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

[Helena]

http://www.koreanfilm.or.kr/eng/news/news.jsp?blbdComCd=601006&seq=5768&mode=VIEW
Actor Lee Jungjae’s Directorial Debut, HUNT, Heated the Night in Cannes with a Standing Ovation from 3,000 Viewers

by Hellen Park | May 23, 2022

HUNT, Premiered at the 75th Cannes Film Festival for the First Time in the World

Actor Lee Jungjae made his debut as a film director amid a standing ovation from 3,000 viewers who filled GRAND THEATRE LUMIERE, the main theater of the Cannes Film Festival. Actor Lee Jungjae, a representative star for nearly 30 years in Korean films, wrote and directed the film Hunt, and Actor Jung Woosung, who has been friends with Lee for 23 years, participated in the lead role. Hunt was officially invited to the non-competition Midnight Screening section at the 75th Cannes Film Festival and screened as World Premiere at midnight (local time in France) on May 20.

Hunt is going to be screened 4 times in total at the Cannes Film Festival, and as of May 20, all the tickets have been sold out. Those who couldn’t get the tickets gathered on the ‘LAST MINUTE’ line (an admission system you can get the remaining seats after the ticket holders enter the theater) two hours before the movie begins, forming a long queue. 10 minutes before the screening, cheers poured out when Lee Jungjae and Jung Woosung appeared on the red carpet in front of the GRAND THEATRE LUMIERE. Fans holding a photo of 'Gihun' in Squid Game and requesting an autograph were also noticed. Hong Jeongin, CEO of the distributor Megabox Plus M, Executive Lee Jungse, and Han Jaeduk, CEO of the production company Sanai Pictures also stood on the red carpet together with the actors. 

Hunt depicts a story that takes place when ‘Park Pyongho’ and ‘Kim Jungdo,’ the special agents of the Korean Central Intelligence Agency, who suspect each other to find hidden spies in the organization, face a huge incident called ‘Korea's No. 1 assassination operation.’ The unveiled Hunt contains both stylish and thrilling ‘actions’ and ‘spy drama’ that raises tension through reasoning and tracking until the end. Especially, the chemistry stood out between Lee Jungjae and Jung Woosung, who worked together for the first time in 23 years after City of The Rising Sun. On top of that, it is another fun to watch the special appearances of the actors representing Korean films. 

As the ending credit went up, the audience began to stand up one by one and applauded and cheered. In a standing ovation that lasted about 7 minutes, Lee Jungjae and Jung Woosung embraced each other passionately. Grabbing the microphone, Lee Jungjae thanked the audience with a flush on his face, saying, "Thank you, Merci beaucoup."

Hunt, released for the first time in the world through the 75th Cannes Film Festival, is scheduled to be released in the summer of 2022.

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http://www.koreanfilm.or.kr/eng/news/news.jsp?blbdComCd=601006&seq=5769&mode=VIEW
From Big Star of Squid Game to Director of HUNT on the Cannes’ Red Carpet

by Hyeeun Park | May 24, 2022

Director Lee Jungjae of HUNT, Revealed for the First Time at Cannes

The 75th Cannes International Film Festival, which opened on May 17 (France local time), will probably be remembered as the ‘brightest’ film festival in its 75-year history. Few film officials and tourists from around the world who fill the Boulevard de la Croisette were wearing masks. Cannes is lively as if it went back to the time before the COVID-19 Pandemic.

At the beginning of the festival, two films are in charge of the ‘Cannes’ vitality.’ One is Top Gun: Maverick, the sequel Hollywood's big star Tom Cruise starred in again in 36 years, and the other is HUNT of Lee Jungjae, one of the Korean big stars and the ‘Global Big Star’ of Squid Game. Screen International, which publishes the daily magazine of the Cannes Film Festival, and Variety expressed expectations by covering Director Lee Jungjae's interview in depth before the premiere of HUNT. The list of ‘Best New Movies’ chosen by foreign media has mentioned HUNT on a regular basis.

Little information about HUNT was released before the screening. The only information we had was that it is a blockbuster spy action movie with around 25 billion won (USD 20 million) of production costs, Lee Jungjae directed, wrote, produced, and even starred in it, and Actor Jung Woosung, one of the top Korean stars and Lee Jungjae's long time ‘best friend,’ co-stars the film in 23 years after City of the Rising Sun (1998). 

Finally, on May 19, the new director Lee Jungjae's HUNT was unveiled for the first time in the world through Cannes’ Midnight Screenings. If you had imagined a stylish and popular action movie, HUNT would have gone far beyond that expectation. The film has intense actions and delicate Mise-en-Scène. The story based on the political situation in Korea in the 1980s is vast and detailed. The seasoned performances of the two main actors, Lee Jungjae and Jung Woosung, are worth enough waiting for 23 years.

Upon arriving in Cannes, we met Director Lee Jungjae, who is in the spotlight as the ‘main character of Cannes,’ in person in Cannes. Despite the intense schedule of over 80 interviews with global media, Director Lee Jungjae smiled brightly, saying, "I’m overcoming fatigue with the warm welcome of Cannes." 

HUNT, your directorial debut was released at GRAND THEATRE LUMIERE in Cannes. After the screening, a standing ovation continues for a long time. Tell us how you felt about it, please.

It was the first time I had received such a long round of applause in my life. I felt grateful, shy, and embarrassed at the same time. When I came to Cannes as an actor in The Housemaid (2010), directed by Im Sangsoo, I felt like I was a tourist ‘enjoying the festival.’ But now, I think I am a little nervous. The long applause made me disconcerted, but I felt relieved thinking the audience enjoyed the film that much. I prepared a greeting in advance, but when Thierry Frémaux, Director of the Cannes’ Executive Committee handed me down the microphone, my mind just went blank, and I couldn’t say a word in English that I had memorized due to the situation on the spot was changed. (Laughing) I just thanked the audience who filled GRAND THEATRE LUMIERE.

Receiving a long round of applause, you shared a hug with Actor Jung Woosung. Actor and director Jung Woosung and you are also old friends and business partners for Artist Studio, the co-production company for HUNT. You must’ve felt something special while hugging him amidst thunderous applause.

After filming, I didn’t show Woosung the movie while I was working on the post-production and editing it. I wanted to show him the perfect version at Cannes for the first time. So, entering the theater, I told him, "I hope you like it." While hugging Woosung, I was happy to feel that he liked the movie so much. 

I understand that the process of your directing HUNT was quite dramatic. You didn't plan to make a directorial debut with HUNT from the beginning, right?

I didn't know I'd be directing HUNT, eighter. (Laughing) Around 2016, Director Han Jaerim, who directed The Face Reader (2013), introduced a script called ‘South Mountain’ to me, saying, "Do you like spy genre movies?" The story was interesting, but the scenario at the time didn’t fit me. Shortly after, I heard that Director Han, who was adapting the scenario, stopped the ‘South Mountain Project.’ It lingered in my mind. In 2017, I purchased the copyright of ‘South Mountain’ as a producer. Thinking Director Jung Jiwoo would do a great job on the project, I asked him to adapt it. However, Director Jung also expressed difficulties during the adaptation. Since I bought the copyright of the scenario attracted by it, I didn't want to give it up. In the end, I had no choice but to adapt it myself. 

It is said that the story of HUNT now is very different from the original story of ‘South Mountain.’ Did you nearly rewrite turning into a completely new story?

The original story of ‘South Mountain’ centered on Park Pyongho. However, the film needed a lot of production costs because it was a period drama set in the 1980s, and I had to adapt it into a blockbuster action genre. I had to adapt it for almost 4 years. At first, ‘South Mountain’ was a one-person story centered on Park Pyongho, but I needed ‘two top characters’ to make the film properly. I was thinking about Actor Jung Woosung for Kim Jungdo all the time, the other main character while adapting the scenario of HUNT. Through the process, the story of the two elite agents of the National Intelligence Service (NIS) combined with the mission of finding a double spy in the organization by adding up the plot ‘to assassinate the South Korean President.’ I wanted to make the audience relatable to the two men who were obsessed with their respective beliefs through storytelling while letting the audience enjoy the charm of a blockbuster spy action movie. The experience of writing a scenario for the first time in my life was new and painful. Since I am not good at using computers, I had to suffer several times from rewriting the finished scenario because I failed to save it. (Laughing) 

What is the most impressive response from the critics overseas who watched HUNT?

In an interview, a French reporter said, "HUNT seems to be the story of the two men obsessed with false beliefs. In the end, isn't the message of this film about not hurting and not fighting against each other based on the wrong beliefs?" I was thrilled to find out that an overseas audience exactly read the thoughts that I tried to express in the movie. Through the two characters, I wanted to tell the world that humanism is more important than any other ideology. Also, I hoped that the audience can enjoy the pleasure of watching a spy action movie. 

 

Spoiler

HUNT, your directorial film, is a quite surprising work in that it has a heavy subject consciousness beyond expectations. What message did you want to say through your first movie?

Korea suffered a war due to ideological conflicts. And the issue isn’t limited to the past. The North and the South are still confrontational and antagonistic. Why should we fight against each other? Can we tell the beliefs we have are absolutely right? I wanted to ask such questions. But I don't think we're fighting because we want to. I think we have been divided into two parts and confronting each other by someone’s incitement. If it’s true, we can change it. To avoid conflict and confrontation anymore, we must change our minds. "You can live differently," Pyongho, an older generation, tells Youjung (Go Younjung), a younger generation. That was what I wanted to tell us. We can live differently from the past.

As a producer, you also visited the Cannes film market. What kind of vision do you have as a director and producer?

At the Cannes Film Festival and the film market, I can definitely feel that the world's interest in Korean films is really hot. Expectations for global projects collaborating with Korean films are also very high. I am also interested in collaborating with various overseas production companies and global actors. I want to carry out global projects through Artist Studio Production Company. As a film director, I don’t have any next plans yet. I want to focus on acting as an actor for a while. A film is my ‘living foundation.’ As a cineaste, I've been waiting for the end of the COVID-19 Pandemic. I am so happy to hear the news that the Korean audience is returning to the theater. I am also excited and happy to meet the audience home and abroad with HUNT soon. I'm looking forward to the day HUNT is released this summer.

[Helena]

http://www.koreanfilm.or.kr/eng/news/news.jsp?blbdComCd=601006&seq=5770&mode=VIEW
From the Young Guys in City of the Rising Sun to the Stars on the Cannes Red Carpet

by Park Hyeeun | May 24, 2022

Actor Jung Woosung of HUNT, Premiered at Cannes for the First Time in the World

 

At midnight on May 20, Actor Jung Woosung stood on the red carpet for HUNT at the 75th Cannes International Film Festival's first Midnight Screenings. He led the scene quietly, taking care of Director Lee Jungjae and the other officials carefully. Jung Woosung also hugged Director Lee Jungjae and created a touching two-shot while the long-standing ovation continued after the premiere.

