Kim Hye-Soo 김혜수 [Drama “Under the Queen’s Umbrella” | Movie “Smugglers”]

[Helena]

https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20230620004500315
Director Ryoo Seung-wan returns with crime thriller fronted by women

By Shim Sun-ah (sshim@yna.co.kr) | June 20, 2023

Director Ryoo Seung-wan of "Smugglers," a new Korean crime action thriller, speaks during a press conference to promote the film in Seoul on June 20, 2023. (Yonhap)

SEOUL, June 20 (Yonhap) -- Acclaimed director Ryoo Seung-wan, best known for films such as "Veteran" (2015) and "Escape from Mogadishu" (2021), will return after two years with the genre that he can do the best: a crime action thriller.

"Smugglers" marks his first film of the genre since "Veteran," seen by more than 10 million moviegoers, a standard for commercially successful films in South Korea with a population of nearly 52 million.

Set in the 1970s in a peaceful seaside village, "Smugglers," revolves around two "haenyeo," traditional female divers, who are unexpectedly tangled up in a high-stakes smuggling scheme.

Veteran actresses Kim Hye-soo and Yum Jung-ah take the lead roles as the two female divers, marking the first time Ryoo's production centers on female characters.

"The two actors came to my mind from the early stage of creating this story," Ryoo, who directed and co-wrote the film, said during a press conference held at a movie theater in Seoul on Tuesday to promote the title. "I don't know why, but I was strongly convinced that I had to do the film with those actors. You'll come to know they are irreplaceable, if you watch the film."

Kim said, "Since there are not many such works in the film industry, unlike the television or streaming industries, I felt grateful at the news that a women-centered movie was being planned and was happy when I was offered for a lead role."

Actors Kim Hye-soo (L) and Yum Jung-ah pose during a press conference for their new film "Smugglers" in Seoul on June 20, 2023. (Yonhap)

Kim plays Cho Chun-ja, the first haenyeo in the village who steps foot into the world, enthralled by rumors that she can make big money by simply picking up things dumped into the sea.

She offers her best friend and leader of the regional haenyeos, Eom Jin-sook (played by Yum), to do the business together with her.

Zo In-sung and Park Jung-min also join the cast, respectively, as Gwon Pil-sam, the kingpin of a national smuggling ring, and Jang Do-ri, a naive boy in the fishing village who gradually becomes aware of the smuggling business through the two haenyeos.

Kim reminisced about her experience of having a panic attack during an underwater shoot.

"I was looking down into the water, about 6 meters deep, at the underwater shooting facility when a panic attack hit me. I thought, 'What should I do? Should I quit here?' But as each person went in and did so well, I got excited and cheered. That helped me calm down a bit and get out of the state of panic."

Yum was a beer bottle in the water herself when she was offered the professional diver character.

"I had a strong aversion to water and had never swum before, but my desire to take on the role was overwhelming," she explained. "So I began with the belief that I would be able to swim if I practiced hard, and eventually, I made it."

The director, however, emphasized the film will also provide fun as an action movie although the two female characters lead the narrative.

"In 'Smugglers,' you'll see a more serious, sharp and provocative side of me than in 'Mogadishu'," Zo said.

The film will open in local theaters on July 26.

The director (1st from L) and the cast of "Smugglers" attend a press conference to promote the film in Seoul on June 20, 2023. (Yonhap)


(END)

[Helena]

http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20230620000567
Kim Hye-soo, Yeom Jung-ah overcome fear of water for ‘Smugglers’

By Kim Da-sol (ddd@heraldcorp.com) | Jun 20, 2023 

Kim Hye-soo (left) and Yum Jung-ah pose for photos at a press conference for “Smugglers” in Seoul, Tuesday. (Yonhap)

The hit filmmaker who helmed “Veteran” (2015) and “Escape From Mogadishu” (2021) returns with the star-studded female-led action film “Smugglers.”

Set in a peaceful seaside village in the 1970s, the crime action film revolves around an accident in front of "haenyeo," female divers who collect seafood from the ocean floor. Kim Hye-soo, Yum Jung-ah, Zo In-sung, Park Jung-min, Kim Jong-soo and Go Min-si star in the film.

Kim Hye-soo and Yum Jung-ha had to overcome their fear of the water while shooting the film. Most of the scenes were shot inside a 6-meter-deep water tank.

“I didn’t know that I panic when I see water. Maybe it was after shooting 'The Thieves' (2012) when I was locked in a submerged car in handcuffs. So it took me a while to get familiar with underwater shooting,” Kim said during a press conference at Lotte Cinema Konkuk University on Tuesday.

Prior to the underwater and seaside shooting, the actors trained for about three months.

Yum said she did not like going into the water before.

