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

[Aziraphale]

Would love to see Lee Jung-jae and Jung Woo-sung re-team for a drama or film! That would be so epic.

And it's so nice of him to do the free hugs thing. I like a man who keeps his promises

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Photo credit: cormlee

 

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August 13, 2015

“Assassination” Braces for 10 Million Admissions

Source: KOFICE

Released on July 22, the movie “Assassination” recorded a total of 9 million admissions as of August 10, 7 AM (Korea Film Council statistics), making it the first Korean movie released in 2015 to step toward the 10 million admission mark. Even before its release, “Assassination” set a record for the highest reservation rate among Korean movies this year. This was followed by the best opening score this year for a Korean movie and the quickest record to reach 1 million admissions in the opening weekend. It is still going strong in its third week, which is often regarded as the crossroads to 10 million admissions.

On August 7, which marked its third week, “Assassination” surpassed the 8 million admission mark. On the third weekend, 400,000 people watched the movie each day. Thanks to the large number of moviegoers on the weekends, the movie breezed by the 8 million admission mark and passed by 9 million admissions on the 10th, the start of its fourth week. Considering that the previous 10-million-admission movies accumulated 8 million moviegoers by its third week, “Assassination” is following the same trend. The reason the third week is important is that this is when the admission number begins to dwindle compared with the previous weeks. However, “Assassination” is still going strong.

The trend now is to re-watch the movie. This is a detail that determines whether the movie reaches the 10 million admission mark or ends at the 8 million admission mark. Words about “Assassination” spread across the audience of all ages and ushered the moviegoers back to the cinema. Of course, the marketing team’s various events and strategies to keep the audience’s interests running high have also helped. The lead actors are still doing rounds at the cinemas, and Jeon Ji-hyun promised to donate packed meals to charity groups if the movie records 5 million admissions. Thanks to all these efforts, “Assassination” has defended its screens from its rivals. The summer cinema is largely dominated by “Assassination,” “Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation,” and “Veteran,” and “Assassination” has done well to defend its screens even in its third week. 

One production staff said, “The 10-million-admission countdown has begun. It’s just a matter of time till the movie reaches the 10 million admission mark. It will be the first Korean movie to do so this year, and people are waiting to see how far it will go from there. It will be interesting to see if it can surpass Choi Dong-hoon’s previous movie ‘The Thieves’ as well.”  

[rubie]

August 16, 2015

‘Assassination’ crosses 10m viewers

Colonial-era action flick “Assassination” crossed the 10 million-viewer mark at the box office on Saturday, the National Liberation Day of Korea, becoming the first local film to pass the milestone this year. 

Director Choi Dong-hoon’s flick, which was released on July 22, garnered 10,336,691 viewers as of Sunday according to the official box-office tracker Korean Film Council. 

“Assassination” is the 16th film to join the 10 million-viewership club here, and the 12th among domestic films. For Choi, it is his second time to reach the feat since his 2012 caper film “The Thieves,” which drew 12.9 million viewers. 

Previously, director Yoon Je-kyoon achieved the 10 million title with two of his movies, “Tidal Wave” and “Ode to My Father.” 

Set in the 1930s when Korea was a colony of Japan, the flick revolves around three Korean independence fighters with a mission to assassinate the commander of the Japanese troop in Korea and a pro-Japanese Korean businessman. 

Actress Jun Ji-hyun, actor Lee Jung-jae and Ha Jung-woo play the lead roles in the star-studded flick. 

By Ahn Sung-mi (sahn@heraldcorp.com) 

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August 15, 2015

[HanCinema's Film Review] "The Assassination"

Review by William Schwartz l Hancinema.net

South Korean media doesn't deal much with the Japanese Occupation. The main reason for this is historical awkwardness. The resistance wasn't all that effective. And after the war most major figures involved in it either joined North Korea, or they ended up in a losing political battle with the US-backed South Korean dictatorship, which was managed almost entirely by Koreans who had collaborated with the Japanese. "The Assassination", amazingly enough, actually addresses this directly. The framing device is in 1949 and the main villain in 1933 isn't a hardened Japanese soldier, but a Korean collaborator.

And that's not the only part where this gets messy. Collaboration with the Japanese is an explicit, constant plot point in "The Assassination". Most characters, at one point or another, have to deliberately fudge with loyalties or misrepresent their identities in order to pull through on any kind of objective. The main characters may look all friendly in the press materials, but for most of "The Assassination" they don't actually know for sure who's working for who. Or even what each others' names are.