Throughout the festival, Jung seemed to enjoy greeting fans who ask for taking pictures with Director Lee Jungjae and playing the photographer’s role for the fans with gentle smiles. The local fans in Cannes, who took pictures with Director Lee Jungjae, will be surprised when they find out the fact that the cool photographer, who took pictures of them saying ‘Smile~,’ is Jung Woosung, one of the best actors in Korea.

"Rather than the fact that HUNT has been invited to Cannes, isn’t it an issue that Cannes has the honor of having Director Lee Jungjae’s HUNT? I’m so lucky to have Director Lee as my close friend." With his unique humor and modesty, Jung Woosung puts the ‘World Star’ Lee Jungjae in the center of the stage and takes a step back. But without Actor Jung Woosung, could Director Lee Jungjae's HUNT exist? 

Although HUNT was released first, Jung Woosung finished filming Guardian, his feature directorial debut, even before HUNT. Actually, Jung has already directed several short films. Lee Jungjae, who made his directorial debut with HUNT, once said, “Watching Jung Woosung actively present his opinions to the directors as an actor in the field, analyze films, and direct them himself, I could imagine having an opportunity to expand my career beyond actor (like Jung Woosung).” Good old friends are likely to resemble each other before they know it. 

While adapting the script of HUNT, Director Lee Jungjae created the character Kim Jungdo, bearing Jung Woosung in his mind. Despite watching the painful process of the adaptation by Director Lee, Jung Woosung refused to star in the film several times but eventually accepted Kim Jongdo’s role. This was also Jung Woosung's confidence that HUNT could handle the two-shot of ‘Jung Woosung & Lee Jungjae’ after City of the Rising Sun. And his confidence proved true. We met Jung Woosung in Cannes, who is expanding his career from an actor to a producer and director.

After The Good, The Bad, The Weird (2008), you stood on the Cannes red carpet again in 14 years. This time, since you’ve been invited to the festival with the film directed by Lee Jungjae, you must have some special feelings about that.

When I was invited to Cannes for The Good, The Bad, The Weird (2008), I wondered, "When can I come here again?" Finally, I’ve come back to the festival with HUNT after a long time. The Cannes International Film Festival always treats all invited films and filmmakers as ‘hosts’ with great hospitality, but it is also true that I inevitably thought of myself as a ‘guest’ of this splendid festival back then. This time, I'm savoring every moment, feeling the heightened status of Korean films. And I'm even more proud because I’ve been invited to Cannes for a movie directed by Lee Jungjae.

After the screening of HUNT, everybody was very touched when you hugged Director Lee Jungjae.

Lee Jungjae's challenge to being a film director was a prepared one, but it was also a dangerous challenge. As a result of the challenge, he was invited to Cannes, and I was very proud of him watching the audience satisfied with the movie. Just like many other directors, Lee Jungjae also spent a lot of lonely and lonesome time while making HUNT. That’s why I wanted to hug him. And since the standing ovation was so long, I thought I should show some nice action, too. (Laughing)

Can you tell us why you expressed it as Lee Jungjae’s ‘dangerous challenge’ in detail?

He should prepare to be evaluated as a 'director' who made the movie. It may be a natural challenge for an actor to expand his career to a director, but on the other hand, some people think, "Can he be a director just because he has been an actor for a long time?" Therefore, Director Lee and his work can be evaluated with more critical eyes. He had to break through such unfriendly gazes. Although he has been a great actor for 30 years, his evaluation as a director may be different. That's why HUNT would be a more dangerous and courageous challenge for Lee Jungjae as a director. However, Director Lee Jungjae is unlikely to be criticized for HUNT. I think the film is fully equipped with both the cinematic quality and the fun of a genre movie. 

Director Lee Jungjae said that from the beginning of the script adaptation, he was bearing you for the role of Kim Jungdo. Nevertheless, you rejected the role several times. Why did you reject that?

It’s not that I wanted to say no, but I had to be serious about the matter. It is Lee Jungjae’s directorial debut, and it is Actor Lee Jungjae and Actor Jung Woosung's reunion in the movie 23 years after City of the Rising Sun (1998). We were fully ready and could make a movie together while enjoying it. We also could give it a new meaning, saying, "We finally made this movie together." But I thought the film shouldn’t be the one just for us. Obviously, only if the film is well received by the audience, the meaning of our working together again can be properly evaluated. So, the cinematic brilliance of the film mattered most. 

Casting Jung Woosung for the character Kim Jungdo seems to be a ‘level-headed casting.’ The audience couldn't think of an actor other than Jung Woosung for the role. Kim Jungdo, a soldier who sacrifices himself for justice, could be relatable successfully only through Jung Woosung. The character was like a custom-made suit for Jung Woosung.

Since we have seen each other for a long time, Director Lee may have reflected the personality of Jung Woosung into the character to some extent, I think. However, it's just the director's projection, and as an actor, I don't have to embrace all about the character. I didn't even ask Director Lee what side of me he projected onto Kim Jungdo because such questions could give prejudice when I played the character. I just played the character in the script, interpreting it in my own way. Director Lee did not make any demands on me either. 

You actually started your career as a film director before Lee Jungjae. Did you exchange a lot of advice with each other while filming HUNT?

As a director and an actor, we respected and trusted each other. We waited until we understood each other, but we never violated each other's territory. Director Lee's directing can be contaminated at the moment I tell him, "Shouldn't it be done this way?" Director Lee once said, "I thought a director could do whatever he wanted to do, but while doing the job myself, I realized that a director’s job was to give up what he wanted to do." I knew it because I experienced it a little earlier than him. So, watching Director Lee returning to his accommodation exhausted every evening, I shouted in my heart, "Welcome to Hell!" (Laughing)

While watching the film, we felt Lee Jungjae and Jung Woosung looked ‘alike’ at some point. Director Lee Jungjae said, "I'm honored to look like Actor Jung Woosung." Didn't you think that you two looked ‘alike’ while watching HUNT?

Just like ‘a long-married couple is bound to take after one another?’ (Laughing) That is possible since we've been good friends for a long time. Once we were deeply moved by Clint Eastwood's Million Dollar Baby after we watched it at the theater in the morning, and we talked about movies drinking in broad daylight. We've been sharing such experiences and memories for a long time so far. Especially, we are very similar in that we challenge whenever we have a chance. Our friendship stimulates us in a positive way, and we support each other the most. My friend Lee Jungjae looks at me as I am and praises me the most. I think it’s mutual and that's the secret we can have been together for many years.

 

Spoiler

Cannes’ hospitality to HUNT is so hot. Tell us about the happiest moment in Cannes this year.

After arriving in Cannes, I suddenly felt overwhelmed while having a meal with Director Lee Jungjae. "The two guys wandering the back street in Apgujeong-dong 23 years ago (in the film City of the Rising Sun) came to Cannes together?" It makes me overwhelmed whenever I think about it. 

Starting as an actor, you’ve expanded your career to a producer, and now, you are about to make your feature directorial debut. What is your future goal?

I don’t think I’m not the guy who sets goals in advance. ‘Joy’ is the driving force that keeps me moving. No matter how hard it is, I have fun in the field making a movie. I think I've come all the way here in pursuit of such fun. Another driving force for me is ‘gratitude.’ As an empty-handed young man, I became an actor, and while experiencing and observing the field where movies were born, I was able to gain experience in directing short films and commercials. I also met some great fellow actors. Thanks to all of them, I could produce short films and direct a feature film. I am grateful for every single person and opportunity that I have met in the process. While staying in Cannes, I am so happy as a cineaste to hear the news that the Korean theater is gaining vitality with the success of The Roundup. I sincerely hope that not only HUNT but all Korean films to be released from now on will get great results. 

[Helena]

https://www.france24.com/en/video/20220524-ten-minutes-with-lee-jung-jae-squid-game-superstar-speaks-with-france-24-in-cannes
Ten minutes with Lee Jung-jae: "Squid Game" superstar speaks with FRANCE 24 in Cannes

Issued on: 24/05/2022 - 19:36

South Korean movies are making a strong showing at the Cannes Film Festival, riding on a wave of enthusiasm for series like "Squid Game" and movies like "Parasite". "It feels like the renaissance period for South Korean culture," says Lee Jung-jae, the superstar actor in Netflix's "Squid Game", whose debut as a director, "Hunt", has screened out of competition at Cannes. Interview.

 

"Squid Game" superstar Lee Jung-jae in Cannes (2022) © Juliette Montilly

 

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[HANBAM NOW] From Korean films that shook Cannes to actors on the red carpet in 3 years!

 

After being invited to Cannes, Lee Jung Jae's 'HUNT' was nominated for the Golden Camera award!
We bring you a new interview of Lee Jung-jae & Jung Woo-sung, receiving attention from all over the globe.

 

 

[Helena]

https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20220524000900315
U.S. magazine Time's 100 most influential people of 2022

 

By hague@yna.co.kr | May 24, 2022

 

…Hwang Dong-hyuk, the director of the hit Netflix TV series "Squid Game," ranked among the most influential people in the Titans category.

Lee Jung-jae, the lead of the series, attributed Hwang's success to "his ability to illuminate the feelings of the characters and to build believable lives for them from the ground up."

 

"As a television and film director, he knows how to weave a story so that no matter what choice a character makes, it feels natural," Lee wrote for the magazine, saying he knew he would have an interesting experience when he received the script for "Squid Game."

"Director Hwang was brilliant in visualizing this intricate and savage world that looked like a game but revealed piercing truths about society and humanity," Lee said. "He was able to take something brutal and make it beautiful."

 

—

 

https://time.com/collection/100-most-influential-people-2022/6177760/hwang-dong-hyuk/
THE 100 MOST INFLUENTIAL PEOPLE OF 2022

(TITANS) Hwang Dong-hyuk

Netflix

BY LEE JUNG-JAE
MAY 23, 2022 6:12 AM EDT

Much of Hwang Dong-hyuk’s success stems from his ability to illuminate the feelings of the characters and to build believable lives for them from the ground up. As a television and film director, he knows how to weave a story so that no matter what choice a character makes, it feels natural. When I received the script for Squid Game, I knew it would be an interesting experience—the characters were all so rich in detail, with distinct characteristics that gave them depth. Director Hwang was brilliant in visualizing this intricate and savage world that looked like a game, but revealed piercing truths about society and humanity. He was able to take something brutal and make it beautiful.

