Director Park Chan-Wook 박찬욱 [“Decision to Leave”]

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STOKER (March 2013)

Stoker Movie Trailer. Starring Nicole Kidman, Mia Wasikowska, Matthew Goode, Dermot Mulroney and Jacki Weaver. Directed by Park Chan-wook. In theaters March 1st, 2013.
After India's (Wasikowska's) father dies in an auto accident, her Uncle Charlie (Goode), who she never knew existed, comes to live with her and her emotionally unstable mother Evelyn (Kidman). Soon after his arrival, she comes to suspect this mysterious, charming man has ulterior motives, but instead of feeling outrage or horror, this friendless girl becomes increasingly infatuated with him. 

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October 11, 2012
Trailer 'Stokes' Interest in Park Chan-wook's Hollywood Debut
ChosunIlbo
The trailer for Park Chan-wook's Hollywood debut "Stoker" has been released and is drawing much attention.
The trailer starts with a scene in which India Stoker (Mia Wasikowska) and her mother Evelyn (Nicole Kidman) hold a funeral for India's father (Dermot Mulroney), who died in a car accident.

The film revolves around what happens to India as Uncle Charlie (Matthew Goode) comes to live with them. 
"Stoker" is based on a script by actor and screenwriter Wentworth Miller, who has won over many Korean fans with his starring role in the Fox TV series "Prison Break." The movie is scheduled to be released here early next year.

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October 16, 2012
Revival of Korean movies
By Rachel Lee The Korea Times
This is the 14th in a 15-part series on the stars and trends in “Hallyu” or Korean wave, which is gaining global popularity in Southeast Asia and Latin America. The Korea Times produces this special project in cooperation with the Korean Foundation and CJ E&M. ― ED.
“Old Boy” (2003)
If the 10-million milestone in Korean film industry is a good barometer, the Korean film industry is enjoying yet another renaissance since making it big in the early 2000s. 
The biggest hit of this year is “The Thieves,” which was released in July. The heist film directed by Choi Dong-hoon with an all-star cast including Kim Hye-soo and Jun Ji-hyun currently has been seen by 13.02 million people, beating out “The Host” (2006) that attracted 13.01. 

It’s also the sixth film to surpass the 10 million mark in the history of Korean cinema.Following closely on its heel is “Masquerade” starring Korean heartthrob Lee Byung-hun and directed by Choo Chang-min. After a little over a month since its release, some 9 million have watched the movie and the number is expected to rise.
“The movie simply reaped the success of the Korean-style blockbuster,” Jung Duk-hyun, a popular culture critic, said Monday during a telephone interview. “It’s one of the two major currents in mainstream Korean cinema today along with what we call well-made films. Now, Korean cinema has a full system set up to produce such commercial blockbusters, which audiences love to watch these days.”

Aside from these commercial hits, Korea’s auteur director Kim Ki-duk’s bleak-morality tale won the Golden Lion for best movie at the 69th Venice Film Festival. His film, “Pieta,” has also been submitted as a foreign language candidate for the Oscars. 
Korean films initially appeared on the international cinema circuit around the turn of the 20th century. A number of Korean movies were already enjoying global attention before “hallyu,” or the Korean Wave, took Asia by storm with K-pop songs and television dramas. Quality films like Kang Je-kyu’s “Swiri” (1998), Park Chan-wook’s “Joint Security Area” (2000), and “My Sassy Girl” (2001) are among them. But the big spotlight came particularly with Park’s “Old Boy” (2003). Since then, the world’s attention shifted toward K-pop. 

“Korean culture has received a warm reception from around the world thanks to K-pop that paved the way to enter the world market for films and television miniseries, and it pushed up exports,” film critic Park Woo-sung said Monday.
Also Korean directors are making successful inroads in Hollywood, if the ability to cast A-listers can attest to this. Park and Bong have shot new movies in the United States with big Hollywood names. Park cast stars like Nicole Kidman and Matthew Goode for “Stoker,” which will be released next year. Director Kim Jee-woon also recently shot his new film “Last Stand” (set to be released on Jan. 18, 2013) in the world’s biggest film market with actors Arnold Schwarzenegger and Forest Whitaker.

The rise in K-films is invariably linked to Hollywood as well.
“Hollywood has gradually been losing its monopoly so it is looking for new subject matter from abroad and Korea is one of the attractive markets for remake rights,” said Jung. 
Amid such a spike in the popularity of domestic films, movie exports are booming, reaching $15.8 million in 2011, a 13.8 percent increase year-on-year. A total of 358 movies were exported, 82 more than last year. It reversed a six-year contraction. 

More Korean films are premiering at international film festivals. “The Thieves” has been selected to open the London Korean Film Festival and will close the Paris Korean Film Festival in November. It was sold to such Asian countries as China, Singapore and Thailand even before its release here and is also set to be released in 12 cities worldwide including Los Angeles and New York. 
The country has also been the host of various film festivals. The Busan International Festival, which closed Saturday, has positioned itself as the biggest of its kind in Asia and eighth biggest in the world since 1996. The Jeonju International Film Festival, which debuted in 2001, focuses on digital, independent and art films. Other well-known events include the Puchon International Fantastic Film Festival, the International Women’s Film Festival and the Jechon International Music & Film Festival. 

