A film starring a disgraced former singer will hit the local screens next month.
Steve Yoo (real name Yoo Seung-jun) makes his silver screen debut opposite Jackie Chan in "Da Bing Xiao Jang."
Produced and written by Chan, "Da Bing Xiao Jang" is a comedy-action flick about an aged soldier`s journey home from a battlefield after kidnapping an enemy prince-general.
Chan also choreographed the martial arts and played the lead role in the movie. Released in China on Sunday, the film will have its international premiere at the 60th Berlin Film Festival today.
Plans for local promotion are yet to be confirmed due to Chan`s tight schedule and the ban placed upon Yoo, according to its Korean distributor Cinespace.
Yoo was deported to the United States in 2002 and banned from reentering the country after suspicions arose that the singer intentionally dodged military service by renouncing his Korean citizenship and obtaining U.S. residential status instead.
Known for his singing, dancing and rapping skills, Yoo was a superstar here during the late 1990s. Last year, Yoo signed a 15-year contract with Chan`s management company.
(insider@heraldcorp.com)