Lee is an actor

[Helena]

https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/squid-game-star-lee-jung-jae-steps-behind-camera-hunt-2022-05-22/
'Squid Game' star Lee Jung-jae steps behind the camera for 'Hunt'

By Hanna Rantala | May 22, 2022 10:16 AM PDT

The 75th Cannes Film Festival - Photocall for the film " film "Heon-teu" (Hunt) presented as part of midnight screenings - Cannes, France, May 19, 2022. Director Lee Jung-Jae poses. REUTERS/Piroschka Van De Wouw

CANNES, May 22 (Reuters) - "Squid Game" star Lee Jung-jae flexes his filmmaking muscles with "Hunt", a spy thriller he wrote, directed, produced and also acts in.

Lee's directorial and screenwriting debut received its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival, where it is screening out of competition.

The fast-paced, action-packed movie centres around two South Korean spies who are tasked with uncovering a North Korean mole, and wind up investigating each other in the process.

Lee, 49, stars as one of the spies opposite his long-time friend and business partner Jung Woo-sung.

He said his nearly three-decade long career was a big help when stepping behind the lens.

"I have acted in many different genres and I could remember scenes I'd shot as an actor that were difficult to film or that didn't come out as I expected," he told Reuters in Cannes.

"I tried to remember those scenes when I was writing the script to ensure I could be as effective as possible when directing."

Lee makes his debut riding on the high of the success of his Netflix series, which became the streaming giant's most popular show globally, and the triumphs of other Korean TV shows, films and music around the world.

"I am so thankful that I am making my directorial debut during this renaissance of Korean culture," Lee said.

"I hope to get to meet international audiences and fans more often with other movies and content as well."

Asked which of the many hats he wore on the project he enjoyed the most, Lee did not hesitate.

"Of course acting. I'm an actor. It's my identity. So, I just loved acting the most."

Reporting by Hanna Rantala; Editing by Kirsten Donovan

 

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https://news.yahoo.com/k-cannes-south-korean-entries-182003491.html
[AFP] It's 'K-Cannes' as South Korean entries entice film fest

Jurgen HECKER, with Claire LEE in Seoul

Mon, May 23, 2022, 11:20 AM

 

Lee Jung-jae (AFP/LOIC VENANCE)

 

'Not a romantic': Park Chan-wook on the Cannes red carpet (AFP/LOIC VENANCE)

 

South Korean movies are making a strong showing at the Cannes Film Festival, riding on a wave of enthusiasm for series like "Squid Game" and movies like "Parasite", and catering to a taste for sophisticated intrigue and polished action.

"It feels like a golden age for South Korean productions," said Lee Jung-jae, the superstar actor in Netflix's "Squid Game", whose debut as a director, "Hunt", has screened out of competition at Cannes.

"And that's just the beginning," he told AFP.

The Hollywood Reporter called "Hunt", which tells the story of two South Korean secret agents who compete with each other to unmask a North Korean mole, a "twisty espionage thriller", while The Wrap noted an abundance of "double agents, buried secrets and lots of broken arms".

In the running for the coveted Palme d'Or, meanwhile, is "Decision to Leave" by director Park Chan-wook, who told AFP his country's turbulent postwar history had shaped the collective personality of South Koreans, and made for interesting film production.

"We went through extreme situations and that has changed our character," he said. "That goes for both the film-going public and film-makers. We don't have a tranquil or zen character, we're temperamental and that's reflected in our films and series."

- 'Is there a law?' -

"Decision To Leave" tells the story of a detective who, investigating a man's fatal fall from a mountain, comes under the spell of the victim's wife whom he suspects of having caused her husband's death.

Park said the film drew inspiration from the methodical police work contained in the Swedish "Martin Beck" crime thriller books. "That's what I wanted to represent in a movie," he said.

The detective story increasingly meshes with the mutual attraction engulfing the main characters, and the resulting erotic tension that is heightened by the constant proximity of death.

"I'm not a romantic, but I'm very interested in the expression of emotions," said Park.

The film's mesmerising soundtrack includes the Adagio in Mahler's 5th Symphony which was immortalised as a soundtrack in the 1971 movie "Death In Venice" by Luchino Visconti.

"I tried to find other classical pieces that could work, but this piece by Mahler was just ideal," Park said. "And I thought, is there a law that says only Visconti gets to use this piece? No there isn't, so I went ahead."

He added, laughing: "But I knew before coming to Cannes that I'd get asked about it here."

- 'Vengeance justified?' -

Park's Cannes entry comes nearly two decades after his "Oldboy" that won the festival's second-highest prize in 2004 and helped catapult South Korean cinema onto the global stage -- years before "Parasite" which won both the Palme d'Or and best foreign film at the Oscars.

"Parasite didn't come out of nowhere, and Oldboy in many ways set things in motion for what came later," Jason Bechervaise, a professor at Korea Soongsil Cyber University, told AFP.

Park's focus on revenge and forgiveness touched a nerve in post-9/11 America, Brian Hu, a film professor at San Diego State University, told AFP.

"Is vengeance justified? Is it effective?", he said.

Park has also dabbled in television with the BBC's English-language miniseries "The Little Drummer Girl", based on a 1983 spy novel by John le Carre.

South Korea is also the setting for another Palme d'Or entry this year, "Broker", directed by Japan's Hirokazu Kore-eda.

"Broker" looks at so-called baby boxes where mothers can anonymously abandon their newborns to avoid the stigma and hardship of being a single mother in a patriarchal society.  The film features a South Korean all-star cast, including top actors Song Kang-ho (Parasite), Gang Dong-won (Peninsula), and K-pop megastar Lee Ji-eun.

Kore-eda has defied long-standing tensions between Japan and South Korea to build strong relationships with top South Korean talent and visiting its Busan International Film Festival in 2019 during a trade war.

His film is one of 21 vying for the Palme d'Or, with the winner to be announced on Saturday.

jh-burs/er/ach

[Helena]

https://news.sbs.co.kr/news/endPage.do?news_id=N1006763670
[SBS Star] Lee Jung Jae Melts the Heart of His Stylist with His Thoughtful Move at 'Cannes'

By Lee Narin | 2022.05.25 16:51

Actor Lee Jung Jae showed his sweet and thoughtful move to his stylist at 'Cannes'.

 

Recently, Lee Jung Jae flew to Cannes, France to attend '2022 Cannes Film Festival'.  Then on May 25, Lee Jung Jae's stylist updated her Instagram with a photo of her and Lee Jung Jae hugging each other.  

 

 

Along with this photo, the stylist wrote, "Our schedule in Cannes is so hectic, and all the shops close at 7PM here. So, I wasn't able to shop for myself at all."   She continued, "But as soon as Lee Jung Jae found out about this, he told me that it was okay for me to go out, shop and look around between a shooting. It was so considerate of him."   She resumed, "Thanks to his kind and thoughtful move, I was able to enjoy Cannes while I'm here. I saw lots of pretty stuff that it made me really happy. Cannes greatly inspired me too."  

Upon seeing this post, fans left comments such as, "Ah, he has such a warm heart!", "This is why I'm his fan.", "I hear nothing but good stories about him!" and so on.

 

 

At '2022 Cannes Film Festival', Lee Jung Jae made his directorial debut with a film 'Hunt', starring himself and actor Jung Woo Sung.  'Hunt' was screened for the first time on May 20, and 3,000 tickets were completely sold out for the screening.   Lee Jung Jae, Jung Woo Sung and the team of 'Hunt' received a 7-minute round of applause at the end of the film.   In response to this, Lee Jung Jae smiled and thanked the audience in Korean, English and French.  

 

(Credit= 'artistcompanyofficial' 'from_jjlee' Instagram)  
(SBS Star) 

[Helena]

http://www.koreanfilm.or.kr/eng/news/features.jsp?blbdComCd=601013&seq=579&mode=FEATURES_VIEW
The 75th Cannes Int’l Film Festival Confirmed the High Status of 'K-Movie' in and out of the Screen

by Park Hyejin | May 24, 2022

Korea-France Round Tables and K-Movie Night Finished with a Huge Success

The 75th Cannes Film Festival, which is held normally in 3 years due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, confirmed the ‘high status of K-Movie’ in and out of the theater. A total of 5 Korean films, including competition and non-competition sections, have been invited to the festival. Among the 21 films nominated for the competition category at the Cannes Film Festival this year, 2 Korean films have been invited, including Decision to Leave (directed by Park Chanwook) and Broker (directed by Koreeda Hirokazu). Both Director Park Chanwook and Director Koreeda Hirokazu are film masters who have deep relationships with Cannes.

Also, a total of 5 Korean films have been invited to Cannes, including HUNT (directed by Lee Jungjae) in Cannes’ Midnight Screenings, Next Sohee (directed by Jung July) as the closing film in Cannes’ Critics Week, and Persona (directed by Moon Sujin), the first Korean short animation invited to the Cannes’ Short Film in Competition. In addition, as a KOFIC Location Incentive 2021, the French film Return to Seoul (directed by Davy Chou), where Korean actors and beautiful Seoul are the main characters, has been invited to the Un Certain Regard, receiving Cannes’ spotlight.
 

Among the Korean films mentioned above, the first movie that heated the Cannes’ red carpet was HUNT directed by Lee Jungjae. At midnight on May 20 (local time), invited to the Midnight Screenings, HUNT was released as World Premiere at the GRAND THEATRE LUMIERE in Cannes. The film received cheers and applause from more than 3,000 audiences who filled the theater. It was the moment when the fireworks of Korean movies were launched in full swing in Cannes.

‘K-Movie’ is also hot outside the theater. Korean films can be seen throughout the Palais des Festival, the center of Cannes. Screen Daily, which publishes special editions during the festival, chose Decision to Leave for its cover on the first and second days of the festival in a row. HUNT and Broker also covered the special edition of Cannes soon after. On the Boulevard de la Croisette, large signs of Decision to Leave and Broker have been installed, and large banners of the two films are also hanging at Le Majestic Cannes downtown, capturing eyes.

 

 

Spoiler

KOFIC Co-hosted Korea-France Round Tables with CNC
 
Amid the spectacular festival, the global film cooperation between Korean and French film organizations has become more solid. At 2:30 p.m. on May 19 (local time), the Korea-France Round Tables event was held by the Korean Film Council (KOFIC, Chairperson Park Kiyong) with the National Centre for Cinema and the Moving Image (CNC). It is an unusual event for CNC to hold a joint Round Tables event with a foreign film organization during the Cannes Film Festival. 
 
"Diversity and interaction are the most important in developing the film industry in a country.” KOFIC and CNC's Korea-France Round Tables began with a keynote speech by Chairperson Park Kiyong. He continued, "The positive influence of Korea and France on the film industry around the world is growing. Also, KOFIC and CNC have something in common that we strongly support our films and hold global film festivals so we can exchange good influences.” Dominique Boutonnat, President of France’s CNC, also expressed the importance of film cooperation between the two countries, "I hope that Korea and France will continue to cooperate in the film sector."
 