As a period piece "The Assassination" excels. This isn't a modern action thriller dressed up in olde tyme clothing. No modern technology means that it is extremely difficult for characters to keep track of each other, and misinformation is paramount. Entire rooms of people, oftentimes including (relatively) innocent bystanders end up getting killed. In the heat of the moment this does a lot for tension- our main characters are now able to deceive each other and everyone else for another hour or two.

The moral justification for all this? Because the Japanese Empire is bad. Obviously we all know this, but it's rather telling how director Choi Dong-hoon doesn't give us very many moments of the Japanese Empire actually being all that directly evil. Sure they kill people...for the greater good. The argument isn't a terribly convincing one but even so, I had difficulty ignoring the fact that for all practical intents and purposes the lead characters are terrorists who also use the exact same justification.

There's a lot to chew on here politically- although admit that's probably tangential to what "The Assassination"'s status as an action film. But on that level too "The Assassination" is pretty on the nose. The explosions are meant to distract us from the fact that a flowchart is necessary to keep track of what's going on in the actual story. They are very well-done explosions- more than enough to satisfy whatever your minimum adrenaline content, with proper style to boot.

The main weakness in "The Assassination" is that it might take you awhile to get all of the characters straight. But for me, when that moment finally clicked and I could see just what a beautiful mess this movie looked like in full focus...well, that much was quite a treat. On nearly every level there's a lot to appreciate in "The Assassination". This is a professional production done with real skill and craftsmanship. I'm not sure whether director Choi Dong-hoon actually intended for there to be historical political commentary, but who cares? See what you want to see- there's plenty of it here.

Review by William Schwartz Read more at: http://tr.im/SSAPn

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News bites: August 16, 2015
by awcoconuts | dramabeans.com

Get ready for an onslaught of hype about the film Incheon Landing Operation, formerly titled MacArthur, which has signed Liam Neeson (Taken) as the famed General MacArthur. Lee Jung-jae is still considering a role as a navy lieutenant, and now reports are out that Lee Beom-soo (Last, Triangle) has met with director Lee Jae-han (Into the Gunfire) and is positively mulling over an offer to play an elite North Korean officer with ties to the Soviet Union. The movie will focus on September 15, 1950, the day when MacArthur strategically invaded Incheon and turned the tide of the Korean War, and its target premiere date is June 25, 2016 (625 is a symbolic day marking the start of the war between the North and the South).  [enews 24]

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August 16, 2015

Korea Box Office: Local Blockbusters Triumph on Holiday Weekend

Sonia Kil Variety.com

Representing a week-on-week rise of 18%, Ryoo Seung-wan’s “Veteran” earned $15.4 million from 2.25 million admissions between Friday and Sunday and held on to top spot over the busy Independence Day weekend.

The CJ Entertainment release has rapidly scored $44.4 million from 6.64 million admissions after 12 days on release.

Fittingly, Showbox’s period action drama “Assassination” crossed the 10 million admissions mark on Independence Day (Aug 15). It grossed $6.7 million from 989,600 admissions between Friday and Sunday, extending its total to $70.5 million from 10.7 million admissions. “Assassination” is now the top movie of the year, ahead of “Avengers: Age of Ultron.”

“Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation” held third place, adding $3.2 million over the three-day weekend for $37.9 million. UPI’s “Minions” has made $14 million after three weekends on release.

Lotte’s long-anticipated “Memories of the Sword” disappointed. The big budget martial art drama starring Cannes-winning actress Jeon Do-yeon, top actor Lee Byung-hun, and rising star Kim Go-Eun only made $2.23 million over its opening four days.

Another local newcomer “Wonderful Nightmare” made $2.12 million over its opening four days. Screenwriter turned director Kang Hyo-jin, directed the fantasy comedy with actress Uhm Jung-hwa and actor Song Seung-heon.

“Shaun the Sheep Movie” came in like a lamb, and earned $371,700 between Thursday and Sunday. Aardman Studios’ previous, “Arthur Christmas” made $4.06 million in 2011—2012.

The Grand Prize winner of the Jeonju festival, director Ahn Gooc-jin’s first feature “Alice in Earnestland” opened in tenth spot, taking $116,600 between Thursday and Sunday.