“I don’t like the water but after hearing that Kim would star, I was more than happy. Having wrapped up the shooting, I really miss all of our cast. They have been the best,” said Yum, who appears as the leader of women divers.

Director Ryoo Seung-wan said although the film is led by two female characters, it’s more about a team.

“From the planning stage, I had Kim Hye-soo and Yum Jung-ah in my mind. It’s something that I cannot explain in words, but for me, they were irreplaceable actors for this movie,” Ryoo told reporters, joking that Zo In-sung and Park Jung-min were cast as he was looking for actors who were not busy.

“Unlike TV dramas or streaming content, there have not been many female-led films. (When I received the director’s suggestion for this project,) I was thankful that this kind of film was planned and I got the role. I also appreciate Zo and Park for adding good energy to our film,” Kim said.

She added that even if she had not starred in the film, the fact that director Ryoo, who has effectively communicated with the audience previously, has returned with female-led film would have heighted her anticipation to see it.

Zo, who also appeared in Ryoo’s “Escape From Mogadishu,” said he mastered the action sequences this time for greater impact and higher quality. Zo stars as Kwon, who collaborates with Cho (Kim Hye-soo) to find a new smuggling route.

“Compared to ‘Mogadishu’ where my action was more improvisation, I tried to do action this time under Ryoo’s detailed direction and get confirmation from him,” Zo told reporters.

“Smugglers” opens in local theaters July 26.

From left: Park Jung-min, Zo In-sung, Kim Hye-soo, Yum Jung-ah, Go Min-si and Kim Jong-soo, cast members of “Smugglers,” pose at a press conference in Seoul, Tuesday. (Yonhap)

 

[Helena]

'Smugglers' Press Conference

 

 

[Smugglers] Teaser

 

[Helena]

https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/art/2023/06/689_353561.html
From 'Smugglers' to 'The Moon,' summer blockbuster season in full swing

By Kwak Yeon-soo | 2023-06-23

Posters for films "Smugglers," left, and "The Moon" / Courtesy of NEW, Dexter Studios

"The Roundup: No Way Out" has kicked off the summer season with a bigger attendance than expected. The film surpassed 9 million ticket sales on the 21st day of its release, focusing attention on whether big tentpole films can continue to make waves at the box office. 

With "The Roundup" doing most of the swinging, a number of films are coming to theaters in the next few weeks alone, heating the summer blockbuster season. 

Director Ryoo Seung-wan's crime action thriller "Smugglers" is set for theatrical release on July 26. Set in the 1970s, the film revolves around two female divers who unexpectedly become involved in an illegal smuggling scheme. 

Actresses Kim Hye-soo and Yum Jung-ah take on lead roles as female divers. Also joining the cast are actors Zo In-sung, Park Jung-min and Go Min-si. Ryoo is well known due to directing films such as "Veteran" (2015) and "Escape from Mogadishu" (2021).

Director Kim Yong-hwa, best known for the "Along with the Gods" film franchise, is returning with sci-fi blockbuster "The Moon." Featuring A-list actors, including Sul Kyung-gu, Kim Hee-ae and Doh Kyung-su, the film tells the story of a space crew member who is left alone in space during a lunar exploration mission. It will be released on Aug. 2.

A teaser poster of the film "Ransomed" / Courtesy of Showbox

The action drama film "Ransomed," directed by Kim Seong-hun of Netflix series "Kingdom" fame, will hit theaters on August 2. Set in Beirut in 1987, during the Lebanese Civil War, the story revolves around a diplomat named Min-jun (Ha Jung-woo) who is assigned the task of carrying ransom money to rescue an abducted diplomat in Lebanon, and a local taxi driver named Pan-su (Ju Ji-hoon) accidentally gets involved in the mission.

Disaster thriller "Concrete Utopia," starring Lee Byung-hun, Park Seo-joon and Park Bo-young, will hit theaters on August 9. It follows the story of survivors who gather in an apartment complex in Seoul following a massive earthquake. The film is directed by Um Tae-hwa, who previously helmed the 2016 fantasy film "Vanishing Time: A Boy Who Returned."

The local films are likely to compete with big franchise Hollywood films such as "Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny," "Mission: Impossible ― Dead Reckoning Part One," "Barbie" and "Oppenheimer." 

Director Christopher McQuarrie, actors Tom Cruise, Simon Pegg, Vanessa Kirby and Pom Klementieff of "Mission: Impossible 7" will attend a press conference and a red carpet event in Seoul on June 29 ahead of the film's Korean release on July 12. 

The cast of "Barbie," including Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling, as well as actress-director Greta Gerwig will also visit Korea July 2-3 to promote their new film.