Chairperson Park Kiyong was the director of the Korean Academy of Film Arts for 9 years from 2001 and actively conducted the student exchange program with La Fémis, the French National Film School. With the Round Tables event as momentum and feeling the need to exchange young filmmakers between the two countries at the time, Chairperson Park proposed to resume the student exchange program between KAFA and CNC, which has been suspended, and CNC also agreed to it enthusiastically.
 
Round Tables this time is the second meeting since France selected Korea as a key partner in the film sector in April. If Korea actively cooperates for films with France, the hub of the European film industry, it will grab the attention of other countries naturally and expand to another opportunity for international cooperation. Therefore, the Korea-France Round Tables event at Cannes this year can be evaluated as a cornerstone to enhance the global influence of Korean films further.
 

Under the theme of ‘Diversity: Can It Be a Common Goal?’ in the 1st session of Round Tables, the panels sought solutions to create an environment to guarantee diversity, such as art films and independent cinemas while discovering young artists, and to collaborate in the film sector in Korea and France. Major panels included Director Jung July of Next Sohee, the closing film of the Cannes’ Critics Week, Lee Dongha, CEO of REDPETER Films that made Peninsula, Director Ko Kyungbeom of CJ ENM, Ardavan Safaee, CEO of Pathé Films that made CODA, which won the Best Picture at the Academy Awards, Alexis Dantec, CEO of Les Films du Losange that made the French film Vanishing supported by KOFIC Location Incentive 2021, and Charlotte Vincent of Aurora Films that made Return to Seoul, which has been invited to Cannes’ Un Certain Regard this year.
 
Under the theme of ‘Movies for Future Audiences’ in the 2nd session, the panels discussed policies and audience development measures to restore the theater industry of the two countries in the long term at a time when the theater industry has stagnated since the COVID-19 Pandemic. Major panels included Hong Jungin, CEO of Megabox, Heo Moonyoung, Chairperson of the BIFF Executive Committee, Kim Jaemin, CEO of Contents Panda, Daniela Elstner of Uni France, Pierre Rasamoela of Orange Studio, and Philippe Borys-Combret of Cineum Cannes, a multiplex theater.
 
After the 3-hour Roundtable event, the cineastes of Korea and France continued a networking party at KOFIC's Korean Film Promotion Terrace. In addition, they promised to hold KOFIC and CNC’s Roundtable event again at the Busan International Film Festival in October this year to strengthen cultural exchanges between Korea and France.

 

 

K-Movie Night, Held at Cannes in 3 Years ‘For the Sake of Korean Films’

At 9 p.m. on May 21 (local time), the ‘K-Movie Night’ event was held at the beach in Cannes. K-Movie Night is an invitation event held by the Korean Film Council to promote Korean films globally during the leading international film festivals at home and abroad. More than 500 filmmakers and cineastes from around the world visited the ‘K-Movie Night,’ which was held for the first time in 3 years due to the Pandemic, reaffirming the high global attention on Korean films.

Before the main event, KOFIC provided the time to commemorate the late Actor Kang Sooyeon, who passed away suddenly on May 7. More than 500 cineastes who visited the event watched the memorial videos containing the late Actor Kang Sooyeon's representative films and paid silent tribute to the ‘World Star’ who took the lead in promoting Korean films to the world.

At the main event, Dominique Boutonnat, President of France's CNC, took the stage and congratulated, "I'm truly happy to be able to participate in the K-Movie Night. France really loves Korean films.”

Director Park Chanwook and Actor Tang Wei of Decision to Leave, Director Koreeda Hirokazu and actors of Broker including Song Kangho, Kang Dongwon, Lee Jieun, Lee Jooyoung, and Bae Doona, who participated in the two films Broker and Next Sohee, also greeted the global cineastes through video messages.

Director Lee Jungjae and Actor Jung Woosung of HUNT, who were invited to Cannes’ Midnight Screenings, visited the K-Movie Night to congratulate the event. Actor Jung Woosung livened up the festive mood by saying a toast, "For the sake of Korean films!" Also, other directors and actors participated in the K-Movie Night, including Director Jung July and the staff members of Next Sohee, Director Davy Chou, Actor Oh Kwangrok, and Actor Park Jimin, who starred in Return to Seoul, a KOFIC Location Incentive 2021.

The ‘K-Movie Night’ event at Cannes, where the sound of waves could be heard, became more and more heated as it approached midnight. The most popular menus for the participants on the day were Korean pot noodles and soju. A French movie star happily said, "The hot pot noodle soup tastes even better in the chilly sea breeze." Just in time, BTS' song ‘DNA’ filled the venue. It was literally the ‘K-Movie Night’ with the ‘tastes’ and ‘charms’ of Korean culture.

The 75th Cannes International Film Festival, which has already spent the 6th night, will continue until May 28. Decision to Leave, one of the nominees of the Competition will be released at 6 p.m. on May 23 (local time), while Broker at 7 p.m. on May 26  (local time) as World Premier.

[Helena]

Quote

http://www.koreanfilm.or.kr/eng/news/news.jsp?blbdComCd=601006&seq=5744&mode=VIEW
The 20th Florence Korea Film Fest, Open the Door with Heaven: To the Land of Happiness [by Hellen Park | Apr 08, 2022]
Held from April 7 to 15, Lee Jungjae, Cho Jinwoong, etc. Will Meet Italian Audiences
Florence Korea Film Fest, which introduces Korean films throughout Europe and Italy, will be held from April 7 to 15 (local time). Marking its 20th anniversary this year, the festival will attract Italian and European audiences with its special programs...

At Florence Korea Film Fest, which marks its 20th anniversary this year, directors and actors representing the Korean film industry will participate in person to meet Italian audiences. Starting Director Im Sangsoo of the opening film Heaven: To the Land of Happiness, Director Hwang Donghyuk and Actor Lee Jungjae of Squid Game, will host a master class at Florence Korea Film Fest. Also, Director Lee Kyuman and Actor Cho Jinwoong of The Policeman’s Lineage will meet the audience through the master class at the festival. At Florence Korea Film Fest 2022, more than 60 short and long Korean films will be screened. The closing film is Escape from Mogadishu, Director Ryoo Seungwan's film that recorded the highest box office hit among Korean films in 2021. 

 

Lee Jung-jae at 20th Florence Korea Film Fest [April 2022]

 

 

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https://k-odyssey.com/news/newsview.php?ncode=1065599990866330
Musical 'Sandglass' based on popular drama opens today

 

YonhapNews / 2022-05-26 16:59:26
(This article is translated from Korean to English by Kim Sun Min.)

▲ This photo, provided by Insight Entertainment, shows the musical "Sandglass." (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

SEOUL, May 26 (Yonhap) – The musical “Sandglass,” which is based on the popular drama of the 1990s, will open at D-cube Arts Center in Guro-gu, Seoul, on May 26.


“Sandglass” is a musical based on the namesake drama starring S. Korean actors Choi Min-soo, Go Hyun-jung, Park Sang-won, and Lee Jung-jae and recorded 64.5 percent in viewership in 1995. 


It has been five years since the work has been shown to the audience as a musical since it premiered in 2017.


Min Woo-hyuk, On Joo-wan, and Cho Hyung-gywn will play the role of “Tae-soo,” the master of casino business that was played by Choi Min-soo, while Park Hye-na, Yuria, and Na Ha-na will play Tae-soo’s girlfriend “Hye-rin,” played by Go Hyun-jung in the past. Choi Jae-woong, Song Won-geun, and K-pop boy group Infinite’s Nam Woo-hyun will play Tae-soo’s friend Woo-suk, a prosecutor.



The creators, such as director Kim Dong-yeon, author Park Hae-rim, composer Park Jung-ah, and choreography director Shin Seon-ho, gathered altogether to rearrange “Sandglass.”



The role of Hye-rin’s body guard “Jae-hee,” which made Lee Jung-jae known to the public, was excluded from the musical and it focused more on the character “Young-jin,” which plays as a news reporter that records history.


Moreover, the musical formed a 15-member orchestra to express the concerns of the characters through music with the background of Korean contemporary history.



The musical will be held until Aug. 14.  (END)
 

(C) Yonhap News Agency. All Rights Reserved

[Helena]

 

Blockbuster Guerrilla Date with world stars in Cannes

Woosung X Jungjae Cross

 

< Entertainment Company Live  | 연중 라이브>
May 26th (Thursday) 11pm KBS 2TV’

 

[ megabox_plusm ]

Spoiler

 

 

[Helena]

https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/art/2022/05/689_329935.html
Korean films make splash at Cannes Film Festival

By Kwak Yeon-soo | 2022-05-27 

From left, director Hirokazu Koreeda and cast members Song Kang-ho, Lee Ji-eun, Lee Joo-young and Gang Dong-won depart the Festival Palace after the screening of "Broker" during the 75th annual Cannes Film Festival, in Cannes, France, May 26. EPA-YonhapNews

Korean films are making a splash at the Cannes Film Festival, riding on a global wave of enthusiasm for K-culture, from Bong Joon-ho's Palme d'Or-winning "Parasite" and Netflix's "Squid Game."

This May, Korea has four feature movies selected for Cannes: auteur Park Chan-wook's detective mystery, "Decision to Leave;" Japanese director Hirokazu Kore-eda's Korean debut, "Broker; "Squid Game" star Lee Jung-jae's feature film directorial debut, "Hunt;" and Cannes returnee Jung July's introspective drama, "Next Sohee." In addition, director Moon Soo-jin's six-minute short, "Persona," marks the first Korean animated film to be invited to the festival. 

One noticeable feature of the Korean movies selected this year is the international co-production and cultural mixing among directors, cast and the production crew, such as Chinese actor Tang Wei starring in "Decision to Leave," and Japanese director Kore-eda collaborating with a Korean all-star cast for "Broker." Korean actors Oh Kwang-rok and Park Ji-min appearing in "Return to Seoul," a French-German-Belgian co-production, is also such an example. 

The Korean Film Council hosted "Korean Film Night" on May 21 to celebrate Korean films invited to the festival and promote exchanges between Korean and international film professionals. About 500 guests attended the event. Dominique Boutonnat, the president of France's national cinema agency, CNC, said "France really loves Korean films."

Actor-director Lee Jung-jae poses at the photo call for the film, "Hunt," during the 75th annual Cannes Film Festival, in Cannes, France, May 19. AP-Yonhap

Lee's espionage thriller, "Hunt," which tells the story of two Korean spy agents who compete with each other, has earned rave reviews after it premiered in Cannes' Midnight Screening. It was a success at Cannes with a 7-minute standing ovation. Screen Daily described the film's action sequences "overwhelming and kinetic," adding that audiences "may not want it to end."

