[Herald Interview] Hyun Bin drawn to entertaining action flicks

Hyun Bin has been working nonstop in recent years. 　After rising to popularity through the 2005 romantic comedy series “My Lovely Sam-soon,” the actor cemented a heartthrob status with the 2010 drama “Secret Garden,” where he played the irritable but charming heir to a vast fortune with a penchant for flamboyant fashion. 　He completed his military service, and returned to screens with drama series “Hyde, Jekyll, Me” and the period film “The Fatal Encounter.” 　 Hyun Bin poses in a photo shoot pri

Nov. 14, 2017

Veteran singer Lee Seung-chul produces documentary on war veterans

Veteran singer Lee Seung-chul is creating a documentary highlighting the life of war veterans of the Korean War in collaboration with public broadcaster KBS, the singer said."There are so many countries in the world that joined the Korean War that we don't know of. I feel sorry for the fact that there are only a few left alive and they are being forgotten," Lee told Yonhap News Agency in a recent interview.It was around 2010 when he met a French war veteran at an event organized by the Ministry

Nov. 13, 2017

Song couple receives gold bracelets from Wong Kar-wai

A Hong Kong film director gave gold bracelets as a wedding gift to Song Joong-ki and Song Hye-kyo. Korean media outlet Sports Seoul reported Sunday that Wong Kar-wai, a celebrated filmmaker from Hong Kong, had sent the gift to the couple, citing an official from the Chinese film industry.  (Online Community)The couple, who both starred in the popular series “Descendants of the Sun,” tied the knot on Oct. 31 in Seoul. According to the report, Wong gave the bracelets to the couple through his prod

Nov. 12, 2017

Hyun Bin, Yoo Ji-tae make tense team in ‘Swindlers’

A press screening of the upcoming crime thriller “The Swindlers,” starring Hyun Bin and Yoo Ji-tae, took place Friday in Seoul.　Yoo stars as ambitious and ruthless prosecutor Park Hee-soo, who teams up with a gang of scammers to catch another renowned scam artist. It is yet another character chasing justice at any price that Yoo has taken. He currently stars as a hotheaded policeman-turned-insurance investigator willing to go to any lengths to find justice in the drama series “Mad Dog.” 　Yoo Ji-

Nov. 10, 2017

Son Ye-jin to meet fans at romance film exhibition

Son Ye-jin will be meeting movie fans at a special exhibition of popular Korean romance movies taking place until Nov. 15. 　The actress will be hosting an open talk at the Lotte Cinema World Tower on Nov. 15. 　Six films -- “A Moment to Remember” (2004), “The Classic” (2003), starring actress Son, “Bungee Jumping of Their Own” (2001), “Man In Love” (2014), “Architecture 101” (2012) and “The Beauty Inside” (2015) -- are being screened at Lotte Cinema theaters throughout the country as part of the

Nov. 10, 2017

Fantasy film 'Along With the Gods: The Two Worlds' pre-sold to 103 nations

Korean film "Along With the Gods: The Two Worlds" has been pre-sold to 90 countries at a recent film market in the U.S., bringing the total number of countries where it will be screened to 103, its local distributor said Thursday.Lotte Entertainment said the fantasy drama was pre-sold to 13 Asian countries during this year's Asian Film Market held last month in the southern port city of Busan. On top of it, the film was sold to 90 nations at the American Film Market (AFM) in Santa Monica, Califo

Nov. 10, 2017

'Forgotten' to be released in 190 countries on Netflix

South Korean film "Forgotten" has signed a distribution contract with Netflix for overseas markets, the movie's production company said Thursday.According to BA Entertainment, the movie will be released in 190 countries on Netflix after it premiers in Korea on Nov. 29."I think it is unprecedented that the contract has been signed while the movie is still being made," BA Entertainment's CEO Jang Won-seok said, adding that it pointed to the fact that the movie has such a compelling story."Forgotte

Nov. 9, 2017

‘A Taxi Driver’ wins best picture in Asian World Film Festival

South Korean box office smash film “A Taxi Driver” took home three prizes, including best picture, at this year‘s Asian World Film Festival, which recently closed in Los Angeles, the film’s local distributor said Monday. The film also received the “He Can Do, She Can Do, Why Not Me” Humanitarian Award and the Special Mention Award for its lead actor Song Kang-ho with a comment that he showed a “dynamic, intricate and compelling performance.”The festival began in 2015 to draw greater recognition

Nov. 6, 2017

‘Rules of Dating’ compared to Hanssem rape allegations

Film critic Djuna’s opinion regarding overlap between film “Rules of Dating” and the recent reports of a Hanssem male supervisor allegedly sexually assaulting a new female employee sparked another controversy through Twitter on Saturday. Djuna expressed surprise at the public’s denial of the movie’s intention and the background of sexual assault when the movie came out in 2005. The film critic added that it did not matter so much how one watches the movie, but rather the acknowledgement of the m

Nov. 6, 2017

‘Merciless,’ ‘King,’ ‘Taxi Driver’ nominated for Blue Dragon awards

“The Merciless,” “The King” and “A Taxi Driver” swept nominations for this year’s Blue Dragon Film Awards, the awards’ organizers said Monday.　Nominees for the awards’ 15 categories are selected based on film critics’ and online votes. 　 “The Merciless” (CJ Entertainment)Director Byun Sung-hyun’s thriller “The Merciless” has been nominated in nine categories, including best film, best director, best actor and best supporting actor. The film starring Sol Kyung-gu and Im Si-wan was invited to the