[Helena]

https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/2023/07/06/entertainment/movies/Smugglers-Kim-Hyesoo-Yum-Jungah/20230706193309791.html
Ryoo Seung-wan's 'Smugglers' invited to Locarno Film Festival

BY CHO YONG-JUN [cho.yongjun1@joongang.co.kr] | July 6, 2023

 

Poster for director Ryoo Seung-wan's upcoming film ″Smugglers″ [NEW]

Director Ryoo Seung-wan's upcoming film "Smugglers" has been invited to a non-competitive section of the Locarno Film Festival, distributors NEW said Thursday. 

Written and directed by Ryoo, "Smuggles" is an action-crime film that revolves around people picking up litter on the ocean to sustain their lives, getting pulled into offers of illegal smuggling.   

Actors Kim Hye-soo, Yum Jung-ah, Zo In-sung, Park Jeong-min and others will feature in the upcoming film. Kim plays the "adventurer" Cho Choon-ja, who lures Um Jin-sook, played by Yum, the leader of a haenyeo group, into smuggling products by snatching up contrabands that were dropped in the ocean. Zo plays Kwon Pil-sam, the "king of smugglers," who dominated the contraband market in Busan. 

Hanyeo refers to Korean female sea divers. 

The 76th Locarno Film Festival will be held in Locarno, Switzerland, from Aug. 2 to 12. "Smugglers" has been invited to the Piazza Grande, a non-competitive section of the festival. Actor Song Kang-ho won the Excellence Award at the festival, and two of Song's most popular films, "Parasite" (2019) and "Memories of Murder" (2003), were played at the festival in 2019.  

"Smugglers" will open in cinemas on July 26.   

 

—

https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20230706003800315
Ryoo Seung-wan's 'Smugglers' invited to Locarno Film Festival

By Kim Eun-jung (ejkim@yna.co.kr) | July 06, 2023

Director Ryoo Seung-wan, fourth from left, and the cast of "Smugglers" attend a press conference to promote the film in Seoul, June 20. Yonhap

SEOUL, July 6 (Yonhap) -- Director Ryoo Seung-wan's new crime action thriller "Smugglers" has been invited to the 76th Locarno Film Festival set to open in Switzerland next month, the festival's homepage showed Thursday.

"Smugglers" was included in the main Piazza Grande lineup for Europe's biggest midsummer movie event slated for Aug. 2-12, according to the festival.

The Piazza Grande section screens audience-friendly films in an outdoor square that can accommodate over 8,000 viewers, featuring the Audience Award and the Variety Piazza Grande Award selected by a panel of film critics.

Set in the 1970s in a peaceful seaside village, "Smugglers" revolves around two female divers (played by Kim Hye-soo and Yum Jung-ah), who are unexpectedly tangled up in a high-stakes smuggling scheme.

It is set to hit local theaters July 26.

A promotional poster of Ryoo Seung-wan's crime action thriller "Smugglers" is seen in this photo provided by the distributor NEW. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

Director Joung Yu-mi's animated short film "The Waves" was invited to Locarno's Concorso internazionale section, competing for the Pardo d'oro, an award for outstanding achievement in cinema.

It is her third animation project presented to international film festivals, following "Dust Kid" (2009) for Cannes Directors' Fortnight and "Math Test" (2010) for the Berlin International Film Festival.

 

Spoiler

A scene from Joung Yu-mi's new animation, "The Waves," is seen in this image captured from the Locarno Film Festival's homepage. The short film was invited to Locarno's Concorso internazionale section. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)


(END)

[partyon]

 

cr. gm4queen

 

Who had the worst makeup in a kdrama? Let's vote!

 

 

 

Your Event Organizers

[Helena]

http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20230716000176
Top film distributors compete with summer blockbusters

NEW, Showbox, CJENM, Lotte Entertainment gear up for releases but there are risks to their success

By Kim Da-sol (ddd@heraldcorp.com) | Jul 16, 2023

Four new blockbusters are set to hit local cinemas this summer, complete with large production budgets and star-studded lineups. Film distributors hope to attract large audiences in the aftermath of the pandemic, but moviegoers' expectations remain low.

With the abundance of high quality content available on streaming platforms and soaring ticket prices, Korean audiences have shown a growing trend of consuming content at home, only venturing to cinemas if the ticket is truly worth the price. It remains to be seen whether struggling film distributors will find success with their upcoming summer releases.

“Smugglers” (NEW)

First on the list of new films this summer is director Ryoo Seung-wan’s crime action flick “Smugglers,” distributed by NEW. With a production budget of around 20 billion won ($15.8 million), the film tells the story of the residents of a peaceful seaside town, many of whom are involved in smuggling. Director Ryoo’s flagship sense of humor and the film's star-studded lineup -- Kim Hye-soo, Yum Jung-ah, Zo In-sung, Park Jung-min, Go Min-si -- are expected to attract moviegoers. However, some speculate that the film will be yet another cliche crime flick, mimicking “The Thieves” (2012), only this time with a female-led cast. The film opens in cinemas on July 26.