"It feels like a golden age for Korean productions, and that's just the beginning," Lee told reporters at Cannes. Lee, who won the best leading actor at the Screen Actors Guild Awards, is a contender for Camera d'Or, the prize for a first or second feature.

"Decision to Leave," about a detective drawn to a mysterious widow during a murder investigation in the mountainous countryside, has attracted favorable reviews from foreign news media following its premiere on May 23. It is among the best reviewed films that played in the competition, currently sitting at 89 on Metacritic and 90 percent on Rotten Tomatoes.

British daily The Guardian gave the film five stars out of five in a review, saying it is "very Hitchcockian." U.S. entertainment outlet Variety praised it by saying it is "a masterful, dazzling love story wrapped in a mischievous murder mystery" Screen Daily wrote "Park Chan-wook raises the bar on the 2022 Cannes competition programme and reasserts his position as a peerless visual stylist."

The film has been sold to 192 countries and territories, including France, North America, U.K., Turkey, India and Japan. It had been its most successful title of all time in terms of sales value, according to CJ Entertainment. It was chosen as the film that will be shown to 2022 Camera d'Or contenders. "It truly is an honor, and I think that can be seen as a sign that our film is well-received by Cannes audiences," said Wei.

Director Park Chan-wook, center, and actors Tang Wei, left, and Park Hae-il attend the photo call for "Decision to Leave" during the 75th annual Cannes Film Festival, in Cannes, France, May 24. EPA-YonhapNews

"Broker," which looks at Korea's "baby box," which is a place for people to drop off their unwanted babies anonymously, got a 12-minute ovation at Cannes after its world premiere on May 26. The film features an all-star cast, including actors Song Kang-ho, Gang Dong-won, Bae Doo-na and K-pop sensation Lee Ji-eun. 

Kore-eda told reporters that the audience's reactions were so good that he was able to enjoy the screening fully until the very end. He shook hands with actor Song Kang-ho ("Parasite") to share the joy. The film has been sold to 171 countries, including the U.S., France, Japan, Germany and Italy.

However, the film received a divided reaction among foreign media and critics. U.S. media Deadline reported that Kore-eda, winner of the Palme d'Or in 2018 for "Shoplifters," "walks a fine line between keen social observation and overt sentimental emotionalism." On the other hand, The Telegraph wrote that "this may be the Cannes competition's biggest disappointment."

Cannes' winners will be announced on Saturday (local time).

[Helena]

https://news.sbs.co.kr/news/endPage.do?news_id=N1006766481
[SBS Star] Jung Woo Sung Shares How Recognized Lee Jung Jae Is by Random Passersby in Cannes

By Lee Narin  | Published 2022.05.27 16:03

Actor Jung Woo Sung revealed how popular actor Lee Jung Jae is in Cannes, France.

On May 26 episode of KBS' television show 'Entertainment Weekly Live', Lee Jung Jae and Jung Woo Sung made a guest appearance.   Their interview was conducted in Cannes, where they both are for '2022 Cannes Film Festival'.  At '2022 Cannes Film Festival', Lee Jung Jae made his directorial debut with a film 'Hunt', starring himself and Jung Woo Sung.

During the interview, Lee Jung Jae was asked whether he has met a lot of fans in Cannes, which he answered, "Ah yes, I have."   Jung Woo Sung added, "He's super popular here. It's incredible. At least one person asks him for a photo together every five steps he takes."  While the outdoor interview went on, many fans gathered around them as well that it even became difficult to continue the interview.

After moving to a different area for the interview, Jung Woo Sung said, "Earlier when Jung Jae was busy taking photos with fans on the street, I just stood around him."   He continued, "This one little girl who looked like she was about nine kept looking at me with a shy smile. Then, she asked whether I was the guy from 'Squid Game'. All adults are able to tell who Lee Jung Jae is, but I think she got confused for a bit."   He went on, "I told her that I was his friend, and she was like, 'Please let me meet him!' A little moment later, Lee Jung Jae came and I introduced him to her. She told Lee Jung Jae that she loves him. It made my heart warm."

 

Spoiler

Then, the interviewer commented, "This would be unusual in Korea though, isn't it? Taking photos with everybody on the street."

Lee Jung Jae responded, "Ah yes, definitely. It's an unusual experience, but it doesn't give me any new feelings. I just feel very good.", and laughingly added, "I'm not good at taking a selfie myself, but I'm okay when others take photos of me."

Jung Woo Sung looked at Lee Jung Jae while he spoke, and said with a smile, "As his good friend, I feel really proud of him."

(Credit= 'artistcompanyofficial' Instagram, KBS Entertainment Weekly Live)  
(SBS Star) 

 

—

Lee Jung-jae & Jung Woo-sung on Hunt, Korean cinema, elaborate stunts, directorial debut, Squid Game

from https://youtube.com/c/theupcomingmagazine

 

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https://www.emmys.com/news/mix/lee-jung-jae-winning-game
Lee Jung-jae Is Winning the Game

 

Worldwide fame isn't fazing the star of Netflix's Squid Game, who's busy with new projects while awaiting word on a sinister season two.

 

BY MARA REINSTEIN | JUNE 08, 2022

Say you’re the star of the most popular streaming series of all time, with more than 150 million households tuning in around the world. You’ve been spoofed on Saturday Night Live and Leonardo DiCaprio asked you for a selfie. Surely your life must have suddenly shifted into overdrive, right? Right?

“Well, to be honest, not a lot has changed for me before and after Squid Game,” says Lee Jung-jae. “The biggest thing is that I have a lot of new fans all over the world. Even nine-year-olds know who I am.”

That’s what happens when you don’t lose your marbles.

For the five people who have yet to watch the thrilling Korean-language drama (which premiered on Netflix last fall), the actor plays Seong Gi-hun, a sad sack who gets recruited to play a series of childhood games. Losers die on the spot; the ultimate champ receives a truckload of money. Seong, aka player No. 456, wins it all — and thanks to Lee’s heartbreaking yet sublimely amusing performance, viewers root for him every tense step of the way.

Speaking via Zoom (with the help of an interpreter) from his hometown of Seoul, Lee remains humble about his role in the Squid Game phenomenon. “I think viewers enjoyed it so much because they could connect with the characters,” he says. “They shared that pain.”

This breakout success is thirty years in the making. His “original dream,” he says, was to be an interior designer. He worked part-time in a coffee shop until a modeling scout discovered him on the job. A modeling career evolved into acting in 1993 when a TV writer offered him a part on the show Dinosaur Teacher.

“I started my first TV show just like that,” he says. Roles in well-received 1990s films such as An Affair, City of the Rising Sun and Il Mare (later adapted as the 2006 film The Lake House with Keanu Reeves) quickly followed.

But around fifteen years ago, he hit a professional and personal slump. “I just didn’t have it in me and worried that people didn’t like me anymore,” he admits. He opened a few restaurants and considered revisiting interior design. “I kept saying, ‘Okay, the next movie will be the last,’” he says. Gradually, “I started to find more excitement in acting, and that brought me here.”

Lee is now writing, producing and directing his own projects (the espionage thriller Hunt is due out this summer). He’s also anticipating a second season of Squid Game, though at press time Netflix was yet to officially give the green light. “I’m excited, but I don’t know details,” he says. “I keep asking [writer-director] Hwang Dong-hyuk, and he says he’s still trying to picture it in his head.”

In the meantime, Lee welcomes any international Squid Game fans who may be visiting Seoul. “I tell people, ‘Call me when you’re in Korea. I’ll take you to nice places and treat you to good food!’”

 

This article originally appeared in emmy magazine issue #6, 2022, under the title, "Back in the Game."

[Helena]

https://www.backstage.com/magazine/article/lee-jung-jae-squid-game-interview-75190/
Surviving ‘Squid Game’: Lee Jung-jae on Season 1 of the Netflix Hit

BY MANUEL BETANCOURT | JUNE 1, 2022

 

Photo Source: Shayan Asgharnia

There’s a simple—if unspoken—rule at the center of “Squid Game”: You are on your own. The violent children’s games that desperate debtors play for the chance to win an obscenely enticing reward encourage them to think solely of themselves. As far as metaphors for late-stage capitalism and individualism go, this is as bloody and unsparing as they get.

Behind the scenes, though, Netflix’s global phenomenon is a prime example of what its lead, South Korean star Lee Jung-jae, enjoys most about his work: the act of collaboration. 

His character, Seong Gi-hun, faces scenarios in which sparing any thought for others is a deadly risk; but “Squid Game” works so well precisely because Lee and his co-stars embrace a spirit of community that the show rejects.

Lee, who started out working as a fashion model in the early ’90s and found success in television and film soon thereafter, admits that this was not always how he approached his craft. 

“I think it was only about six to seven years into acting that I truly realized how joyful it is to really create something together with your co-star,” the SAG Award winner and Emmy hopeful says (with the aid of a translator). It makes sense; modeling is a solo creative endeavor, but acting proved to be different. “From then on, I began to really intensely observe the other person’s performance,” he adds.

Now a stalwart of the screen in his home country and a rising star stateside, Lee has become even more curious about the work of other actors. “Why” is the word he uses most when describing his process—which, he admits, can be lengthy and involved.

 

Spoiler

“It’s very important to do the imagining part of what’s outside of the script so you know what’s not there,” he explains, “so you know what and why it all led to what you see.”

As he breaks down dialogue and action, this “why” drives and consumes Lee before he ever steps on set. That process often includes conversations with directors and creators—as was the case with “Squid Game” mastermind Hwang Dong-hyuk. But he especially cherishes exchanges with his cast mates early on, when everyone is shading in what’s on the page and building out the moments that end up onscreen.

“I feel like those conversations really enrich what follows,” he says. “It allows all of us to give a much deeper and [more] layered portrayal, because you get very much into the character.”

Over the course of nearly 30 years acting in action thrillers, comedies, and romantic dramas, Lee has become a better performer by carefully attuning himself to the intentions behind his scene partners’ actions. He believes that a good actor should always be curious, and he tries to be attentive and responsive to his co-stars’ instincts. That’s easier when the partnership extends beyond what’s on the page. 

This approach was perfectly suited to “Squid Game,” which follows 456 players as they by compete in a series of violent games for the chance to win a 45.6 billion-won prize. The project demanded that each actor bring a wealth of stories and emotions to the table, which only ever get hinted at in flashes of backstory. Take Lee’s Gi-hun, a down-and-out gambler who is our entry point into the skewed world of the show. As written, he’s a quintessential everyman whose desperation the games can easily exploit. 