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August 17, 2015

'Assassination' Draws 10 Million Viewers

Source: The Chosun Ilbo

The period espionage film "Assassination" surpassed the 1 million mark in cinema attendance and became the most viewed movie here so far this year. 

The flick drew more than 371,600 moviegoers on Saturday to reach the 1 million mark and another 166,300 by Sunday morning, bringing the total to 10.5 million and dethroning "Avengers: Age of Ultron," which attracted 10.49 million viewers in April, according to the Korea Film Council.

"Assassination" also boasts the highest booking rate (54 percent) and most cinema attendance on its day of release (477,600 spectators).

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August 18, 2015

‘Veteran’ dominates over Liberation Day holiday

Source: INSIDE Korea JoongAng Daily

Ryoo Seung-wan’s action comedy “Veteran” stayed well on top, attracting 2.3 million moviegoers during the weekend, which included the three-day holiday marking the 70th anniversary of Korea’s Liberation Day. 

At over 1,000 screens nationwide, the summer tent pole from CJ Entertainment made 18 billion won ($15 million), bringing its two-week total to 52 billion won. 

The speed at which “Veteran” is gaining ticket sales is as fast as that of “Assassination,” which succeeded in garnering 10 million ticket sales, the first Korean film to do so this year.

“Assassination,” a historical action flick crafted by Choi Dong-hoon, also continued to shine at the local box office, after opening nationwide on July 22.

It was meaningful that the film hit the monumental 10 million admissions mark (roughly equal to 82 billion won) on a Liberation Day, which fell on Saturday, since the film is about a secret assassination scheme during the 1910-45 Japanese colonial era. 

It is now the 10th most-watched film in Korean cinematic history. Its next goal is surpassing Bong Joon-ho’s “The Host” (2006), which holds ninth place with 10.9 million tickets sold. 

Tom Cruise’s “Mission: Impossible ? Rogue Nation” also stayed put over the weekend in third place, selling 469,252 tickets. It has earned 44 billion won so far in Korea. 

Meanwhile, the much buzzed-about film “Memories of the Sword,” starring Lee Byung-hun and Jeon Do-yeon, took a disappointing sixth place with only 247,119 tickets sold, making 1.9 billion won. 

Despite its ambitious attempt at the martial arts genre fueled by a slew of A-list actors such as Jeon, Lee and rising actress Kim Go-eun, Park Heung-sik’s latest film, which reportedly cost 10 billion won, had to settle for a low ranking. 

Uhm Jeong-hwa’s romance drama “Wonderful Nightmare” debuted in fifth place with 256,199 ticket sales, while the low-budget dark fantasy film “Alice in Earnestland” from the Korean Academy of Film Arts debuted in 10th with 11,945 tickets sold.

A winner in the Korean competitive section of this year’s Jeonju International Film Festival, “Alice,” directed by Ahn Gook-jin, focuses on an unjust society where the most hardworking person can easily end up in the most miserable situation. 

Singer-turned-actress Lee Jung-hyun excels at playing Su-nam, who becomes increasingly merciless after realizing that her hard work and kindness don’t help her achieve a decent life.

BY JIN EUN-SOO [jin.eunsoo@joongang.co.kr]

Source: KoBiz

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August 19, 2015

[Interview] "The Assassination" Lee Jung Jae, "My romance has dried up and I lost my co-workers..."

Source: Newsen via Hancinema.net

Lee Jeong-jae talked about his endless roles of being the bad guy.

"The Assassination" is the first movie this year to have made 10 million views and as for Lee Jeong-jae, it's his second 10 million hit movie following "The Thieves". In "The Assassination", Lee Jeong-jae plays an independent movement soldier named Yeom Seok-jin in his 20s then a spy who betrays his country in his 30s. It must've been a concern playing a role like this near the 70th anniversary of independence in Korea but he said it was a challenge he wanted to try. It was torturing and made him lonely at the same time.

"Being the bad guy dries up your romance and you lose your co-actors. In "The Face Reader", I played a true character and I had people on my side but "The Assassination" was different. I had to fight 1 on 5 so I was alone. It was boring and I felt sad at times. I wanted to make someone come over to my side but the only person I could talk to was the director".

"I did feel pressured. I had to use all my energy alone so I felt that I would be outnumbered. Everyone is a good actress or actor and they stand out. I had more work to do than them. The audience might've thought, 'Why is he so weak when he's the bad guy? Isn't he an easy target to defeat?' Then I would have failed".

