileged people to the 20th Jeonju International Film Festival, set for May 2-11, the festival's organizer said on Sunday. Kong is the 2019 representative of “Cinema Angel,” a philanthropic campaign run by a group of Korean actors and actresses. The star-studded charity has given financial support to underprivileged people and independent filmmakers and festivals, including the Jeonju International Film Festival, over the past 12 years. The actress raised the cash by modeling for fashion magazine Harper's Bazaar. The donation ceremony was held on April 24. “I'm very happy to make this donation as Cinema Angel,” said Kong at the ceremony. “I hope this gives the opportunity for people to get more involved in this festival.” Kong, 39, debuted in 1999 in a supporting role in the horror movie Memento Mori. She has starred in numerous films and Apr 28, 2019By Lee Gyu-lee
