Jeon Ji Hyun 전지현 - Upcoming Drama : Polaris

[rubie]

May 23, 2012

Thieves and Oldboy remake sell strongly at Cannes

By Patrick Frater filmbiz.asia

The Thieves 도둑들 proved a steal for a number of international distributors, which acquired the big-budget heist movie from South Korea's Showbox/Mediaplex Inc 쇼박스 미디어플렉스.

The film was licensed to China's Lava Films 火山石影視文化有限責任公司, Hong Kong's Edko Films Ltd 安樂影片有限公司 and Thailand's LH Moviefusion. Lava previously marketed South Korean comedy Scandal Makers 과속스캔들 (2008) in China.

Showbox also sold recent hit Nameless Gangsters: Rules of the Time 범죄와의 전쟁 : 나쁜놈들 전성시대 to Japan's KRCG, China's BINCI Media, Hong Kong's i-Cable Communications Ltd 有線寬頻通訊有限公司, French-speaking Europe to Metropolitan Filmexport, Spain's Mediatres Estudio and the former-Soviet Union and the Baltics to Russia's Maywin Films AB.

In addition, Showbox sold A Company Man 회사원 to Japan's Pony Canyon Inc ポニーキャニオン, Indonesia's Ram Indo, Thailand's STG Multimedia, Splendid Film for German-speaking Europe and to Synergy Cinema for French-speaking Europe. The Scent 간기남 was sold to Thailand's LH Moviefusion, Hong Kong's Edko Films and Singapore's Shaw Organisation.

New US-based sales firm Good Universe sold strongly on Oldboy, the Spike LEE-directed remake of the South Korean thriller originally directed by PARK Chan-wook 박찬욱. Universal Pictures International Entertainment bought the now-in production film to the UK, Germany, France, Italy, Austria, Switzerland, Australia and Spain. The remake stars Josh Brolin, Elizabeth Olsen and Sharlto Copley. Spike Lee is producer alongside Roy LEE and Doug DAVISON. Good Universe's Nathan KAHANE is an executive producer.

French sales agency, Wild Bunch licensed Cannes competition film Holy Motors (directed by Leos Carax) to Japan's Eurospace ユーロスペース. And Comstock Group コムストック・グループ and Broadmedia Studios Corporation ブロードメディア・スタジオ株式会社 co-acquired Marina de Van's psychological thriller Dark Touch for Japan.

[rubie]

May 29, 2012

"The Thieves" attracts more international buyers at Cannes film fest

Reporter : Lucia Hong. Editor : Monica Suk. 10Asia

Pushing its popularity further at the Berlin International Film Festival, Korean heist feature "The Thieves" has locked more deals with firms based in Asian countries at the 65th Festival De Cannes.

On Tuesday, the pic's promoter Showbox announced that "The Thieves" was presold to eight countries in Asia -- Singapore, Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia, Taiwan, China, Hong Kong and Thailand -- even before it hits the big screen in Korea.

Showbox explained that the deals were made after the film's teaser preview and the poster revealed at the film market during the Festival De Cannes held in Cannes, France from May 16 to 27.

"We have received a number of inquiries from other countries and we're currently at the last stage of signing deals with Japan and Vietnam," a rep with Showbox said in the statement.

"The Thieves," the fourth feature by director Choi Dong-hoon from "The War of Flower" (2006) and "WOOCHI" (2009), tells the story of thieves from Korea and China that team up together to steal a 40 billion Korean won diamond locked in a special room at a casino in Macao.

The pic, featuring a star-studded cast consisted of Kim Yun-seok, Kim Hye-soo, Kim Soo-hyun and Jun Ji-hyun, is slated to open in local theaters in July 2012.