“Ransomed” (Showbox)

Next on the list is “Ransomed,” directed by Kim Seong-hoon, featuring Ha Jung-woo and Ju Ji-hoon, a familiar duo from “Along with the Gods.”

“Ransomed” revolves around the story of a diplomat, Min-jun (Ha), and a local taxi driver, Pan-su (Ju), in Lebanon. Their mission is to rescue a fellow diplomat. The film is Ha’s first silver screen work after he was fined 30 million won in 2021 for illegal use of propofol in 2019, violating South Korea's Narcotics Control Act.

Some 20 billion won has been injected into the project, which involved a 6 month-long shoot in Morocco and includes realistic car chasing scenes, according to the distributor Showbox. Chemistry between the actors and the director is somewhat guaranteed as director Kim worked with Ha on the 2016 thriller “Tunnel,” and with Ju for the Netflix hit series “Kingdom." However, negative public sentiment over the increasing incidence of celebrity drug scandals may hamper the success of Kim's work. The film is set to open on Aug. 2.

Third on the list is “The Moon,” which will be distributed by CJENM, whose film business has struggled in recent years. The SF adventure “The Moon” had a production budget of about 28 billion won.

Helmed by “Along with the Gods” director Kim Yong-hwa, the film features singer and actor Doh Kyung-soo, who plays an astronaut, Seon-woo, who is abandoned on the other side of the moon. Sol Kyung-gu and Kim Hee-ae appear in the film as characters embroiled in an emotional tug-of-war over whether they should save Seon-woo or not.

The film’s scale, detailed set design and sophisticated use of computer graphics are key points of anticipation for audiences. However, Korean sci-fi flicks have generally been unpopular -- “Space Sweepers” (2021), “Seo Bok” (2021) and “Jung_E” (2022) all failed to attract moviegoers. Coupled with Korean audiences' growing fatigue and sense of deja vu over the slew of Hollywood space survival flicks like "Gravity" (2013) and "Interstellar" (2014), the film's upcoming success may not be guaranteed. "The Moon" opens on Aug. 2.

Last on the list is “Concrete Utopia.” Based on the second part of the hit webtoon series “Pleasant Neighbor,” the film tells the story of apartment residents whose lives are in danger in the aftermath of an earthquake. The film had a production budget of 20 billion won.

Director Um Tae-hwa portrays Lee Byung-hun, Park Seo-joon and Park Bo-young as desperate residents fighting to survive in their partially collapsed apartment. Although the plot line may be relatable to our everyday lives, as many Koreans spend a lot of time in their apartments, not many webtoon-inspired films have had much success here. There is also the risk that this kind of disaster flick often concludes with a predictable, melodramatic ending. The film, which is distributed by Lotte Entertainment, hits cinemas on Aug. 9.

 

——

https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/art/2023/07/398_355079.html
Celebrities provide donations to help flood victims

By Kwak Yeon-soo | 2023-07-17

Trot singer Lim Young-woong, left, and actress Kim Hye-soo / Courtesy of Mulgogi Music, Netflix

Celebrities donated hefty sums to help victims hit by the recent heavy rainfall that killed at least 40 people nationwide.

Relief efforts are underway after unusual torrential rains triggered floods that led to the loss of human life, damage to property and destruction of crops and livestock. The Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters reported 40 people dead, nine missing and about 10,608 evacuated from their homes, as of Monday 11 a.m.

Trot singer Lim Young-woong and his management agency, Mulgogi Music, donated 200 million won ($157,923) to the Community Chest of Korea for flood relief efforts. The singer, who rose to fame through TV Chosun's 2020 audition program "Mr. Trot," has consistently been making philanthropic efforts, making disaster-related charitable donations under his fan club.

According to the Korea Disaster Relief Association, actress Kim Hye-soo donated 100 million won to help those affected by the flooding. She has stepped forward previously to help in disaster situations, including the 2019 Gangwon Province forest fire, 2020 COVID-19 relief, the 2022 wildfire on the east coast and flooding in 2022.

[Helena]

https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20230719001900315
(Movie Review) 'Smugglers' puts breathtaking female divers at heart of crime plot

By Kim Eun-jung (ejkim@yna.co.kr) | July 19, 2023

A promotional poster of the crime action thriller "Smugglers" is seen in this photo provided by the production company NEW. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

SEOUL, July 19 (Yonhap) -- Director Ryoo Seung-wan's upcoming action thriller "Smugglers" is loaded with twists and layers of an intriguing crime plot, but it is ultimately a story that celebrates the art of female camaraderie.

Set in a small fishing town in the 1970s, the story revolves around "haenyeo," literally translated as "sea women," who dive into the deep sea to gather abalone, conches and other ocean life to make a living.

