‘Nut Job 2’ to hit Korean theaters in October

The animation film “The Nut Job 2: Nutty by Nature,” which was financed by a Korean company, will be hitting local theaters on Oct. 3.The film was co-produced by Canada-based ToonBox Entertainment and Korean production company Redrover. It is currently screening at over 4,000 theaters in North America.The film is also set to screen in South America, the UK and Russia. Directed by Cal Brunker and written by Brunker, Bob Barlen and Scott Bindley, the film centers on the story of a squirrel named S

Aug. 16, 2017

'Midnight Runners' to open in 12 foreign countries

South Korean police comedy-action film "Midnight Runners" will be shown in 12 regions overseas, its local distributor said Wednesday.Beginning in Indonesia on Aug. 23, the movie will open in North America on Aug. 25, Australia on Aug. 31 and later in New Zealand, Hong Kong, Britain, Singapore, Malaysia, Japan, Taiwan, the Philippines and Vietnam, Lotte Entertainment said. (Lotte Entertainment)Directed by Jason Kim, the film starring Park Seo-jun and Kang Ha-neul revolves around two students at t

Aug. 16, 2017

Kim Dae-hwan wins best new director at Locarno

Kim Dae-hwan was named best new director for “The First Lap” at the 70th Locarno International Film Festival, which wrapped up Saturday.The film, one of this year’s Jeonju Cinema Projects, debuted at the Jeonju International Film Festival in May. 　Kim debuted with first feature film “End of Winter” in 2014, a quiet drama about a family snowed in in Cheorwon, which won the New Currents Award at the Busan International Film Festival. The director studied film and digital media design at Hongik Uni

Aug. 13, 2017

[Box Office] Movies in theaters this week

Midnight Runners(Korea)Opened Aug. 9Action. Directed by Kim Joo-hwanKi-joon (Park Seo-joon) is a police academy cade who is bursting with energy and eager to go catch the bad guys. What he lacks in thought he makes up for with action. Contrasting him is Hee-yeol (Kang Ha-neul), a fellow cadet who is timid and well-versed in theory but less savvy when it comes to the practical things. One day, the two witness a kidnapping and decides to take action. A Taxi Driver (Korea)Opened Aug. 2Drama. Direct

Aug. 11, 2017

BIFF chairman, director to leave beleaguered film fest

Busan International Film Festival’s Chairman Kim Dong-ho and Executive Director Kang Soo-youn will resign from their posts after hosting this year’s edition.“We will be leaving after the festival closes on Oct. 21, after making our best efforts to hold the festival, which will take place two months from now, because we firmly believe that the festival should take place this year no matter what,” the two said in a joint statement issued Tuesday.Kim, one of the founding members of BIFF 22 years ag

Aug. 9, 2017

‘Memoir of a Murderer’ features a twitching, emaciated Sol Kyung-gu

Sol Kyung-gu has undergone another drastic transformation in the upcoming thriller “Memoir of a Murderer.”　The 50-year-old veteran actor, who was in Cannes in May with “The Merciless,” shed several kilograms to play a “retired” serial killer in his late 50s to early 60s, suffering from Alzheimer’s disease. “My memory has forgotten but my hand remembers murder, like a habit,” says the movie’s tagline. 　“When I was in ‘Oasis’ and ‘Silmido,’ I was young, so it was easier to lose weight,” Sol said o

Aug. 8, 2017

Victim denounces director Kim Ki-duk for sexual harassment, demands punishment

Film director Kim Ki-duk’s alleged assault and coercion of an actress into an unscripted sex scene constitute sexual harassment and are a severe violation of human rights, a group representing the victim said Tuesday.The joint group -- consisting of a women’s rights group, legal representatives and film workers’ groups -- that represents an actress who has filed charges against Kim held a joint press conference in Seoul, denouncing Kim and urging measures to prevent further violation of human ri

Aug. 8, 2017

'A Taxi Driver' tops 5 mln on 7th day

A Korean film about the 1980 Gwangju pro-democracy uprising surpassed 5 million in attendance Tuesday, the 7th day of its run, the film's distributor said."A Taxi Driver" hit the threshold at 8:30 a.m., becoming the fastest film to reach the milestone this year, according to Showbox. The pace is one day faster than eight days for "The Battleship Island."The film accounted for 35.8 percent of tickets sold on Monday, considered a high rate for a weekday, and 42 percent of tickets reserved for Tues

Aug. 8, 2017

‘Descendants of the Sun’ stars to wed at The Shilla

The much-anticipated wedding of Hallyu mega-celebrities Song Joong-ki and Song Hye-kyo will take place at The Shilla Seoul, on Oct. 31, a Blossom Entertainment source confirmed Tuesday.　“Only the date and the venue have been decided for now,” said the executive from Blossom Entertainment, Song Joong-ki’s management agency. “Specific details and whether or not they will hold a press conference are yet undecided.”The ceremony will take place at the hotel‘s Yeong Bin Gwan, an annex built in the sty

Aug. 8, 2017

[Herald Interview] Ryoo Seung-wan has ‘no regrets’ about ‘Battleship Island’

“The Battleship Island” is a war flick which deals with the turbulent history of Koreans forced into slave labor by the Japanese on Hashima Island, the site of Japan’s first major undersea coal exploitation. It is also a film that is at the center of a heated public debate. 　Some claim it depicts Korean characters as overly villainous in comparison to the Japanese corporate executives who held them captive. But the film’s director Ryoo Seung-wan is confident that he and his crew have given their