Nov. 6, 2017

Park Chan-wook to helm BBC spy drama

Korean director Park Chan-wook will direct BBC’s TV adaptation of British author John le Carre’s spy novel “The Little Drummer Girl,” Daily Mail reported Friday. Up-and-coming British actress Florence Pugh, 21, stars as the show’s heroine on a mission to track down a Palestinian terrorist mastermind, according to the British media outlet.　Filming on the six-part drama series will begin early 2018, with the release date yet to be announced.　The 1983 novel by author le Carre, whose real name is Da

Nov. 5, 2017

[Box Office] Movies in theaters this week

Heart Blackened(Korea)Opened Nov. 2Directed by Jung Ji-wooIm Tae-san (Choi Min-sik) is an unfathomable conglomerate chairman, at times a hopeless romantic -- such as when he is with his young lover Yu-na (Lee Ha-nee) -- and at others, a fearsome businessman who makes his employees tremble. Instability reigns at home: His daughter Mi-ra (Lee Soo-kyung) is rebellious and spoiled, exploiting her father for money. Tae-san has proposed to Yu-na, a celebrity singer with a tainted past, which prompts M

Nov. 3, 2017

Old guard, politicians floated as BIFF leaders

With the conclusion of Busan International Film Festival, speculation now abounds as to who will take over the leadership roles at Asia’s biggest film festival, with politicians, BIFF founding partners and actors being floated. BIFF spokesperson Kim Jung-yun told The Korea Herald on Monday that the festival itself had not yet selected any official candidates. Festival cofounder Kim Dong-ho and actress Kang Soo-youn stepped down as BIFF chairman and executive director, respectively, on Oct. 22 af

Oct. 30, 2017

Kim Yong-hwa likely to team up with Stan Lee's production company for ‘Prodigal’

Korean film director Kim Yong-hwa will likely team up with POW! Entertainment, cofounded by legendary comic book writer and Marvel Universe creator Stan Lee, for his first Hollywood feature. Kim is in final discussions on helming “Prodigal,” a superhero film about fatherhood, set to be produced by POW! Entertainment, Luka Productions and Korean visual effects company Dexter Studios.A launching show for the film was held at Los Angeles Comic Con Sunday.　The script for “Prodigal” has been written

Oct. 30, 2017

'Thor: Ragnarok' tops box office on first weekend

"Thor: Ragnarok" had an outstanding opening weekend at the South Korean box office, topping the chart in terms of the number of tickets sold, data showed Monday.According to real-time box office figures from the Korean Film Council, the Disney-Marvel superhero film sold 1.58 million tickets for 1,639 screens around the country over the Oct. 27-29 weekend.The film, starring such Hollywood A-listers as Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Cate Blanchett and Idris Elba, broke the 2 million attendance m

Oct. 30, 2017

Kim Ki-duk's 'The Net' wins Grand Prix at Festival Du Film Politique

South Korean director Kim Ki-duk has won the Grand Prix at the French Festival Du Film Politique for his film "The Net," the organizing committee said Sunday. "The Net" depicts a hapless North Korean fisherman's struggle to return to his communist country after straying into South Korean waters due to engine failure. A promotional poster for "The Net"In March, "The Net" won the best Asian film award at Oporto International Film Festival, one of the world's three largest fantasy genre film festiv

Oct. 30, 2017

[Box Office] Movies in theaters this week

Glass Garden(Korea)Opened Oct. 25Mystery, drama. Directed by Shin Su-wonScientist Jae-yeon (Moon Geun-young) has been studying artificial blood created using chlorophyll when her research, and her lover, are stolen. Deeply depressed, Jae-yeon locks herself away in a glass garden in the forest, where she grew up. Writer Ji-hoon (Kim Tae-hoon) learns about her secluded life and begins to observe her from afar, eventually writing a novel about a woman whose veins contain green blood, which becomes

Oct. 27, 2017

Actress Clara wins popularity award at Tokyo Film Fest

Actress Clara received the popularity award at the 30th Tokyo International Film Festival’s Gold Crane Awards Thursday.　Clara has recently starred as Korean model Yoyo in “Some Like It Hot,” a Chinese rom-com released last year. 　The film, directed by Song Xiaofei and Dong Xu stars Chinese actor Xiao Yang as Xiao Han, an anxious and bored man who decides to make himself feel young and vibrant again by chasing after Yoyo. 　 The film topped box offices in China.　 Clara steps on the red carpet at t

Oct. 27, 2017

Documentary spotlights Koreans on Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula

Between 1946 and 1949, just after Korea’s liberation from Japanese occupation in 1945, thousands of Koreans were recruited by the Soviet Union as contract laborers. They settled en masse on the Kamchatka Peninsula in the Russian Far East, some 3,500 kilometers northeast from Seoul. 　The upcoming documentary “Where is Your Homeland” by veteran filmmaker Chung Soo-woong follows the lives of the last few Koreans in the area, opening with scenes from 1995, when some 2,000 Koreans were living in Kamc

Oct. 26, 2017

‘Little Forest’ starring Kim Tae-ri wraps up shooting

Filming for the film “Little Forest,” starring actress Kim Tae-ri and helmed by Yim Soon-rye, has wrapped up after a year of shooting, its distributor Megabox Plus M said Thursday.　Actress Kim, who previously starred in Park Chan-wook’s “The Handmaiden,” will play Hye-won, a woman who, exhausted by city life, decides to return to the countryside. 　Cooking and living alongside childhood friends Jae-ha, played by Ryu Jun-yeol, and Eun-sook, played by Jin Ki-joo, Hye-won strives to heal herself fro

Oct. 26, 2017