[Herald Interview] Star screenwriter Kim Eun-hee returns with darkest ‘Kingdom’ episode

Living up to her nickname as the “Korean Agatha Christie,” screenwriter Kim Eun-hee came back with the darkest episode yet of the global hit Netflix series “Kingdom” (2019). “Kingdom: Ashin of the North,” which was released on July 23, centers around a new character Ashin (played by Jun Ji-hyun, or Gianna Jun, and Kim Sia) who is a lower-class tribe member living in what is now known as Hamgyong Province, North Korea. After Ashin finds out about her father&r

Aug. 1, 2021

[Box Office] Movies in theaters this week

Escape from Mogadishu (Korea) Opened July 28 Action, Drama Directed by Ryoo Seung-wan Set in 1991 Somalia, South Korean Ambassador to Somalia Han Shin-sung (Kim Yoon-seok) and National Security Planning Agency agent Kang Dae-jin (Jo In-sung) are competing against North Korean Ambassador (Heo Jun-ho) for South Korea’s membership in the United Nations. When a civil war breaks out in the African country, South and North Korean diplomats have to cooperate to escape the country together. Th

July 30, 2021

[Herald Interview] Global zombie sensation ‘Kingdom’ director hopes to quench fans’ thirst

A single 92-minute episode of historical zombie thriller “Kingdom” was not meant to be a hit, according to director Kim Seong-hun, who has headed the series since 2019. “‘Kingdom: Ashin of the North’ is more like a prequel or a stepping stone for the next season,” Kim said during an online interview with a group of reporters on Wednesday. “I was very focused on expanding the “Kingdom” universe and explaining the story of Ashin, I was glad t

July 29, 2021

[Herald Interview] ‘Escape from Mogadishu’ took burden off my shoulders: Jo In-sung

For top actor Jo In-sung, “Escape from Mogadishu” was the movie that he could enjoy filming, as the burden of playing the sole lead role was lifted off his shoulders. “In previous films, nobody told me that I should feel pressured but I felt responsible,” Jo said during an interview via Zoom with a group of reporters. “When filming a movie, there are things that the leading actors should take care of. They have to make sure that the staff is doing okay. They also

July 29, 2021

[Herald Interview] Kim Yoon-seok returns as ordinary man in ‘Escape from Mogadishu’

For veteran actor Kim Yoon-seok, the absence of a hero in the action-drama movie “Escape from Mogadishu” directed by Ryoo Seung-wan was the reason he decided to join the cast. “It is easy for war movies to have a single hero that saves everyone. This movie did not take that road,” Kim said during an interview with a group of reporters via Zoom. “Escape from Mogadishu” is based on a real-life event involving South and North Korean diplomats in Somalia who

July 28, 2021

'The Boss Baby' sequel tops S. Korean box office over weekend

The American animated comedy "The Boss Baby: Family Business" made a surprise ascent to the top of South Korea's weekend box office in the first week of its release, data showed Monday. The sequel to DreamWorks Animation's 2017 hit "Boss Baby," released last Wednesday, attracted over 256,000 people from Friday to Sunday, bringing its combined total to over 356,000, according to data from the Korean Film Council (KOFIC). Its first week admissions record marked the second-bes

July 26, 2021

Actor-turned-director Cho Jin-woong’s ‘Ryuk-sa: A Teaser’ invited to two North American film festivals

Actor-turned-director Cho Jin-woong’s short film “Ryuk-sa: A Teaser” has been invited to two film festivals in North America, the Fantasia Film Festival and New York Asian Film Festival, according to his agency Saram Entertainment. The Fantasia Film Festival will run from Aug. 5-25 in Montreal, and the 2021 New York Asian Film Festival will take place Aug. 6-22. Both festivals will be hybrid online-offline events. Cho’s 17-minute short film aims to deliver a message t

July 24, 2021

Online 2021 ASEAN-ROK Film Workshop Series to be held Wednesday

The Korean Film Council will hold the 2021 ASEAN-ROK Film Workshop Series on Wednesday from 3-6 p.m. to strengthen the network between the movie industries of ASEAN countries and Korea. The workshop will be live streamed on KOFIC’s official YouTube channel. This year’s theme of the workshop is “Discovering a sustainable film exchange and cooperation model between Korea and ASEAN in the post-corona era.” The event will be divided into two parts -- forum and masterclass.

July 23, 2021

[Box Office] Movies in theaters this week

The Boss Baby: Family Business (US) Opened July 21 Animation Directed by Tom McGrath Ted, the legendary boss of Baby Corp., is a successful grownup CEO. His nephew Tina, who everyone thought was an ordinary baby, turns out to be a secret agent at Baby Corp. Tina turns Ted and his brother Tim back into a baby for 48 hours to complete a mission to save the world. The Medium (US) Opened July 14 Thriller Directed by Banjong Pisanthanakun A documentary team follows Nim (Sawanee Utoomma), a sha

July 23, 2021

Screenwriter Yeon Sang-ho expects greater universe awaits for ‘The Cursed’