“Cinema is positioned as one of the must-do leisure activities in Korea and audiences tend to go for more popular films like Korean-style blockbusters than art movies or independent films these days,” Park Woo-sung said. “But this phenomenon won’t do anything good to develop the industry. Korean cinema should focus on its quality and content rather than just trying to go global and following trends.”

History of cinema in Korea
Korean cinema dates back to 1903 when people paid to watch moving pictures of scenery from Korea and abroad in Dongdaemun, eastern Seoul. In 1919, the first Korean film was made, a kino-drama “Fight for Justice” directed by Kim do-san. After that such silent Korean movies as “Arirang” (1926) were produced over the next few years with better techniques and production values. 
When the Park Chung-hee administration took office in the 1960s, seen as a golden age, it pushed a program of state-led industrialization and economic development in every area of society and cinema was no exception. It ushered in a more stable system through corporation-style production so companies cranked out films, spanning a wide variety of genres. Notable movies in this era include “Aimless Bullet” (1961) by Yu Hyun-mok, “Mother and A Guest” (1961) by Shin Sang-ok and “Sound of Magpies” (1967) by Kim Soo-yong. Korean film has been through many twists and turns since the golden age and finally regained its momentum.
For more information, visit www. enewsworld.com. rachel@koreatimes.co.kr

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October 18, 2012
Can't wait until 2013Trailer for Stoker Unveiled by Jang Sung-ran KOBIZ
U.S. trailer for director PARK Chan-wook’s first Hollywood project, Stoker has been unveiled following the release of the international trailer and it left a deep impact on those who saw it. The trailer is full of tension. Nicole Kidman, Mia Wasikovska and Matthew Goode’s excellent acting is boosting expectation for the film. India Stoker’s mother Evelyn’s barrage of evil words directed her daughter is only a glimpse of some of the horrible things to come. The mother and daughter are left in a mansion following the death of India’s father. Charlie (Matthew Goode) visits them and the story takes on a strange tension between the three of them. The trailer has been edited to bring out the tension to the full. There has only been very basic information about Stoker so far including a very brief synopsis. So any footage related to the project has been welcomed with a great sense of excitement. Foreign media have raved about the U.S. trailer with Perez Hilton saying “it’s a grand, thrilling film that’s like a puzzle. I can’t wait until 2013.” “Park’s characters seen in his Korean films have returned and they’ve been upgraded (bloody disgusting), “The audience will recognize Park’s unique atmosphere when they see the film” (Joblo) are some of the reactions. Stoker has been produced by Ridley Scott and the late Tony Scott. Wentworth Miller who starred in Prison Break wrote the script and Clint Mansell of Black Swan is the music director, adding to the high expectation of the film. Stoker is set to open in the first half of 2013.

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October 23, 2012
Spike Lee's "Oldboy" Remake Sets Release Date
Editor : Monica Suk KSTAR 10
The remake version of director Park Chan-wook's "Oldboy" has set its final release date.
Spike Lee's "Oldboy," a remake of the 2003 Korean thriller, is to arrive in U.S. cinemas on October 11, 2013, according to Hollywood entertainment website The Hollywood Reporter.
The mysterious hostage film, which headlines Josh Brolin as an advertising executive who gets kidnapped and held hostage for 20 years without any indication of his captor's motive, also stars Sharlto Copley, Elizabeth Olsen and Samuel L. Jackson.
When the captive was inexplicably released, he goes on to find out by whom and why he was held under the confinement.
The original, with famed Korean auteur Park wielding the megaphone, won the Grand Prix at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival. It grossed north of 14 million dollars internationally.
Actors Will Smith and Daniel Craig were rumored to have been offered the lead role, but they both turned it down.
Meanwhile, Park has been working on his English-language debut pic "Stoker," due out March 1, 2013. 
Starring Nicole Kidman, Mia Wasikowska and Matthew Goode, the family horror tells storeis that happen to a mother and a daughter when her uncle moves in after her father's mysterious death.