Aug. 6, 2017

'A Taxi Driver' audience tops 3 mln by 4th day

"A Taxi Driver," a South Korean film about the 1980 pro-democracy uprising in the southern city of Gwangju, has sold more than 3 million tickets by the fourth day of its release, data showed Saturday.The film hit the 3-million mark on Saturday afternoon, according to the computerized box office tally from the Korean Film Council. The pace is on par with "Roaring Currents," the most-viewed film ever in South Korea that gathered 17.6 million. (Showbox)The movie, starring Song Kang-ho and German ac

Aug. 6, 2017

Song Kang-ho of ‘Taxi Driver’ wins best actor award at Fantasia Film Fest

Song Kang-ho won the best actor award for his work in “A Taxi Driver” at Montreal’s Fantasia International Film Festival, said the film’s distributor Showbox.  Song Kang-ho stars in “A Taxi Driver.” (Showbox)Showbox announced Thursday that Jang Hoon, the director of the movie, attended the closing ceremony of the festival Wednesday to accept the award on behalf of Song. The award marks Song’s second best actor prize at the festival. He won the best actor award in 2007 for his role in “The Show M

Aug. 4, 2017

[Box Office] Movies in theaters this week

A Taxi Driver(Korea)Opened Aug. 2Drama. Directed by Jang HoonIt is 1980. German journalist Peter (Thomas Kretschmann) needs a taxi to get to Gwangju, Korea’s southwestern city swept up in a turbulent struggle between government and citizen. Unassuming taxi driver Man-seob (Song Kang-ho) does not know what is in store for him, and is only intent on receiving the hefty fare from Seoul to Gwangju to pay his back rent. The two realize how grave the situation is upon reaching the city, and Peter, wit

Aug. 4, 2017

Kim Ki-duk says hitting actress was part of demonstration for scene: statement

Director Kim Ki-duk on Thursday released a statement in response to accusations he had hit and coerced an actress on the set of “Moebius” in 2013.The director said that he could not exactly recall the events from four years ago. However, he stressed that the strike happened while demonstrating a scene.“I myself was in the scene and might have hit the opposing actress while following the viewpoint or hit myself. This happened while I was demonstrating and explaining that this was the scene I want

Aug. 3, 2017

'A Taxi Driver' dethrones 'The Battleship Island' on opening day

"A Taxi Driver" on the 1980 pro-democracy uprising in Gwangju dethroned fellow Korean historical blockbuster "The Battleship Island" at the box office on its opening day, data showed Thursday.The period drama starring Song Kang-ho and German actor Thomas Kretschmann conquered the previous one-week leader, selling a total of 697,858 tickets on Wednesday, according to the computerized box office tally from the Korean Film Council.  "A Taxi Driver" was screened 7,068 times on 1,446 screens across t

Aug. 3, 2017

Kim Ki-duk sued for assault, coercion on 2013 movie set

An actress is suing director Kim Ki-duk for assault and coercion, reports said Thursday.The actress says Kim slapped her and forced her to shoot a sex scene that was not in the script while working on Kim’s 2013 film “Moebius.” She eventually quit, and Lee Eun-woo replaced her in the female lead role. Kim Ki-duk (Yonhap)Kim’s representative said that while it is true that the director struck the actress across the face, it had been part of coaching a scene. “We never forced a sex scene that wasn

Aug. 3, 2017

'The Battleship Island' sells spectacular 2.5 mln tickets on opening weekend

"The Battleship Island," one of the most highly anticipated films of the year, debuted at No. 1 on the weekend box office chart in South Korea, surpassing 4 million in the accumulated number of views, data showed Monday.The historical action flick directed by Ryoo Seung-wan claimed the top spot by attracting 2.5 million people to 2,019 theaters across the country over the July 28-30 weekend, according to figures from the Korean Film Council.The movie surpassed the 4 million audience mark Sunday,

July 31, 2017

[Herald Interview] Park Seo-joon, from shy teen to lively boy next door

Few would be able to tell that actor Park Seo-joon, who has been in the spotlight recently for his portrayal of a playful boyfriend, used to be an intensely shy teenager. In the recent hit drama series “Fight! My Way,” Park plays the spirited Dong-man, a boy-next-door type character who remains boisterous despite numerous setbacks in life. 　Next month, Park will make his movie debut in the police-buddy flick “Midnight Runners” as the energetic cop trainee Ki-joon who leaps to action before think

July 30, 2017

Kim Woo-bin completes first round of chemotherapy: Sidus HQ

Actor Kim Woo-bin has completed his first round of chemotherapy, the actor’s management agency Sidus HQ announced Sunday.　“He has recuperated to the point that he is now able to exercise,” a company official said. 　In May, Sidus HQ revealed that Kim had been diagnosed with nasopharyngeal cancer and was undergoing treatment. 　With the recent announcement, Sidus HQ said that they are cautious but optimistic about a second round of chemotherapy and new test results scheduled for August. 　Kim Woo-bi

July 30, 2017

[Box Office] Movies in theaters this week

The Battleship Island(Korea)Opened July 26Drama, action. Directed by Ryoo Seung-wanDeep in the dark, damp underground tunnels of Hashima Island, hundreds of Korean laborers are forced to mine for coal in deadly conditions by the Japanese. A motley crew of Koreans find themselves on the island -- including band leader Kang-ok (Hwang Jung-min) and his daughter So-hee (Kim Soo-ahn), gang leader Chil-sung (So Ji-sub) and Malnyeon (Lee Jung-hyun), who has been sold as a sex slave. Elite agent Park Mo

July 28, 2017