Lee Jung-Jae 이정재 [Movie “Hunt” | Upcoming: Star Wars series “The Acolyte” (Disney+)]

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July 28, 2015

Star-Studded Period Film Another Box-Office Smash

Source: The Chosun Ilbo

The period espionage film "Assassination" got off to a good start by setting new records at the box office.

It has already taken the No. 1 spot in ticket sales this year on opening day and drawn 3.37 million viewers in its first week of release. 

The film is directed by Choi Dong-hoon who also helmed "The Thieves" which drew more than 10 million viewers at the time of release in 2012.

Set in Shanghai and Seoul in the 1930s during the occupation by imperial Japan, the movie starring Jun Ji-hyun, Lee Jung-jae and Ha Jung-woo depicts three Korean independence fighters joining hands to assassinate the commander of Japanese troops.

The movie drew more than 3 million viewers just a day after the number of viewers surpassed two million.

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July 28, 2015

Assassination’ is biggest Korean film of the year

BY JIN EUN-SOO [jin.eunsoo@joongang.co.kr] INSIDE Korea JoongAng Daily

Choi Dong-hoon’s period drama “Assassination,” starring from left, Cho Jin-woong, Jun Ji-hyun (Gianna Jun) and Choi Deok-mun as headstrong Korea independence fighters during the 1930’s, debuted with a record-breaking 2.4 million tickets sold over the weekend. Provided by the distributor

The period drama “Assassination” took in a whopping 19.6 billion won ($16.8 million) and played on 1,519 screens nationwide, making the biggest debut this year for a domestic movie. 

According to the state-run Korean Film Council on Monday, the historical action flick directed by Choi Dong-hoon sold 2.4 million tickets over the weekend, bringing its five-day total to nearly 3.4 million.

The record-breaking box office owes a lot to the film’s star-studded cast including Jun Ji-hyun (Gianna Jun), Lee Jung-jae, Ha Jung-woo and Cho Jin-woong, making it one of the most anticipated films to open this year. The fact that it was helmed by star director Choi, who masterminded blockbusters like “The Thieves” (2012) and “Tazza: The High Rollers” (2006), only added to the expectations. 

Choi’s latest project shines light on Korea’s modern history. It is set in the 1930’s, when the peninsula was still under the harsh colonial rule of the Japanese. It follows a secret assassination scheme set up by Yeom Seok-jin (Lee), a trusted leader in Korea’s provisional government, who lures in three independence fighters - An Ok-yun (Jun), Soksapo (Cho) and Hwang Deok-sam (Choi Deok-mun) - to carry out the plan in Gyeongseong. 

The film had cross-generational appeal. An estimated 44 percent of filmgoers were in their 20s, while 30 percent were in their 30s, and 21 percent were in their 40s, according to the CGV Research Center on Monday. 

Meanwhile, stepping down a notch from last week, Pixar’s animated film “Inside Out” was seen by nearly 700,000 moviegoers over the weekend, taking the No. 2 slot and making its three-week total 3.2 million tickets sold. 

In the third spot was “Yokai Watch: Tanjo No Himitsuda Nyan,” which is an adaptation of the popular Japanese animation series of the same name. 

Apparently a must-watch for school kids, who recently started their summer vacations, the animation distributed by CJ E&M took in 1.5 billion won and played on 510 screens nationwide. 

The film, which opened in Japan last December, sold 6.7 million tickets. 

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July 29, 2015

‘Assassination’ maintains box office top spot

The movie “Assassination” drew more than 400,000 viewers Tuesday to break the 4 million mark seven days after its release. 

According to industry data, over 401,000 people watched the movie Tuesday, pushing up the total to 4.19 million for the record-setting movie.

Released on July 22, the movie drew more than 470,000 viewers on its first day, and set the record for Korean movies breaking the 2-million mark, passing the milestone on its fourth day. 

With the figure now passing 4 million, expectations are that “Assassination” will draw more than 10 million viewers. 

Set in Shanghai and Seoul in the 1930s when Korea was a colony of Japan, the film follows three Korean independence fighters’ plans to assassinate the commander of the Japanese troops in Korea and a pro-Japanese Korean businessman.

The star-studded cast includes actress Jun Ji-hyun and actors Ha Jung-woo and Lee Jung-jae.

By Choi Hee-suk (cheesuk@heraldcorp.com)

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July 29, 2015

Lee Jung Jae leaves a video message in appreciation of fans' supports for his new film

Source: STARN News

Lee Jung Jae left a video message in appreciation for all the supports that many fans have showed for 'Assassination.'