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October 29, 2012
Coming to America: South Korea's top directors on hitting Hollywood with English language films -- EXCLUSIVE
by Solvej Schou EW.com
Image Credit: Tony Rivetti Jr.
There’s a scene in South Korean director Park Chan-wook’s 2003 revenge classic Oldboy, currently being remade by Spike Lee, in which the film’s wild-haired, wild-eyed lead Min-sik Choi plops down at a restaurant and slurps on a huge fidgety live octopus, its long tentacles squirming out of his mouth. To American audiences, the moment may seem totally strange. But Park says the scene is less disgusting to Korean audiences. “They would be able to sympathize with the protagonist at that stage, who was incarcerated for 14 years,” he told EW. “He wants to eat something that is alive and moving. By chewing on this living thing, he’s venting his anger to an unknown protagonist.”
What is really gained, or lost, in translation?
Park and two other top South Korean directors — Kim Jee-woon, known for 2003 ghost story A Tale of Two Sisters and the recent serial killer thriller I Saw the Devil, and Bong Joon-ho, known for 2006 monster tale The Host and beautifully filmed psycho mom mystery Mother – will soon find out. All three are set to debut their first English language films next year, mining Hollywood and a slate of A-list stars to reach their broadest audiences ever.
Park comes out with Stoker, a dark coming-of-age story starring Mia Wasikowska and Nicole Kidman as her scarily intense mother, through Fox Searchlight on March 1. Kim directs Arnold Schwarzenegger as an aging sheriff battling thugs in action-packed The Last Stand, through Lionsgate, out Jan. 17. And Bong has the snowy sci-fi post-apocalyptic train survival tale Snowpiercer, starring Tilda Swinton, Chris Evans, and John Hurt, through a non Hollywood studio, South Korean company CJ Entertainment, also in 2013.
Park, Kim, and Bong (who spoke to EW through translators) happen to be close friends, and also big fans of each other’s work. Park, for instance, co-produced Bong’s Snowpiercer. Although the three South Korean directors are only now launching into the Hollywood atmosphere, they are already well-known by many American actors and directors and have been getting English language scripts sent their way for years. There’s a mutual respect on both sides. Swinton, for instance, was already a fan of Bong’s The Host when the pair met at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival when Bong was part of the festival’s jury. Evans and Hurt love Asian films, Bong said. Park didn’t realize at first that actor Wentworth Miller, a Park enthusiast, had written the script to Stoker when it was given to him in 2010. “I was very surprised. Wentworth Miller is a very well-known and admired actor in Korea, because of Prison Break, which has a huge fan base among young people. The script mesmerized me,” said Park.
Added Kim, “I felt that I had passed on too many offers from Hollywood, and there was a darkness looming over me after being so deeply submerged in the story of I Saw the Devil, [so] I decided that working on a high-spirited action film would be a nice change. I accepted the offer for The Last Stand with this thought in mind – ‘I’m going to make an entertaining film.’”

Working with A-listers through a translator
One of the biggest challenges for the directors was communicating with their stars through translators. Each of them noted the power of emotion, speaking with one’s eyes and hands, a wordless language that still communicates a great deal, especially with seasoned actors who know how to gauge facial expressions.
“I’m amazed and impressed that these Korean directors will direct films outside of their native language,” said Cameron Bailey, artistic director of the Toronto International Film Festival. “That’s got to be a challenge for any director. Kim, Park, and Bong have all shown in previous films, though, that they have tremendous filmmaking skills, and know how to guide actors to deeply affecting performances.”
Take Kim working with Schwarzenegger. The director, who emphasized “actors are actors, regardless of nationality,” was at first completely overwhelmed by the possibility of working with the former California “Governator.” “Arnold was always smart, and not once did he complain,” Kim said. “Even when the 1st AD or the producer would tell me that we were running out of time with Arnold, he would tell them to give the director time to think and take my side. Arnold was able to clearly understand even the vaguest directions I gave him. I also love his aging appearance. He is no longer the Terminator, but a real person who exudes warmth from his wrinkles and deep eyes, and I love that about him.” Of co-star Forest Whitaker, Kim said he had “the presence of a mountain,” adding, “It seems as though all great actors, both in Korea and Hollywood, embody some sort of charisma and aura. … I had a chance to peek over at his [Whitaker’s] copy of the script once, and he had filled it with handwritten notes, even more than what I had written down in mine.”
Once, after a take, Kim felt something was off with a particular scene, and he started walking over to give directions. “But the actor saw me approaching in the distance and told me that he understands, even before I said anything,” said Kim. “I thought to myself, ‘I didn’t say anything, and you really understand? We’ll see about that.’ I returned to the playback monitors and called ‘Action!’ and amazingly the actor did exactly what I wanted to do. This type of artistic interaction that precedes spoken word is what moves me.”
Bong based Snowpiercer on the French graphic novel Le Transperceneige, which he bought and read on the spot in a Korean comic book store, he said. He also cast South Korea’s Song Kang-Ho, a talented chameleon actor who has starred in films directed by Park, Kim, and Bong. From French to Korean to English, Snowpiercer‘s storyline twists through a roller coaster of translations.
“If the translator is competent, there are no problems on set,” said Bong. “Even when I’m working with Korean actors, if they don’t connect emotionally or on a personal level, it doesn’t really work. As long as you connect on that emotional level, even if there are two or three translators in between, there are no problems communicating.”
Kidman, who was interested in playing the lead mother role in Stoker, Park said, was the director’s first choice, and also respectful of the language barrier. “Not only is she an actress who trusts in the filmmaker, she’s very passionate doing good work that would satisfy the director,” said Park. “It felt she decided very resolutely to be more considerate of a director from overseas. I felt very looked after by Nicole.” It also helped that Stoker co-producer Wonjo Jeong acted as a translator. “In order to reduce the amount of time lost on set because of translation and communication, I tried to have as much rehearsal time as possible with the actors,” Park sad. “During that, I went through each line of dialogue, I listened to what the actors thought about each line. There were arguments, but we were on the same page.”
Hollywood studios, a different system
For Kim and Park, working within the Hollywood studio system also proved to an uncomfortable adjustment, at least at first. Directors reign supreme in South Korea, “on top of the pyramid,” with the director’s decision always final, said Kim. For instance, South Korean directors are always referred to as “Director” as a sign of respect (no one says “Director Nolan,” “Director Eastwood,” “Director Spielberg” here).
“In the U.S., however, the director, the producer, the studio, and the main star are all equals, so when the director suddenly has a moment of creativity, sometimes there is difficulty in bringing a spontaneous idea to fruition,” lamented Kim. “Nevertheless, I pushed hard and convinced everyone for the most part, but this procedure was difficult and draining. Still, with Lionsgate providing a lot of creative room, and Lorenzo di Bonaventura being a skilled producer, we were able to finish shooting with flexibility and efficiency.” Park also said he became more comfortable with the idea of studio input after feeling pressure at first. “I decided to change perception, and these would be the people who would sit in the audience and watch my film,” Park said. “Once I changed my perception, I became more comfortable with the feedback.”
Bong, who didn’t go through an American studio, said that while the production was Hollywood-based, it wasn’t a “Hollywood” film. “I didn’t face pressures other directors might have faced. I had to follow SAG regulations, and didn’t have any other issues,” said Bong. “In order to protect my beloved actors, I followed all the regulations.”