"Being the bad guy means just that. "The Thieves" was a completely different movie but even then I wasn't a complete nice guy. I worry that I might only get bad guy roles now. It's going to be difficult. I do worry about that". "

"The Face Reader" was a unique case and "The Housemaid - 2010" was a favor. I am a fan of director Lim Sang-soo and I heard about the movie where there were many people talking about it. I thought Yeom Seok-jin was a very important role. Director Choi Dong-hoon said he wanted the character to do his best and I thought so too. It's a risky character but he trusted me with it. So I wanted to do better and I was grateful he gave me the chance".

"I did mention this before, but I can't remember the last time I had a romantic role in anything. In "The Assassination", I was the enemy and I couldn't mingle with the others because I had to lose a lot of weight. I had many scenes alone but it turned out well so I am satisfied".

Lee Jeong-jae said there were two things he wanted to show in "The Assassination": One was to be acknowledged as an actor and another was for everyone to remember the independent movement who fought for our country. "The independent soldiers and spies are all our portraits. They shouldn't be forgotten. I had many questions for the movie as soon as I read about it. I took the time to reflect on myself too".

"Everyone is patriotic at heart but they don't think about the country and the people all the time. They only think about getting together when something happens. It's a great achievement getting these people to remember history and reminding them of a time when this happened and make them think about their ancestors. I hope to come back as a CEO of something or even a comedy but I won't mind being thought of as Yeom Seok-jin". 

[rubie]

August 23, 2015

‘Assassination’ records 7th best box-office performance

Independence movement film “Assassination” recorded the seventh best box-office performance in Korea, nudging out “The Attorney” to the eighth. 

According to the Korean Film Council Sunday, “Assassination” mounted accumulated viewership of 11,399,372, climbing past “The Attorney,” which recorded 11,374,861 viewers in 2013. 

“Assassination” marked the first Korean movie to hit the 10 million-viewer mark in 2015. Five weeks into release, the movie steadfastly holds onto the second place in box-office. 

Lead actress for the film and expecting mother, Jun Ji-hyun shared a photo of herself holding up a handwritten thank-you note. 

KOFIC’s list of box-office record hits from first place to sixth are as follows: Roaring Currents (2014), Ode to My Father (2014), Avatar (2009), The Thieves (2012), Miracle in Cell No. 7 (2012), Masquerade (2012). 

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

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August 23, 2015

'Assassination' becomes 10th most-viewed Korean film

SEOUL, Aug. 23 (Yonhap) -- A domestic action film featuring colonial-era assassination attempts by Korean independence fighters rose to 10th place on the list of all-time most viewed Korean films, knocking "The Attorney" (2013) down one notch, according to data from the official market tracker Sunday.

"Assassination" had drawn 11.39 million moviegoers by Saturday, surpassing the 11.37 million record set by "The Attorney," according to computerized box-office figures from the Korean Film Council.

"Assassination" became the 10th most popular homegrown film, following "Roaring Currents" (17.61 million), "Ode to My Father" (14.25 million)," "The Host" (13.01 million), "The Thieves" (12.98 million), "Miracle in Cell No. 7" (12.81 million), "Gwanghae: the Man Who Became the King" (12.31 million), "The King and the Clown" (12.30 million), "Taegukgi" (11.74 million) and "Haeundae" (11.45 million).

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

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

khj@yna.co.kr

(END)

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August 24, 2015

'Assassination' Ranks as 10th Most Viewed Korean Film

Source: The Chosun Ilbo

"Assassination" held on to momentum in the fifth week since its release, still drawing hordes of moviegoers.

According to its production company on Sunday, the period espionage film drew a total of 11.40 million viewers by Saturday and became the 10th most viewed film in the history of Korean cinema, snatching the spot taken by "The Attorney," which drew some 11.38 million people when it was released in 2013.

The film also became the biggest box office hit of the year on Aug. 16 after moving past "Avengers: Age of Ultron," which drew 10.49 million viewers.

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August 20, 2015

ASSASSINATION Becomes the 12th Korean Film to Cross 10 Million Viewers
Second Film over the Mark for Director CHOI Dong-hoon

by Pierce Cornan / KoBiz

After 25 days on release, CHOI Dong-hoon’s period action flick Assassination became the 12th Korean film (16th overall) to cross the 10 million viewer mark at the Korean box office, reaching the mark on the 70th anniversary of Korea’s liberation from Japan, August 15th. A day later, Assassination also eclipsed The Avengers: Age of Ultron to become the most successful film of the year. To date, the film has accrued 10.92 million admissions (USD 71.47 million) and is still second ranked on the local charts.
 
