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

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January 31, 2017

Fox Wraps Production on THE PROXY SOLDIERS
LEE Jung-jae and YEO Jin-gu Star in Joseon Era War Film

by Pierce Conran / KoBiz

Following the breakout success of NA Hong-jin’s THE WAILING last year, which bowed Out of Competition at the Cannes Film Festival and welcomed almost seven million admissions at home, 20th Century Fox have wrapped production on their fifth Korean production, The Proxy Soldiers. The big-budget Joseon Era action-drama is the latest film from Marathon (2005) director CHUNG Yoon-chul and features LEE Jung-jae and YEO Jin-gu in the lead roles. 

During the Joseon Era, King Seonjo escapes to the Empire of the Great Ming in China as Japanese forces advance on his own kingdom, abandoning all his people. The Crown Prince remains behind to defend the royal palace while beyond the walls a makeshift militia is assembled to expel the unwelcome invaders.

In recent years, LEE jung-jae has made a habit of appearing in hit summer blockbusters, including The Thieves (2012) and Assassination (2015), both by CHOI Dong-hoon, and last year’s patriotic Korean War drama Operation Chromite. Popular TV star YEO Jin-gu has headlined several major motion pictures, including Hwayi: A Monster Boy (2013) and The Long Way Home (2015).

Director CHUNG’s last film was the drama A Man Who Was Superman (2008) with HWANG Jung-min and Gianna JUN. He was also an executive producer on last year’s indie Grand Father. 

The Proxy Soldiers, which is produced by Realies Pictures, previously behind Masquerade (2012), began shooting on September 5th last year and ended production earlier this month on the 10th. The film is expected to premiere later this year.

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February 12, 2017

Lee Jung-jae, Jeong Woo-sung and Ha Jung-woo calling all actors

Source: Donga.com via Hancinema.net 

Lee Jeong-jae, Jeong Woo-seong and Ha Jeong-woo are aggressively looking for actors. These actors are directors of entertainment companies and they are using their networking connections to look for potential stars.

Esom is being talked about joining Artist Companies. She starred in "The Proxy Soldiers" with Lee Jeong-jae last year and she starred in "Scarlet Innocence" with Jeong Woo-seong in 2014.

Not only that, actors in their 40s with terminated contracts are also being talked about joining Artist Company. They have also been in movies with Lee Jeong-jae and Jeong Woo-seong.

Lee Jeong-jae and Jeong Woo-seong established Artist Company in May last year and currently houses Go Ara, Cha Rae-hyeong, Lee Si-ah and more artists in their 20s. This year, they are planning on expanding their profile with more actors in their 40s and 50s. They are not only aiming for leading actors but supporting actors as well. This way, they could make up a whole movie with their own cast.

The basis for their targets is 'acquaintance'. They are reaching out to actors with their bond of sympathy. Actors spend a lot of time on set so they talk a lot about many things, making them seem closer and friendly.

However, some worry about famous stars looking for more stars. They say it's easy to overlook the terms and conditions of the contract this way. A management claims there have been a case where an actor with time left on his contract was asked to join another company and this matter had to be checked with the Korean Management Committee.

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February 17, 2017

February Film Actor Brand Reputation Rankings Revealed

Source: Soompi by K. Do 

On February 18, the Korea Business Research Institute revealed their brand reputation rankings for film actors based on their findings from 72,745,586 pieces of data gathered from January 16 to February 17.

“Goblin” star Gong Yoo takes first place for the second month in a row with a score of 10,728,767. He enjoyed a 39.24 percent increase from his January score.

Second place goes to Jo In Sung who recently returned with the movie “The King.” As for third place, Yoo Hae Jin got the spot with a brand reputation score of 4,625,614.