Even with his expansive filmography and many accolades (including honors from the Baeksang Arts Awards, which honor film, TV, and theater in South Korea), Lee found himself playing against type for the role of Gi-hun. He whittles down the effortless charisma he exudes in real life; the end result is an average man who may not immediately earn your sympathy, but whose magnetism is undeniable. It’s a rare mix that Lee displays at key moments—like when Gi-hun breaks out in a goofy grin for a photo at the start of the games. His innocent openness makes wild scenes such as a life-or-death game of tug of war all the more affecting; Gi-hun could be anyone. 
 

Spoiler

That relatability was something else that Lee had to think through. He knew that his character would have to be grounded in reality—otherwise, the out-there conceit of “Squid Game” could become impossible to take seriously. The actor began observing men at street markets in Seoul, noting mannerisms, postures, and behaviors that he could bring to his portrayal of Gi-hun.

“He’s somebody you can see in your daily life. I had to really lean into that realism. I had to make sure that when the audience saw the character, they didn’t feel like: Oh, he’s acting,” Lee says. “But one thing I wrestled with the most is that while the character himself is very realistic, these are very extreme situations he’s put in.”

Finding the emotional truth within the show’s outrageous premise proved to be the biggest challenge for Lee. But that psychological realism is what makes this candy-colored dystopia feel so plausible. At its core, “Squid Game” is an allegory for the way income inequality allows the rich to exploit the economically vulnerable. The actors communicated this heady concept through character work.

“It was very difficult for me to find that fine line,” Lee admits. “In order to make it as convincing as possible, I had to dance around that.”

Thinking back to when he most keyed into Gi-hun in the “Squid Game” pilot, the actor doesn’t cite any of the fanciful, violent scenes from the games. Instead, he homes in on two smaller moments that happen before the character ever dons his iconic tracksuit. 

In the first, the nearly broke Gi-hun loses his temper at the racetrack while trying to cobble together money to buy his daughter a birthday gift. While he’s filling out his betting form, an impatient stranger taps him on the shoulder—and the minor slight sends Gi-hun into a fit. Eyes bulging and neck veins popping, Lee’s body all but convulses as he screams, “How about you leave me alone?!” 

It’s plain to see that he has surprised himself. As he hits himself in the head, it’s almost as if he’s aware just how uncharacteristic the outburst is. After all, the character is a pushover—a divorced chauffeur who struggles to keep a job and gambles away money he doesn’t have. He’s usually sullen-faced, with a lazy smile at the ready. Here, however, he’s not the doormat he sees himself as, but a man who won’t let himself be bullied. It’s a revealing act, and it’s easy to see why Lee views the scene as a defining moment. In fact, it’s one he came up with himself—the outburst wasn’t in the original script. 

 

Spoiler

“I felt like: If this is a man who can get so enraged when his sense of desperation is invaded, then this is the kind of person who will say yes to joining a survival game like what you see,” he explains. “I felt like that was an important factor that led me to understand who this man is.”

The second instance is more a gesture than a scene. While on the run from loan sharks, Gi-hun slams into a young woman, Kang Sae-byeok (played by fellow SAG Award winner Jung Ho-yeon), and falls to the ground. Though he’s anxious to continue his escape, Gi-hun pauses to help Sae-byeok collect her things. That show of kindness exemplifies another key part of what attracted Lee to “Squid Game.”

“These two very short moments played an important role in making the character as convincing as we could make him,” Lee says. “They show that he is the type of person who will be willing to participate in a game like this, but also someone who will not lose that goodness in his heart throughout those very extreme situations as the games go along.”

These scenes also allow us to see Lee playing off of the energy of his co-stars. Gi-hun feels isolated amid the hundreds of other contestants whose success depends on his death (and vice versa); but the relationships he develops with his fellow players (including, as it turns out, Sae-byeok) cause him to push back against the selfishness the games depend on. This push-and-pull makes for one of the most exciting aspects of the show. 

When asked to name an instance that best captures the spirit of “Squid Game,” Lee again forgoes any pulse-pounding set pieces. Instead, he describes a scene in which all the contestants, while eating and drinking together, begrudgingly bond with those around them. Suspicions thaw into camaraderie, even though it may be short-lived.

“When I was shooting that particular scene, I don’t think I felt it then; but now that I look back at it, I just feel like that’s such a beautiful moment,” Lee says. “I think it was then I got the sense that we’re going to be great together. I remember thinking at the time: I’m in the presence of a great group of people here.”

The world of “Squid Game” is one where cruelty is not only expected, but encouraged. But the bonding Lee describes is at the heart of the show’s ethos—and it’s a concept that applies in acting as well as in life: There’s strength in numbers.

This story originally appeared in the Jun. 2 issue of Backstage Magazine.

 

Photographed by Shayan Asgharnia in L.A. on 02/27. Styling by Gianna Hwang. Hair and makeup by Mina Park. Dark suit: All Gucci. Light Suit: All Dior. Cover designed by Ian Robinson.

 

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https://www.backstage.com/magazine/article/lee-jung-jae-acting-advice-75225/
Lee Jung-jae’s Worst Audition Ever Also Led to His Big Break in South Korea

BY MANUEL BETANCOURT | JUNE 8, 2022

Photo Source: Nathan Arizona

Few actors can boast the varied string of successes that Lee Jung-jae has under his belt. For nearly three decades, the South Korean actor has effortlessly shuttled between romantic dramas, laugh-out-loud comedies, and action flicks—and, most recently, a hit dystopian television series. 

The “Squid Game” star got his start as a fashion model, and he’s proven time and time again that he’s a magnetic force in front of the camera, equally at ease playing con men or everymen. A box office superstar in his native South Korea, he’s now found a global audience thanks to “Squid Game”; he recently won a SAG Award for outstanding performance by a male actor in a drama series. Here, Lee looks back at his decades in the industry in our craft and career questionnaire.

What performance should every actor see and why?
There are a lot of actors and performances I’m a fan of. I’m a big fan of Marlon Brando in “A Streetcar Named Desire” and “On the Waterfront,” and also of Steve McQueen in “Papillon” and “The Getaway.” 

What’s the wildest thing you ever did to get a role?
I don’t think I’ve had a role where I had to do something too extreme. I know that many actors in Hollywood, you know, gain or lose dozens of pounds for a particular role. But I haven’t been in a place where I had to do something that drastic for a role. I do hope one day I will get an opportunity to do something like that. And for every role, of course, I’ve tried to put myself into a position where I do the utmost to prepare for that role. 

What is your worst audition horror story?
There was this particular TV show where the script-reading part went OK, but the director wanted something more. He was looking for something unique. And at that time, I was kind of perplexed. Because I didn’t quite get what it was he wanted. So we’d wanted to take a break, and he suggested I take it. So I drink something, just to loosen up a bit. I grabbed the drink—and I was really thirsty, I guess—and I drank the whole thing. And the director watched me drink it and said, “I like what I see! That’s kind of the uniqueness I was looking for.” So I was cast for the role!

What would you consider your big break?
Well, that audition actually led to quite the success on my part, because that was the project [“Dinosaur Teacher”] that put me on the map—because the drama series was quite a success. So I would say it was an audition I thought I had ruined, but it actually worked out in my favor. 

But with every project, I tend to think to myself, This might just be my last one. And I think the reason for that is because I always want to do better, but it doesn’t always feel like I’ve achieved that with each work. And I especially don’t feel that way during the filming process. I feel like I try to do my best, but it’s just really not. It doesn’t feel sufficient. 

However, it’s interesting, because when I see the final version, I then tend to think, Hey, it’s not that bad. And it’s just been a constant repetition of that throughout my career. So it feels like with each work, and now with “Squid Game” being my most recent work, they always feel like this major turning point—like this new kind of big break.

What advice would you give your younger self?
I would tell my younger self to do more projects. I hesitate to give you this answer, because looking back, I feel like I do have quite a number of projects under my belt. But I still feel like I would want to tell my younger self to do more, to act more.

[Helena]

https://k-odyssey.com/news/newsview.php?ncode=1065573388781348
'Hunt' starring Lee Jung-jae and Jung Woo-sung to premier on August 10

YonhapNews / 2022-06-21 09:36:03
(This article is translated from Korean to English by Joonha Yoo.)

 

Posters of movie "Hunt” (provided by Megabox Plus M)

SEOUL, June 21 (Yonhap) – South Korean spy movie “Hunt” starring Lee Jung-jae and Jung Woo-sung will premier on screen starting on August 10, announced by the distributer Megabox Plus M on Tuesday.


“Hunt” is a movie about both National Intelligence Service agents Park Pyong-ho and Kim Jung-do facing “operation kill the president” while doubting one another of their identity.


On top of Lee Jung-jae’s debut as a director, Jung Woo-sung and Lee Jung-jae made the headlines for their first collaboration in 23 years since “City of the Rising Sun”. Korean spy movie “Hunt” first screened in May at Festival de Cannes during the midnight screening. (END)

(C) Yonhap News Agency. All Rights Reserved

 

—

 

https://zapzee.net/2022/06/21/lee-jung-jaes-directorial-debut-film-hunt-unveils-its-release-date-first-official-poster-and-main-trailer/
Lee Jung Jae’s Directorial Debut Film ‘Hunt’ Unveils Its Release Date, First Official Poster and Main Trailer

By YU JIN KIM

The upcoming movie Hunt, which premiered in the 75th Cannes festival’s Midnight Screening section, unveiled its first official poster and main trailer along with its theater release date.

Hunt is a spy-action movie that tells the story of two NIS agents, Park Pyong Ho (played by Lee Jung Jae) and Kim Jung Do (Jung Woo Sung), trying to uncover a North Korean spy known as Donglim. 

The new poster shares a glimpse of Park Pyong Ho and Kim Jung Do, creating a stark contrast as they begin to track down the spy who caused their vital mission to fail.

The trailer begins with Park Pyong Ho reporting an urgent matter in the car late at night. Tension rises as his team member Bang Joo Kyung (Jeon Hye Jin) finds a trace of a spy and Jung Do’s agent Jang Cheol Sung (Heo Sung Tae) learns that there’s a traitor among their higher-ups.

 

Along with the caption that reads, “Will you be the hunter or the prey?,” viewers are left wondering what they will do next as they are on the verge of being branded as a spy if they don’t find the real one. The trailer ends with Kim Jung Do saying, “I’m sure that you are Donglim,” and raises curiosity about how the story will pan out throughout the movie.

Lee Jung Jae’s directorial debut film Hunt will premiere on August 10th.