Continuing CHOI’s string of career hits, Assassination afforded the filmmaker his second 10 million viewer blockbuster, following 2012’s The Thieves (both films were distributed by Showbox). He is only the second Korean director to achieve that distinction, following JK YOUN, whose films Haeundae (2009) and Ode to My Father also reached the mark. Starring Gianna JUN and LEE Jung-jae (who also featured in The Thieves) as well as HA Jung-woo, CHOI’s film tells the story of Korean independence fighters orchestrating a hit on ranking Japanese military figures in the 1930s.
 
Currently 13th on the all-time chart, just behind Silmido (2003), Assassination is poised to crack the top ten before long. Summer 2015 may yield another 10 million viewer hit in short order, as current chart-topper Veteran from RYOO Seung-wan is already at 7.23 million admissions (USD 47.76 million) while still sitting comfortably on top of the rankings, accounting for just shy of 50% of the market.

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August 23, 2015

'Assassination' becomes the 10th most successful Korean film

Source: STARN News

According to the latest data summary from Korea Film Council, movie 'Assassination' has attracted 11,399,404 viewers by August 22nd.

'Assassination' hereby became 10th most successful film of the Korean domestic film history.

A great number of major Hollywood films were released at around the same time with 'Assassination,' but it is still maintaining its #2 ranking on box office chart.

'Assassination' features a phenomenal collaboration of Korea's top actors and actresses, and many people are now focusing their attention to next achievement that 'Assassination' will make.

Meanwhile, 'Assassination is getting played at every movie theaters in Korea.

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

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August 29, 2015

SOUTH KOREA DELIVERS HISTORICAL THRILLS WITH ASSASSINATION AND MEMORIES OF THE SWORD

By Rob Hunter   @FakeRobHunter    FILMSCHOOLREJECTS

The folks at Well Go USA have long been fans of South Korean cinema, and happily they’ve made a habit of opening new Korean films here in the United States so the rest of us can share in the joy. Two new releases have hit our shores, and while they’re completely different experiences they’re both period action films with strong female leads. Honestly, that should be enough to get you into a theater seat, but if not keep reading for more reasons.

————————————

Japan’s occupation of Korea in the early 20th century left a high death toll, but as cruel as the oppressors got the nation’s resistance fighters refused to abandon their efforts. A mission is planned to take out a Japanese commander named Kawaguchi and Kang In-guk, the high-ranking Korean sympathizer who’s been working with the invading force to further his own life and wealth. A failed attempt a year prior in Shanghai leads the rebels to put together a three-person team for a second effort in Seoul.

Leading the trio is Ahn Ok-yun (Gianna Jun), a sniper known for her precision and persistence, while the two men under her command bring their own specialties to the table. Chu (Cho Jin-woong) is a tough gunfighter, and Hwang (Choi Dok-mun) is an expert in making things go boom. Unbeknownst to them though, a traitor in their midst has set a pair of mercenaries on their trail with orders to kill. The setup is straightforward enough, but as the time of the planned assassination approaches new enemies are discovered, unexpected allies are forged and a secret from Ahn’s past threatens to derail the entire plan.

Director Choi Dong-hoon has found something of a niche for himself best summed up as sprawling action/adventures stuffed to the seams with characters, subplots and action beats. His three prior films — Tazza: The High Rollers, Woochi, The Thieves — cover a wide array of topics ranging from gambling to magic to heists, but they share in their highly energetic entertainment. Assassination follows that trend to deliver beautifully crafted action sequences, a colorful gallery of characters and more story than it needs.

To that last point, the film is overstuffed as it attempts to continually add new dramatic wrinkles to the mix. Ahn’s past is the main offender as an event from her youth plays into the current situation in ways that feel far more gimmicky than integral, but even though the subplot is unnecessary anything that keeps the focus on Jun can’t be too bad. While still best known for her title turn in My Sassy Girl Jun’s been transitioning into something of a convincing and compelling action star. The Thieves played up her feminine appeals too, but here she’s allowed to commit fully to the life of a deadly resistance fighter who understands the gravity of what she’s fighting for.