[rubie]

June 12, 2012

'The Thieves' all-star cast set to steal show
By Cho Jae-eun Korea JoongAng Daily 


Stars of the new action film 'The Thieves' pose for the press yesterday at the Westin Chosun Hotel in central Seoul. From left, Oh Dal-soo, Kim Hye-sook, Kim Soo-hyun, Kim Hye-su, Kim Yoon-seok, Jeon Ji-hyun and Lee Jung-jae [NEWSIS]
The biggest names in Korean film are set to star in the upcoming summer blockbuster “The Thieves,” dubbed Korea’s “Ocean’s Eleven” with its megawatt leads featured as a gang of thieves. 

Kim Hye-su, Kim Yoon-seok, Lee Jung-jae, Jeon Ji-hyun and Kim Soo-hyun, as well as Hong Kong stars Angelica Lee and Simon Yam, make up the all-star ensemble in this heist movie directed by critically praised director Choi Dong-hun of “Tazza: The High Rollers” (2006) and “The Big Swindle” (2004). 
The thought of directing this group of high-profile actors and actresses was “really scary,” confessed the director.

“At the beginning, I was worried whether Kim Hye-su and Jeon Ji-hyun might get into a fight or something,” joked Choi, during the press conference for the film yesterday at the Westin Chosun Hotel in central Seoul, adding that in the end the two leading actresses got along well and supported each other. 

“Even during filming, I couldn’t take my eyes off the monitor because of the charisma of all these actors.” 

On comparisons with “Ocean’s Eleven,” the director said he never went into production consciously thinking about the hit Hollywood film.

“I think the film, more than ‘Ocean’s Eleven,’ is closer to ‘Tazza’ and ‘The Big Swindle.’ Maybe there are similarities in that both films [‘The Thieves’ and ‘Ocean’s Eleven’] are about stealing, but the action featured in our film is invested with more emotion,” said Choi.

“When I saw ‘Ocean’s Eleven,’ the gang seemed really compatible and harmonious, but in ‘The Thieves,’ we are all over the place, all with our own faults,” said Kim Yoon-seok, who plays the head thief, Macao Park, in the new action blockbuster. 

“But I think that you will see through the friendships and love in the film, our unique emotional developments will show through.” 

 A still image from the new film 'The Thieves' Provided by 1st Look

Director Choi’s fourth feature film is set in Macau, as a group of Korean thieves are called out by legendary thief Macao Park to the region to steal a rare blue diamond worth $20 million. The gang works with a group of Hong Kong thieves, all with their own secrets and ambitions regarding the project. 

Veteran actress Kim Hye-su said that the shooting of one trying scene in the film, where she is featured under water trapped in a car, tested her patience and determination as an actress.

“When the director called for one more take, I could sense a touching passion in his voice, so I did one more,” said the actress, who also starred in the “Tazza: The High Rollers” along with her co-star Kim Yoon-seok.

“When I was watching myself on the monitor afterward, I started questioning why, as an actress, I had to endure such hardship - for what? The director, the audience or for the sake of the film?” she said.

“It was a moment when I questioned what films are to me.” 

The film also marked the return of Hallyu star Jeon Ji-hyun to the big screen, as a rope-walking thief in the film, after her recent wedding. Her love interest in “The Thieves” is fellow thief, Jampano, played by up-and-coming actor Kim Soo-hyun, who catapulted into stardom with his role in the MBC historical drama “The Moon that Embraces the Sun” this year. 

“My kiss scene with Jeon Ji-hyun was easy because I was able to get immersed in the scene easily with her presence,” said the young actor, looking a bit flushed. 

When asked if he is anxious about the film’s July 25th opening, which will be in theaters with Hollywood blockbusters including “The Dark Knight Rises,” director Choi joked, “I see Batman in my sleep these days.”

“But more than anything, I wish that through the film, more people outside Korea will be able to get to know these great actors.”