The full rankings can be seen below:
1. Gong Yoo
2. Jo In Sung
3. Yoo Hae Jin
4. Kim Soo Hyun
5. Jun Ji Hyun
6. Jung Woo Sung
7. Ha Jung Woo
8. Kang Dong Won
9. Lee Byung Hun
10. Hwang Jung Min
11. Yoo Ah In
12. Han Hyo Joo
13. Sol Kyung Gu
14. Kim Hye Soo
15. Lee Jung Jae
16. Son Ye Jin
17. Song Kang Ho
18. Han Ji Min
19. Cha Seung Won
20. Lee Beom Soo
21. Jeon Do Yeon
22. Choi Min Sik
23. Ryu Seung Ryong
24. Kim Yoon Suk
25. Yoo Ji Tae

Source (1)

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April 1, 2017

Lee, Choi team up for another thriller film

Source: INSIDE Korea JoongAng Daily

Lee Jung-jae, one of Korea’s top actors, will play the lead role in an upcoming movie from action director Choi Dong-hoon.

The film will be a remake of the 2009 Hong Kong crime thriller “Overheard,” with a working title of the same name. 

Lee has worked with Choi twice before in the 2012 heist film “The Thieves” and 2015 historical thriller “Assassination.” Both movies sold more than 10 million tickets, and ambitions are just as high for the upcoming project. 

“Choi is famous for his loyalty toward actors he has worked with in the past,” a source in the industry said. “Having worked with Lee in two movies, Choi will look to pick a star-studded cast with Lee as the focal point.”

The original “Overheard” follows a police force wiretapping company officials suspected of manipulating stocks. Following the success of the first film, two sequels were released in Hong Kong in 2011 and 2014. 

The Korean crew is set to start filming in August for a release date in the summer of next year. 

By Kim Jung-kyoon

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April 6, 2017

LEE Jung-jae and KIM Woo-bin Listen to CHOI Dong-hoon’s WIRETAP
OVERHEARD Remake also Adds KIM Eui-sung and YUM Jung-ah

by Pierce Conran / KoBiz

CHOI Dong-hoon’s new project is starting to come together, with actors such as LEE Jung-jae, KIM Woo-bin, KIM Eui-sung and YUM Jung-ah now confirmed to lead the cast. Wiretap (translated title) is a remake of the 2009 thriller Overheard from HK directors Felix CHONG and SIU Fai Mak.

Wiretap follows a police surveillance team which begins to set their morals by the wayside when they see an opportunity to make money on the stock market with insider trading.

CHOI’s previous two films The Thieves (2012) and Assassination (2015) both soared over the ten million admissions mark. He is also responsible for The Big Swindle (2004), Tazza: The High Rollers (2006) and Woochi (2009).

Playing a detective on the surveillance team, LEE Jung-jae is partnering with director CHOI for the third time, having appeared in his last two films, The Thieves and Assassination. LEE was seen in last summer’s Korean War hit Operation Chromite alongside Liam Neeson and is next on screens in the period action-drama The Proxy Soldiers, due out in June.

New star KIM Woo-bin, who will incarnate a diligent traffic control officer who becomes wise to the illegal maneuvers of the surveillance team, recently paired up with LEE Byung-hun and GANG Dong-won for the smash hit Master, and has been on a run of box office hits, which include Friend : The Great Legacy (2013), The Con Artists (2014) and Twenty (2015).

Meanwhile, TRAIN TO BUSAN star KIM Eui-sung is on board as another detective and YUM Jung-ah of A Tale Of Two Sisters (2003) and Cart (2014) will play the team’s supervisor.

CJ Entertainment will distribute the film, which is eyeing an August production start and a summer release next year.

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April 7, 2017

‘Proxy Soldiers’ to open in May, starring Yeo Jin-goo, Lee Jung-jae

The official poster for “The Proxy Soldiers” (20th Century Fox Korea)

“The Proxy Soldiers” -- an upcoming historical drama film starring Yeo Jin-goo and Lee Jung-jae -- will hit local cinemas on May 31, distributor 20th Century Fox Korea announced Thursday. 

The film tells the story of young King Gwanghaegun of the Joseon era, who had to lead the temporary court in substitution for his father King Seonjo, who was fleeing the invading Japanese military in 1592. 

The king, played by Yeo, confronts the enemy with proxy soldiers -- soldiers who served the military duties of others professionally. Lee will play the head of the proxy soldiers. 