While that tertiary plot thread stands out negatively the second one — the two mercs hired to kill the assassins — adds greatly to the action and unfolding drama. Hawaii Pistol (Ha Jung-woo) and Old Man (Oh Dal-su) are in it for the money, but when patriotism overrides their pocketbook all bets are off. The two add heroics and humor to what could have been a more dire affair.

Assassination risks losing its engagement with the audience thanks to a somewhat silly subplot and a potentially overlong running time, but the central characters, war-time intrigue and exhilarating action set-pieces succeed at holding our attention until the final shot is fired.

Read more at http://filmschoolrejects.com/reviews/assassination-memories-of-the-sword.php#ahtDhyWYA4goSOmz.99

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August 30, 2015

‘Assassination’ gearing up for Chinese premiere

South Korean flick “Assassination,” directed by Choi Dong-hoon, is set to premiere on Sept. 17 in China. 

Director Choi and actors Lee Jung-jae and Ha Jeong-woo are scheduled to visit China next week to promote the hit movie that sold more than 12 million tickets. 

Chinese media outlets are also throwing the spotlight on the hit movie, boosting anticipation among Chinese fans. 

The Korean movie depicting the fight against colonial Japan in the early 20th century is to hit Chinese theaters at a time when the country is set to hold a large-scale military parade in September to mark the end of World War II. 

“Assassination,” set in Shanghai and Seoul in the 1930s when Korea was a colony of Japan, follows three Korean independence fighters’ plan to assassinate the commander of the Japanese troops and a pro-Japanese Korean businessman.

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

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Source: KoBiz

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September 1, 2015

‘Veteran’ joins ‘Assassination’ to exceed 10 million

Source: INSIDE Korea JoongAng Daily

Korea’s film industry has now seen two local movies surpass the monumental 10 million admissions mark this year.

Ryoo Seung-wan’s cop action comedy “Veteran” achieved the feat on Saturday, recording 454,922 ticket sales to add another digit to its total admissions. 

It has now been seen by 10.8 million moviegoers, making 84.8 billion won ($71.7 million) so far. 

On the backs of a stellar cast including Hwang Jung-min, Yoo Ah-in, Oh Dal-su and Yoo Hae-jin, the film’s thrilling plot involving a ruthless business tycoon and a righteous cop is a major reason behind its success. 

The fact that the antagonist’s reckless behavior, such as doing drugs, holding alcohol-fueled parties and shamelessly committing hit and runs, was inspired by real incidents from Korea’s conglomerate heirs attracted more attention to the film. 

The second-place spot over the weekend was taken by romance flick “The Beauty Inside,” directed by Baek Jong-yeol. 

In spite of its relatively toned-down ambience compared to other options in theaters, “The Beauty Inside” won the hearts of 20- and 30-something female viewers for its beautiful visuals and heart-rending love story. 

It was watched by 401,808 moviegoers over the weekend, lifting its two-week total to 1.4 million, which roughly translates to 10.9 billion won. 

Choi Dong-hoon’s historical action movie “Assassination,” the other record-setter in Korean film history, sold 344,823 tickets during its sixth weekend in Korean theaters. Earning 94.5 billion won so far, the film’s total ticket admissions have now reached 12.2 million. 

Aside from the strong performances by actors Jun Ji-hyun, Lee Jung-jae and Ha Jung-woo, the film’s depiction of Korean independence fighters during the days of Japanese colonial rule aligned well with the nation’s mood, coinciding with the 70th anniversary of liberation from Japan.

“Untouchable Lawmen,” starring singer-actor Im Chang-jung and Choi Daniel, made its debut in fourth place with 198,445 ticket admissions. 

Featuring two reckless cops hired to take down a vicious criminal in an “unlawful” way, this B movie-type film directed by Shin Dong-yeob reveals a side of Korean society where crime is necessary to get by.

“American Ultra,” an American action comedy starring Jesse Eisenberg and Kristen Stewart, who are both well-known in Korea, opened in sixth place with 91,083 ticket admissions.

Starring the duo as an unorthodox spy team, this film has now earned 1 billion won in Korean theaters. 

French film “La Famille Belier,” based on a true story, opened in ninth with 36,125 tickets sold. 

BY JIN EUN-SOO [jin.eunsoo@joongang.co.kr]

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Published on August 31, 2015 by K STAR 한류스타 리포트 & 생방송 스타뉴스