welh11
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Posts posted by welh11
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@ElectricHearts Your last post is a good summary of the status of The Cross. Worthington announced a new project after filming his current one. Hawke is finishing up his cable series. Neither of their agencies mention The Cross. It may be creative writing (taking tidbits of past information by a reporter to create a story) or mediaplay to attach recognizable names to a project. I have no doubt that SYJ may be curious about doing an English/Hollywood production but she is very detailed on how she picks her projects. She also has friends, such as MJ's husband, who can give her advice/pitfalls of working with foreign/Hollywood directors/companies.
@puan iryantie I read The Cross would take five months to shoot. That is about 60% longer than an average film shoot. The reason is that it is going to be shot 100% on location. Such a shoot may be difficult with weather and logistics. Based on the plot summary, SYJ as MFL would be on set for a majority of the filming.
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@ElectricHearts Hollywood and UK studios have tried and failed to re-start their major film productions because of Covid issues. They have been trying a "pod" concept of separating teams to avoid entire stage infections. South Korea is one of the few places where live action productions have continued (at a third less than normal). I can see why an American producer would like to film in South Korea during the pandemic (better protocols and perception of cheaper production costs).
I think SYJ is very cautious about her next project because she said CLOY was a very difficult shoot on her health. The report of a "pre-meeting" in pre-production (without a final schedule, etc) infers to me that SYJ has many questions about the project before committing to it. In this time of uncertainty, She has earned the reputation to have script input in Korean dramas. It probably is different with a foreign director, especially one of his pet stories for more than a decade. Also the uncertainty of financing (recently Warner Brothers pulled out of Korea productions) has to be a concern as you stated actors do not want to be associated with failed projects. I presume she does not want to be in another Last Princess production where the producers ran out of money before its completion.
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@ElectricHearts It would not surprise me if the producer is looking to find Korean investors for this project.
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I have not seen any verified confirmation of any lead actors for The Cross. I would not think it is unusual since casting is usually done near the end of Hollywood pre-production. At best, it seems this project is at the creative design process: breaking down the preliminary script into storyboards/locations to get a more exact handle on production costs. A local "fixer," is retained to scout locations, get information on work permits, local approvals, logistics, rents, site costs, etc. This information is needed to create a final working budget. Investors need to see this in order to assess the risk of funding production. (Even more so in this situation as this film is not attached to a major studio distributor). Many projects die at this point because the actual "cost" of filming exceeds the estimated original budget. If this is a 100% location shoot for 5 months, it will be expensive even for SK standards. Investors may not commit to what the producer/director wants. In the current pandemic, it would be prudent for any investor to figure out how any production is going to be distributed as that would have a major impact on ROI.
I also think money will be an issue. In recent years Hollywood studios have been constricting first time lead actor fees (Wonder Woman lead only received $300k) Even Korean agencies would not let their stars take a pay cut to do a "Hollywood" film (since future Hollywood Asian roles are few and far between).
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Yes, her latest Instagram post was for a new healthcare CF, with her caption "Thank you for making this wonderful scene."
By my count, this would be her 7th CF of this year which is very high for a Korean celebrity.
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It was reported that Kim So Hyun will take the lead role in Cut to the Heart.
She played the younger version of SYJ in The Last Princess.
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SuzyLeoo, to my knowledge SYJ has not confirmed for any project, including the Cross. There is so much fan interest in Ye JIn that she felt overwhelmed by the interest in her. Many producers are trying to take advantage of her popularity. She may have "received" many scripts but that does not mean she is "considering" any offers.
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I am not surprised that Kang Ha Neul turned down the lead in Cut to the Heart. After his award show win, he said in an interview that he was going to take time off after finishing the film Pirates 2, currently in production.
I also read there are a few negative comments about SYJ taking the role because the female lead in the folk tale was a teenager. I personally thought she would pass on this specific project to concentrate on a new film project.
South Korean film productions are down 22 percent. COVID has hampered movie theaters and box office to the point that many projects will not be considered until late 2021. It would not surprise me if she took off a year (as she had done in the past) before her next film since she has so many CF commitments.
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Another article confirmed the Cut to the Heart script was sent to SYJ for her review, but "She's receiving a lot of screenplays for movies and dramas. It's just one project she's received an offer for."
She is at the height of popularity as shown by her numerous CFs.
I am a bit reserved on this type of news. Her agency is reacting to press reports coming from the project producers, who are seeking publicity for casting, gathering investors or network commitments. Nothing is final until her agency posts in writing that she will do the project.
For example, Cross movie maybe moving forward with securing a Korean movie location, but her agency did say contract details have not been worked out.
With most new productions put on hold or moved into 2021, there is plenty of time for SYJ to decide what is best for her and her career.
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One can measure the current avid Japanese fan interest in SYJ.
Son Yejin's Japan Virtual Fan Meet on August 30, 2020 sold tickets for about $17 for the 90 minute session. The average Tokyo movie theater ticket price is around $14,67. Her fan meeting is generating a premium of 16 percent.