English language influences: Hitchcock, De Palma
While Park, Kim, and Bong’s movies in Korea are all different, spanning an ambitious range from westerns (Kim’s The Good The Bad The Weird) to bloody revenge thrillers (Park’s trilogy Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance, Oldboy, Lady Vengeance) to humor-laced though frightening crime procedurals (Bong’s 2003 Memories of Murder), they share some things in common: an emphasis on heightened emotion, violence, and startlingly intense performances, filmed in a tech-savvy style. Koreans themselves have dealt with longtime political turmoil, stemming back to the Korean War in the 1950s, and living under despotic rule from the late ‘70s through 1988.
“In U.S. films, there’s more explosive violence, gun fighting. In Korea, it’s more the violence is associated with everyday life,” said Bong. “There was dictatorship in Korean government. That’s why, when you look at my movies, you can see glimpses of that. … There is a lot of extreme emotion in Korean film. It’s because there are a lot of extremes in Korean society. Korean people are a little more aggressive, a little more similar to Italian people. Snowpiercer also deals with extreme situations and extreme emotions.”
That’s another risk all three directors are taking: transitioning from a distinct Korean style of filmmaking to one bound up in American and Western ideology and approach. Still, the trio – despite their own varied styles – adore and have also emulated some of Western film’s greatest directors.
Bong loves ‘70s auteur American films and Alfred Hitchcock, part of the inspiration for Mother (he watched Hitchcock’s Psycho) and Snowpiercer (Hitchcock’s Strangers on a Train, North by Northwest). Kim named a slew of directors as inspiration, from Hitchcock to Woody Allen, John Cassavetes, Francis Ford Coppola, Paul Thomas Anderson, the Coen brothers, David Fincher, and one of his favorites, Wes Anderson. “He makes films he wants to, no compromises,” Kim said.
Park cited Martin Scorsese’s Hugo as a recent English-language movie he enjoyed, though his favorite contemporary  English-language movie is David Cronenberg’s A Dangerous Method. “Cronenberg is my hero,” Park said. While Wentworth Miller drew on Hitchcock for Stoker’s script, Park said, the director himself channeled sleek, stylized, sexy Brian De Palma. “Stoker is a film with cross-cut scenes in it. In making such a film, I couldn’t help but think of De Palma,” said Park, who noted his favorite by the director is 1980 murder thriller Dressed To Kill. “Once upon a time, I used to write film reviews for a living, and I reviewed Dressed to Kill. While I was conscious of DePalma, I wanted to make Stoker differently. How could I make it different from DePalma, maybe through less use of slow motion?”
The Future
Coming to Hollywood and English language films is a huge opportunity, and risk, for Park, Kim and Bong, similar to Taiwan’s Ang Lee transitioning from 2000’s Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon to 2005’s Brokeback Mountain with Heath Ledger and Jack Gyllenhaal, or Hong Kong action master John Woo leaping into making American films with 1997’s Face/Off, starring John Travolta and Nicolas Cage, and then 2000’s Mission: Impossible II  (though Woo has since gone back to focusing on Hong Kong cinema).
“From the outset, I never decided I was going to make films only in the U.S., in the English language,” Park  said. “I always thought I would go back and forth between Korean- and English-language films, much like what Ang Lee does.” Park  confirmed he’s in active discussions to direct English-language crime drama Corsica 72 and western The Brigands Of Rattleborge. Meanwhile, Bong is preparing a project that’s half in Korean, half in English, based in both the United States and Korea. He looks to Mexican director Guillermo del Toro’s successful switch from Spanish language films to English. Kim said he wants to make films in both countries.
But will the three directors actually accomplish reaching a wider audience next year? Stanley Rosen, a professor of political science and an Asian film expert at the University of Southern California, voiced some skepticism. Chinese directors such as Chen Kaige and Xiaogang have had a harder time finding crossover appeal at the box office with English-language movies, he said, and Korean directors have already cast an influence on American and European directors, who generally remake Korean films with more box office clout. Park’s South Korean Oldboy, full of hyper choreographed violence, sex, and revenge-filled freakouts, for example, has set a high bar for Lee’s English-language version, starring Josh Brolin.
“Because of this, it makes good sense for the Korean directors to seek an American and international audience with English-language films that avoid dubbing or subtitling. But it won’t be easy,” Rosen said. “Ang Lee is of course the most successful Asian director. Although he started out making popular films in Taiwan — which did well at the U.S. box office — he learned English and how to make films while at NYU Film School. In general, the Korean directors don’t do as well with English, don’t have the same top U.S. film school background, and even many of the Hong Kong directors — such as Ringo Lam — haven’t been able to duplicate their success in the U.S.”
The field is also open for female directors such as South Korea-born So Yong Kim, who lives in New York and is fluent in English and entrenched in American culture. Growing up watching Korean films before being introduced to European and American movies, she just released her own first English-language film, the stark indie For Ellen, starring Paul Dano, and provides a female-centric outlook within a scope of directors that is heavily male dominated. “Each director has their own style, so it’s hard to blend them together into one expectation,” she said of Kim, Park, and Bong. “However, I’m excited to see how they transport their Korean-inspired visions of the world to English-language audiences.”
The future, then, for Bong, Kim, and Park in Hollywood is both sweetly plentiful, and unknown.“We will have to see once the Last Stand releases, but I am hoping for the best. It is my first Hollywood film, and admittedly getting familiar with the system took some time,” said Kim. “I feel that I was not able to showcase everything I’ve got, and in my next Hollywood film I really want to show what I am capable of. The Last Stand has shown me all the possibilities in Hollywood, and I will continue to make films here.”