Helmed by Jeong Yoon-cheol, who directed award-winning 2005 film “Marathon,” the film boasts a star-studded cast including Kim Moo-yeol, Park Won-sang and Esom. 

By Kim So-yeon (syk19372@heraldcorp.com)

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April 15, 2017

Lee Jung-jae jumps in to produce first film

Source: INSIDE Korea JoongAng Daily

Actor Lee Jung-jae, who only recently confirmed his appearance in the new movie “Overheard,” has also announced his appearance in another project with the working title “Namsan,” according to various sources yesterday. 

A busy few months are ahead for the actor, who is regarded as one of the best actors in Korea’s movie industry. For “Namsan” however, Lee will try production for the first time in his 24-year acting career. 

“Namsan” was originally scheduled to be produced two years ago, but was ultimately cancelled due to internal problems. However, Lee revitalized the film after reading the script and created a new production team.

“Namsan” takes place in the 1980s, when the military dictatorship was at its pinnacle. It depicts the events occurred during the building of the Agency for National Security Planning. With the adaptation of the script still in the works, it is currently expected to be a spy movie. 

By Kim Jung-kyoon

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April 20, 2017

LEE Jung-jae to Debut as a Producer on NAMSAN
80s Interrogation Drama to Get Underway Next Year

by Pierce Conran / KoBiz

Top star LEE Jung-jae is gearing up to begin filming the thriller Wiretap, his third collaboration with director CHOI Dong-hoon after The Thieves (2012) and Assassination (2015), but the actor has already announced what will be his subsequent project. LEE will star in Namsan, which will mark his debut as a producer. He has been involved with the film since the script stage.

Namsan will take place in the 1980s and focus on the secret interrogation facilities infamously employed by the National Intelligence Service to suppress dissenters on the slopes of Namsan Mountain in the heart of Central Seoul.

After originally entering planning stages two years ago, Namsan was ultimately halted due to some internal problems, following which LEE caught wind of the project and decided to come on board as a producer for the very first time.

A force to be reckoned with on the box office charts since his debut over 20 years ago, LEE’s major screen credits include City of The Rising Sun (1999) and The Housemaid (2010). He was last seen opposite Liam Neeson in the Korean War film Operation Chromite (2016) and is back on screens next month in the Joseon Era action-thriller Warriors of the Dawn.

CJ Entertainment has climbed aboard the project as investor and distributor and production is scheduled to get underway in the first half of next year.

 

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May 24, 2017

Actor Lee Jung-jae questions of true leader in film 'Warriors of the Dawn'
 

 
Lee Jung-jae pose during an interview with The Korea Times in Seoul, Wednesday. / Courtesy of 20th Century Fox Korea

By Kim Jae-heun The Korea Times

The historical film "Warriors of the Dawn," directed by Jeong Yoon-cheol, depicts when the Joseon Kingdom (1392-1910) faced its greatest danger, when the Japanese invaded the Korean Peninsula in 1592. King Seonjo abandoned his people and escaped to China, leaving Prince Gwanghae, played by Yeo Jin-goo, to take his place and fight the enemy. Prince Gwanghae had never received lessons from his father and he knew nothing about leadership.

The weak army of Joseon in the capital city is wiped out by the Japanese force and the young prince is left with proxy soldiers protecting his way to General Shin Cheol's troops in Pyongan Province.

The soldiers of the lowest class are led by warrior To-woo, played by Lee Jung-jae, who protects Prince Gwanghae in his life-threatening journey. To-woo teaches the prince what a great leader is and how he should take care of his people, particularly when the country faces great danger. 

"The topic of this film questions what a true leader is and who makes that leader," Lee Jung-jae said during an interview with The Korea Times at Slow Park in Samcheong-dong, Seoul, Wednesday. "The answer is people and the nation. My role in the movie was as an adviser who helps the prince grow into a real king. This is where the story begins and the process of Gwanghae growing into a mature leader through the scenes was important in successfully carrying out my job."

But Lee expressed some frustration with the script that excluded the story of the character's family.