There is nothing glamorous about the female divers living under squalid conditions, but a high-stakes smuggling scheme changes their fate.

In the film, Kim Hye-soo plays Jo Chun-ja, a tough yet ambitious diver who wants to make money by whatever means possible, while Yum Jung-ah portrays her colleague Oh Jin-sook, the daughter of a small boat's captain.

A scene from the crime action thriller "Smugglers" is seen in this photo provided by the production company NEW. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

After a chemical factory is built in Guncheon, the sea women struggle to collect decent harvests and begin to salvage smuggled goods thrown into the sea to make money.

Their risky business comes to an end when customs officers swoop in, resulting in the deaths of Jin-suk's father and younger brother. Chun-ja escapes the scene, but Jin-suk is arrested and serves a jail term.

After three years, Chun-ja, now a glamorous city woman who trades smuggled goods in Seoul, is compelled to return to Guncheon due to threats from Kwon Sang-sa (played by Zo In-sung), known as the "smuggling king."

Once best friends, Chun-ja and Jin-suk are at odds at first due to misunderstandings from past events.

But they once again become partners, and work to retrieve diamonds thrown into the sea and take revenge on those responsible for their painful past.

In the climax, the female divers are forced to jump into the deep sea, where sharks lurk, to collect a bag of diamonds and are chased by knife-wielding opponents equipped with oxygen tanks.

But in the water, the veteran divers know how to deal with their enemies and support each other to fight them off in an exciting action scene.

While women in Ryoo's past works were often portrayed as peripheral characters, the female protagonists and their sidekicks in the maritime action film form a strong bond to confront their exploiters and the patriarchal society.

Veteran actresses Kim and Yum, who have drawn acclaim for their charismatic roles, show an amazing ensemble performance for the female buddy movie with a tightly knit plot.

It is also fun to watch Zo's portrayal of a merciless Vietnam War veteran and the kingpin of a nationwide smuggling business, as well as Park Jung-min's performance as Jang Do-ri, a sailor-turned-businessman in Guncheon with hidden secrets.

The villains offer comedic relief at times, but the bloody confrontation by their gangs armed with knives, axes and chains stokes tension at the right moment.

A scene from the crime action thriller "Smugglers" is seen in this photo provided by the production company NEW. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

Ryoo, best known for "Unjust" (2010), "Veteran" (2015) and "Escape from Mogadishu" (2021), among other films, leverages his proven expertise in the crime action genre in the summer movie.

It will also allow viewers to revisit the 1970s with bold retro fashion and old music that matches the mood, directed by singer-songwriter Chang Ki-ha.

"Smugglers" will hit local theaters July 26. (END)

[Helena]

https://zapzee.net/2023/07/19/smugglers-first-reviews-a-must-watch-for-oceans-fans-filled-with-fresh-twists-and-surprises-1/
‘Smugglers’ First Review: ‘A Must-Watch for Ocean’s Fans’, ‘Filled With Fresh Twists and Surprises’

By EUNGEE JOH

Credit: NEW

Smugglers has wrapped up its press screening and audience preview on July 18th, and it’s already generating buzz.

A star-studded cast, including Kim Hye Soo, Yum Jung Ah, Jo In Sung, Park Jung Min, Kim Jong Soo, and Go Min Si, along with director Ryoo Seung Wan, attended at the event.

This action crime drama takes us on a wild ride as traditional female divers lose their livelihood and turn to smuggling for survival in a peaceful seaside village on Jeju Island. But their new venture quickly entangles them in a massive smuggling case, leading to a thrilling story. Ryoo Seung Wan, known for previous box office hits such as Veteran, The Battleship Island, Exit, and Escape from Mogadishu, directed this latest production.

Credit: NEW

At the press screening, the actors got asked about their experiences on set. Jo In Sung responded, “The director said he sees his younger self when he looks at me, so I thought I should express the director’s image while acting. But, man, it’s a head-scratcher trying to figure out what that image is supposed to be,” bringing laughter.

Park Jung Min chimed in with a chuckle, “The most challenging part was my face appearing right after Jo In Sung’s shot,” explaining that there wasn’t a single difficult thing and that he had a breeze filming.

Kim Hye Soo shared a nail-biting story about an accident that happened towards the end of the shooting. “There was an accident just before the last two cuts. While coming out of the water, I got injured on my forehead. It was more disappointing not being able to be on the set than being hurt because I really loved the set at that time,” she revealed.

But it’s not all drama and injuries. The audience preview wrapped up with a bang – explosive reactions and laughter everywhere. Early reports are in, and it seems like Smugglers has hit the mark.