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 November 1, 2012
Park Chan Wook’s ‘Stoker’ Korean Movie Poster Released
CJ E&M enewsWorld Stewart Ho 
The veils are continuing to be lifted off Park Chan Wook’s upcoming Hollywood directorial debut. 
The macabre and spooky hand drawn movie poster for the upcoming mystery thriller movie, Stoker was recently released by 20th Century Fox. 
Featuring Nicole Kidman and Mia Wasikowska amid a spooky sketch of macabre and ominous creatures and items, a special making-of video of the movie poster was released featuring the dark Emily Wells track Becomes the Color.
Marking the English-language directorial debut of the mastermind behind such critically acclaimed movies as Old Boy, the movie stars Mia Wasikowska as India Stoker who tragically loses her best friend, who is also her father in a tragic auto accident. 
Her tranquil life is then upturned by the arrival of an Uncle Charlie (Matthew Goode), whom she never knew existed, as he comes to live with her emotionally unstable mother, Evie (Nicole Kidman). 
Things quickly turn from mysterious to horrifying as their ties all become more complicated. 
The movie premieres in Korea in February.

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November 2, 2012
OLD BOY Proves Its Value Once Again
Old Boy, selected as one of the top 10 films by ‘Total Film’ by Kim Hyun-min KOFIC 
PARK Chan-wook‘s Old Boy (2003) was ranked at the 10th in the list of the ‘50 Best Movies of Total Film Magazine's Lifetime’ selected by ‘Total Film’, a representative film magazine in the UK. The 1st place was taken by The Load of the Rings trilogy directed by Peter JACKSON and released in 2001~2003. The 2nd best film was Memento (2001) directed by Christopher NOLAN. On the 3rd place was Paul Thomas ANDERSON’s There Will be Blood (2007). Magnolia (1999), another film directed by Paul Thomas ANDERSON, was at the fourth place. Their fifth choice was Mulholland Drive (2001) of David LYNCH. The 6th to the 9th places were taken by Christopher NOLAN’s Dark Knight (2008), David FINCHER’s Fight Club (1999), Sofia COPPOLA’s Lost In Translation (2003) and Guillermo del TORO’s Pan's Labyrinth (2006) respectively. Old Boy was followed by The White Ribbon (2009) directed by Michael HANEKE on the 11th place. The Hollywood’s version of Old Boy directed by Spike LEE will be released in January 2013. This remake version stars Josh BROLIN, Sharlto COPLEY, Elizabeth OLSEN and Samuel L. JACKSON.

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November 18, 2012
Koreans Infiltrating Hollywood
A lot of Korean talent is infiltrating Hollywood
Source: KpopStarz.com
In addition to Lee Byung Hun ("G.I. Joe") and Bae Doo Na ("Cloud Atlas"), two directors who represent Korea, Park Chan Wook and Kim Jee Woon, will be making their Hollywood debuts.
Lee Byung Hun's first Hollywood movie was "G.I Joe" and when it became successful, he found a place in Hollywood. He was the first Korean to get his handprints at the Chinese Theater and recently, his movie "Masquerade" broke the 10,000,000 ticket sales. He will appear in two other Hollywood movies "G.I Joe 2" and "RED 2," which will be released next year. Currently he is filming "RED 2" with Bruce Willis, Helen Mirren and John Malkovich.
Bae Doo Na teamed up with the Wachowski Siblings and Tom Tykwer for "Cloud Atlas," which was adapted from a book that deals with stories that span over 500 years. 
Bae Doo Na plays Sonmi-451 and goes toe-to-toe with big actors like Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, Hugh Grant and Jim Sturgess. Entertainment Weekly said that she left the biggest impression on audiences and the New Yorker said that she was amazing.
Park Chan Wook ("Oldboy," "Thirst") will return with "Stoker" and Kim Jee Woon ("A Bittersweet Life," "I Saw the Devil") will return with "The Last Stand."
Wentworth Miller wrote the screenplay for "Stoker," which is about a fatherless girl who suddenly has to accept the presence of a mysterious uncle in her life. Mia Wasikowska, Nicole Kidman and Matthew Good will appear.
Park Chan Wook also is the producer for director Bong Joon Ho's project "Snowpiercer," which was originally a French sci-fi comic that won the Grand Prix at the 1986 International Comic Festival. It stars Song Kang Ho, Chris Evans, Tilda Swinton, John Hurt and Octavia Spencer. It is currently filming in Czechoslovakia.
Kim Jee Woon received the Vision Award from the Filmmakers Alliance and his new project "The Last Stand" is about a drug cartel and a small town Sheriff. It is getting a lot of attention for the fact that it is Arnold Schwarzenegger's comeback project. It opens next January. 