"My character To-woo became a proxy soldier to earn a living for his family," Lee said. "But when he decided to save the country over his family in the scene, I had to question the director thinking that To-woo must have a reason for such a decision and then included a few lines explaining it. For example, when he received news that his family was killed by Manchurians, he chose to give his life to the battle."

The film is set for release at local theaters on May 31. 

Q. How did you get to participate in this film?

A. When I first read the script, it was just so well written. I could not help but question myself why I empathize so much with a story that took place 425 years ago. I just found myself attracted to this historical film.

Q. How did you study your character To-woo, a proxy soldier?

A. There was not much information about actual proxy soldiers during the Joseon Kingdom. The script was all I had. I learned that people living in the southern part of the peninsula then were forced to move to the northern part to protect the border. Manchurians often invaded the northern border and the original residents there could hardly make a living.

Q. Have your thoughts changed on Prince Gwanghae after participating in this film that sheds new light on him?

A. This film is not about shedding new light on Prince Gwanghae. What I think is important in this film is showing what a great leader is, what he exists for. It's his people.

Q. Do you believe your character To-woo is also a great leader?

A. We can say he owns some good qualities because he leads his proxy soldier clan. Other than that, his method of communicating is somewhat different from Prince Gwanghae. In the scene where he deceives the prince into coming into the water because he has to wash off the blood so tigers will not come after him, I thought To-woo communicates by acting it out himself at first.

Q. Which line stays in your heart the most?

A. Personally, I liked the line in the last battle scene where I said, "We cannot leave ourselves behind. This goes the same for today and tomorrow. Let's work it out!" It got edited out, unfortunately.

Q. What will you promise your fans if "Warriors of the Dawn" is successful?

A. If over 5 million people come to see the film, I will do a free-hug campaign. As I mentioned earlier, some scenes in the movie leave much to be desired for me. But this film certainly has energy and messages in it. For those who can feel that, they will enjoy it.

jhkim@ktimes.com

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May 25, 2017

Lee Jung-jae didn’t have to act exhausted :

Filming of period piece ‘Warriors of the Dawn’ was a true slog

Source: INSIDE Korea JoongAng Daily

In “Warriors of the Dawn,” actor Lee Jung-jae plays a mercenary soldier who is tasked with protecting crown prince Gwanghae during the Imjin War in 1592. [YONHAP]

Lee Jung-jae, one of Korea’s top film actors, is adding another credit to his resume. Coming hot on the heels of last year’s “Tik Tok” and “Operation Chromite,” Lee returns this year with “Warriors of the Dawn,” a historical film set during the 1592 Imjin War, which will be released on May 31. Ilgan Sports, an affiliate of the Korea JoongAng Daily, had the chance to sit down with Lee on Tuesday to talk about the upcoming film. 

“The mercenaries are not actual soldiers,” said Lee on playing the role of a mercenary soldier. “They are temporary soldiers that live up in the mountains. They kind of do the work of butchers, and it wasn’t easy to portray them.”

“Warriors of the Dawn” follows a group of mercenaries asked to protect the newly crowned prince Gwanghae, who temporarily leads the royal court during a time when the actual king, King Seonjo, fled to the Ming Dynasty to escape incoming Japanese forces. Lee plays the leader of mercenaries To-woo, to whom his mission is more important than his life. For this film, he put aside his trendy, urban image and attempted a makeover.

“I personally got a lot of help with the hairstyle, makeup and costumes for the role. More importantly though, I tried to throw away the previous habits I had in acting. I tried to become To-woo in everything from my speech to my movements. I wouldn’t say acting To-woo was harder than any of my previous roles, but the process of becoming him certainly was hard.”

Lee said he didn’t need to act out To-woo’s exhaustion, because it was real. “Not just me but everyone had exhausted expressions, as if their soul had left their bodies! We intentionally rolled down the mountains because it was hard capturing the actual look of exhaustion.” 

It is customary for actors take a rest in chairs during breaks between filming, but Lee said he didn’t want to make the crew do too much work. 

“Of course there were times when I just wanted to sit down and rest. But it would’ve been harder for the crew to carry the chairs up to the mountains when they already carried their filming equipment. I couldn’t let that happen.”