Reviews from media outlets:

Film Journalist Lee Eun Seon: “A random review of Smugglers: It’s all about tough and brave women kicking some wicked butt in a twisted, foul world. This entertainment-packed film has got it all, and even the underwater scenes give it a fresh twist. Park Jung Min rocks as he takes on the seasoned veterans, and Go Min Si’s charisma is like a lively staccato. It’s safe to say that these two steal the show in Smugglers.”

Sports Hankook: The story of passionate women unfolds like a summer night’s fireworks on a refreshing sea. Ryoo Seung Wan skillfully weaves the characters’ drama, adding the unique flavor of the era to create a smooth period drama. Kim Hye Soo and Yum Jung Ah’s relationship, shifting between friends and foes, gradually heats up from the beginning and reaches a boiling point near the climax. The community formed by these women may be small, but it’s filled with powerful loyalty, leaving viewers with a deeply moving experience. 

News1: It was a work that shattered expectations and showed unexpected points. It’s like thinking you’re about to eat your usual meal, but suddenly you find yourself savoring a delightful seafood feast. The film is full of excitement with thrilling underwater action scenes and captivating, unique characters. The suspenseful plot races towards unpredictable moments, bringing freshness to the story. 

Ten Asia: While it may not have a mind-blowing twist, the story remains unpredictable with its clever twists and turns. Throughout the film, the relationship between Kim Hye Soo and Yum Jung Ah change, driving the narrative forward. The fast-paced development, combined with thrilling underwater action scenes, will have you on the edge of your seat, even screaming at times.  Moreover, the movie’s 70s setting adds a nostalgic touch, and the enjoyable cinematography enhances the overall fun. 
 

Response from audiences:

“Wow, just watched Smugglers! It’s like the female version of The Thieves I’ve always dreamed of. If you’ve binged Ocean’s 8 multiple times, this flick’s a must-watch! Kim Hye Soo and Yum Jung Ah go from buddies to frenemies thanks to a little misunderstanding… and Go Min Si turns into Kim Hye Soo’s adorable lil kitten!”

“Smugglers review:

1. Kim Hye Soo and Yum Jung Ah laugh, fight, cry and love.

2. The final underwater fight scene is truly ingenious and refreshing. The film made excellent use of the underwater scenes, convincingly showing that even Ma Dong Seok would become useless with his punches underwater.

3. Jo In Sung’s personal color is Ryoo Seung Wan.

4. Go Min Si is a legend, absolutely adorable.”

 

“Smugglers actor reviews (1):


1. Kim Hye Soo and Yum Jung Ah love, fight, and love again.


2. Jo In Sung oozes sexiness even during his fights.


3. Park Jung Min’s character’s name is Jang Dori (literal translation: clawhammer), and it makes sense now. I want to smash him with a clawhammer.


4. Go Min Si truly nailed that pivotal supporting role.


5. I never imagined Kim Jong Soo could be so scary.”

Source ( 1 , 2,  3 )

[Helena]

http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20230719000613
[Herald Interview] Kim Hye-soo vigorously leads female-led blockbuster ‘Smugglers’
In-water action sequences, 1970s retro fashion, music offer moments of joy in 'Smugglers'

By Kim Da-sol (ddd@heraldcorp.com) | Jul 19, 2023

Kim Hye-soo stars as Jo Choon-ja in “Smugglers.” (NEW)

Hit filmmaker Ryoo Seung-wan’s upcoming action crime flick “Smugglers” begins with a small boat sailing through a peaceful seaside town called Guncheon.

The 130-minute movie quickly unfolds, showing how a group of “haenyeo,” female divers who collect seafood from the ocean floor, become involved in illegal smuggling to make ends meet.

Jo Choon-ja (Kim Hye-soo), who secretly escapes the crime scene, returns to the old town three years later. Her best buddy Um Jin-sook (Yum Jung-ah), who had spent time in prison on a smuggling charge in the meantime, feels betrayed when Choon-ja reappears.

But they soon resolve the misunderstanding to collaborate for a mutual goal, clearing hurdles like Mr. Kwon (Zo In-sung) and Jangdori (Park Jung-min).

As the film jumps back and forth in time, dealing with various characters’ differing interests, the plotline is never dull, but also not too hectic. The movie offers a joyful, rhythmic ride throughout its running time, with the fun melody of Korean folk music from the 1970s.

In an underwater encounter between the haenyo and a gang, unprecedented, physics-defying in-water action sequences show a real vividness. With the sounds of water, backflipping haenyo freely cleaving through the water to deliver a punch to the face or fling an octopus at an enemy is just the experience to chill out inside the cinema on a scorching summer day.

Kim Hye-soo, who vigorously leads the female-led blockbuster as Choon-ja, said she did not believe at first how the in-water action scenes could be possible. In the film, her character is so powerful and memorable that it could be career-defining, at least after Madam Jung in smash-hit heist flick “Tazza: The High Rollers” (2006).