Screenwriter Yeon Sang-ho is certain that his upcoming movie “The Cursed: Dead Man’s Prey,” a sequel to tvN drama series “The Cursed,” is a new type of zombie film. “Unlike the original, our zombies have intelligence, allowing them to drive a car, ” the monster-loving writer told reporters during an interview via Zoom on Wednesday. In the film, the new being called “jaechaui,” a moving corpse controlled by a shaman, plays the role of a fas

July 22, 2021

'Black Widow' becomes No. 1 hit in S. Korea this year

Marvel's latest blockbuster "Black Widow" has become the most-viewed film in South Korea this year to date, its distributer said Thursday. The film posted 2.3 million attendees as of Thursday morning on the 16th day of its release, according to Walt Disney Company Korea. It outnumbered the previous No. 1, "F9," released in May, which garnered 2.28 million moviegoers. "Black Widow," which was originally scheduled to be released in May last year, is the first Phase

July 22, 2021

‘The Cursed’ brings a multicultural zombie to the summer cinema

The writer of the Korean occult mystery thriller “The Cursed: Dead Man’s Prey” Yeon Sang-ho said audiences are in for a different zombie experience this summer. “There are many fantastic films and dramas featuring zombies. The director and I wanted to show something more interesting to the audience, bringing a new picture,” Yeon said during an online press conference following a press screening Tuesday. “I wanted people to feel like ‘The Cursed: Dead

July 21, 2021

Jecheon International Music & Film Festival considers plan B amid COVID-19 fourth wave

As Korea’s daily new coronavirus cases hit a fresh high of over 1,700 on Wednesday, the organizer of the 17th Jecheon International Music & Film Festival announced that it was considering turning most of the events online. The international music festival is set to begin Aug. 12 in Jecheon, North Chungcheong Province and run until Aug. 17. “If the current virus situation does not continue and the government decides to loosen the social distancing rule to Level 1 or 2, we wil

July 21, 2021

New ‘Kingdom’ series aims to resurrect global zombie sensation

“Kingdom: Ashin of the North,” directed by Kim Seong-hun, will be released July 23 as a special episode of the global Korean zombie sensation. “With the love and support from the audience, I was able to showcase this spinoff of the 'Kingdom' series,” Kim said during an online press conference held Tuesday. The director had not expected the series to develop on such a grand scale. After receiving the four-page synopsis from screenwriter Kim Eun-hee, he was surprised a

July 20, 2021

‘Guimoon: The Lightless Door’ turns cinema into haunted house with immersive tech

“Guimoon: The Lightless Door,” directed by Shim Deok-geun, is the first Korean film to be simultaneously created in three different versions: 2D, Screen X and 4DX. “I tried to make the audiences feel that they are not watching a movie in the theater. I wanted to bring them to the training center in the movie,” the director said during an online press conference held Monday. Although his goal was not easy to accomplish, he said it was made possible by using Screen X te

July 19, 2021

'Black Widow' tops weekend S. Korean box office for 2nd straight week

Marvel Studios' latest movie, "Black Widow," sat atop South Korea's weekend box office for the second consecutive week, data showed Monday. The superhero blockbuster attracted over 445,000 people over the Friday-Sunday period, bringing its combined total to nearly 2.14 million in less than two weeks since its release on July 7, according to data from the Korean Film Council. It became the fourth title released in 2021 to surpass the 2 million threshold, following the action film &quo

July 19, 2021

Korean presence felt at Cannes 2021

 Two years have passed since the 2019 film, “Parasite” won the Palme d’Or, the highest prize awarded at the Cannes Film Festival. Although Korean films were not among the 24 competing feature films at the festival’s 74th edition, the firm presence of the Korean cinematic scene was acknowledged by the appearance of its star directors and actors. Director Bong Joon-ho proudly announced the opening of the festival on July 6, while actor Lee Byung-hun took the stage to

July 18, 2021

Hwang Jung-min returns to big screen as himself in ‘Hostage: Missing Celebrity’

Veteran actor Hwang Jung-min returned to the big screen playing himself in the upcoming movie “Hostage: Missing Celebrity” directed by Pil Gam-seong. Hwang said he did not feel pressured playing the character based off his own life. “I actually enjoyed it. I thought that the audiences would take the situation in the film as being more real,” Hwang said during an online press conference held on Thursday. The actor added that it was interesting to read about his own kid

July 17, 2021

Young Korean director wins 2nd prize at Cannes awards for student filmmakers

Director Yoon Dae-won’s “Cicada” has won the second prize at the 24th Cinefondation Selection, the Cannes Film Festival announced Friday. “Cicada,” a Korean short film portraying a transgender prostitute Chang-hyun and his old friend, was invited to the Cinefondation, a category for student filmmakers. Cinefondation, established in 1998, is devoted to spotlighting new talents in the film industry. This year’s selection consisted of 17 short and medium-leng

July 16, 2021

Robert Downey Jr. to star in director Park Chan-wook’s HBO drama

Robert Downey Jr. is joining director Park Chan-wook’s upcoming drama “The Sympathizer,” US online entertainment trade publication Deadline reported Friday. The drama is an adaptation of Viet Tanh Nguyen’s 2016 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of the same title, a spy thriller work of historical fiction. The story centers around a spy from North Vietnam in the South Vietnamese army. The drama will follow the character in exile in the US, depicting the struggles of a communi

July 16, 2021