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November 22, 2012
Event to Celebrate the 10 Years of Korean Cinematheques
10th Anniversary Celebration of the Opening of Seoul Art Cinema
by Kim Hyun-min KOFIC
   The Korean Association of Cinematheques will hold the 2012 Cinematheque Awards and Supporters' Night event on 28th November at the Gucci Flagship Store to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the opening of the cinematheque. The association will give awards at the event to film professionals who have supported the cinematheque since its opening in 2002. 10 filmmakers as well as organizations both from in and out of Korea will be given awards and actor Kwon Hae-hyo will receive the Special Contribution Award. Recipients for the Best Friend Award are directors Kim Jee-woon, Ryoo Seung-wan, Park Chan-wook, Bong Joon-ho, Oh Seung-uk, Lee Myung-se, E J-Yong and Choi Dong-hoon as well as actors Ahn Sung-ki and Yoo Ji-tae. The Special Contribution Awards will go to organizations that have helped with the annual festival as well as the upkeep of the Seoul Art Cinema Library. The recipients are the Seoul Cultural Center of the Japan Foundation, The French Cultural Institute, the Italian Cultural Institute of Korea as well as the Goethe Institute of Korea. Actor Kwon Hae-hyo, who has emceed the Friends of the Cinematheque event since its first edition in 2006 will also be given a Special Contribution Award.

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December 3, 2012
Director Park Chan-Woo who's heading for Hollywood, new movie with Song Kang-Ho  Source: Innolife Korea
Director Park Chan-Woo who is waiting for the release of his first produced movie in Hollywood and screen top star Song Kang-Ho made the short film, ‘Cheong Chul Au Ram (Student Becomes A Master)’.
‘Cheong Chul Au Ram’ that draws a special day of stubborn master and a young student on a mountain for better singing was produced by Park Chan-Wook and Park Chan-Kyeong brothers, who called as ‘PARKing CHANce’. In the movie, Song Kang-Ho was changed into an old master, which required him to do lots of make up and hair. Song Kang-Ho acted for an old master who goes to a mountain to have a special training for his young student who feels depressed since she got #3 on a singing tournament in the movie.
The movie ‘Cheong Chul Au Ram’ that director Park Chan-Wook and Song Kang-Ho met is going to be released at the end of December.

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December 5, 2012
Park Chan-wook, Park Chan-Kyong Disclose Film Posters
Editor : Kim Nemo KSTAR10 Poster of directorial duo PARKing CHANce"s (directors Park Chan-wook and Park Chan-kyong) forthcoming movie "Day Trip," which will hit local theaters at the end of December 2012. [mog Interactive] Directorial duo, PARKing CHANce (directors Park Chan-wook and Park Chan-kyong) has disclosed the posters for their forthcoming movie, . The film centers on a stubborn teacher (Song Kang-ho) and his female student who go to the mountain for vocal training. It’s the latest film from the two directors who are brothers and is the first film of the project funded by Kolon Sport, an outdoor clothing brand in Korea.
Under the brand slogan, “Your Best Way to Nature”, the company commissioned the project to celebrate its 40th anniversary next year. The two posters of has the style of traditional Korean folk landscape painting but it’s different from other film posters in that it has almost no information about the forthcoming film, such as the release date or catchy phrases. It simply has the title of the movie, bringing out the mysterious and natural scenery as featured in the film. Korean portal sites are currently ablaze with talk about the posters with many expressing high expectations about the forthcoming film. is scheduled to be released at the end of December, 2012.
 Poster of directorial duo PARKing CHANce"s (directors Park Chan-wook and Park Chan-kyong) forthcoming movie "Day Trip," which will hit local theaters at the end of December, 2012, [mog Interactive]

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December 6, 2012
Park Chan-wook to Unveil STOKER at Sundance
US debut for Korean filmmaker to premier in January
by Pierce Conran KOFIC 
PARK Chan-wook’s Hollywood debut Stoker is set to have its world premiere at the 2013 edition of the Sundance Film Festival, the United States’ most important film event and long considered the Mecca of American independent filmmakers. Traditionally, Korean films have not featured prominently at the festival though in recent years both the documentary Old Partner (2009) and KIM Jee-woon’s revenge thriller I Saw The Devil (2010) were featured in the lineup. 2013 seems to be a more auspicious year for Korea at the esteemed event. Last week it was announced that Jiseul, the multi-award winner from Busan, was selected for the festival’s World Cinema Dramatic Competition and it will now be joined by the long-awaited debut of PARK’s first English-language film. PARK and a number of the film’s stars will attend the premiere during the festival, which runs January 17-27 in Park City Utah. The film, based on a screenplay by Wentworth MILLER and starring Nicole KIDMAN, Mia WASIKOWSKA, Mathew GOODE, and Jacki WEAVER is about a young girl who loses her father (WASIKOWSKA), her unstable mother (KIDMAN), and the mysterious uncle (GOODE) who fills the void but may be harboring ulterior motives. Early 2013 will act as a considerable litmus test for the wave of Korean cineastes hoping to break into Hollywood as KIM Jee-woon’s US debut The Last Stand, starring Arnold SCHWARZNEGGER, will also be bowing in January. Meanwhile BONG Joon-ho’s Snow Piercer, recently acquired by The Weinstein Company at the American Film Market, has yet to settle on a date but may go on release in the summer after a spring festival premiere. Stoker, which was produced and is being distributed by 20th Century Fox, is slated for general release in the US and UK on March 1.