[rubie]

Source: innolife.net

[Guest snowflakesj16]

Jeon Ji Hyun for First Look Magazine
Source: http://www.firstlook.co.kr/?people=cool-calling
Related News from eNews World - Jun Ji Hyun is Just Getting Started as an Actress

[rubie]

July 23, 2012

Jeon Ji-hyeon satisfied with her role in new movie
The Korea Herald


Actress Jeon Ji-hyeon poses during the interview (The Korea Herald)

Jeon Ji-hyeon said she was satisfied with her role in the upcoming movie “Thieves,” a story of a gang that steals billions of dollars worth of diamonds hidden in Macau. The movie goes on release Wednesday.


Actress Jeon Ji-hyeon poses during the interview (The Korea Herald)

In the movie, actress Jeon Ji-hyeon plays a sexy and agile rope-walker alongside famous actors and actresses like Kim Yoon-seok, Kim Hye-soo, Lee Jeong-jae and Kim Soo-hyeon.


Actress Jeon Ji-hyeon poses during the interview (The Korea Herald)

In an interview with Herald Business, Jeon said she was very satisfied with the character with an unrestrained nature because she, as a favored actress, had to be conscious of how others see her for a long time.


Actress Jeon Ji-hyeon poses during the interview (The Korea Herald)

Jeon also said that from having to worry about cooking and washing dishes every day since getting married in April, she finally learned how to behave as a grown-up.

[rubie]

July 18, 2012
Jun Ji Hyun vs. Anne Hathaway, the Two Sexy ThievesSource: CJ E&M enewsWorld Oh, MiJung Translation Credit : Erika Kim 
The summer will be yielding a string of blockbuster film premieres from inside and outside Korea. 
In the midst of the big movie war, two sexy female thieves will be fighting a battle of their own. The sexy thieves Jun Ji Hyun and Anne Hathaway will be battling it out on the big screen to the delight of male audiences.
Jun Ji Hyun and Anne Hathaway both appear in their films, The Thieves and The Dark Knight Rises, as female thieves. The two pieces are the most anticipated films of the summer in the Korean box office, and the two thieves are expected to make male audiences happier than ever.

Jun Ji Hyun took on the role of Ye Nicole, a thief that can go wherever she wants on ropes. Her character was originally to be named ‘Anycall’ to mean that she would go anywhere she was called, but the name was shot down when Samsung, the company that produces a cell phone line with the same name, opposed the notion. In the end she was named ‘Ye Nicole’ for a similar name.
Ye Nicole is a sexy thief that uses her good looks and beauty to her advantage. She then shows off her slick rope-stepping tricks and gets her hands on whatever she was supposed to steal in the blink of an eye. She doesn’t hesitate to climb buildings or jump from high places, and she always dons a tight black suit whenever she sets her plans into action.
She always keeps her cool but at the same time tries to find a break for herself by keeping an eye on what the other members are up to. She’s sexy and careful, and because of her beautiful looks, she is loved by the rookie thief Jampano (Kim Soo Hyun).

Anne Hathaway appears as the thief and trickster Catwoman in The Dark Knight Rises. Because she’s Catwoman, being sleek and sexy is her thing - she steals her goods as stealthily as a cat, and boasts great intelligence.
She climbs building walls like Ye Nicole does, and is also as bold, seducing Batman in her tight black suit. 
The Dark Knight Rises will premiere on July 19, while The Thieves will premiere on July 25.

[rubie]