Kim Hye-soo (HODU&U Entertainment)

“It was fun to just hear the keywords of the movie – haenyo, smuggling, 1970s – and I decided to do this project,” Kim told The Korea Herald in an interview in Seoul on Wednesday.

“At the very first meeting with director Ryoo, he showed me footage of haenyo underwater and that made me feel dizzy. After shooting ‘The Thieves,’ where I was locked inside a submerging car, I think I began to be afraid of the water. But overcoming such fear, I’m just so thrilled to see the phenomenal underwater action we did as a team,” Kim said.

Because she had to join “Smugglers” belatedly as she was still shooting TV drama “Juvenile Justice” in 2021, Kim said she wanted to prepare beforehand as much as she could by researching and collecting data on the 1970s.

“I’m personally very fascinated by the fashion, hairstyles and music from the 1950s to 1970s. The matching red-striped two-piece suits that Choonja and Jin-sook wear in the movie were my idea,” said Kim, adding she apologized to the art team for sending too many references. “They first liked it, but later they wouldn’t reply back,” she joked.

“But that was my way of preparation to get into the project. Choon-ja was a character of desire for me,” Kim added.

Among four domestic blockbusters opening this summer, “Smugglers” is the only film putting two female characters at the fore. It remains rare to see Korean female-led blockbusters in local cinemas with a budget of over 10 billion won ($7.9 million).

But Kim said she doesn’t see “Smugglers” just as a film led by female actors.

“For me, my responsibility is to perform what I’ve promised to do between myself as an actor and the director. Other than that, I do not know. I’m just not capable enough to think beyond that. For me, this film is great not because it was a female-led blockbuster, but a film that vividly shows the relationships between lively characters and a great ensemble between actors. I don’t want to define our film other than a film of various characters,” said Kim. "That’s it."

“Smugglers” hits local theaters July 26.

“Smugglers” (NEW)

[Helena]

https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/2023/07/19/entertainment/movies/Korea-Smugglers-Kim-Hyesoo/20230719164428663.html
Kim Hye-soo dives into her newest role in 'Smugglers'

BY LIM JEONG-WON [lim.jeongwon@joongang.co.kr] | July 19, 2023

 

Actor Kim Hye-soo [NEXT ENTERTAINMENT WORLD]

Veteran actor Kim Hye-soo has taken numerous roles throughout her 37-year career, but nothing compared to her latest in the upcoming action film "Smugglers." 

She was so scared to shoot in the water, she said of her role in the movie about a group of female divers who smuggle goods from the sea. Still, she was able to overcome her fears and is now ready to show a new side of her to her fans. 

“I had panic attacks watching footage of real divers while preparing for the film,” Kim said during a group interview with local reporters at a café in Jung District, central Seoul, on Wednesday. 

 

Spoiler

Main poster for ″Smugglers″ [NEXT ENTERTAINMENT WORLD]

“I had developed panic attacks when in the water while filming ‘The Thieves’ back in 2012, when I had to film a scene while handcuffed inside a submerged car. So I was very worried about filming ‘Smugglers,’ but I was able to overcome my fears due to the very thorough preparations that the director and staff had put in place.” 

“Smugglers” is one of four domestic films opening in Korea this summer that are expected to revive the film industry, still reeling from the Covid-19 pandemic, along with “The Moon,” “Ransomed” and “Concrete Utopia.” The film is directed by Ryoo Seung-wan, who directed hits such as “Veteran” (2015) and “Escape from Mogadishu” (2021). 

“I have filmed a lot of action scenes over the years, but I have always felt a limitation due to gravity,” Ryoo said during a press conference for “Smugglers” at CGV Yongsan in central Seoul on Tuesday. “I thought that action that can be freely expressed in all directions was possible only in water. And action where men and women are fighting on ground is obvious in that men would win, but it seemed that it would be fun if we pitted the characters against each other in a background that favors women.” 

 

Spoiler

From left, actors Kim Jong-soo, Zo In-sung, Kim Hye-soo, director Ryoo Seung-wan, actors Yum Jung-ah, Park Jung-min and Go Min-si pose for a photo during a press conference for ″Smugglers″ held at CGV Yongsan in central Seoul on Tuesday. [NEWS1]

The background in favor of the women refers to the sea, and in filming the underwater scenes, the effort by director Ryoo and the staff went above and beyond, according to Kim. 

“The director told us — the cast — that he would look for ways to lessen the burden of filming underwater, and he did,” said Kim. “The script was altered in many ways to make that happen. And in one scene, when we are doing somersaults underwater, I felt that the tension and nervousness I had were gone.” 

Kim’s character, Chun-ja, is someone who has had to struggle to survive all her life, and that is why her friendship with Yum Jung-ah’s character Jin-sook is important in the film, Kim argued. 