On July 28th, a representative of C-JeS Entertainment left a video message in appreciation for the supports that many fans have showed through his official Facebook.

In the video, Lee Jung Jae says, "Many people have showed fabulous supports for 'Assassination,' and it is all thanks to you that the movie is doing so well on box office rankings."

He continues, "Please spare some time to watch the movie if you have not done so." The video is currently spreading through a great number of different SNS, and many fans and netizens are showing explosive reactions Lee's charming look.

A representative of Lee Jung Jae's management agency said, "We would like to express profound gratitude to many fans for their fabulous supports for Lee Jung Jae and his new film."

Meanwhile, movie 'Assassination' evolves around Korean Independence Army and Provisional Government of Korea officials' plot of assassinating pro-Japanese officials.

/Reporting by Lee Mi-Ji en@starnnews.com

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July 30, 2015

Korean Movies Boost Share of Box Office

Source: The Chosun Ilbo

Domestic films are grabbing an increasingly larger share of the box office. 

According to the Korean Film Council on Wednesday, Korean movies accounted for 49.4 percent or 9.94 million moviegoers in July. 

Domestic films accounted for only a 30-percent share from March to June of this year but managed to boost their share this month, competing head-to-head with Hollywood blockbusters. 

In July, foreign films accounted for 50.6 percent by drawing 10.17 million moviegoers.

The boom was led by "Assassination" and "Northern Limit Line.” The period espionage film "Assassination" depicting independence fighters joining hands to assassinate the commander of Japanese troops drew 4.19 million viewers in the first week of its release. More than 400,000 people have gone to see the film on weekdays.

The patriotic film "Northern Limit Line," depicting a naval skirmish with North Korea in June 2002, drew more than 6 million viewers 29 days after its release. 

The movie swayed public opinion to view the sailors who died as war heroes and led to the posthumous promotion of one, Han Sang-kook, to the rank of senior chief petty officer 13 years after his death.

The Daejeon National Cemetery decided to create a memorial site for the fallen sailors. A free screening of the film was held on Yeonpyeong Island on Wednesday for local residents and soldiers.

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July 30, 2015

‘Assassination’ to break 5 million, on collision course with ‘MI5’

Hollywood blockbuster “Mission: Impossible -- Rogue Nation” might stump the growth of latest box-office hit “Assassination.”

Starring 54-year-old veteran actor Tom Cruise, the fifth installment of the “Mission: Impossible” series opened Thursday in Korea after much anticipation. 

“Assassination,” released eight days earlier, was closing in on the 5-million ticket sales mark as of Thursday morning. 

The period action film starring actress Jun Ji-hyun broke the 2-million mark in just four days, setting a new record for Korean movies. 

Industry watchers are closely following the race. 

By Lim Jeong-yeo (kaylalim@heraldcorp.com)

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August 2, 2015

Korean film 'Assassination' tops 6 million viewer mark

SEOUL, Aug. 2 (Yonhap) -- The Korean action film "Assassination", which features colonial-era assassination attempts by Korean independence fighters, drew more than 6 million viewers in 11 days since its opening, box-office data showed Sunday.

Since its release on July 22, the film was watched by 6,005,639 viewers as of Saturday, including a daily viewer count of 585,705 registered on that day, according to the data by the Korea Film Council.

The feat makes "Assassination" the first South Korean film this year to surpass the 6 million viewer mark in the shortest time since its release.

It's about the same speed as director Choi Dong-hoon's previous movie, "The Thieves," in 2012.

The favorable outcome is also likely to help cement Choi's position as the second-ever film director who has achieved the feat of drawing more than 10 million viewers for two successive movies in South Korea.

Previously, director Yoon Je-kyoon achieved the title with his movies, "Tidal Wave" and "Ode to My Father."

   Set in Shanghai and Seoul in the 1930s when Korea was a colony of Japan, the star-studded film by Choi depicts three Korean independence fighters teaming up to assassinate the commander of the Japanese troops in Korea and a Korean business tycoon with ties to Japan.

Among the actors in the leading roles are Jun Ji-hyun, Lee Jung-jae and Ha Jung-woo.

Cast members of the film 'Assassination' (file photo) Cast members of the film 'Assassination' (file photo)

pbr@yna.co.kr

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August 2, 2015

'Assassination' 2015's top Korean movie

Source: The Korea Times

"Assassination" has topped ticket sales for Korean movies released this year.

