Why Han So-hee embraces pressure of remaking Hollywood hit 'The Intern'"The Intern" hit theaters on Wednesday, reimagining the Hollywood hit that grossed roughly five times its production budget worldwide through a local lens. High-profile remakes inevitably invite comparisons and pressure, but actress Han So-hee embraced the challenge and trusted her instinctive connection to the project. The film explores an intergenerational workplace dynamic, unfolding as Gi-ho (Choi Min-sik), an industry veteran of 37 years, joins the fashion startup led by Sun-woo, played by Han. Directed by Kim Do-young, acclaimed for "Kim Ji-young, Born 1982" and "Once We Were Us," the remake drew Han's immediate interest. "Regardless of the original film, I found Sun-woo compelling in the script," Han said. "She felt grounded, like someone who actually exists out there in the world, and I hoped my interpretation might bring something slightly different." In the film, Sun-woo propels her fashion company, Woo22, to post 10 billion won ($6.78 million) in sales within three years. While the workaholic founder draws industry attention, she secretly struggles with burnout away from theSep 16, 2026By Hankookilbo
Korean auteur Lee Chang-dong calls 'Possible Love' attempt to understand humansKorean maestro Lee Chang-dong has said his award-winning film "Possible Love" came as part of efforts to understand and speak about humans in an age where the influence of artificial intelligence (AI) is growing, Netflix said Wednesday. Lee made the remarks as he received the TIFF Ebert Director Award, a lifetime achievement honor presented at the Toronto International Film Festival, in a ceremony held in the Canadian city on Sunday (Canadian time), according to the streaming platform, the distributor of the film. Lee is the first Korean filmmaker to win the award. Korean actor Sul Kyung-gu, who appeared in three of Lee's films — "Peppermint Candy" (2000), "Oasis" (2002) and "Possible Love" — presented the award to the director. "I thought film was a medium which is most helpful in understanding humans and have made films because of this reason," he was quoted as saying. "But as I continued to make films, I also came to realize how difficult it is to understand humans." "In an era where AI, which does not have an ego, gradually replaces humans and where humans appear to be losing theSep 16, 2026By Yonhap
Busan film fest, Netflix expand Creative Asia workshop to record scaleThe Busan International Film Festival and Netflix are set to host the third consecutive edition of Creative Asia, a workshop program for Asia's next-generation filmmakers, in Busan this year. The event is expanding to its largest scale to date through a new collaboration with the Asian Film Commissions Network and the Motion Picture Association, an organization representing major U.S. studios. Creative Asia, now an official program of the festival, is an industry-support initiative through which Netflix helps emerging Asian creators develop their ideas into finished screen projects. This year's edition will take place Oct. 10 at Dongseo University's Centum Campus in Busan, with an expanded lineup designed to address the varied needs of newer filmmakers. The program will feature masterclasses on cinematography, storytelling and location scouting, along with industry conversations on filmmaking across different budget levels and the growing role of artificial intelligence in the creative process. For the first time, Creative Asia will also include workshop sessions, giving aspiring filmmaSep 16, 2026By Jhoo Dong-chan
Korean film 'Hope' reaps $5 mil. in 1st week of N. America releaseThe Korean sci-fi thriller "Hope" logged nearly $5 million in its first week of release in North America, the film's distributor said Tuesday. The figure came after the alien blockbuster reaped $1.1 million on its opening day on Wednesday, according to Plus M Entertainment. As of Sunday, the film had grossed $4.92 million since its release, according to box-office data tracker Box Office Mojo. The movie, directed by Na Hong-jin, opened across some 1,560 theaters in the United States and Canada, which marked the biggest theatrical release of a Korean film in the region since the Oscar-winning "Parasite" (2019). Starring Hwang Jung-min, Jung Ho-yeon and Zo In-sung, the film follows the chaos that unfolds as mysterious beings appear in the quiet port town of Hopo near the heavily fortified Demilitarized Zone. The film, which released in Korea in July, topped 4.57 million admissions here. It premiered at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival in May, where it competed alongside 21 other titles in the main competition section.Sep 15, 2026By Yonhap
Approaching 40, Lee Min-ho hopes to show something new, calls marriage 'a miracle'From his first reading of the script for “Assassin(s),” Lee Min-ho had a clear idea of what his character, Young-il, should bring to the film: constant movement and a burst of energy to keep a potentially heavy story from becoming too solemn. “When I read the script, I felt Young-il’s role was to breathe life into the story,” Lee said in a recent interview with the Hankook Ilbo. “The director also said he wanted him to feel like a live fish. I experimented with a lot of movement during rehearsals, and he liked it. So I planned how Young-il would move in every scene.” A line about ssanghwa tea, a traditional Korean herbal drink, was also Lee’s idea, capturing the character’s sly humor. The original script gave him a lengthy stretch of dialogue in which he tried to get information out of another character, but Lee felt the scene risked becoming predictable. The idea grew out of his understanding of Young-il’s purpose in the story and his determination to avoid familiar ways of expressing it. By varying the character’s dialogue and movements without disrupting the filSep 14, 2026By Hankookilbo