Lee also talked of his colleague Yeo Jin-goo, who plays Prince Gwanghae, the man Lee and his mercenaries have to protect. 

“Yeo is more like a colleague rather than a younger brother.” Lee is 44, while Yeo is 19. “He may be young, but has a lot of experience under his belt from starting at a young age. He worked with great directors in his previous films so the chemistry between us was great. He was like any adult actor.”

When asked how Yeo was after filming, Lee said he was very adult for a 19-year old. 

“This guy, even if there’s a three-day break in filming, he doesn’t go home. He goes around town looking for local restaurants. He goes to Ulsan and Mokpo - but not back home. That’s normally what married actors do!”

Lee continued on about Yeo, “It was interesting to see a young actor who only recently came of age acting like an old man. We drank a lot too. During the early parts of the filming it was because we had to get closer, but during the final stages, it was because we didn’t want the filming to end.”

BY CHO YEON-GYEONG [kim.jungkyoon@joongang.co.kr]

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May 26, 2017

Lee and Choi to collaborate on ‘Namsan’

Source: INSIDE Korea JoongAng Daily

The Korean movie industry’s power duo, actors Lee Jung-jae and Choi Min-sik, will reunite once again through upcoming film “Namsan.”

According to multiple sources in the movie industry, Choi accepted a role in “Namsan” and is currently negotiating the details. The movie takes place in the 1980s during the Chun Doo Hwan military dictatorship. The film depicts the events that occurred during the building of the Agency for National Security Planning.

Choi decided to join the cast after director Jung Ji-woo confirmed he will be directing the movie. Jung and Choi have a long history of working together after they first met through the 1999 movie, “Happy End.”

“Namsan” was originally scheduled to be produced two years ago, but was cancelled due to internal problems. Lee revitalized the film after reading the script and created a new production team, which he heads as the producer. 

This is the second time the two heavyweights have worked together on a film. Their first project was the 2013 film “New World,” which was a critical and commercial success.

By Kim Jung-kyoon

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May 26, 2017

[Herald Interview] The many shades of Lee Jung-jae

Actor Lee Jung-jae has come to symbolize the sleek, sophisticated modern male in Korean cinema. But in his most recent film “Warriors of the Dawn,” directed by Jeong Yoon-chul, Lee sheds his usual slim-fitting suit for rags, dirt and disheveled hair.

“Appearances are important for viewers,” Lee said at an interview Thursday at a cafe in Palpan-dong in central Seoul. “Then, only afterwards, are viewers able to feel the emotion of scenes.”

Lee plays To-woo, the rugged leader of proxy soldiers that existed in the Joseon era. In order to provide for their families, the soldiers would receive money from noblemen to go to war on their behalf, often dying in the process. 

Actor Lee Jung-jae poses for a photo before an interview in Palpan-dong, Seoul, Thursday. (Hohoho Beach) 

The film is set during the 1592 Imjin War between Joseon Kingdom and Japan. King Seonjo flees to the Ming Empire, and his son Prince Gwanghae is left to lead the royal court alone. The responsibility of protecting and guiding the young heir befalls on To-woo. 

As he is for most of his roles, Lee was meticulous and detail-oriented in his approach, he said. He lowered his voice to a growl, and tried to put fear in his eyes. 

“I wanted him to look like he would defeat anyone at war, but his eyes to be shaking with fear,” he said. 

Now 44, the actor’s passion for his craft is often eclipsed by his urbane exterior. But Lee has tackled a wide spectrum of roles over the years since being catapulted to popularity through the 1995 drama series “Sandclock,” playing the stoic bodyguard Jae-hee who guards the woman he loves from afar. Reports say that at the time, viewers would send ardent letters to the show’s broadcaster SBS, begging writers not to kill off the character, such was Lee’s popularity.

He then went embodied diverse characters -- a vivacious cat burglar in “The Thieves” (2012), a chilling warrior captain in “The Face Reader” (2013), a morally torn undercover officer in “New World” (2013) and a cunning villain in “Assassination” (2015). 