It may be a live event, but all of the fan questions will be pre-screened so I do not expect any surprise answers.
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From a recent Spackman press release:
"Son Ye-jin's recent films include BE WITH YOU (2018), THE NEGOTIATION (2018) and THE LAST PRINCESS (2016), all of which were invested by the Group and/or Spackman Media Group."
Her agency's parent company has been a minority investor in her last three movie projects.
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I agree that SYJ's English has improved but her voice overs were done in post-production and not live.
I am glad she wants to improve her language skills especially for her international fans who want to interact with her. For the past decade, the Philippines has had a strong fan base. The potential for a fan meeting in Philippines is strong in the current articles.
Her Smart deal is a typical endorsement deal. For one year, a celebrity agrees to represent the brand in at least 4 "events" such as a CF commercial, a photoshoot, an interview or fan meeting. They are usually spaced out or released once a quarter.
With all her current endorsement deals, SYJ could be very busy until next spring.
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In regard to The Last Princess, I read at the time that SYJ invested in the film at the last minute because the production company had run out of funds to complete the movie. Without her financial help, the film may not have been completed. She said at the time she felt pressure playing an important historical person and she wanted to properly complete the film. There has not been any other report of her investing her own funds in her projects.
From what I have read, SYJ is conservative with her finances (her mother handled her accounts until only a few years ago). She once owned an investment building near Central Seoul but had tenant issues. She sold the building a few years later.
The parent company of her agency, Spackman Entertainment, has acquired several production companies to become a Korean independent film producer. But it has not cast SYJ in any of its productions. (Her friend, Kong Hyo Jin was in one of the larger ones, Crazy Romance, which had a $21M global box office on $5.6M budget). SYJ is at the pay level for major studio productions. Ironically, Spackman recently received an unsolicited bid for one of its production subsidiaries by a "content group" which infers internet platform.
This shows that Korean film production is a very hot commodity. South Korea is now the world's fourth largest movie theater box office. One does not need to go to Hollywood to have a global hit film such as Parasite.
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Her pencil thin silhouette was outstanding but it was quite awkward for her to get on because the motorcycle was too big for her.
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I would like to see SYJ in a variety show but that is a long shot. She rarely does variety because she thinks she may say or do the wrong thing. When she did Running Man and Master in the House, the hosts were so in awe that such a star was in their presence, SYJ got the upper hand to control her situation. She was very entertaining when she relaxes and has fun. But today, most variety shows go deeper to ask about very personal matters.
For example, Fun Restaurant is where stars create new dishes for a convenience store chain. Two of her good friends, Lee Jung-hyun and Oh Yoon-ah have been on the show (and won the competition). But this show now focuses half on food and half on celebrity personal lives so I don't know if private Ye Jin would want to open up. Her good friend, Kong Hyo Jin, used to be the same way (rarely doing variety shows). But after the success of Camellia Blooms, KHJ gained confidence to be recently been on two variety shows (3 Meals Fishing Village and House on Wheels; both outdoor camping style shows). But again, KHJ knew some of the hosts so that familiarity put her at ease. Maybe SYJ could guest on Return of Superman since she did an Instagram shout out to Gary's son, Ha Oh.
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As a follow up, I checked Sam Worthington's industry bio. He currently has FOUR movies in post-production. He is currently filming Avatar sequels which equates to FOUR more franchise movies. And he has FOUR movies in pre-production. In all, he already has ten years worth of film projects on his docket. The Cross is not one of them.
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I am not optimistic that SYJ will accept the role in The Cross. Her agency's comments included the standard reviewing the offer "details" which means financials but also commented about the script which is unusual. A basic script or scenario is sent to agencies to try to hook interest for actors and investors. The Cross has been circulating around Hollywood for 11 years (with several different casts assigned to it). But it has never been green lit to production. An actor can have some input on the script and its direction, but it is the director who controls the vision (and in this case perhaps tunnel vision since the director is the screenwriter).
Andrew Niccol's claim to fame was as a scriptwriter, mainly sci-fi genre. In looking up this project, he is listed as the writer, director and producer. In movies that he held all three roles, he has had very mixed results.
Andrew Niccol movies as writer, director, producer:
2018 Anon : 54/100 mixed, average reviews (sci-fi) $1.2 million box office ($20 million budget)
2014 Good Kill: 63/100 generally favorable reviews (drama) $1.5 million box office (budget unknown)
2011 In Time: 53/100 mixed, average reviews (sci-fi action) $174 million box office ($40 million budget)
2005 Lord of War 62/100 generally favorable reviews (crime drama) $72 million box office ($50 million budget)
2002 Simone (S1m0ne) 49/100 below average reviews (sci-fi) $19.6 box office ($10 million budget)
1997 Gattaca 64/100 generally favorable reviews (sci fi) $12.5 million ($36 million budget)
Only half of his full control movies have made money. His last two which were terrible box office failures even with established movie stars. Also of note, his movie budgets have continually decreased over time meaning that investors are not confident in his ability to make a return on their investment. Hollywood seeks out bankable projects. Track records matter.