July 23, 2012
'Actor and director are like husband and wife'Choi Dong-hoon on making 10 stars shine in 'Thieves,' opening Thursday
By Kwaak Je-yup The Korea Times
Director Choi Dong-hoon poses at an interview in this July 18 photo. He returns to the box office Thursday with crime drama “The Thieves,” starring some of the most bankable actors in Korean and Hong Kong Cinema, including Kim Yun-seok, Kim Hye-soo, Jun Ji-hyun, Simon Yam Tat-Wah, Lee Jung-jae and Kim Su-hyun, among others. / Yonhap
Unlike in Hollywood, there are few full-time screenwriters left in Korean cinema. Successful ones have moved to more lucrative TV dramas and soap operas, and movies are now written and brought to life by the hands of the director.
It should come as no surprise, then, that the results have been mixed. Some films of late have had painfully unbelievable lines, while others seemed to have managed just fine.
Director Choi Dong-hoon, whose new movie “The Thieves” opens on Thursday, falls in the latter category. His last two films attracted more than 6 million people each and he is regarded by screen actors, critics and audiences alike as someone who can truly bring characters to life.
Writing and shooting the crime drama involving a theft of a rare diamond in Macau, he had to deal with no less than ten parts but took the industry by surprise when he successfully filled most of them with the hottest stars from here and Hong Kong, including Kim Yun-seok, Kim Hye-soo, Jun Ji-hyun, Simon Yam Tat-Wah, Lee Jung-jae and Kim Su-hyun. He must be doing something right to get such big names to sign on.
“It’s like a husband and a wife, the relationship between the director and an actor,” he said in an interview on Thursday. “There are intimate details no one else knows.”
From left, actors Kim Hye-soo, Lee Jung-jae, Oh Dal-soo and Jun Ji-hyun in a scene from “The Thieves.” The film opens Thursday in theaters nationwide./ Courtesy of Showbox/Mediaplex
That theory shows in his continuing (professional) relationships with Kim Yun-seok and Kim Hye-soo, who star in the new film as mastermind Macau Park and his on-and-off girlfriend Pepsi, respectively. The latter starred in Choi’s 2006 hit “Tazza: the Higher Rollers,” another gambling and crime drama, and the former having worked with the director four times in a row, from thriller “The Big Swindle” (2004) to action comedy “Woochi” (2009) and now on “The Thieves.”
The media buzz around the new film has concentrated much on the technical aspects — climbing buildings on wires, shoots in Macau and Hong Kong and of course, the marquee names — but Choi spent most of the hour talking about the characters, from development to interpretation. He seemed completely satisfied with each and every one and the actors who played them. His words on the cast were not obligatory compliments but reflections of his affection.
“Never did it occur to me that they needed to be handled in a certain way. It’s just that the screenplay must be fully understood... We talk. Slowly infect them with my thoughts, mixing the individual with the movie’s tone and manner.”
The best example of this at work is with the women. Defying expectations that a theft-themed film would be led by male characters, magic is witnessed more often around the female thieves, played by Kim Hae-sook, Kim Hye-soo, Jun and Angelica Lee Sin-Jie. Nimbly delving into their vulnerabilities, hopes and dreams, Choi achieves a rare feat in male-dominated Korean cinema, where women are too often sidelined as the sexpot, the femme fatale or the unattractive comic relief.
“I think I have, personally and writing-wise too, a strong feminine side, like a talkative ajumma (middle-aged woman). Female characters are always a challenge but a kind of an unknown, too. If you can create great women, wouldn’t that make you a great director? I find myself fixing and fixing, thinking about how my mother would talk.”
Choi has reiterated over the past years that he wants to work with Korean cinema’s most respected actor of the moment, Ha Jeong-woo, and he said it again during the interview. His mind seemed to wander a little, already dreaming about the next project and characters.
“The Thieves” opens in theaters nationwide on Thursday.

[rubie]

July 26, 2012
"The Thieves" records 2nd biggest opening of all-time in KoreaReporter: Lee Hye Ji Editor: Monica Suk 10Kstar
“The Thieves,” one of the most-anticipated films this year, has recorded the second best opening in Korean film history.
“The Thieves” attracted 436,622 moviegoers on the day of its release on Wednesday, stealing the top seed from five-day-reigning “Dark Night Rise” at local box office's daily chart, according to Korea Box office Information System (KOBIS)'s website Thursday.
This is the second highest single day opening of all-time after “The Host” opened with 449,500 tickets sold in 2006.
The former No. 2 was “D-War," 2007 Korean fantasy film produced by Shim Hyung-rae, slid down to the third place, putting an end to its five-years honor.
“Deranged,” which had the best opening record of the year until Tuesday, stopped at pulling in 190,952 audiences on its release date.
The action drama pic “The Thieves” tells the story about a group of ten thieves from different backgrounds who have teamed up to steal a diamond hidden inside a casino located in Macao.
Helmed by famed director Choi Dong-hoon, top Korean actors joined the Korean version of “Ocean's Eleven,” such as Kim Yoon-seok, Kim Hye-soo, Lee Jung-jae, Jun Ji-hyun, and Kim Soo-hyun.