The action movie has drawn almost 6.19 million people, beating "Northern Limit Line"s 6 million, according to the Korean Film Council on Sunday.

More than 6 million tickets had been sold in the 11 days after the film opened on July 22, the shortest time a Korean movie has taken to reach the mark this year. Average ticket sales were more than 580,000 a day.

Set in the 1930s during Japanese colonial rule of Korea (1910-1945), the movie spotlights the heroic attempts of Korean independence fighters who battled fearlessly for freedom and justice in defiance of their colonial rulers.

aoshima11@ktimes.com,

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August 3, 2015

'Mission: Impossible,' 'Assassination' sweep weekend box office

SEOUL, Aug. 3 (Yonhap) -- "Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation" topped the local box office last weekend, pushing the star-studded Korean action film "Assassination" down to second place, data showed Monday.

The fifth installment in the nearly 20-year-old film series earned 16 billion won (US$13.76 million) over the July 31-Aug. 2 weekend, according to the computerized box office data from the Korean Film Council.

The Tom Cruise movie has been sitting at No. 1 for the fourth straight day since it opened on Thursday in local theaters, attracting 2.46 million viewers.

In the film, Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise), super-agent for the Impossible Missions Force (IMF), and his team take on their most impossible mission yet, eradicating the Syndicate - an international rogue organization as highly skilled as they are.

"Assassination" dropped down a place to second over the weekend due to the strength of the Hollywood blockbuster, but remains a box office sensation with an accumulted audience of more than 6 million.

It raked in 12.4 billion won from 1.54 million viewers, representing 33.6 percent of ticket sales, over the weekend.

Set in Shanghai and Seoul in the 1930s when Korea was a colony of Japan, the film by Choi Dong-hoon depicts three Korean independence fighters teaming up to assassinate the commander of the Japanese troops in Korea and a Korean business tycoon with ties to Japan.

Among the actors in leading roles are Jun Ji-hyun, Lee Jung-jae and Ha Jung-woo.

Animated films -- "Minions," "Inside Out," "Yokai Watch" and "You Are So Yummy - Happy to Be With You" -- took the next four positions in the box office as it is a popular genre among school children who are on summer vacation.

sshim@yna.co.kr

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August 3, 2015

‘New World’ stars competing for summer season

Actors Park Sung-woong, Lee Jung-jae and Hwang Jung-min -- a trio who starred in the movie “New World” in 2013 -- are now competing for summer movie supremacy this year. 

Park will appear in the movie “Office” as a detective who investigates the criminal case of an office worker who kills his entire family and disappears. 

Park, formerly a villainous character in “New World,” is set to make a transition in his role in the new movie. “I used to take the role of charismatic characters doing severe action scenes, but this time, I decided to become a detective, Jong-hun, who is rather gentle,” he said.

Lee is currently starring in the “Assassination,” playing the role of Yeom Seok-jin and portraying both toughness as a chief and insecurity at the same time. Lee said, “I had to lose a lot of weight and had to stay awake for two days for the role.”

Hwang will appear as another detective, Seo Do-chul, in the movie “Veteran.” He said he studied every detail of detectives whom he actually met in order to naturally portray the role. 

“Veteran” is set to premiere Wednesday, while “Office” will debut Aug. 27. “Assassination” got a head start, having already achieved an accumulated audience of more than 6 million viewers as of Tuesday. 

By Lee Hye-won (hyewonlee@heraldcorp.com)

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August 4, 2015

Korean film 'Assassination' tops 7 million viewer mark

SEOUL, Aug. 4 (Yonhap) -- A domestic action film featuring colonial-era assassination attempts by Korean independence fighters topped 7 million in attendance, according to an early box-office report by its distributor on Tuesday.

Since its release on July 22, "Assassination" had been watched by 7,064,429 viewers as of 7:30 a.m., Showbox said.

Set in Shanghai and Seoul in the 1930s, when Korea was a colony of Japan, the star-studded film by Choi Dong-hoon tells the story of three Korean independence fighters teaming up to assassinate the commander of the Japanese troops in Korea and a Korean business tycoon with ties to Japan.

Among the actors in the leading roles are Jun Ji-hyun, Lee Jung-jae and Ha Jung-woo.

