'Peninsula’ racks up $48m in 15 countries, tops global box office

Less than a month since the Korean zombie flick opened locally on July 15, “Peninsula” is topping box offices worldwide. According to the film’s local distributor Next Entertainment World on Friday, the zombie blockbuster has exceeded $48 million in sales at box offices in more than 15 countries. In Taiwan, where the film opened the same day as it did in South Korea, the film racked up almost $11 million in sales, the best output achieved by any movie in the country this ye

Aug. 14, 2020

S. Korean crime thriller sold to 56 overseas markets

The South Korean crime thriller "Deliver Us From Evil" has been sold to more than 50 overseas markets, according to its distributor on Friday. The film, which has topped the local box office since its release on Aug. 5, was sold to 56 countries and territories, including the United States, Germany, Taiwan and Hong Kong, according to CJ Entertainment. With the movie hitting Taiwanese screens this Wednesday, the distributor said it is in talks with its counterparts to fix the release

Aug. 14, 2020

COVID-19 worsens existing problems in film industry

The South Korean film industry faces an unprecedented crisis with COVID-19, but at a forum earlier this month some industry representatives argued that the pandemic only amplified a preexisting problem. The forum, held at the National Assembly on Aug. 7, was hosted by Rep. Lim O-kyeong and organized by the Korean Film Council. It was the first such opportunity for movie industry personnel to speak with legislators about the issues the industry faces and discuss possible solutions. Barunson E

Aug. 13, 2020

Personal story of ‘An Old Lady’ sends universal message

During “An Old Lady,” the 69-year-old protagonist Shim Hyo-jung acknowledges that her story might make some people uncomfortable, but says it must be told, reminding us that “living” our lives, is not merely approaching an end to them. While the upcoming film deals with the largely unexplored topic of sex crimes against the elderly, that is where the film starts, not what it centers on. Hyo-jung is sexually abused by a 29-year-old male nurse’s aide while receivin

Aug. 12, 2020

[Herald Review] ‘Moving On’ like flicking through an old photo album

It is strange how a film with no special plotline or incidents could resonate with so many people, making them plunge into their own memories. Taking the words of actor Yang Heung-joo, who takes up the role of father Byeong-ki in the Korean indie film “Moving On,” watching the upcoming movie felt like flipping through an old photo album with yellowed corners that has the extraordinary power to bring back childhood memories fresh as if they were from yesterday. “It made me re

Aug. 12, 2020

Disney’s ‘Mulan’ confirms September cinema release in South Korea

Disney’s live-action remake of its animated film “Mulan” will be coming to South Korean big screens next month. The film’s local distributor Walt Disney Co. Korea on Tuesday confirmed the film’s upcoming local release. The distributor did not state a specific release date for now. The news comes around a week after Disney announced its decision to cancel the theatrical release of “Mulan” in the US and several other countries and instead debut the film

Aug. 11, 2020

Imported film distributors, local streaming platforms lock horns over payment system

South Korean video-streaming company Watcha released an official statement Wednesday evening in response to the pending termination of deals with the firm and two other domestic over-the-top service providers. Earlier Wednesday, the Association of Korean Buyers and Distributors of Foreign Films announced that its members would stop providing content to Watcha, Wavve and Tving until the OTTs accepted a payment system that would return more royalties to the buyers and distributors. Under the env

Aug. 6, 2020

EBS documentary festival to show message of hope

The annual EBS International Documentary Film Festival will be showcasing films to a wider audience through television and an online platform as the coronavirus stands in the way of cinema screenings. The 17th edition of the documentary festival will take place on EBS 1TV channel and video service D-BOX over a one-week period starting Aug. 17, the educational broadcasting network said Tuesday. “Most major films festivals, including the Cannes Film Festival and the Jeonju International F

Aug. 5, 2020

A look at Japanese imperialism from perspective of the guilty

On Aug. 30, 1974, a bombing attack at the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries headquarters in Tokyo killed eight people and wounded some 370 others. Through May 1975, eight more explosions occurred at Japanese businesses and groups accused of war crimes, including Mitsui & Co., Taisei Corp. and Kajima Corp. Korean documentary film “East-Asia Anti-Japan Armed Front” tells the story of those who sought to raise awareness of the atrocities of imperial Japan through interviews with people

Aug. 5, 2020

Uhm Jung-hwa returns in action comedy ‘Okay! Madam’

Singer and actor Uhm Jung-hwa makes her return to the big screen for the first time in five years in action comedy “Okay! Madam.” Uhm teams up with veteran actor Park Sung-woong to play a married couple who, upon their first-ever trip abroad to Hawaii, become involved in the rescue operation of a hijacked aircraft. The film’s director Lee Cheol-ha, Uhm, Park and actors Lee Sang-yoon, Bae Jung-nam and Lee Sun-bin attended a press premiere in Seoul on Monday. “I feel li

