Actor Ma Dong-seok in talks to appear in Marvel's 'The Eternals' A-list actor Ma Dong-seok is in talks to join Marvel Comics' new movie “The Eternals.” Courtesy of Lotte EntertainmentBy Dong Sun-hwaHeavyweight actor Ma Dong-seok has been in talks to join Marvel Comics' new film “The Eternals,” his agency BIG PUNCH ent said Thursday. “Ma recently had a meeting with the movie crew but his appearance has not been confirmed yet,” the spokesperson said. “We are waiting for Marvel's response.”His role is being kept under wraps. “The Eternals” is based on the American comic book created by Jack Kirby in 1976. “The Eternals” refers to super-powered ancient human beings made by cosmic entities dubbed “the Celestials.” The film revolves around a female Eternal, “Sersi.” Hollywood actress Angelina Jolie has been in negotiations for the role, according to reports.Chloe Zhao, who helmed the award-winning film “The Rider,” will direct the film. Ma, whose real name is Lee Dong-seok, shot to global stardom after starring in the movie “Train to Busan&rApr 18, 2019By Dong Sun-hwa
Marvel ends Avengers saga with Endgame “Avengers: Endgame” directors Joe Russo (left), and Anthony Russo, and stars Brie Larson, Robert Downey Jr. and Jeremy Renner, hold jogakbo, traditional Korean patchwork featuring the Avengers' symbol during the press conference in Seoul, Monday. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-sukBy Park Jin-hai“Avengers: Endgame” cast and the head of Marvel Studios visited Seoul to promote the final installment in the “Avengers” series, which will hit local theaters next Wednesday.With the film's world premiere a little over a week away, actors Robert Downey Jr., Jeremy Renner and Brie Larson, directors Anthony and Joe Russo and producer Trinh Tran visited Korea to promote the final Avengers movie and the 22nd film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.Kevin Feige, Marvel Studios president since 2007, also accompanied the visiting actors. Feige, who came here in 2013 for the “Thor: The Dark World” junket, stressed the significance of the upcoming film. “This film is the culmination of 22 films that we've made up to this point, so the Infinity War was rApr 15, 2019By Park Jin-hai
PHOTOS 'Avengers' in Seoul Robert Downey Jr. poses during a promotional event for Marvel's "Avengers: Endgame” at Four Seasons Hotel in Seoul, Monday. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-sukBrie Larson was also at a promotional event for Marvel's "Avengers: Endgame” in Seoul, Monday. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-sukJeremy Renner speaks to reporters at the promotional event for Marvel's "Avengers: Endgame” in Seoul, Monday. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-sukBy Park Si-soo Three main cast members from Marvel's "Avengers: Endgame" attended the film's promotional event in Seoul, Monday. Robert Downey Jr., Jeremy Renner and Brie Larson and directors Anthony and Joe Russo attended the event at Four Seasons Hotel. Journalists from 11 Asian countries were invited to the event. This was Downey Jr.'s fourth visit to South Korea in four years since his first one for "Avengers: Age of Ultron" in 2015, and the first for Larson and Renner."Endgame" is set to be released here on April 24. It depicts the battle between the Avengers' surviving superheros, who became Earth's last hope after the incident in "AvengersApr 15, 2019
Film about Sewol ferry disaster wins box office ahead of major anniv. A Korean film about the tragic Sewol ferry sinking rose to the top spot of the weekend box office with the approach of the disaster's fifth anniversary, data showed Monday."Birthday" sold 231,089 tickets from Friday to Sunday for a cumulative total of 761,807, according to the data from the Korean Film Council (KOFIC).Directed by Lee Jong-eon, the film starring Seol Kyung-gu and Jeon Do-yeon climbed a spot to top the chart in its second weekend, while the previous No. 1, "Shazam!" was pushed down to fifth.The drama revolves around a family coping with the loss of their son in the ferry accident.The Sewol ferry sank in waters off the southern coast on April 16 in 2014, killing 304 of the 476 passengers, most of whom were high school students on a school trip. It was one of South Korea's worst maritime disasters.Superhero film of "Hellboy" finished second with an additional 155,584 tickets sold during the three-day period, with a total of 220,245 moviegoers on its first week at the box office.South Korean movies "Another Child" and "Money" came in third and fourth, garnering a fresh 11Apr 15, 2019
Shin Seong-il retrospective: forever young By Park Jin-hai The last actor Shin Seong-il / YonhapThe late actor Shin Seong-il is an integral part of Korean cinema history. Recalling Shin, director Park Chan-wook said, “Without understanding Shin, people cannot talk about the history of Korean cinema or modern Korean culture.”The Korea Film Archive is holding a retrospective for the great actor, titled “The Legend of Korean Cinema, Shin Seong-il,” which started last Thursday and will continue through June 30, to shine a light on his life. Shin died of lung cancer in November last year. He was 81. Since his debut in 1960 with “Romance Papa,” directed by prominent director Shin Sang-ok, he instantly emerged as the icon of young people in the 1960s. Throughout his life, he starred in 514 films.Although his roles changed from the young rebellious adult of the 1960s to a helpless middle-aged man in the 1970s and an aging man afterwards, for many movie fans Shin is remembered as a “young icon.” The exhibition focuses on his “new generation image” and why he became the icon oApr 8, 2019By Park Jin-hai