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December 10, 2012
Park Chan-wook and Park Chan-kyung Brothers at It Again
Plans to Reveal DAY TRIP at the End of December by JI Yong-jin KOFIC
The latest film from the Park brothers (Chan-wook and Chan-kyung), Day Trip , has revealed its poster. Day Trip a movie about a stubborn teacher and a rube student going on a trek to a mountain to get the voice they want, is the latest film of Park Chan-wook and Park Chan-kyung, aka PARKing CHANce.
This is the first film project sponsored by the outdoor brands KOLON sports, which is celebrating its 40th anniversary, and the theme was motivated from the brand slogan ‘Your Best Way to Nature’ trying to get the scenery of nature from the best directors’ point of view and have characters meet with nature.
Day Trip is a film co-directed by the world renowned Park Chan-wook and features his frequent collaborator Song Kang-ho. Day Trip is attracting a lot of attention for being the second film made by Park Chan-wook and Park Chan-kyung following their Golden Berlin Bear (Best Short Film) from the Berlin International Film Festival in 2011 for Night Fishing. Day Trip is planned to be released at the end of December.

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December 10, 2012
Park Chan-wook and Kim Ji-woon debuts to the US
Source: StarNews via hancinema.net

Directors Park Chan-wook and Kim Ji-woon who stepped into Hollywood are coming back with a domestic movie.
According to movie sources, Park is coming back to Korea with the movie "Miss" which is about two young women and two young men. It is based on an original novel.
Kim Ji-woon is also preparing to come back with an animation called, "Inrang". By director Okiura Hiroyuki, "Inrang" is based in future Japan about the battle between police who have strong military power against those who are against the government. It is called the legend among animation fans.
Kim Ji-woon's "Inrang" is going to cost over 10 billion won and is going to aim for creating a new kind of SF,
Park Chan-wook stepped into Hollywood in the year 2008 after "Thirst" and created "The Last Stand" in the US. He was awarded "The Director of the Year" for the first time as an Asian director.
Many expect the comeback of the two great directors to be plentiful and great.
Park Chan-wook is going to proceed with "Miss" along with "Stoker" and Kim Ji-woon's "Inrang" is being slowly organized.

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December 13, 2012
Park Chan-wook to Direct "Agassi"
Reporter: Kim Nemo KSTAR10
Director Park Chan-wook has confirmed the choice of film for his return to the Korean scene.
An official from Moho Film said on December 11th, that the project, “Agassi” [transliteration of the project’s title from Korean] is in its script development stage.
After finishing “Thirst“, Park went to Hollywood to shoot "Stoker". He has said that he’s writing a Korean-language script set in the Japanese colonial period in Korea and that it would be a love story between a Japanese aristocrat and a Korean servant.
The official from Moho Film added that the script is based on a novel but that it would be an adaptation. Park’s first Hollywood film, “Stoker”, is set to be released on March 1st, 2013. 

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December 18, 2012
Korean Filmmakers Unveil Clip to Urge Public to Vote at Presidential Election
Reporter : Lee Tae Ho Editor : Kim Nemo KSTAR10
Director Park Chan-wook who particpated in a campaign clip to urge the public to vote at South Korea’s presidential election. [Cannes Film Festival]
Director Kim Ji-woon at a preview event for his film "Heavenly Creature," one of the three segments from "Doomsday Book" (2012). [End Credit]
Acclaimed movie makers have unveiled a campaign clip to urge the public to vote at South Korea’s presidential election. The clip entitled “Congratulations on Voting” [translated title], uploaded on YouTube last Sunday, features directors Park Chan-wook of “Old Boy,” Bong Joon-ho of “The Host,” Kim Ji-woon of “I Saw the Devil,” Lee Joon-ik of “The King and the Clown” and actor Jung Jin-young. In the two-minute long movie, the six sing “Congratulation on Voting” to the tune of "Happy Birthday" and emphasize the absolute need for everyone to cast a vote. The directors and actor are also well-known for their passionate support for the Seoul Art Cinema, Seoul’s only non-profit theater and film archive. Produced by director Jung Yoon-chul of “Marathon,” the clip has been the talk of the town as it was made with videos that the movie makers filmed themselves with their smart phones. Meanwhile, South Korea’s presidential election is set to be held on Wednesday.
Director Bong Joon-ho who particpated in a campaign clip to urge the public to vote at South Korea’s presidential election. [Cannes Film Festival]

