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

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November 25, 2014
Why Lee Jung-jae Shines among Multiple Leads
Source: KOFICE

Anticipating a fourth consecutive hit, Lee Jung-jae will jump into the “big match” of the cinema this winter. Following “The Thieves” (2012), “New World” (2012), and “The Face Reader” (2013), Lee Jung-jae is set to take on the box office competition with “Big Match” (director Choi Ho/ production BK Pictures). The actor met a turning point in his career with “The Housemaid” (2010), through which he gained the control of the Korean cinema’s box office as if to repay for all his previous movies that fell short of expectations. This time, equipped with a fighter’s looks, he races across downtown Seoul. “Big Match” depicts the breathless race of Choi Ik-ho (Lee Jung-jae) to outrun a genius bad guy (Shin Ha-gyun) and protect his brother (Lee Sung-min). The race takes the good and the bad guys across the whole of Seoul. After receiving high points at the monitoring preview, “Big Match” was the first to confirm its release date of November 27, thereby securing an advantageous position in the winter box office race.    What raises anticipation for “Big Match” is that Choi Ik-ho is very different from the roles Lee Jung-jae played in his previous three movies: vulgar but somewhat pitiable thief Popei in “The Thieves,” undercover cop Lee Ja-sung who is torn between duty and loyalty in “New World,” and heartless Prince Suyang in “The Face Reader.” In the “Big Match,” Lee Jung-jae transforms into a staunch fighter who takes on missions around the city to save his big brother. The actor is now in his forties, but the age did not deter him from mastering the action scenes. Lee Jung-jae started training for the action scenes five months before the filming started. He also lost weight and bulked up like a real fighter, and learned boxing, wrestling, and various kicking techniques to add realism to the action scenes. Rumors say that Lee Jung-jae always carried pain relief sprays on the set. One of his strong points is that he has a singular presence but also forms a good chemistry with other leading actors. Acting alongside Kim Yun-suk, Kim Hae-soo, Jeon Ji-hyun, Oh Dal-soo, and Kim Hae-suk in “The Thieves,” Choi Min-sik and Hwang Jung-min in “New World,” and Song Kang-ho, Cho Jung-suk, and Baek Yun-sik in “The Face Reader,” Lee Jung-jae shined both alone and together. Who would have thought that Lee Jung-jae, who had mainly played single lead roles in melodramas, would shine among multiple leads? He acts alongside Shin Ha-gyun, Lee Sung-min, and Ra Mi-ran in his upcoming movie. There is another reason “Big Match” is a little more important than other movies to Lee Jung-jae. “Big Match” must be his winning card. “The Thieves” had Jeon Ji-hyun, “New World” Hwang Jung-min, and “The Face Reader” Song Kang-ho, but Lee Jung-jae is the leading name in “Big Match,” although he is closely supported by other leading actors. Just as how Choi Ik-ho has to confront his hardest challenge yet, Lee Jung-jae must wait for the verdict from the audience.

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[bIG MATCH] Production Briefing Video:

Event poster for movie goers. They used new still of Lee Jung Jae.

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November 26, 2014
Lee Jung-jae returns as an invincible fighter
By Ahn Sung-mi KPOPHERALD


Actor Lee Jung-jae poses before an interview with The Korea Herald in Sogyeok-dong, central Seoul, Monday (Hohohobeach)
Model-turned-actor Lee Jung-jae has worked in TV and film for many years. 
Lee instantly became a household name when he starred in the 1994 campus TV drama “Feelings.” In 1995, his impressive supporting role as a silent, devoted bodyguard in the sensational TV drama “Sandglass” turned him into a national heartthrob. Boosted by his success on the small screen, his 1999 film “City of the Rising Sun,” with costar Jung Woo-sung -- who has become one of Lee’s best friends -- earned him a best actor award and critical acclaim. 
Two decades have passed and Lee is again at the white-hot center of a hit, enjoying his second heyday.
His recent films have been both critical and box-office hits. “The Thieves” (2012) joined the coveted 10 million viewer club, while “New World” (2013) and “The Face Reader” (2013) attracted 4.6 million and 9 million viewers, respectively. 
Riding nonstop success, he returns this time as professional mixed martial arts fighter Choi Ik-ho, who runs for his life in the new action flick “Big Match,” directed by Choi Ho.

