Prolific actors ready to compete at Chuseok box office

Another peak time for box office competition, besides the summer holidays and Lunar New Year is Chuseok, the Korean version of Thanksgiving. As this year’s Chuseok will be an extended holiday over the weekend from Sept. 28 to Oct. 1, even more moviegoers are expected to hit the cinema. Prolific actors like Song Kang-ho, Ha Jung-woo and Gang Dong-won will compete at the Chuseok box office with their respective much-awaited films completed before the pandemic, raising anticipations among mov

Aug. 21, 2023

[Box office] Movies in theaters this week

“Oppenheimer” (US) Opened Aug. 15 Drama/Thriller Directed by Christopher Nolan Physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer is appointed to lead the top-secret Manhattan Project. Oppenheimer and his fellow scientists are directly involved in developing the atomic bomb from scratch, without knowing their research would forever change the course of history. “Honey Sweet” (South Korea) Opened Aug. 15 Drama/Comedy Directed by Lee Han Chi-ho (Yoo Hae-jin), a nerdy, workaholic researcher

Aug. 19, 2023

[Herald Interview] Kim Nam-gil says working with director Jung Woo-sung ‘not an easy choice’

Actor Kim Nam-gil, who stars in actor Jung Woo-sung’s directorial debut film, “A Man of Reason,” said working with Jung was not “an easy choice,” despite his close friendship with one of the country’s top actors. "To be honest, I had decided to avoid doing projects with actors-turned-directors because they know acting too well and there is no way for me to escape. Jung knows about acting very well and has accumulated expertise in working with actors. That

Aug. 18, 2023

Netflix Korea to make first animation film ‘Lost in Starlight’

Kim Tae-ri and Hong Kyung have been confirmed as voice actors for Netflix’s new animation film, “Lost in Starlight.” “Lost in Starlight” will be Netflix’s first Korean animation project and will center on the unique love story of long-distance lovers -- Nan-young (Kim), an astronaut, and Jay (Hong), a musician. Nan-young's dream is to land on Mars to find traces of her mother, who failed to return to Earth after a research mission on the planet. While rep

Aug. 17, 2023

[Herald Interview] Kim Jun-han finds acting success in synergy of life and script

Kim Jun-han, who began his acting career in 2012 in indie films, really began to draw attention in “Anarchist From Colony” in 2017. Since then, he has appeared in various hit series, such as “Hospital Playlist” and “Anna,” as well films “The King’s Letters” (2019) and “Beasts Clawing at Straws” (2020). It was the 2020 film that convinced Jung Woo-sung that Kim should star in his directorial debut, “A Man of Reason.” &l

Aug. 16, 2023

Cinema operators, film distributors sent to prosecutor for allegedly inflating box office numbers

South Korean police said Wednesday that they have booked 69 people from local cinemas and film distributors they claim were involved in fabricating box office figures over the past several years, on charges of obstruction of business. According to police, the ticket sales for at least 323 movies that opened in local theaters from March 2018 to June this year were manipulated to bump up movies’ box office rankings. Multiplex cinema operators like CGV, Lotte Cinema and Megabox are alleged to

Aug. 16, 2023

2023 JIMFF reclaims its roots by "going back to the beginning"

How music shapes a city and accords identity: Scenes of 19th Jecheon International Music and Film Festival JECHEON, North Chungcheong Province -- The 19th edition of the Jecheon International Music & Film Festival -- the only internationally recognized festival that encompasses both music and film -- came to a close Tuesday with dampened festivities and controversy. The festival got off to a rocky start this year, suffering from budget cuts and leadership changes. This year's budget was

Aug. 15, 2023

‘Smugglers,’ ‘Concrete Utopia’ score at box office while ‘The Moon’ flops

Homegrown blockbuster films are vying for viewers this summer, with their distributors hoping to see consecutive releases bring back moviegoers. But moviegoers’ taste for “something new” over impressive visuals and star-studded casting have determined the fate of major film releases. Director Ryoo Seung-wan’s female-led crime action “Smugglers” passed its breakeven point in its third week of release on Sunday, having pulled in 4.35 million moviegoers nationwid

Aug. 15, 2023

[Herald Interview] Jung Woo-sung finds directorial identity with ‘A Man of Reason’

Veteran actor Jung Woo-sung’s first project as director was a journey in search of his identity as a director, the actor-turned-director told The Korea Herald in an interview on Thursday. “After the press screening, many told me that ‘A Man of Reason’ is very Jung Woo-sung-like. But I never reminded myself to make a movie that’s like me during the shooting. It was rather a process of finding out what being myself means both as a director and an actor, which I really

Aug. 13, 2023

[Herald Interview] Yoo Hae-jin calls ‘Honey Sweet’ an adult version of ‘The Cloudburst’

Actor Yoo Hae-jin, who took his first-ever romantic comedy lead in “Honey Sweet,” a delightful rom-com that tells the love story of a couple in midlife, called his film an adult version of Korea’s timeless classic short story “The Cloudburst” (“Sonagi”). “Just like other actors, I prioritize the storyline of the film. I found the screenplay of ‘Honey Sweet’ very entertaining. I got the feeling that the story is like an adult version of