Nolan's 'Odyssey' tops Korean box office for 40th straight dayChristopher Nolan's adventure-packed epic "The Odyssey" has dominated the Korean box office for the 40th consecutive day, drawing another 449,000 viewers over the weekend after passing the 10 million audience mark, data showed Monday. The film, which opened Aug. 5, accounted for 51.5 percent of all ticket sales from Friday to Sunday, staying atop the weekend chart for the sixth straight week. It has attracted a total audience of 10.78 million, becoming the seventh most-watched foreign film in Korean history. Based on Homer's epic poem "The Odyssey," the film follows the perilous homecoming journey of Odysseus (Matt Damon), the Greek king of Ithaca, after winning the Trojan War. Its star-studded cast also includes Anne Hathaway, Tom Holland, Charlize Theron and Zendaya. The Hollywood horror film "Obsession" trailed in second place with 176,000 admissions over the three-day period, representing an 18.6 percent market share. Its running total stood at 474,000, with distributors expecting it to cross the 500,000 mark this week. "Spider-Man: Brand New Day" slipped to third with 84,000 viewersSep 14, 2026By Yonhap
Lee Chang-dong's 'Possible Love' wins Grand Jury Prize at Venice Film FestivalFilmmaker Lee Chang-dong claimed the prestigious Silver Lion Grand Jury Prize at the 83rd Venice International Film Festival on Saturday (local time) with his latest feature "Possible Love." The historic victory marks the second time a Korean movie has taken home the award at the world’s oldest film festival, following director Kim Ki-duk’s Golden Lion win for "Pieta" in 2012. It also brings closure to a long-standing Venice quest for Lee, who won the Silver Lion for Best Director 24 years ago with "Oasis" (2002). The Golden Lion award, the festival's highest honor, went to Danish-Egyptian filmmaker May el-Toukhy's "Woman Unknown," beating out other works from world-famous directors like Lee, Hirokazu Kore-eda and Martin McDonagh. Accepting the award on stage, the director expressed deep gratitude to the jury, festival organizers and his team. "I would like to thank the jury for giving me this precious award, and the festival officials for inviting me back to this beautiful festival after 24 years," Lee said. "Without the patience and long wait of so many people, this movie might nevSep 13, 2026By Baek Byung-yeul
'The Intern': Charming leads shine in feel-good Korean remake with little edgeSeniority is something that has long been embedded in Korean society, with honorific words and unspoken rules existing for dealing with people who are older than you. In fact, it was only a few years ago that companies made headlines for introducing policies on requiring employees — regardless of their ages and ranks — to address their colleagues with the universal suffix "nim." Against this backdrop, the Korean remake of the Hollywood megahit "The Intern" (2015) captures the unlikely bond between a young woman entrepreneur and an elderly intern at her company. Sun-woo (Han So-hee) is an ambitious executive who has built her fashion startup Woo22 into a major industry player from scratch but struggles to juggle her personal life with her job as the chief of a company that has grown big in a short time. Her encounter with Ki-ho (Choi Min-sik) comes unexpectedly, as the retired office worker with a 37-year career behind him, coincidentally spots an online ad looking for a three-month "silver intern" at Woo22, a move actually aimed at cutting taxes. Sun-woo politely addresses Ki-ho as "KSep 11, 2026By Yonhap
InterviewActor Park Hae-il champions free press, integrity in 'The Assassin(s)'Returning to the big screen after a four-year hiatus, veteran actor Park Hae-il delivers another quiet yet powerful performance in director Hur Jin-ho’s new historical thriller, "The Assassin(s)." The 49-year-old actor enjoyed one of the defining years of his career in 2022 with Park Chan-wook's critical and commercial hit "Decision to Leave" and the period action blockbuster "Hansan: Rising Dragon." For his return, Park joined Hur again. They previously worked together on the 2016 hit movie "The Last Princess." Set against the tumultuous backdrop of 1974, "The Assassin(s)" tackles the real-life assassination of first lady Yuk Young-soo. Instead of focusing on the political conspiracy, the movie examines the cruel atmosphere of the era through the eyes of those seeking the truth. Park plays Jae-hwan, a principled desk editor at a daily newspaper who refuses to back down when faced with state censorship and government pressure. Alongside Yoo Hae-jin, who plays detective Cheol-gu, Park leads a compelling ensemble cast, making the film a strong contender to top the local box office duringSep 10, 2026By Baek Byung-yeul
'Tazza: The Song of Beelzebub' shifts to poker for global finale"Tazza: The Song of Beelzebub" moves away from traditional Korean card games toward high-stakes poker on a global stage, marking a major evolution for the iconic franchise, according to director Choi Kook-hee, Wednesday. The director emphasized that the fourth and final installment tells an independent story focused on raw human desire. "Unlike the previous three films, this installment focuses heavily on intense human emotions like envy, jealousy and betrayal," Choi said after the premier in Seoul. "As a long-time fan of the original comic book series by Huh Young-man, it was an honor to direct the final chapter." The upcoming film follows Jang Tae-young (Byun Yo-han), who loses his online casino empire after being betrayed by his close friend Park Tae-young (Roh Jae-won). Driven by revenge, the two former friends clash in a global gambling match involving figures from Japan and Vietnam. While earlier entries often rooted their tension in Korean card games, Choi deliberately chose Texas Hold 'em poker to target international audiences. He said the popularity of poker worldwide gives theSep 10, 2026By Baek Byung-yeul