In an interview with The Korea Herald on Monday, the 41-year-old actor admitted that his age was an important factor when he chose the physically intense film. 
“I realized I might not get a chance to play such a hardcore athletic role in the future,” said Lee. 
Lee trained every day for six months before the start of shooting and continued the laborious workouts for five months during the filming, including training with professional fighters. “For about a year, I would wake up in the morning, eat, work out, eat, work out and go to bed. That would be my routine.”
He denied that he is always as fit as people assume. 

“That is not true. I always have to watch what I eat and work out all the time, which can be quite painful.”

“Especially, since my role was a professional fighter, my body had to resemble them, which only required intense training,” said the actor. “And at this age, my body is not the same.”
“It is a given that actors do have a responsibility to work hard for their roles,” said Lee. “But it is not always as easy as it sounds.” 
During the training, Lee tore his rotator cuff and could not move his arms for a while. Doctors told him to get surgery immediately and withdraw from the film. 

But he decided to continue because he didn’t want all the training and painful exertions to go to waste.

The 112-minute film showcases his head-to-toe endeavor from beginning to end as he fervently rolls, jumps and smacks people along the way. 

Official poster of "Big Match"
In “Big Match,” Ik-ho becomes a game marker inside a special game designed by a genius named Ace (Shin Ha-kyun), for the wealthiest high-stake gamblers to wager huge sums of money. Ik-ho is forced to play this brutal real-time high-tech game when his brother (Lee Sung-min) disappears one day. He then receives mysterious instructions from Ace. 
Along with the stomach-knotting suspense that runs from the beginning to the end, there are flashes of slapstick humor and Ik-ho’s series of foolhardy decisions evokes laughter, though Lee confesses that he finds comedic acting very difficult.
“Some people are naturally talented at making people laugh, but I am not one of them,” said Lee. “Even when I was acting some scenes, I questioned my ability several times.”
But Lee believe that humor is an important aspect of Korean action films: “The Korean action (genre is) usually set in a familiar stage, loaded with smart plot twists and humor, and that is what makes it unique.”
Despite his nonstop success on the screen, the actor admits that he has fallen into career slumps from time to time, which have lasted for three to four years. 
Around 2005, after starring in the film “Typhoon,” Lee was hungry for more masculine roles. “But the scripts I received were far from the roles I had wanted. So I didn’t take them and missed out on some good roles. And then I realized time just slipped by.”
Then, the actor recognized that waiting around for good work to arrive won’t necessarily solve the problem. “I had to abstain from my desire and try out for every opportunity,” he said.

Among those opportunities, he grabbed “The Housemaid” in 2010, which was a sensational hit, going on to compete for the highest prize at the Cannes Film Festival in 2010. The film helped Lee get back on his feet again.

“Now when I choose films, I trust my instinct and follow my heart.” said Lee. “If I can feel something from a written script, acting comes easier to express my feelings, and I can relate to the story and focus better.”
“With this film, I just want people to have fun and laugh a lot, and see a more friendly and relaxed side of me,” said Lee. 
“Big Match” opened in theaters Wednesday. 

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November 27, 2014
Korean Film Festival is set to open
Source: Gulf Daily News
A KOREAN Film Festival gets underway at Bahrain National Museum tonight with the screening of Masquerade at 7pm.
Originally released in 2012, this historical film is also known as Gwanghae: The Man Who Became King, and tells the story of the 15th ruler of Korea's Joseon Dynasty, King Gwanghae, played by Lee Byung-hun.
Next Thursday international action heist film The Thieves, starring Kim Hae-sook and Jeon Ji-hyun among an ensemble cast will be screened.
One of the highest grossing movies in Korean film history, The Thieves depicts a gang of South Korean criminals who team up with a Hong Kong crew to steal a diamond necklace from a heavily guarded casino safe in Macau.
The festival, which is being organised by the Korean Embassy in collaboration with the Culture Ministry, will conclude on December 12 with the showing of Miracle in Cell No 7.
A heart-warming comedy and family melodrama about a mentally challenged man wrongfully imprisoned for murder, this 2013 film stars Ryu Seung-ryong, Kal So-won and Park Shin-hye.
All films featured in the festival will be subtitled in English.
Source: Korean Embassy in Bahrain 