As with any mediaplay, it seems the leak of offer was made from the production company. SYJ agency had to react to the report (it is usually very tight lipped about speculative articles). It reminds me of Boston 1947 where the producers made an offer (which SYJ quickly declined) but kept her name associated with the project for years in order to keep interest alive while it tried to find investors and cast.
A review of Niccol's industry bio does not show The Cross as being listed as announced or in pre-production which means he has no commitments to begin the project. Even if he has a development deal with a studio, the studio is not committed to fund any of his projects. His only current assignment is as a screenwriter for the movie Monopoly, based on the board game, which started pre-production a year ago.
I can see why Niccol reached out to SYJ. CLOY's success on Netflix has made her name in America studio circles. South Korean content has some international buzz. South Korea's film production costs are much lower than the US so there is a greater chance of success (such as Parasite's $165 million box office on $11 million budget). Hollywood producers are in a copycat industry looking to ride the next popularity wave.
But even in South Korea, most movie productions have been halted or slowed due to the pandemic. In Hollywood, its first post-shutdown production was red flagged (or halted) by the unions since the production company failed to meet basic CDC and state health guidelines for COVID19. Filming and scheduling is going to be an issue for the rest of the year. Most major studios have pushed back 2020 summer and major holiday releases to 2021 and 2022. This backlog of feature films will squeeze out independent films which Niccol's production would fit into.
SYJ has become quite particular on what kinds of projects she wants to make. This has served her well as she has been a consistent domestic box office draw. She has had limited experience in foreign productions (one in China). Her international fan base is strongest in Japan, Philippines and India. It could make more sense to first expand her Asian base. Or it would be better if she attached herself to a major studio production if she wants a Hollywood debut like Lee Byung-Hun did.
I also think SYJ is in no hurry to start another project. CLOY was a grueling film shoot (with her getting sick enough to go to the hospital). After stressful projects, she said she would travel but with all the virus restrictions that may not be possible. Instead, by my count, she is currently has at least five (5) CF endorsements (which is more than normal) to keep her busy through this year. If she wants to do an English speaking film, I suspect that she would spend a year learning the language since she is a perfectionist in trying to master her character roles. But learning a foreign language is difficult. I have been learning Korea for the past year. It is a difficult language because it is contextual. Its sentence and grammar structure involves subject identifiers and place holders as well as different sentence structures. It took a long time to get a basic understanding but vocabulary, how to pronounce the nuisances of letters and vowels and various tenses is hard to retain from mere book learning. But it important to take a challenge in our current stay-at-home world. I think SYJ could master a new language if she puts her mind to it and she has the time to commit to it. In past interviews, she said she would have liked to respond to her English-speaking fans questions, but it seems she has not been a priority.
I think her priority is making the best decision to fit her legacy. Less bankable actresses who are reaching 40 years old have to take more risks for diminished returns. I do not think SYJ needs to take on a risky project that could tarnish her reputation. Based on my comments above, I do not think a risky project like The Cross fits into her filmography.
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SYJ has done a Chinese co-production in the past. For a Hollywood offer, she would have to have to have a good command of the English language. A few years ago, she indicated that she was thinking about learning English but I have not heard if she has mastered it. I assume she would get many offers after the success of CLOY, but because most movie productions have been halted or suspended, I doubt if she will commit to any project until this fall.
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When the Pirates sequel was first proposed, SYJ said she would consider it only if original cast returned, including Nam Gil. Since he declined, there was no movement on casting. I presume that after the difficult CLOY shoot she will not do any major work (except for her CF contracts) until late summer.
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"Boston 1947" changed its title to "Road to Boston." In January, 2020, seven weeks of filming began in Australia according to the Victoria film bureau. Ballarat is one of four Victorian locations doubling as 1940s Boston for the film’s marathon scenes. Filming commenced in Melbourne and Geelong last week before moving to Ballarat, and will wrap up in Bendigo next week, with the majority of filming taking place in regional Victoria.
Almost two years ago, SYJ's agency denied that she was cast in the movie. This was part of mediaplay to get interest and financing for the film. Many film companies start rumors of big stars connected to their projects to generate interest.
When Stove League began filming, an article quoted actress Park Eun Bin as saying she had just finished her role in Boston 1947. But I could never confirm this statement.
I also saw this Twitter account, but I believe it is a fan pretending to be her.
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Son Ye-Jin 손예진 [Drama “Thirty-Nine” (JTBC/NETFLIX)]
in actors & actresses
Posted
@ElectricHearts I read this week that Worthington is going to start filming his new project, a western. Hawke was reportedly finishing a film, but he has committed to direct a Paul Newman documentary and to produce/direct an film adaptation of a Tennessee William's play. No mention of The Cross in either press release as a future project. So it may be wishful thinking or hype to attach bankable stars to the project.
We mused that Niccol was in SK looking for Korean investors. Maybe he was thinking SYJ would invest in her own film. Alas, she did the smart (less risky) thing and instead bought a commercial building.