Aug. 13, 2023

[Box office] Movies in theaters this week

“Concrete Utopia” (South Korea) Opened Aug. 9 Thriller/Disaster Directed by Um Tae-hwa Residents of Hwanggung Apartment building No. 103, the only building that has survived a destructive earthquake, initially see their building as a “utopia,” but it soon devolves into a nightmare. “Ransomed” (South Korea) Opened Aug. 2 Adventure/Action Directed by Kim Seong-hun A diplomat named Min-jun (Ha Jung-woo) and a local taxi driver named Pan-su (Ju Ji-hoon) are on a

Aug. 12, 2023

[Herald Interview] Director Um Tae-hwa explores Koreans' ‘love and hate’ of apartments in ‘Concrete Utopia’

Director Um Tae-hwa, who has returned with dystopian thriller “Concrete Utopia” seven years after “Vanishing Time: A Boy Who Returned,” which led to him receiving the best new director award at Korea's Grand Bell Awards that year, has delved into Koreans' “love and hate” of apartments in this new film. “The reason I was focused on the apartment was that because I was also born and raised in that space. As I delved into what 'apartment'

Aug. 9, 2023

[Herald Review] ‘Honey Sweet,’ a lighthearted rom-com that might just outdo this year’s blockbusters

Yoo Hae-jin, a household name in South Korea’s entertainment scene, took on his first-ever role in a romantic comedy in “Honey Sweet,” a lighthearted film that portrays the love story of a middle-aged couple. Yoo plays Chi-ho, a nerdy, workaholic researcher at the confectionery firm who falls in love with Il-young (Kim Hee-sun), a single mother and a remarkably passionate and optimistic phone operator at a loan company. “Honey Sweet” will be Kim’s first silver

Aug. 8, 2023

[Herald Interview] Actor Ju Ji-hoon couldn’t ask for more working with favorite team in ‘Ransomed’

For Ju Ji-hoon, his latest action comedy, “Ransomed,” means something different compared to his previous works because it was a project with two of his favorite colleagues, director Kim Seong-hun and actor Ha Jung-woo. Ju and Kim have worked together on the global hit Netflix series “Kingdom” and with Ha on another megahit film, “Along with the Gods.” “For the first time in my acting career, I decided to star in ‘Ransomed’ without even readin

Aug. 7, 2023

[Herald Interview] What becomes of ‘Privacy’ under constant surveillance

Indian film star Rajshri Deshpande had a rough time getting to Korea for the world premiere of “Privacy” at the Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival earlier this summer. “It was chaos,” she said. Her flight from Delhi had been delayed six hours, meaning she would land at Incheon Airport just as she should be at the festival’s opening ceremony. The film’s director, Sudeep Kanwal, was doing everything he could. “I was holding ground,” he sai

Aug. 7, 2023

[Box office] Movies in theaters this week

“Smuggler” (South Korea) Opened July 26 Crime/Action Directed by Ryoo Seung-wan Jo Choon-ja (Kim Hye-soo) returns to her old town after three years away. Her best buddy, Um Jin-sook (Yum Jung-ah), who spent time in prison on a smuggling conviction during that time, feels betrayed when Choon-ja reappears. But they soon resolve their misunderstanding and collaborate on a mutual goal. “Elemental” (US) Opened June 14 Animation Directed by Peter Sohn Four different anthropom

Aug. 5, 2023

[Herald Interview] Park Seo-joon, Park Bo-young see selves in ‘Concrete Utopia’ roles

Actors Park Seo-joon and Park Bo-young said the characters they played in upcoming disaster thriller “Concrete Utopia” are similar to their actual personalities. Park Seo-joon plays Min-sung, a reliable, seemingly good-hearted neighbor who is sometimes shy and reserved. He is one of the residents of Hwanggung Apartment building No. 103, the only building to have survived a major earthquake. Min-sung quietly supports Young-tak (Lee Byung-hun) to keep things in order and establish a sy

Aug. 4, 2023

[Herald Review] Dystopian black comedy ‘Concrete Utopia’ has questions instead of message

When it comes to ‘living in an apartment,’ or specifically ‘owning an apartment,’ many Koreans perceive that differently from simply having a place to live. An apartment could be someone’s life goal or another’s deep grudge. In that context, “Concrete Utopia” raises questions about the contradictions humans face when put in extreme situations -- such as when your apartment building becomes the only place in Seoul that has survived a devastating ear

Aug. 3, 2023

[Herald Interview] Lee Byung-hun loves black comedy projects for allowing him to bring creative ideas

Lee Byung-hun finds acting in black comedy flicks exciting, as there is room for him to suggest creative ideas and improvisation, or even slapstick action sequences. According to Lee, his upcoming “Concrete Utopia” is not a mere disaster flick, but a black comedy that realistically depicts human nature in an extreme environment. “For some comic scenes in the movie, not just me but the entire staff really enjoyed shooting. I think the black comedy genre gives me room to suggest

Aug. 3, 2023

[Herald Interview] Do Kyung-soo says idol past helped his gravity-defying performance

Do Kyung-soo, the main vocalist of K-pop idol group EXO, said his idol background was especially helpful in playing an abandoned astronaut in “The Moon.” “I have been doing choreography as a singer and I’m good at memorizing body movements in a short period of time. I personally think action sequences are like memorizing choreography, so it was very helpful to shoot action scenes using wires with movements like swimming in space,” Do said in an interview with The Ko

Aug. 2, 2023