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November 28, 2014
A special poster for movie 'Big Match' released
Source: STARN NewsA special poster for 'Big Match' was released.
On November 27th, movie 'Big Match' was officially released along with a new special poster.
The poster shows the main characters of 'Big Match' showing big smiles together.
Each of them are expressing their characters with their outfits, and many movie fans are showing huge anticipation for the movie.
The poster includes Lee Jung Jae, Shin Ha Kyun, Lee Sung Min, BoA, Kim Eui Sung, La Mi Ran, Bae Sung Woo, Son Ho Jun, and Choi Woo Shik, who all are top actors and actresses of Korea, and many people are showing huge curiosity about the collaboration that they are going to show.
Meanwhile, movie 'Big Match' is currently being played at every movie theaters of Korea.
/Reporting by Lee Mi-Ji en@starnnews.com

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[bIG MATCH] Uncut 3 minutes video highlights

Scenes Recommended Events! One of the prize is the outfit that LJJ wear in this movie.

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[interview] BoA Talks Filming Action Scenes in Negative Degree Weather for ‘Big Match’
BoA shared having filmed tough actions scenes without being treated like an actress.
BoA, who has entered her 14th year since her debut, signaled her new beginning. She took on the role of the mysterious red angel ‘Soo Kyung’ in the movie Big Match, guiding Choi Ik Ho (Lee Jung Jae) who tries to save his brother.
On November 25, BoA met with Newsen in a café in Samchung-dong and said, “Director Choi Ho apparently sent the scripts over to cast me when he was working on Go Go 70 but I never saw the scripts. I think there was a mistake with the company,” and added, “I met director Choi Ho for the first time and he encouraged me saying that he thinks I will do well. I told him that I enjoyed reading the scenario and that I want to take the role, even though it would be a difficult role for an actress. Then he asked me if I’m good at exercising and things like that and I ended up joining the movie.”


For BoA, the first filming for Big Match was a battle with the cold. BoA said, “On the first day of filming, I had to fight Lee Jung Jae at the field of reeds near Han river. I wasn’t embarrassed because I knew Lee Jung Jae sunbae from before. But it did feel different meeting him at the set as an actress.”
“Instead of feeling embarrassed by rolling on the field with Lee Jung Jae sunbaenim, I felt very cold. It was negative 17 degrees that day, the coldest day so far. The Han river was really cold. I can’t stand cold very well so I had a tough time. I didn’t receive any special treatment because I was an actress. Everyone just called me Soo Kyung and told me to act out all the action scenes. I got help in certain parts from a double but for the most part, I acted them out myself.”
Meanwhile, Big Match is a movie about fighter Choi Ik Ho (Lee Jung Jae) trying to save his brother Choi Young Ho (Lee Sung Min) from the genius villain Ace (Shin Ha Kyun). It stars Lee Jung Jae, Shin Ha Kyun, Lee Sung Min, BoA, Kim Eui Sung, Ra Mi Ran, Bae Sung Woo, Son Ho Jun, Choi Woo Shin and more and is set to premiere on November 26.
http://mwave.interest.me/enewsworld/en/article/81674/interview-boa-talks-filming-action-scenes-in-negative-degree-weather-for-big-match

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[big Match] 30 seconds preview

Lee Jung Jae and Shin Ha Kyun doing fan-service at Konkuk University Entrance Fountain Square on Nov 20. Lucky fans.

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December 4, 2014
Lee Jung-jae in black-and-white shoot
Source: KPOPHERALD


Korean actor Lee Jung-jae graced the pages of the fashion magazine 1st Look.
In a close-up shot, the actor sported enticing facial expressions, making the black-and-white photo more animated.
“Big Match,” starring Lee, hit theaters last week.

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BoA Kickstarts Her Domestic Acting Career with “Big Match” to Positive Reviews
Singer BoA made her domestic screen debut with “Big Match” to positive reviews. Action films demand much more than just good acting from an actress, and BoA exceeded expectations with her professionalism.
In “Big Match,” BoA captured viewers with her fluency in the action scenes. She held her own as the only female actor in the action scenes, impressing viewers with her energy, power, and expressiveness.