Source: Megabox JoongAng Plus M

 

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https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/2022/06/15/entertainment/movies/The-Roundup-10-million/20220615180156511.html
Commercial success of 'The Roundup' offers hopes to film industry

Spoiler

BY LEE JAE-LIM [lee.jaelim@joongang.co.kr] | June 15, 2022

Stars of "The Roundup," actors Son Suk-ku, left, and Ma Dong-seok greet the moviegoers who came to watch their film at CGV Pangyo in Gyeonggi on June 6. [YONHAP]

“The Roundup,” the follow-up of 2017 film “The Outlaws,” revolving around villain-tackling police officer Ma Seok-do, exceeded expectations, and raked commercial success by surpassing 10 million ticket sales as of Sunday, according to the Korean Film Council. The feat signaled an end to the dry spell the local box office has been going through for two years due to the Covid-19 pandemic. 

With social distancing measures relaxed and moviegoers finally allowed to consume popcorn and various snacks inside theaters, audiences have been flocking to see what adventures the “beast” cop Seok-do, portrayed by actor Ma Dong-seok (also known as Don Lee), will go on.  “The Roundup” is the first film from the local box office to surpass 10 million — a number deemed as the milestone for commercial success for local industry — since the advent of the pandemic. Bong Joon-ho’s “Parasite” last reached the milestone in 2019.   For “The Roundup,” the mark was reached 25 days after the film’s release in local theaters on May 18, about a month faster than “Parasite,” which took 53 days. According to data released by Korean Film Council Wednesday, the film has now garnered over 10.7 million in ticket sales. The film became the 28th film to surpass reach the benchmark in Korea. 

Ma has now become a global brand with his almighty image and action scenes, which he also showed off in Marvel film “Eternals” (2021) as immortal alien Gilgamesh. Moviegoers often jokingly say that they almost feel sorry for his opponents, because one way or another they know that once Ma appears on screen, it means the end for the opponent.   This image of the actor was not born out of blue: From “The Neighbors” (2012), global hit zombie film “Train to Busan” (2016) and “The Outlaws” (2017), to “The Gangster, The Cop, The Devil” (2019), his enormous physical presence and strength has become iconic. 

For movie theaters, “The Roundup” is the saving grace that they’ve been hoping for since the pandemic, when the market share of Korean films fell to 30.1 percent, its lowest in a decade, as local films pushed back their release dates due to lack of audiences.

The sudden rise of popularity for the actor who portrayed the villain in "The Roundup," Son Suk-ku, first known for his appearance in JTBC drama series “My Liberation Notes” (2022) was an another critical factor in drawing people to theaters.  “I believe that ‘The Roundup’ played a significant role to remind people of the value of the movie theater, unlike the content seen through streaming services where one [usually] watches alone,” said Hwang Jae-hyun, a spokesman for movie theater chain CGV. “[For Son], I thought his popularity is proof to show that different content in different formats can create synergy with one another, across the barriers of movie theaters, streaming services and television.” 

With the success of “The Roundup” and the looming peak season during the summer when moviegoers often seek solace in the dark, cool theaters, release schedules for local and foreign films are already crammed. “Top Gun: Maverick,” for which Tom Cruise will visit Korea this weekend to promote, is being released on June 22; Cannes’ recipient of Best Director “Decision to Leave” by Park Chan-wook is being released on June 29; “Alienoid,” a highly anticipated sci-fi film directed by Choi Dong-hoon on July 20; “Hansan: Emergence of the Dragon (translated), a sequel to 2014 film “The Admiral: Roaring Currents” — another commercial hit which surpassed 10 million mark — is set to be released in July; “Emergency Declaration” featuring a star-studded cast including Cannes’ Best Actor winner Song Kang-ho, Lee Byung-hun, Jeon Do-yeon, Kim Nam-gil and Yim Si-wan is to be released sometime in August; and “Hunt,” the directorial debut of Netflix’s “Squid Game” star Lee Jung-jae will hit theaters on Aug. 10. 

With a full line-up secure for this year, film critic Kim Hyung-seok said it is possible that another film could surpass the 10 million mark.  “What we didn’t anticipate is cinema’s speedy recovery,” said Kim. “It was made possible, of course, with the step-by-step relaxing of social distancing measures [...] In Korea, the film industry has been one of the most thriving segments of the entertainment industry and it is likely that it will reclaim that role [in the future].”

 

[Helena]

https://k-odyssey.com/news/newsview.php?ncode=1065600609719358
Will cinemas be able to regain pre-pandemic peak season this summer with four blockbuster movies?

YonhapNews / 2022-06-24 17:10:03

SEOUL, June 24 (Yonhap) -- As the release date of the movie “Hansan: Emergence of the Dragon” has been decided to be July 27, the lineup of anticipated Korean films this summer has been revealed.


The domestic productions to be released in July and August, the peak season for theaters, include the first part of “ALIENOID,” “Hansan,” “Emergency Declaration” and “Hunt”. Although “Emergency Declaration” is the only one out of the four films that hasn’t confirmed a release date, there are some saying that August 3 is the most likely. 


As much as blockbuster films whose release has been delayed during the pandemic are scheduled to visit the audience weekly from the end of July till the beginning of August, expectations on whether the cinemas will be able to regain their pre-pandemic peak season this summer are rising. 



Spoiler

▲ This photo, provided by CJ ENM, shows the poster for "Alienoid." (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

 


Firstly, “ALIENOID” which will be released on July 20, marks the beginning of the competition this summer. This movie, is a movie directed by director Choi Dong-hoon, who directed the hit movies “The Thieves” (2012) and “Assassination” (2015), in 7 years.  “ALIENOID” depicts the fantasy unfolding between the Goryeo Dynasty and present-day Korea. With a door that connects different time and space, a group of Taoist magicians search for a legendary divine sword, while aliens appear in present-day Korea to chase after an alien prisoner confined in a human body. Stars including Kim Tae-ri, Kim Woo-bin, Ryu Jun-yeol and So Ji-sub, Yeom Jung-ah, Jo Woo-jin, Kim Ui-seong and Lee Ha-nee participated in the movie. 


 

Spoiler

▲ This photo, provided by Lotte Entertainment, shows the poster for "Hansan: Emergence of the Dragon." (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

 


"Hansan," which is scheduled to be released on the 27th of the same month, depicts the Battle of Hansando in 1592, when the Joseon naval forces led by Yi Sun-sin fought against the Japanese.  It is a sequel to “The Admiral: Roaring Currents” (2014), which has been at the top of the box office for eight years gathering 17.61 million viewers. Attention is paid to how the turtle ship, which was used as an assault ship in the battle, will be portrayed on screen.  Followed by Choi Min-sik in “The Admiral: Roaring Currents,” Park Hae-il takes on the role of Yi Sun-sin, along with Byun Yo-han, Ahn Sung-ki, Son Hyun-joo, Ok Taecyeon, Gong Myung and Park Ji-hwan.



Spoiler

▲ This photo, provided by Show Box, shows a scene from "Emergency Declaration." (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

 


“Emergency Declaration” starring Song Kang-ho, Lee Byung-hun, and Jeon Do-yeon is likely to be released in early August. Considering the release schedules of the competing films, it seems most likely to be released on August 3rd, between “Hansan” (July 27) and “Hunt” (August 10).  “Emergency Declaration” is a story that takes place when a flight from Korea to Hawaii receives a warning of terrorism. Director Han Jae-rim of “The Show Must Go On” (2006), “The Face Reader” (2013), and “The King” (2017) grabbed the megaphone.  As it is a disaster movie boasting a gorgeous cast, it is of interest to see if it will become a hot topic following 'Train to Busan' (2016) and “Tidal Wave” (2009).



▲ This photo, provided by Megabox Plus M, shows the movie "Hunt." (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

 


Actor Lee Jung-jae's first directorial work, “Hunt” will be released on August 10. “Hunt,” which was first screened in May at Festival de Cannes during the midnight screening, tells the story of ace agents Park Pyeong-ho (Lee Jung-jae) and Kim Jeong-do (Jung Woo-sung) chasing a South Korean spy leader.  Lee Jung-jae and Jung Woo-sung, the representative “best friends” of the entertainment industry, are starring in the same movie after 23 years since the movie “City Of The Rising Sun” (1999). The two are expected to show off a different bromance by appearing as rivals who suspect each other as spies.


 

Spoiler

▲ This photo, provided by Walt Disney Company korea, shows the poster for "Thor: Love and Thunder." (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

 


The Hollywood blockbuster “Thor: Love and Thunder” will also be visiting the audience on July 6. This movie, which is the first Marvel hero to release its 4th movie, tells the story of Thor (Chris Hemsworth), the god of thunder, fighting the villain Gorr (Christian Bale) who wants to annihilate the gods. A lot of people has also been focusing on the love line that will unfold as he reunites with his ex-lover Jane (Natalie Portman).  Taika Waititi, the director of “Thor: Ragnarok” (2017), the highest-grossing film in the “Thor” series, directed the movie once again. (END)

 

(C) Yonhap News Agency. All Rights Reserved

[Sleepy Owl]

EVENT: Are Kdramas as good as they were back then?

 

 

Chingus, do you think Kdramas are no longer how they used to be, or do you think otherwise? Come join us in this event, vote in the poll and tell us about your views on this!

 

 

 

Your Event Organizers,

@partyon @agenth @confusedheart @Sleepy Owl

[Helena]

[2022.07.05] Movie ‘Hunt’ Press Conference

 

LEE Jung-jae, JUNG Woo-sung, JEON Hye-Jin, HEO Sung-Tae

 

Spoiler

 

 

 

Spoiler

The cast of the new movie "Hunt" pose for a photo during a showcase for the spy flick at a Seoul theater on July 5, 2022. From left are Jung Woo-sung, Heo Sung-tae, Jeon Hye-jin and Lee Jung-Jae. (Yonhap) 

 

 

^ Lee Jung-Jae, who directed and stars in the new movie "Hunt," poses for a photo during a showcase for the spy flick at a Seoul theater on July 5, 2022. (Yonhap)

 

^ Jung Woo-sung, who stars in the new movie "Hunt," poses for a photo during a showcase for the spy flick at a Seoul theater on July 5, 2022. (Yonhap)

 

 

Credits: Yonhap, News1, Chosun

[Megabox PlusM]

Spoiler

 

 

 

 

[Helena]

[Megabox Plus M]

Spoiler

 

——

 

https://zapzee.net/2022/07/05/lee-jung-jae-and-jung-woo-sung-talk-about-working-together-for-the-first-time-in-23-years-in-hunt/
Lee Jung Jae and Jung Woo Sung Talk About Working Together for the First Time in 23 Years in ‘Hunt’

BY KRISHKIM | Photos: Xportsnews

Lee Jung Jae and Jung Woo Sung joined hands after 23 years. What will these two best friends show in Lee Jung Jae’s directorial debut film ‘Hunt’?