[rubie]

July 27, 2012

Successes and Pitfalls of Star Power in Advertising
ChosunIlbo

The decision by Coreana Cosmetics to hire actress Kim Ha-neul as a poster girl is paying off handsomely thanks to the tremendous popularity of the hit SBS soap "A Gentleman's Dignity" in which she stars alongside heartthrob Jang Dong-gun. The pink lipstick Kim uses in the drama has become such a hit that 20,000 of the products have sold so far across the nation, which is faster than the company can supply them.

Coreana has had to ramp up production to meet demand. "We paid hundreds of millions of won in modeling fees, but sales of the lipstick alone more than made up for that," said a company staffer.

Businesses are very cautious about choosing models for their products. It may seem that hiring the most popular star to endorse a product would guarantee its success, but things do not always turn out that way. Advertisers must carefully consider the type of product they are selling, whether it goes well with a particular model, how well-known the model is among the target consumer group, and how to differentiate the product from rivals.


From left, Kim Ha-neul, Jeon Ji-hyun and Kim Yu-na

One example of a successful pairing of product and model is actress Jeon Ji-hyun and Elastine shampoo, by LG Household and Health Care. Jeon was the poster girl for Elastine from 2001, when the product was introduced, until 2011. Although relatively unknown back then, her fresh appearance and long hair was a perfect match with the product and turned it into an instant hit. Elastine has been the best-selling shampoo since its debut and still holds that position with consumers associating that product with the actress. In turn, Jeon was able to consolidate her fresh image.

But relying too much on star power can lead to the merchandise becoming overshadowed by the celebrity. An example is actor Kim Soo-hyun, who suddenly became a star with the lead role in the MBC costume drama "The Moon that Embraces the Sun." During the first six months of this year, Kim appeared in ads for more than 10 products ranging from coffee, sportswear, jewelry, beer and electronic products. Because he spreads himself so thinly, consumers are often confused.

Now many businesses are trying to avoid this pitfall by turning to popular athletes. They are not only fresh faces but also felt to embody trustworthiness, the spirit of challenge and strapping health. Daewoong Pharmaceutical hired soccer legend Cha Bum-kun, his son and star soccer player Cha Du-ri and his brother to advertise its health supplements, and the ads proved successful.

Figure skating star Kim Yu-na appeared in 136 ads until June this year and raised the brand image of every product she has endorsed.

"Sports stars have a stronger image of trustworthiness than other models, and their personal stories of challenge and success have a positive impact on the product they endorse," said Park Jae-hang of advertising company Innocean Worldwide. "Rather than hiring them for a single ad, it could be more beneficial to form long-term sponsorship deals with them in order to boost the corporate image by giving an impression that the company endeavors to foster sports."