“I work harder than people think to show very different sides (of myself) in each project,” said Lee. “There is so much preparation that goes in that viewers don’t directly see.

“I think most actors probably prefer characters that seem like challenges,” said Lee. “It’s a fun process searching for what is hidden (in the character) and what I can show.” 

Actor Lee Jung-jae poses for a photo before an interview in Palpan-dong, Seoul, Thursday. (Hohoho Beach) 

Last year, Lee set up an actors’ management agency with his longtime friend and fellow actor Jung Woo-sung, called Artist Company.

“It’s like a study group,” he said. “Actors get together and talk about scripts they’ve read. It’s a fun office.”

Despite his enthusiasm, Lee is yet to feel confident about his own capabilities.

“I wish I were a more skilled actor,” he answered when asked what worries him most.

At the same time, he believes hard work can make up for raw talent.

“I think people who work hard at their job are eventually headed for the right place, acting-wise,” he said. “If you do something for long enough, that little bit of talent you have might grow.” 

“Warriors of the Dawn” will hit local theaters on May 31 and US theaters on June 16. 

By Rumy Doo (doo@heraldcorp.com) 

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May 28, 2017

Lee Jung Jae Reveals The Reason For His Lack Of Drama Appearances

Source: Soompi by  DY_Kim

Actor Lee Jung Jae has revealed the surprising reason he rarely appears in dramas.

Lee Jung Jae recently sat down for an interview ahead of the release of his upcoming movie “Warriors of the Dawn.”

He spoke about the cold and self-centered nature of many of his recent characters such as Lee Ja Sung in “New World” or Yeom Suk Jin in “Assassination.” “Strangely, only those kind of scenarios come to me. I also want to film a sweet scene in a cool location with air conditioning while drinking a latte. I get mostly intense and strong scenarios these days.”

Regarding his lack of drama appearances since “Triple” in 2009, he shared, “I think a lot of people think that I refuse to do dramas.” He explained, “To be honest, I don’t get a lot of drama offers. And while I’m working on a film, I decide the next film right away, so it is also difficult to adjust schedules.”

Lee Jung Jae plays To Woo in historical film “Warriors of the Dawn,” also starring Yeo Jin Goo, Kim Moo Yeol, Park Won Sang, Esom, and Bae Soo Bin. The movie premieres in Korea on May 31.

Source (1)

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June 13, 2017

‘Warriors of the Dawn’ to open in North America

“Warriors of the Dawn” (20th Century Fox Korea)

“Warriors of the Dawn,” led by actors Lee Jung-jae and Yeo Jin-goo, will hit North American theaters Friday, according to the film’s distributor 20th Century Fox Korea. 

Fox will be screening the film in some 30 theaters in North America. 

The film, which hit local theaters on May 31, was presold to the Philippines, Taiwan, New Zealand and Australia at the 70th Cannes Film Market in May. 

“Warriors” is the fifth Korean-language period film to be produced by Fox International Productions and released by Fox Korea. Set in 1592 during the Imjin War between Korea and Japan, it features Lee as To-woo, the leader of a group of proxy soldiers paid to go to war on the behalf of noblemen, and Yeo as the young Crown Prince Gwanghae.

By Rumy Doo (doo@heraldcorp.com) 

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June 17, 2017

June Movie Actor Brand Reputation Rankings Revealed

Source: Soompi by DY_Kim

Kim Ok Bin is the first actress to top the monthly movie actor brand reputation rankings!

The Korean Business Research Institute has revealed the June brand reputation rankings for movie actors based on interaction, media, communication, and community indexes of 80,571,958 pieces of big data. This is a 22.24 percent increase from the 65,914,318 pieces of big data analyzed for the May ranking.

An actress took first place for the first time as Kim Ok Bin received a total score of 8,360,523. Goo Chang Wan, head of the Korean Business Research Institute, explained that she captured the attention of media with the film “The Villainess.” He added, “From the link analysis of film actress Kim Ok Bin’s brand, ‘Complicated,’ ‘Kill,’ and ‘Dangerous,’ came up the most, while ‘Villainess,’ ‘Chae Seo Jin,’ and ‘Cannes,’ came out high for the keyword analysis. The positivity-negativity analysis showed 63.89 percent positive reactions.”