Hunt is a spy action drama about NIS agents Park Pyung Ho and Kim Jung Do chasing after a North Korean spy only to face a shocking truth. On Tuesday, Hunt held its press conference, which Lee Jung Jae, Jung Woo Sung, Jeon Hye Jin, and Heo Sung Tae attended. The movie was officially invited to this year’s Cannes Midnight Screening.

Lee Jung Jae, who is making his directorial debut, shared, “I’ve watched a lot of spy movies since I was young, and I had a great desire to make a new type of spy movie for Hunt. And on top of everything, I got to work with such amazing actors.”

“I’ve been doing movies for a long time, but I hesitated at first because writing a script and directing is a very different job,” he added. “But as I changed my mind to pluck up my courage, I got more immersed in Hunt little by little.”

Starring alongside Lee Jung Jae is his best friend and top actor, Jung Woo Sung. “I’ve watched him work on this for a long time,” he said. “It’s been reported that this is our reunion in a movie after 23 years, but there was this hesitance and fear in working together.” He continued, “But at some point, Lee Jung Jae’s unremitting efforts seemed to have stabilized the storyline, so I decided to join the project, thinking that no matter what the outcome might be, we should work together and accept all without regret.”

About his chemistry with Lee Jung Jae, Jung Woo Sung answered, “The audience are the ones who will comment about our chemistry. But I do think that our efforts are shown in the movie. I think our struggle to make this more than a movie that we enjoyed making will show.”

Meanwhile, Hunt will hit the screen on August 10th.

Source (1)

[Helena]

https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20220705006000315
Lee Jung-jae aimed to make new spy movie with directorial debut 'Hunt'

By Kim Boram (brk@yna.co.kr) | July 05, 2022

This image provided by Megabox Plus M shows a scene from "Hunt." (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

Actor-director Lee Jung-jae of the South Korean spy film "Hunt" speaks during a press conference in Seoul on July 5, 2022. (Yonhap)

SEOUL, July 5 (Yonhap) -- "Squid Game" star Lee Jung-jae said Tuesday that his directorial debut "Hunt" is a mix of his decadeslong experience as an actor and his dream of making a new type of spy movie.

"Hunt" is a story about two rival intelligence agents in South Korea, Park Pyong-ho (Lee) and Lee Jung-do (Jung Woo-sung), who separately chase after a North Korean spy leaking top secret information that could jeopardize national security. The two end up discovering a plot to assassinate the South Korean president.

It premiered as part of the non-competition Midnight Screening section at this year's Cannes Film Festival held in May.

And it is Lee's first film where he works behind the camera in his 30-year acting career, during which he has starred in about 40 films and TV series. He also wrote the script of his maiden film.

"Although I've been in this world for a long time, I thought writing and directing are different from acting. So I hesitated a lot," Lee said in a press conference. "But I decided to take charge of this project and dived into it."

For his directorial debut, he said he spent most of preproduction, which lasted for four years, in writing the script. He tried to build emotions of each character who confronts unknown and unseen spies, and combine them with his own style of suspense, thrill and action from the beginning.

"As many male actors do, I used to enjoy many espionage films. As a director, I wanted to create a new type of spy film with 'Hunt,'" said Lee, who rose to international fame with the global sensation "Squid Game." "Before going into an action sequence, I help actors build their emotions and get deeply immersed in the situation. I think this emotional building explains the violence and rage behind the action scenes."

The 48-year old actor-director-writer admitted it was not easy for him to direct himself.

"I know I can't do both well. I kept that in mind from the beginning," he said. "So I tried to focus more on acting when actors stood out, while I concentrate on directing when directorial parts are more important."

"Hunt" is his first project following the global sensation "Squid Game," which brought him a number of major acting prizes in the United States, including best lead actor at the Screen Actors Guild Awards.

And it has also been in the media spotlight due to the reunion of the lead actors, Lee and Jung, from the 1999 drama film "City of the Rising Sun."

Actor Jung Woo-sung, who is well known as an old friend of Lee, said he accepted Lee's offer to star in his directorial debut because of Lee's passion in the project, not because of their decadeslong friendship.

"I tried to distance myself from his project and see it from an objective point of view," he said. "I thought he was ready to do it. I know how much effort he has put into it."

"Hunt" will hit Korean screens on Aug. 10. (END)

[Helena]

https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/art/2022/07/689_332206.html
Lee Jung-jae, Jung Woo-sung reunite after 23 years for Lee's directorial debut, 'Hunt'

 

By Kwak Yeon-soo | 2022-07-05

 

Actor-director Lee Jung-jae, left, and Jung Woo-sung attend a press conference for the film, "Hunt," at the Megabox Seongsu theater in Seoul, Tuesday. Yonhap

Actor Lee Jung-jae, who is making his feature directorial debut with espionage action film "Hunt," said the hardest part for him was casting his longtime friend, Jung Woo-sung, in a starring role. The two actors reunited for the film 23 years after appearing together in 1999's "City of the Rising Sun."

"I've been showing him the script since the early stages of development, but he rejected it four times. I rewrote a considerable amount of material over the course of four years and was finally able to cast him for the film," he said during a press conference for the film at the Megabox Seongsu cinema in Seoul, Tuesday. 

Set in the turbulent 1980s, the action-packed film centers on two rival intelligence agents, Park Pyong-ho (Lee) and Kim Jung-do (Jung), who are tasked with uncovering a North Korean spy stealing highly classified information that could threaten national security. They investigate each other in the process of discovering a larger plot to assassinate the president. "Hunt" was invited for the Midnight Screening of the 75th Cannes Film Festival in the non-competitive category.

Although Lee and Jung are close friends in real life, the two didn't speak to each other on set in order to play up the conflict between their characters, they said.

"Normally, the cast and crew go over every shot of the day and discuss a lot behind the camera. But we haven't talked much while monitoring this film. We wanted to build a strong tension between the two rivals," Jung said. 

Lee confessed that he got his start at directing by accident and he nearly quit several times during the years-long process.

"Initially, I was offered a role and then I just wanted to produce the film. I had to search for a screenwriter and a director, but I couldn't find one. So I took on the task of writing the screenplay and directing myself," he said 

His 30-year-long career as an actor was a big help when stepping behind the lens. "I have acted in many different genres and I could remember action scenes that were difficult to film. I tried to remember those scenes when filming," Lee said. 

Lee shot to global stardom with Netflix's "Squid Game" (2021), winning honors for his performance at major awards including the 28th Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards and the 27th Critics' Choice Awards. 

To achieve a balance between acting and directing, Lee communicated with the cast and crew during rehearsals and table reads. "When working on the storyboarding, I invited the crewmembers of each department to come up with good ideas," he said. 

Heo Sung-tae, another "Squid Game" star who plays the role of Kim's assistant, said that Lee read through the script out loud with him about five times before actual filming began. 

"To be able to work on a film like this and work with Lee and Jung was a dream-come-true kind of moment for me. It was surreal," he said. 

"Hunt" will hit local theaters on Aug. 10.

[Helena]

https://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20220705000807
‘Squid Game’ lead Lee Jung-jae’s ‘Hunt’ stars best friend Jung Woo-sung

By Song Seung-hyun (ssh@heraldcorp.com) | Jul 5, 2022

Lee Jung-jae (left) and Jung Woo-sung hold hands during a photo session after a press conference introducing “Hunt” at Megabox Seongsu in Seoul, Tuesday. (Yonhap)

Not many people were surprised when it was announced that top Korean actor Jung Woo-sung would star in “Squid Game” lead actor Lee Jung-jae’s directorial debut feature.

The two top movie stars, who became close while filming “City of the Rising Sun” (1999), directed by Kim Sung-soo, have long been showing off their friendship on and off the screen.

At a press conference to introduce his upcoming “Hunt” at Megabox Seongsu in Seoul on Tuesday, Lee said he had to ask his best friend to take the role four times before he finally accepted.

At the press conference, Jung explained that he was careful about working with Lee again after more than two decades because he knew the public’s expectations would be high.

Lee and Jung both agreed that the original script, written four years ago, was not good enough, and lots of changes had to be made.

“I tried to read the script as objectively as possible. He (Lee) put a lot of effort into changing the script and felt like it was finally ready,” Jung said. 

“Hunt” is set in the 1980s. Lee appears in the movie as Park Pyung-ho, an elite agent at the Agency for National Security Planning on the trail of a North Korean spy. During his chase, he becomes increasingly aware of his own country’s dark truths. Meanwhile, another elite agent named Kim Jung-do (played by Jung) starts to suspect that Park is a North Korean spy.

“I was so nervous handing the script to actors and asking them to join the project,” Lee said. “I wanted them to join because the work is good, not because of our friendship, so I was nervous.”

In the beginning, Lee said he only planned to be the film’s producer. When the actor found out that the project had hit obstacles, and that some changes had to be made to the original script, he started to consider directing.

From left: Jung Woo-sung, Heo Sung-tae, Jeon Hye-jin and Lee Jung-jae pose for photos after a press conference introducing “Hunt” at Megabox Seongsu in Seoul, Tuesday. (Yonhap)

“I was not sure if I am qualified to be a director. I have been doing movies for a long time, but writing a script and directing was completely different. But I decided to muster up the courage and do it,” Lee said.

Jung said he closely watched Lee work hard on the new movie as both an actor and the director and thought, “My friend is going to die on the set.”

“He (Lee) was already tired after playing his character, but he still had to focus on work as a director. He was not done after filming his scenes, he had a lot of decisions to make and also prepare for the next shooting,” Jung said.

At the press conference, Lee thanked Jung for encouraging him while working on the set.

“Jung Woo-sung has experience directing ‘Guardian.’ He had some hard time back then and I gave him ginseng extract. This time, when we were working on ‘Hunt,’ Jung gave me wild ginseng extract,” Lee joked. “Guardian” is set to be released later this year.

Lee also talked about the film debuting as a midnight screening in the noncompetitive section of the Cannes Film Festival earlier this year. 

“Cannes loves Korean movies, and it is a familiar film fest for Koreans. It was great that they invited my movie,” Lee said. “I talked about Korean films and promoted our film while I was there.”

Two other actors in the film -- Heo Sung-tae, who plays agent Kim’s subordinate, and Jeon Hye-jin, who plays agent Park’s subordinate -- talked about their experiences working on the highly anticipated project.

“I remember meeting Lee Jung-jae for the first time on the ‘Squid Game’ set. It was in front of an elevator,” Heo, who also starred in “Squid Game,” said. “At that time, I did not imagine myself working with these two actors (Lee and Jung). I felt like I was dreaming of filming with them.” 

Jeon said it was interesting to see both director Lee and actor Lee on the set.

“I could tell by his look,” Jeon said. “When he directed he wore sweatpants and sneakers. He wore the same thing all the time. And when he performed as Pyung-ho, his attitude totally changed. I could talk to director Lee very freely, but not Pyung-ho.”