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July 30, 2012       'Thieves' breaks record with 2.9 mil.By Kwaak Je-yup The Korea Times

The crime drama “The Thieves” has posted the best opening in Korean cinema history, its studio Showbox Mediaplex announced on Monday.
Opened Wednesday, director Choi Dong-hoon’s latest film attracted close to 2.9 million moviegoers over five days, equivalent to more than 20.7 billion won in ticket sales.
This bests the previous week’s opening of “The Dark Knight Rises,” the final installment of Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy, which lured 2.4 million people, or 17.9 billion won in revenue, in four days.
The latest trend in the Korean cinema industry is to pull up the opening day to at least Thursday, with more studios moving the date even further up for blockbusters.
Comparing just the three-day weekend figures, Korea Film Council’s official tally shows that “The Dark Knight Rises” actually beat “The Thieves” in sales by about 100 million won (14.8 billion to 14.7 billion). 
But given that the homegrown feature managed to beat the American hero flick in headcount — the latter narrowly missed the 2 million mark while the former edged slightly past it — the higher sales figure for the latest Batman franchise reflects the more expensive ticket price for IMAX cinemas. The seats for the special-format screen are reported to have sold out in advance for three weeks since the July 19 opening.
Projections for this week are mixed, given that “The Dark Knight Rises” has garnered more favorable reviews among critics and Netizens. With millions of students and workers on vacation and no major release slated for this week, the battle for the box office throne may come as a surprise.

[rubie]

August 1, 2012

'The Thieves' a hit at local box office
YonhapNews

SEOUL, Aug. 1 (Yonhap) -- The Korean heist film "The Thieves" continued its local box office reign in its second week after taking in an opening week record as many holidaymakers seek to escape hot summer weather at cool theaters.

   The movie, starring top actors and actresses Jun Ji-hyun, Kim Hye-soo, Kim Yun-seok and Lee Jung-jae, broke the 3 million mark in audience number on Monday, the sixth day since its release, drawing 3.35 million viewers.

   It drew nearly 500,000 moviegoers across the country on that day alone, according to official box-office tallies, meaning many of the viewers are those on summer vacation.
   


The films is drawing moviegoers at a faster pace than director Bong Jun-ho's box-office hit "The Host "(2006) and "D-War" (2007), a sci-fi monster flick by director Shim Hyeong-rae, which drew 3.19 million and 3.09 million, respectively, during the first six days of opening.

   "The Thieves," if this trend continues, is expected to easily break the 5 million mark within this week.

   During the same period, the movie raked in more than 50 percent of local box revenues, beating the Hollywood blockbuster "The Dark Knight Rises."

   "The ticket sales for 'The Thieves' is showing a rare pattern, drawing larger audiences each day as time goes by," an official at the movie's distributor Showbox said.

   Directed by Choe Dong-hoon, known for "Tazza: the High Rollers" and "The Big Swindle," "The Thieves" is about 10 South Korean and Chinese thieves teaming up to steal a valuable diamond necklace at a Macao casino.

[cutekid]

its been a while since i was last here...

thanks for sharing all updates

[rubie]

July 30, 2012
Movie "Thieves" Attracts over 2 Million ViewersKBS Global
The recent movie "Thieves", directed by Choi Dong-hoon, is dominating the box office. Already over 2 million movie-goers have visited the theatres to watch it.
According to the Korean Film Council on July 30th, "Thieves" brought in an additional 751,039 people on the 29th, 759,626 people on the 28th, and 493,567 people on the 27th, bringing the total number of viewers to about 2 million viewers. That means that after premieringon the 25th, within just five days, a total of 2.86 million people have already seen the flick. This puts the movie proudly at first place in ticket sales. It even seems mighty possible that it will hit the 3 million mark within six days.
"Thieves" is about a group of 10 Korean and Chinese thieves that are after the "Tear Of The Sun" diamond. It boasts an A-list cast: Kim Yoon-suk, Kim Hye-soo, Jeon Ji-hyun, Lee Jung-jae, Kim Soo-hyun, and Kim Hae-sook.
In second place at the box office on the 29th was the Hollywood blockbuster "The Dark Knight Rises". So far, 4.25 million peole have watched the hit movie. Third place went to "Ice Age 4: Continental Drift", for drawing in a total of about 470,000 people so far. Horror film "Scary Story" was at fourth place for the 141,000 people it garnered. "Detective Conan: 11th Striker" was at fifth place.  