Second place went to Kim Soo Hyun with a total score of 6,470,523, while Jo In Sung took third with 5,726,813.

Check out the top 20 below:

1. Kim Ok Bin
2. Kim Soo Hyun
3. Jo In Sung
4. Gong Yoo
5. Yeo Jin Goo
6. Lee Jung Jae
7. Im Siwan
8. Jung Woo Sung
9. Ahn Jae Hong
10. Kim Moo Yeol
11. Song Kang Ho
12. Yoo Ah In
13. Hwang Jung Min
14. Sol Kyung Gu
15. Kim Hye Soo
16. Jun Ji Hyun
17. Byun Yo Han
18. Kim Myung Min
19. Hyun Bin
20. Park Sung Woong

Source (1)

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June 25, 2017

Lee Jung Jae Shares His Most Fearful Moments As An Actor

Source: Soompi by A. Park 

Lee Jung Jae shared his innermost thoughts about his job and life.

During a recent interview with GQ Korea magazine, he said, “I don’t think my job as an actor makes me special at all.” He added, “There’s really nothing different about me except that I can’t go out to public places that much. My friend once said, ‘You have a job with the weakest position. What’s good about being an actor besides getting a bit of extra food at restaurants?’ Being an actor is just another job.”

He also said that there is almost no difference between how he is portrayed on screen and his real self. “I am a bit careful in my personal life, because if I lived however I wanted, I could be wrapped up in rumors, and people around me could get involved. But I always live as myself.”

His most fearful moments, he said, are when he has to choose his next project. “Should I do this movie or not? Can I do well in this role? How will the audience view this movie? Those worries and anxieties always follow.”

He added, “The fact that I don’t know when I will retire is also scary. An actor doesn’t get a ‘You’re fired’ notice. You realize it only later – that you were fired last year. If they would only just tell you upfront, you could start looking for another job, take some time alone and prepare for the future, but this job doesn’t allow for that. I’m scared that I’ll find out later that I’ve been fired.”

You can find more of his honest thoughts well as the full pictorial in the latest issue of GQ Korea.

Source (1)

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July 30, 2017

July Movie Actor Brand Reputation Rankings Revealed

Source: Soompi by D. Kim   

Spoiler

Movie actor brand reputation rankings have been released for the month of July.

The Korean Business Research Institute analyzed 139,284,258 pieces of big data from June 28 to July 29, looking at interaction, media, communication, and community indexes.

Song Joong Ki topped the list with a total brand reputation index of 23,494,489. Song Kang Ho followed up in second place with a total score of 11,510,210, while Gong Yoo came in third place with a score of 10,810,929.

Check out the top 25 rankings below:

1. Song Joong Ki
2. Song Kang Ho
3. Gong Yoo
4. Kim Soo Hyun
5. Lee Jung Hyun
6. So Ji Sub
7. Im Siwan
8. Jun Ji Hyun
9. Hwang Jung Min
10. Yeo Jin Goo
11. Yoo Hae Jin
12. Ahn Jae Hong
13. Lee Kyung Young
14. Jung Woo Sung
15. Lee Byung Hun
16. Kim Ok Bin
17. Hyun Bin
18. Yoo Ah In
19. Han Ji Min
20. Park Hyo Joo
21. Han Hyo Joo
22. Lee Jung Jae
23. Jo In Sung
24. Kim Hye Soo
25. Ha Jung Woo

Source (1)

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August 24, 2017

LEE Jung-jae Sniffs Out Fake Religions in SABAHA
New Occult Film from Director of THE PRIESTS

by Pierce Conran / KoBiz

Top star LEE Jung-jae is taking on the lead role in Sabaha (Korean title), director JANG Jae-hyun’s follow-up to his smash hit exorcism debut The Priests. From production company Filmmaker R & K, the project is scheduled to begin production in November.

JANG’s latest work is also concerned with the occult as LEE will play a minister who investigates corruption within dubious, emerging churches.