US anti-abortion film a surprise box office success A movie produced by a Christian studio about a former employee of an organization that provides abortions who became a “pro-life” activist is proving to be a surprising box office hit.“Unplanned,” which was released in theaters March 29, has pulled in more than $8.6 million in North America, according to Box Office Mojo.That put the film in an unexpected fourth place for the week behind the much bigger budget pictures “Dumbo,” “Us” and “Captain Marvel.”“Unplanned” comes amid a resurgent campaign in the United States by opponents of abortion, which was legalized in the United States in a landmark 1973 Supreme Court decision.Among those promoting the movie has been the deeply religious Vice President, Mike Pence.“So good to see movie theaters across the country showing @UnplannedMovie,” Pence tweeted. “More & more Americans are embracing the sanctity of life because of powerful stories like this one.”Building on its early buzz, “Unplanned” is to be shown in more than 1,500 thApr 6, 2019
Two 'Girl Cops' team up to fight sex crimes advance-noticed online Ra Mi-ran, left, and Lee Sung-kyung, team up in the new buddy movie “Girl Cops”By Oh Young-jinTwo actresses, known for overcoming their supposed weaknesses, are joining forces in the new movie "Girl Cops," to be released in May.In a CGV movie house in Gangnam Friday, Ra Mi-ran and Lee Sung-kyung talked to the media about their movie that is about two women out to solve sexual crimes which are noticed 48 hours online before they are committed.Lee, a former award-winning model, has proved she is more than a pretty face with a good physique by playing the title role of "Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-joo," a 2016 MBC drama inspired by the true story of the Olympic gold medalist Jang Mi-ran. Ra Mi-ran is a late bloomer whose acting skills alone helped propel her to stardom."I don't give an extra meaning to the fact that it is a girl buddy movie," Ra said. "But I feel uneasy about taking on the title role." Ra plays a down-on-her-luck former cop who still is talked about as a legend, while Lee is a rookie with passion ― a wrong combination.Lee complimented her veteran counterpartApr 5, 2019By Oh Young-jin
Food in movies conveys more than taste Kim Ku-chul, the deputy head editor of Munhwa Ilbo, gives a lecture on the “Present and future of K-movies and the story of food scenes in movies,” Tuesday, at the residence of the Moroccan Ambassador to Korea, Dr. Chafik Rachadi. Courtesy of CICIBy Dong Sun-hwaFood is often used as an important tool in a movie to convey a particular message or create a certain atmosphere. While most viewers have a vague grasp of the purpose of this important prop, they can't put their finger on the exact mechanism of effect as the director intends.This situation has prompted a new genre ― checking out the foods appearing in movies and explaining them. Kim Ku-chul, one of the first experts in this field, said, “The power of 'movie food' is mighty,” during a lecture at the residence of the Moroccan Ambassador to Korea, Tuesday. “It can facilitate people's understanding of the characters and the storyline.”Kim, also deputy editor of vernacular paper Munhwa Ilbo, talked about how he got involved in the field after being dissatisfied with just watching a movie to gain Apr 4, 2019By Dong Sun-hwa
Romance films to charm moviegoers in April Taiwanese heartthrob Darren Wang, right, is seen in the film “Fall in Love at First Kiss.” /Courtesy of AUDBy Park Jin-haiA flurry of romantic films will be released this spring to charm local audiences. With “Fall in Love at First Kiss,” starring Taiwanese heartthrob Darren Wang, currently faring well in the local box office, two more romances “Perfect World” and “Five Feet Apart” will give local audiences sentimental memories of puppy love this month.Although romance has not been a favored film genre for years, “Fall in Love at First Kiss,” telling of the romance between two teenagers at high school, is currently in third place at the box office. The adaptation of the Japanese manga series “Itazura na Kiss,” directed by Chen Yu-Shan, has attracted an accumulated 210,000 viewers since its March 27 release.The girl falls in love with an older boy on the first day of high school but keeps it to herself. When an earthquake hits her house, she and her father move into the house of her father's college friend, who haApr 3, 2019By Park Jin-hai
Hit millennium rom-com back to steal hearts again Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant in scenes from "Notting Hill."By Ko Dong-hwanIf you live in Korea and missed 1999's highest-grossing British romantic-comedy hit “Notting Hill” or want to re-experience the movie, then here is your second chance.The film is slated to open on Apr. 17 exclusively at Lotte Cinema theaters, marking the 20th anniversary of the original Korean screening.Written by Richard Curtis and directed by Roger Michell, “Notting Hill” ― starring Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant ― won plenty of fans in Korea. Reviewers described the film as “a lifetime rom-com you must watch before you die” and a “paragon of romantic comedy.”In the movie, London bookstore owner William Thacker (Grant) coincidentally meets acclaimed Hollywood actress Anna Scott (Roberts) in his shop and, they embark on a topsy-turvy course of loving, parting and reconnecting.In 2000, the film won the “audience award for most popular film” category at the British Academy of Film and Television Arts awards and the “best comedy film” award at Mar 29, 2019By Ko Dong-hwan