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August 2, 2012

'The Thieves' steals attendance record
By Carla Sunwoo Korea JoongAng Daily



Eight days after being released, “The Thieves” has set a box office record of more than four million viewers.

According to statistics released by the Korea Film Council on Wednesday, the movie starring some of Korea’s hottest talents - from Kim Soo-hyun to Kim Hye-su - has been seen by 4,365,090 people.

“The Thieves” has become the Korean film to draw the largest audience in the shortest time, similar to the sci-fi action films “The Host” (2006) and “D-War” (2007). 

“Despite the fact that the Olympic Games is on, the film is steadily maintaining a top position,” said a spokesperson of the film, adding that “The Thieves” sold more than a million tickets over a two-day stretch. 

For the second week in a row, the film is also the most booked movie at the theaters.

The plot centers on a gang assembled in Macau by legendary thief Macao Park (Kim Yoon-seok) to steal a $20 million diamond. The gang works with Hong Kong thieves, but they all plan to keep the diamond for themselves.

[rubie]

August 4, 2012

Jeon Ji-hyun Gets Back into Groove with 'The Thieves'
ChosunIlbo



The Korean heist film "The Thieves" attracted 2.11 million viewers as of last week, just four days after its release, to knock "The Dark Knight Rises" off its perch at the local box office. The only other domestic movies that have drawn over 2 million viewers in such a short space of time are the sci-fi slash-monster flicks "The Host" (2006) and "D-War" (2007).

Among the most-memorable characters in "The Thieves" is an agile, rope-climbing bandit called "Yenicall," played by Jeon Ji-hyun. 

The slender thief scales building walls, not unlike Spider-man, and isn't afraid to spew out profanity-laden dialogue, contrary to the star's sexy but demure image in recent years.

When asked to explain the slump in her movie career after grabbing the spotlight through the huge hit "My Sassy Girl" in 2001, Jeon said she has still been sharpening her skills and remains devoted to her job as an actress.

"People criticized me for only appearing in commercials, but it was just part of the same kind of work to me," she said. "It's disappointing if you play a movie role you really craved but people don't go and see it. My fans had high expectations of me following 'My Sassy Girl,' but I don't think I took the easy way out [by focusing on advertisements]. I continued to hone my craft."

She starred in two Hollywood turkeys -- "Blood: The Last Vampire" (2007) and "Snow Flower and the Secret Fan" (2010) -- but was upbeat about the experience, saying it gave her invaluable experience and helped her appreciate her career in Korea.

"It's too bad there aren't many good films listed on my filmography," Jeon said. "When I was filming 'Blood: The Last Vampire,' I was so nervous about speaking even a single line [in English] that I couldn't sleep the night before filming. But that experience made it much easier to do 'Snow Flower and the Secret Fan' as I gained experience and confidence."

"I also learned to appreciate the way I'm treated in Korea after working overseas, where the name Jeon Ji-hyun does not merit any special treatment."



Jeon, who married a banker earlier this year, said she is not having any difficulty juggling her career and her role as a wife. "Things could have been difficult as I'm still a newly-wed, but I met someone who is very understanding," she said. "I'm not really concerned, as I will do my best to build a happy family. Also, my career is not the be-all and end-all. I always give 100 percent to what I do, but I know better than to stake everything on my work."

Jeon said she wants to seek out more down-to-earth roles in the future. "I've starred in a lot of fantasy films, so now I want play more ordinary roles… maybe even a movie about the relationship between a mother and daughter," she said.

[rubie]

August 5, 2012

"The Thieves" breaks audience record with 6 mln in 11 days: data
YonhapNews

SEOUL, Aug. 5 (Yonhap) -- A South Korean box office hit continued breaking records with over 6 million viewers in the first 11 days of its release, official statistics showed Sunday.

   "The Thieves," featuring 10 Korean and Chinese thieves teaming up to steal a valuable diamond necklace at a Macao casino, drew 6.2 million viewers in the first 11 days until Saturday, data from the Korean Film Council showed.