BoA explained, “I have long received acting offers, but at the time I was so involved in my music that I could not seriously consider acting. However, after participating in the Hollywood movie “Make Your Move,” I developed an interest in acting.”
She plays the role of the mysterious Soo Kyung who, under the orders of the Ace (Shin Ha Kyun), guides the protagonist Choi Ik Ho (Lee Jung Jae) to his next mission. To prepare for the role, BoA underwent special action training for five months before filming.
Lee Jung Jae commented, “I know of BoA as a singer who ever since she was little devoted herself to her craft. She has that in common with the character Soo Kyung. When BoA comes to set, you can tell she has practiced a lot. She is truly a professional.”
Meanwhile, “Big Match” has drawn a total of 724,803 viewers, as last recorded on December 3.
http://www.soompi.com/2014/12/04/boa-kickstarts-her-domestic-acting-career-with-big-match-to-positive-reviews/

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[big Match] 100% Motion Capture Video: 

Indomitable fighter '최익호'! A real tough guy! Charismatic Lee Jungjae! You can see the peak attraction to Lee Jungjae through the magazine Vogue Korea December issue^^

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December 6, 2014
Lee Jung-jae Proves He Has Yet to Peak
Source: The Chosun Ilbo

As the title of the movie suggests, actor Lee Jung-jae keeps running, jumping and fighting in "Big Match," an action comedy directed by Choi Ho that was released last week.
Lee plays a mixed martial arts fighter who tries to save his brother after he was kidnapped by a villain.
"When I was offered the role, some people tried to dissuade me, saying that I might not be young enough to manage brutal fight scenes," Lee said. "But I thought I had to do it before getting even older."
"I did about 80 percent of the action scenes, except some stunts like jumping from a roof or leaping over a bus," he said. 
Lee, who was a big star in the 1990s, has been enjoying resurging popularity as he appeared in hit films "The Thieves" (2012), "New World" (2013) and "The Face Reader" (2013).
But he feels he is at a crossroads in his acting career.
"What I want to do is often different from what I get to do," he explained. "Since I'm over 40 now I might have to focus on what I can do best."

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[big Match] Nationwide shout Video!

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<Big Match> Daegu stage greeting the public scene! Lee Jung Jae and BoA meet their fans.

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December 11, 2014
Korean Movie Actors' Current Acting Fee
Source: Naver (disclaimer: Google-translate)
700 Million Won - Song Kang Ho, Ha Jung Woo, Lee Byung Hun600 Million Won - Kang Dong Won, Choi Min Sik, Hwang Jung Min, Kim Yoon Seok, Jang Dong Gun, Won Bin, Jo Seung Woo, Ryoo Seung Ryong500 Million Won - Lee Jung Jae, Kim Myung Min, Sol Kyung Gu, Cha Tae Hyun, Baek Yoon Shik400 Million Won - Gong Yoo, Yoo Ah In, Park Hae Il300 Million Won - Lee Min Ki, Kim Soo Hyun, Lee Min Ho200 Million Won - Choi Seung Hyun (TOP), Kim Rae Won, Yeo Jin Goo

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December 18, 2014
Lee Jung-jae at film fest


Actor Lee Jung-jae attends the 35th Blue Dragon Film Awards at the Sejong Center for Peforming Arts in Seoul on Dec. 17, 2014. (Yonhap) (END)

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He really loves his velvet right.
<Big Match> Busan premiere stage greeting the public scene! With Lee Jung Jae and BoA.

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December 19, 2014
Lee Jung Jae Holds A Fan Meeting With Montbell
Source: BNTNews

[by Sora Ghim, photo by Kim Chi Yoon] Outdoor brand Montbell's model Lee Jung Jae held a fan signing on December 19 at the Montbell store in the Gangnam Shinsegae Mall.
He wore the brand's clothes, looking stylish and warm for this cold winter. 
Meanwhile, Lee Jung Jae starred in the recently released film 'Big Match' and is currently filming another movie 'Assassination' with director Choi Dong Hoon. (photo by bntnews DB)

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 December 19, 2014
Lee Jung Jae Can't Hide His Good Looks
Source: BNTNews

[by Sora Ghim, photo by Kim Chi Yoon] Outdoor brand Montbell's model Lee Jung Jae held a fan signing on December 19 at the Montbell store in the Gangnam Shinsegae Mall.
He wore the brand's clothes, looking stylish and warm for this cold winter. 
Meanwhile, Lee Jung Jae starred in the recently released film 'Big Match' and is currently filming another movie 'Assassination' with director Choi Dong Hoon. (photo by bntnews DB)