Known for hits such as The Thieves (2012), The Face Reader (2013), Assassination (2015) and last year’s Operation Chromite, LEE recently featured in WARRIORS OF THE DAWN and will next be on screens at the end of the year in the first part of the big-budget fantasy Along with the Gods. LEE was also set to team up with director CHOI Dong-hoon again for his new project Wiretap, but after his co-star KIM Woo-bin was recently diagnosed with cancer, that project is currently on hold.

Based on his own short film of the same name, JANG’s The Priests featured stars GANG Dong-won and KIM Yun-seok and was a surprise hit in the fall of 2015, as it welcomed 5.44 million viewers (USD 37.31 million).

Filmmaker R & K is run by director RYOO Seung-wan and producer KANG Hae-jung, and has previously produced several of director RYOO’s films including The Berlin File (2013), Veteran (2015) and currently on release The Battleship Island, as well as works from other directors, such as Troubleshooter (2010) and MISBEHAVIOR (2016).

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August 26, 2017

August Movie Actor Brand Reputation Rankings Revealed

Source: Soompi by DY_Kim 

Spoiler

On August 27, the Korean Business Research Institute announced the August brand reputation rankings for movie actors.

The results are based on the analysis of interaction, media coverage, communication, and community indexes for 165,104,765 pieces of big data on 50 actors from July 25 to August 26. This is a 16.53% rise from the 139,284,258 pieces of big data for the July ranking.

Park Seo Joon took first with a total brand reputation score of 9,716,059. Song Kang Ho placed second with a score of 8,815,009, and Jang Dong Gun followed closely behind with a score of 8,174,818. All three actors star in popular movies that are currently in Korean theaters, with Park Seo Joon in “Midnight Runners,” Song Kang Ho in “Taxi Driver,” and Jang Dong Gun in “V.I.P.”

Check out the top 25 of the ranking below:

1. Park Seo Joon
2. Song Kang Ho
3. Jang Dong Gun
4. Song Joong Ki
5. Kang Ha Neul
6. Gong Yoo
7. Ryu Jun Yeol
8. Kim Myung Min
9. Han Ji Min
10. Lee Jong Suk
11. Lee Jung Hyun
12. Kim Nam Gil
13. Yoo Hae Jin
14. Park Hee Soon
15. Lee Byung Hun
16. Hwang Jung Min
17. So Ji Sub
18. Jun Ji Hyun
19. Kim Soo Hyun
20. Lee Jung Jae
21. Kim Yun Seok
22. Go Soo
23. Han Hyo Joo
24. Yeo Jin Goo
25. Im Siwan

Spoiler

Source (1) (2)

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Lee Jung Jae's 2 movies in the 10 million club = The thieves + Assassination

August 29, 2017

The Faster, the Higher
The Time Taken by Surpassing 10 Million Viewers

by CHO Meanjune / KoBiz

The speed at which popular Korean films are passing the 10,000,000 viewer “blockbuster” mark has tripled. At least this is the case in a simple, parallel comparison of the time it took Silmido (2003), the first Korean film to accomplish the 10 million admissions feat, and A Taxi Driver, the 15th and most current film to do so. The amount of days needed for a film to become a blockbuster has gradually and steadily been decreasing over the past 15 years with a few, but notable deviations. The fastest to reach the over 10 million admissions mark is Roaring Currents (2014), becoming the highest grossing local film of all time with 17,615,039 moviegoers while CHOI Dong-hoon’s independent fighter action flick Assassination (2015) surpassed 10 million viewers on the 70th anniversary of Korea’s liberation from Japan on August 15th, 2015.

There is a close correlation between the time taken to exceed 10 million viewers and the number of screens. Masquerade (2012) and Miracle in Cell No.7 (2013), which had 810 and 787 screens respectively, took more than 30 days to surpass the milestone while The Thieves (2012), which was shown on 1,072 screens, managed the feat in only 22 days. The three Korean movies that surpassed the 10 million viewer mark within 20 days all started off with more than 1,500 screens. Among the 10 million viewer toppers, TRAIN TO BUSAN (2016) recorded the highest screen share with 1,788 screens.