   The film directed by Choe Dong-hoon, who is known for "Tazza: the High Rollers" and "The Big Swindle," has been drawing moviegoers at a faster pace than director Bong Jun-ho's box-office hit "The Host."

   Industry watchers say "The Thieves" will likely attract 10 million viewers faster than "The Host," which broke the 10 million mark within 21 days.

   The film had 770,762 viewers on Saturday alone in a daily record for any South Korean film.

   The movie, starring top actors and actresses Jun Ji-hyun, Kim Hye-soo, Kim Yun-seok and Lee Jung-jae, has raked in more than half of local box revenues, outperforming the Hollywood blockbuster "The Dark Knight Rises."

[rubie]

August 6, 2012
The Thieves breaks more records, climbs all-time chartsby girlfriday dramabeans.com

Turns out if you cast enough bandits in your movie, they’ll run away with the bank. New summer heist movie The Thieves has reported numbers for its second weekend, breaking another set of box office records in Korea. In Week 2 the film has sold nearly 7 million tickets — 6,884,220 admissions in total by Day 12 of the film’s release. The press is having a field day with the box-office-record-breaking movie, and why not? There’s nothing like a homegrown blockbuster to make you happy to do the math.
Over the weekend the film broke the 5-million-by-Day-10 record, a small club for some of the highest grossing films in Korea, both foreign and domestic (The Host previously held the record at 5.1 million at Day 10). But more interesting is the fact that it’s well on its way to topping the all-time box office charts for domestic films, if it keeps up this insane rate of growth.
In twelve days it reached 14th in all-time box office admissions for domestic releases, topping total gross ticket sales for movies like Shiri, Ajusshi, and The Good The Bad The Weird. Director Choi Dong-hun’s own Tazza held the 14th spot until this weekend, when his new film The Thieves broke it in just twelve days. Is it more or less consolation if it’s your own film beating out your other film?
It’s reportedly earning an estimated $39 million gross (for those of us counting in dollars), and seems poised to break into the 11-million ticket range where the top five all-time domestic films live (Silmido, Haeundae, Taegukgi, The King and the Clown, and of course at number one: The Host with 13 million +).
Is there a new top dog on the horizon? It’s still early, but things are looking up for Popeye and his merry band of thieves.

Via Hankook Ilbo, Hollywood Reporter

[rubie]

August 8, 2012

"The Thieves" heads for 10 million
Nate Reporter: Lee Tae-ho Editor: Monica Suk Kstar10.com



Korean blockbuster “The Thieves” is one step closer to reaching 10 million audiences.

The director Choi Dong-hoon’s latest film, which hit local theaters on July 25, has since brought in 7,596,732 moviegoers as of Wednesday, according to the data compiled by Korean Film Council (KOFIC).

Thanks to the tremendous upturn, the movie shattered the 2012 local box office record and held off the former No. 1 of the year, "Avengers." 

The superhero pic stopped at attracting about 7,060,000 moviegoers since its opening on April 26.

The comedy action flick, starring actor Lee Jung-jae, Kim Yoon-seok, actress Jun Ji-hyun and Kim Hye-soo, has landed at No. 7 at the Korean box office history, beating out the former ranker “Arrow The Ultimate Weapon” (2011).

Box office watchers are expecting "The Thieves" to catch up with the record set by Bong Joon-ho’s “The Host” (2006), which attracted about 13 million audience in just 21 days of opening in local theaters. 

This does not seem to be a difficult task for the hit film, considering that "The Thieves" reached seven million ticket sales in 13 days of premiere while “The Host" accomplished it in 12 days.

The latest 10-million-audience film in Korea is director Yoon Je-kyoon's blockbuster "Haeundae," which posted 11 million ticket sales in 2009. 

[cutekid]

wow! that's really nice to know. really excited to watch it on DVD when it comes out.