Moviegoers wait in lines to buy tickets for "Assassination," a Korean action film about three anti-Japanese Korean independence fighters teaming up to assassinate the commander of the Japanese troops in Korea, at a cinema in southern Seoul on Aug. 2, 2015. The movie surpassed 7 million in attendance on Aug. 4. (Yonhap) Moviegoers wait in lines to buy tickets for "Assassination," a Korean action film about three anti-Japanese Korean independence fighters teaming up to assassinate the commander of the Japanese troops in Korea, at a cinema in southern Seoul on Aug. 2, 2015. The movie surpassed 7 million in attendance on Aug. 4. (Yonhap)

sshim@yna.co.kr

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August 5, 2015

'Assassination' Proves Unstoppable at Box Office

Source: The Chosun Ilbo

The period espionage film "Assassination" surpassed the 7 million mark in cinema attendance on Tuesday, only 14 days after its release. 

The flick had drawn a total of 7.06 million viewers as of Tuesday morning, according to the Korea Film Council, and the momentum is expected to continue. 

Some expect "Assassination" to be the first film that attracts more than 10 million viewers this year. 

Set in Shanghai and Seoul in the 1930s during the occupation by imperial Japan, the movie depicts three Korean independence fighters joining hands to assassinate the commander of Japanese troops.

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August 7, 2015

'Assassination' wins at box office in July

SEOUL, Aug. 7 (Yonhap) -- The star-studded South Korean action film "Assassination" dominated the local box office in July after being out for just 10 days, data showed Friday.

The movie, starring Jun Ji-hyun, Lee Jung-jae and Ha Jung-woo, opened July 22 and drew 5.42 million people to claim the top spot, the data by the Korean Film Council showed.

Set in Shanghai and Seoul in the 1930s, when Korea was a colony of Japan, "Assassination" tells the story of three Korean independence fighters who conspire to assassinate the commander of the Japanese troops in Korea and a Korean business tycoon with ties to Japan.

"Northern Limit Line," a domestic film that revisits a bloody inter-Korean naval clash in 2002, followed with 4.14 million moviegoers and Pixar's 3-D animated film "Inside Out" came in third with 3.83 million viewers.

In total, 23.43 million people spent a combined 181.1 billion won (US$155.3 million) last month, up 17.8 percent and 16.3 percent, respectively, compared with July 2014.

Domestic and foreign films were neck and neck in their share of audience, with the ratio coming down to about 48:52.

By distributor, Showbox took about a quarter of the audience, or 5.95 million people, to finish first. Lotte Entertainment and Next Entertainment World were second and third with 18 percent and 17.8 percent of the audience, respectively.

Among art and indie films, the American musical "Rudderless" was No. 1 with 65,000 people. "Midnight Diner," a Japanese comedy starring Joe Odagiri, came in second with 41,000, and "Coconut The Little Dragon" was third with 33,000.

sojungpark@yna.co.kr

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August 7, 2015

'Assassination' Star Lee Jung-Jae to Deliver Hugs to Fans

Source: The Chosun Ilbo

Lee Jung-jae, star of the period espionage film "Assassination," will be "giving away" hugs at a cinema in the Lotte World Tower in Seoul at 8 p.m. on Friday. 

The stunt makes good on his promise to hug the first 100 people to show up if the film sold more than 8.15 million tickets. 

The film, which is on track to become one of the biggest box-office hits of the year, had drawn some 7.65 million viewers as of Wednesday and is expected to easily surpass Lee's required number on Friday.

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August 7, 2015

‘Assassination’ draws 8 million viewers

The Korean action film “Assassination,” which features assassination attempts by Korea’s independence army under Japanese colonial rule, drew over 800 million viewers as of Friday, according to the movie’s distributor Showbox Mediaplex.

Amid intensified competition with formidable “Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation” and “Veteran,” the star-studded movie has made a remarkable achievement, even three weeks after its release.

Set in 1933 in Shanghai and Seoul, the film unfolds a story of Korean independence soldiers with a mission to kill a Japanese official, while being chased themselves.

By Ko Ji-seon (jiseonko@heraldcorp.com)

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August 7, 2015

'The Assassination' actor Lee JungJae makes his female fan cry out of joy at free hug event

Source: Newsen via Hancinema.net 

On August 7th, "The Assassination" actor Lee Jeong-jae's free hug event took place in CinePark hall of Lotte World Tower in Jamsil, Songpa-gu, Seoul to celebrate its surpassing 8.15 million viewers.

Meanwhile, according to Korea Film Council's integrated electronic system of movie tickets, movie "The Assassination" has surpassed 7,893,614 viewers by bringing 243,124 to theaters on August 6th.

"The Assassination" depicts the crossing paths and unpredictable fates by National Independence Army and members of Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea, set in Shanghai and Gyeongseong (Seoul) in 1933, as they carry out the operation to assassinate pro-Japanese collaborators. 