Aug. 5, 2020

Zombie blockbuster 'Peninsula' posts $40m in revenue in 8 Asian nations

The combined revenue of the South Korean zombie blockbuster "Peninsula" has topped $40 million in eight Asian countries, the film's local distributor said Tuesday. Released on July 15 in South Korea and Taiwan, the movie posted a cumulative $10 million in revenue in its third week in Taiwan, becoming the biggest box office hit in the country, according to NEW. In Vietnam, its sales reached more than $3.33 million, higher than that of Oscar-winning "Parasite" (2019), becomi

Aug. 4, 2020

Cinemas still far from normalcy despite success of few films

Blockbuster action flick “Steel Rain 2” has racked up 1 million admissions in less than a week, following the lead of zombie thriller “Peninsula,” which kicked off the summer movie season amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. “Steel Rain 2” surpassed the mark of 1 million on Sunday, according to the state-run Korean Film Council, five days after its opening on July 29. The film is expected to be in a close race with action thriller “Deliver Us From Evil,

Aug. 3, 2020

Hwang Jung-min and Lee Jung-jae’s deadly reunion in ‘Deliver Us From Evil’

Veteran actors Hwang Jung-min and Lee Jung-jae, who called each other “brother” in the crime-noir “New World” (2013), are reunited in the action-packed thriller “Deliver Us From Evil,” this time as bitter enemies. The film revolves around hit man In-nam, played by Hwang, who finishes what he promised would be his last job before fleeing Japan, but unexpectedly gets mixed up in a case in Thailand. In Bangkok, a barbaric killer named Ray, played by Lee -- also

July 29, 2020

'Night in Paradise’ to premiere at Venice Biennale

“Night in Paradise” by director Park Hoon-jung has been officially invited to the 77th Venice International Film Festival’s out-of-competition section. “Night in Paradise” is the only Korean film to be invited to the Italian film festival this year, according to the film’s local distributor Next Entertainment World on Wednesday. Fronted by actors Eom Tae-goo, Cha Seung-won and Jeon Yeo-been, the film revolves around a man who is targeted by an organized cr

July 29, 2020

[Herald Interview] Jung Woo-sung discusses presidential role in ‘Steel Rain 2: Summit’

In sequels we often see the original cast reappear, taking up the same roles and continuing with the next chapter of the story. In other cases, a new cast may be chosen to show a different side of the same universe. But rarely do the same actors reappear as completely new characters. This was the case for veteran actor Jung Woo-sung, who plays a fictitious South Korean president in the upcoming action flick “Steel Rain 2: Summit,” having portrayed a North Korean special agent in i

July 28, 2020

Veteran actor Lee Jung-jae to make directorial debut

Veteran actor Lee Jung-jae is set to make his directorial debut in an upcoming spy-action film. Tentatively titled “Hunt,” the film is expected to kick off production next year, according to the film’s distributor Megabox Joongang Plus M last week. Lee will also play the lead role in the movie. Taking place in 1980s Korea, the film will revolve around national security agents Park Pyong-ho and Kim Jung-do, who are chasing after the chief of North Korea’s espionage oper

July 27, 2020

‘Peninsula’ continues to lead Asian box office

Dominating the domestic box office for two consecutive weeks, zombie thriller “Peninsula” surpassed its breakeven point of 2.5 million ticket sales over the weekend, even amid the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the film’s distributor Next Entertainment World on Monday, data from government-run agency Korean Film Council showed the film had garnered just over 2.86 million admissions as of 7 a.m. Monday since its release on July 15. The film is said to have reached the breakev

July 27, 2020

[Herald Review] Underwater summit holds key to future of two Koreas in ‘Steel Rain 2’

How would the leaders of South Korea, North Korea and the United States prevent a war from happening on the Korean Peninsula on a stealth submarine some 300 meters under the water? “Steel Rain 2: Summit” takes this highly unlikely premise and looks at the ongoing inter-Korean conflict. The film kicks off by showing heightening military tensions between the US and China and the impending complications for the surrounding nations -- the two Koreas and Japan. While tension hangs ove

July 26, 2020

‘Beasts Clawing at Straws’ grabs Special Mention at Far East Film Festival

Crime thriller “Beasts Clawing at Straws,” starring Jeon Do-yeon and Jung Woo-sung, won the Special Mention at the Far East Film Festival held in Italy, the film’s distributor Megabox Joongang Plus M announced on Friday. According to the distributor, the festival’s Executive Chairman Sabrina Baracetti acclaimed the Korean film as “an action thriller full of colorful casts, and a unique and unpredictable film,” adding that “the movie is very provocative

July 26, 2020

Korea Film Museum reopens offline, featuring 12 North Korean movies

The Korea Film Archive announced the reopening of Korea Film Museum offline on Friday, among other facilities that it manages, after shutting them down due to the spread of COVID-19. At the Korea Film Museum, “Chaotic Times, Crossed Path: Movie People in Liberation Space” exhibition that was shown online starting July 7 will be opened to the public. The exhibition, which shows movie industry professionals who worked in both South and North Korea until the Korean War, marks the 70th

July 24, 2020