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December 20, 2012
Park Chan-wook Hasn’t Decided What to Make NextProducer and Friend of Park Chan-wook Dispells Rumors  by Lee Eun-sun KOFIC
Syd Lim, the CEO of Yong Film, who has worked with Park Chan-wook as a producer for 10 years, made an official announcement about Park’s next film. Lim said, “Several press companies reported on December 17th that Park’s next film would be Agassi, which created a flood of inquiries.” He then added, “I would like to correct that misreport by explaining the truth.” According to Lim, Park plans to make a film early next year and is looking through various items and original stories to take into consideration. In the official press release, he said, “A few press companies have reported that Agassi will be the next film Park is working on and it is definitely one of many projects we have considered as a possible candidate.” But he denied the rumor by saying, “However it is just one of the stories being considered, so no specific decisions have been made yet.” It is simply a possibility in an early stage, nothing has been decided. Lim then said, “We are waiting for Park’s Hollywood debut film Stoker to be released in early 2013, so please show your interest and affection to that film for now.” Earlier, a few press companies reported that “Park is going to cinematize a historical thriller about lesbians”. According to the reports saying “Park has recently been working on a new project Agassi”, the film is based on the novel ‘Fingersmith’ written by Sarah Waters. 

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December 23, 2012

Korean directors to feature big at Sundance 2013
Park Chan-wook's 'Stoker,' O Muel's 'Jiseul' among the line-up

By Claire Lee The Korea Herald

Korean movie fans will be excited to see the line-up of the upcoming Sundance Film Festival, as a total of four local directors’ works are to be featured ― including the much anticipated “Stoker” by Park Chan-wook.

The festival, which kicks off on Jan. 17, includes Park’s film in its Premieres program, a showcase of world premieres of some of the most highly anticipated dramatic films of the coming year. 

The thriller, which tells the story of a girl and her mother who are visited by a mysterious uncle after the girl’s father dies, is Park’s Hollywood debut. Nicole Kidman stars as the emotionally unstable mother, while Mia Wasikowska plays the young daughter in the film scripted by British-born American screenwriter Wentworth Miller.


A scene from Park Chan-wook’s “Stoker” (Macall Polay)

Also included in the Premieres section along with Park’s “Stoker” is “Before Midnight,” which is the upcoming follow-up to the famous “Before Sunrise” (1995) and “Before Sunset” (2004). Like its predecessors, the film is directed by Richard Linklater, and features Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy in the leading roles. In the film, Celine (Delpy) and Jesse (Hawke), almost two decades after their first encounter on a train bound for Vienna, reunite in Greece this time. They are now in their early 40s and it’s been nine years since they ran into each other in Paris.

In its World Cinema Dramatic Competition section, Korea’s Jeju-based director O Muel’s latest film “Jiseul” is competing against 13 others films.

The film is set during the 1948 Jeju Massacre, and tells the story of a group of some 120 villagers who hid from soldiers in a cave. The incident resulted in the death of some 30,000 islanders as the government sought to quell an uprising led by a small group of communist insurgents. 

The film was premiered at this year’s Busan International Film Festival and won a total of four awards ― including the Network for the Promotion of Asian Cinema Award and the Citizen Critic Award.

Also included in this competition section is “What They Don’t Talk About When They Talk About Love,” an Indonesian film about teenagers, some physically disabled, pursuing their artistic endeavors. The section also includes “Shopping,” a New Zealand movie about a half-Samoan teenager living amid high racial tension in 1981 in the country, and “Houston,” a German film about a borderline alcoholic man with a shaky marriage. 


A scene from Kim Song-e’s “Bite the Tail.” (Kim Song-e)

“You Are More than Beautiful” by local director Kim Tae-yong is running in the festival’s competition section for shorts. The director, best known for the Tang Wei and Hyun Bin romance “Late Autumn,” is invited for the 27-minute film about a man (Park Hee-soon) who arrives on Korea’s Jeju Island and pays a woman (Gong Hyo-jin) to act as his girlfriend in front of his ill father. 

Also included in the short film program is local animated film “Bite the Tail” by Korean director Kim Song-e. The film is about a married woman who suffers from constant stomach pain. While doctors tell her there’s no cure for it, her husband says he’s going out to hunt a snake. A total of 65 shorts have been selected from 8,102 submissions for the section, according to the festival’s organizers.

Sundance Film Festival runs from Jan. 17 to 27 next year.

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December 26, 2012
Poster for "Stoker" by Park Chan-wook Unveiled
Reporter : Kim Nemo KSTAR10

Poster for "Stoker", Korean director Park Chan-wook’s foray into Hollywood, has been unveiled. 
Promotion for the film, set to released in the U.S. on January 20, has begun in earnest with the release of the poster.
It features the three main leads, Nicole Kidman, Mia Wasikowska and Matthew Goode standing side by side, looking nervous as they stare at the camera. 
The copy line, “Do not disturb the family” arouses the viewer’s sense of curiosity. revolves around a girl who lost her father in an accident and the mystery thriller unfolds with her uncle visiting her family. 
Director Park told TenAsia that "it was a joy to work with the two actresses. Nicole made everyone feel at home off the camera and Mia was like a diligent student, always eager to learn from those around her."
It is Park’s first film in Hollywood and is produced by Ridley Scott and the late Tony Scott with the script written by "Prison Break" actor Wentworth Miller. The film is to be released in Korea at the end of February, 2013.