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August 8, 2015

Lee Jung Jae Keeps Box Office Promise By Doing Live Interview on “Entertainment Weekly”

Soompi

Actor Lee Jung Jae‘s latest film “Assassination” has been a huge hit, and he’s now fulfilling the box office promises he made before its release!

On his last appearance on the show “Entertainment Weekly” on July 18, Lee Jung Jae promised that if over 8.15 million tickets were sold for “Assassination,” he’d come to the show’s studio for a live interview. “It’ll be my last promotion for ‘Assassination,’” he had said with a huge laugh.

He also vowed at a red carpet gala that he would stage a free hug event if ticket sales reached that number, and he kept that promise by holding a free hug event on August 7 with one hundred of his fans. His co-star Jun Ji Hyun has also fulfilled her pledge to donate lunch boxes to charity if the movie sold over 5 million tickets.

On August 8, Lee Jung Jae came through on his other box office promise by going to the “Entertainment Weekly” studios for a live interview. The audience and the hosts go absolutely wild when he enters, and he even gives a hug to host Shin Hyun Joon.

Shin Hyun Joon comments, “I’ve been doing ‘Entertainment Weekly’ for six years now, and this is the first time the energy in here has ever been so crazy.”

The hosts ask him if he doesn’t regret making the promise, since he had to come to the studio on a Saturday evening.

“It’s been such a long time since I’ve been to a studio for a live show so I’m a bit nervous,” he says. “Still, I’m so grateful that over 8.15 million people went to see the movie, so I wanted to express my thanks.”

The hosts say that in return, they’re going to keep their own promise to devote thirty seconds of the show to promoting “Assassination,” so Lee Jung Jae pretends to prepare to get into a long-winded summary of the film. As everyone laughs, Shin Hyun Joon yells out, “That’s all the time we have!”

During the interview, Shin Hyun Joon says, “Many people are curious. Can we look forward to seeing you work with your ‘official boyfriend’ Jung Woo Sung again in the future?”

Lee Jung Jae and Jung Woo Sung have been best friends since they filmed the movie “City of the Rising Sun” together in 1999. After laughing at the “official boyfriend” joke, Lee Jung Jae replies, “We’ve been making plans to try to work together for years now, but it really hasn’t been easy. We want to do another film together soon too – before we get any older.”

Lee Jung Jae is currently filming the action movie “The Day the Tables Turn” (working title), which is set to hit theaters in 2016.

Do you want to see Lee Jung Jae and Jung Woo Sung star in another film together?

Source (1)

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August 10, 2015

Lee Jung Jae appears on 'Entertainment Weekly' to keep the promise that he made with his fans

Source: STARN News

Lee Jung Jae appeared on 'Entertainment Weekly' to keep the promise that he made with his fans.

On August 8th, a representative of C-JeS Entertainment said, "On August 8th, actor Lee Jung Jae appeared on channel KBS 2TV's 'Entertainment Weekly' to keep the promise that he made with viewers. A great number of fans and viewers have showed explosive reactions for Lee Jung Jae's fulfillment."

All of the MCs chanted Lee Jung Jae's name as he appeared at the studio, and Shin Hyun Jun said, "I have been on this program for six years, but I have never seen everyone going to viral."

Lee Jung Jae said, "It is a great pleasure for me to be here today," and he talked about his future plans, how he takes care of his body shape, and his favorite foods.

It is very rare for 'Entertainment Weekly' to have special guests, and the last guest that they had was Kang Won Rae.

Last month, Lee Jung Jae had promised that he would appear on 'Entertainment Weekly' if his new film, 'Assassination,' attracts over 8.15 million people during an interview that he had for the program.

After 'Assassination' surpassed eight million viewers, Lee Jung Jae held a free-hug event, and he fulfilled the promise that he made with the production team of 'Entertainment Weekly' after the movie surpassed 8.15 million viewers recently.

Meanwhile, Lee Jung Jae's new film, 'Assassination,' was officially released on July 22nd.

/Reporting by Kim Hye-in en@starnnews.com

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Published on August 10, 2015 by K STAR 한류스타 리포트 & 생방송 스타뉴스

Lee Jung Jae-Ha Jung Woo thanks 9 miliion audience of their movie 

 

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Published on August 11, 2015 by K STAR 한류스타 리포트 & 생방송 스타뉴스

Lee Jung Jae, free hug to celebrate [ASSASSINATION]