“Jin-sook is a leader among the divers, and she plays a role that is central to Chun-ja’s development,” Kim said. “Their relationship is not just a simple friendship. Chun-ja relies on Jin-sook. And for Chun-ja, Jin-sook is someone she doesn’t have to worry about in terms of survival. I think that for Chun-ja, Jin-sook is more than family.” 

Similar to the characters’ friendship, Kim and Yum developed a strong bond during filming. 

 

Kim Hye-soo plays Chun-ja, a female diver who smuggles goods from the sea, in the new action film ″Smugglers″ [NEXT ENTERTAINMENT WORLD]

“I think that Yum is someone who has the traits of an actor that I don’t have,” Kim said. “She seems very sharp on the outside but has a huge range as an actor. All actors have their pros and cons, and I used to think that if I worked harder and tried to grow myself as an actor, I would overcome the cons. But I’ve come to realize that there are limitations that I can’t overcome no matter how hard I try.” 

Elaborating on her own limitations and what she has learned from years of acting, Kim said that the most important thing was the partnerships with directors and other actors. 

“After all these years of acting, what I’ve found is that there are things you can do on your own and things that you have to do together with others,” Kim said. “That is where the partnerships come in. My partnership with Yum in ‘Smugglers’ was the most important aspect.” 

Yum seemed to reciprocate Kim’s sentiments during the press conference for “Smugglers” on Tuesday. 

“It was an honor to be able to film together with Kim,” Yum said during the press conference. “'Smugglers’ centers on our two female character’s narratives, and I hope that this kind of film where female characters form the central story will do well at the box office and lead to more such films.

 

From left, Kim Hye-soo, Go Min-si and Yum Jung-ah play female divers in the new action film ″Smugglers″ [NEXT ENTERTAINMENT WORLD]

Director Ryoo also expressed his hopes for the film’s success at the press conference, adding that he focused on “sincerity” in making “Smugglers.” 

“I put a lot of genuine thought and sincerity into making this film,” Ryoo said. He also commented on the domestic film industry’s current hardship, saying that the industry had always been struggling and that the industry can make it through this time as well. “The film industry was facing difficulties even back when ‘Shiri’ opened back in 1999. I think that if filmmakers look more closely into what the audience wants and find a path to development, we can find a solution.” 

“Smugglers” opens in theaters on July 26.

[Helena]

‘Smugglers’ Showcase

https://youtu.be/7OQYt4AlJG0

 

‘Smugglers’ VIP Premiere

https://youtu.be/KwAmvNbnPS4

 

——

https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/art/2023/07/689_355385.html
INTERVIEW Kim Hye-soo says she was happiest being on 'Smugglers' set

By Kwak Yeon-soo | 2023-07-20 

Actress Kim Hye-soo / Courtesy of HODU&U Entertainment

Actress Kim Hye-soo opened up about her time shooting the film "Smugglers" (2023) and she had nothing but praise for her costars. 

"I was happiest being on 'Smugglers' set. Filming together underwater made it easier for us to bond. Just by staring into each other's eyes, we could feel a sense of unity," she said during an interview with The Korea Times at a cafe in Seoul, Wednesday. 

Kim revealed that she has aquaphobia, but her cast mates helped her overcome the fear. 

"When shooting an underwater scene for 'The Thieves' (2012), I suddenly couldn't breathe and was gripped by paralyzing fear. Ever since then, I have been scared of water. Honestly, I was worried that I might have another panic attack when acting underwater. But seeing others' strong diving skills and commitment made me want to get over the fear," she said.

Set in the 1970s in a peaceful seaside village, "Smugglers" revolves around two female divers who unexpectedly become involved in an illegal smuggling scheme. 

In the film, Kim plays Chun-ja, a woman not to be messed with, while Yum Jung-ah portrays Jin-sook, a kind-hearted leader among female divers. Kim and Yum take on lead roles as female divers in the highly-anticipated film and the main cast includes Zo In-sung, Park Jung-min and Go Min-si.

Asked what drew her to star in the film, Kim said, "I was struck by three keywords ― 1970s, 'haenyeo' (female divers) and smuggling. I've always liked the '70s music and fashion style. Director Ryoo Seung-wan wrote down all the film scores on the script, which acted as a guide to get me into the intriguing story."

Kim Hye-soo in a scene from the film "Smugglers" / Courtesy of NEW

The star praised Yum for exuding charisma and leadership. "Yum has subtlety in her acting whereas I'm more excessive and energetic. Because we have such different performing styles, we were able to complement each other," she said, manifesting their sisterhood in real life.

On depicting the love-hate relationship with Kwon Pil-sam (Zo), dubbed the "smuggling king," Kim said their exchange of romantic stares was spontaneously made on set. 

"The relationship between Pil-sam and Chun-ja is unique because they are essentially in a boss-subordinate relationship," she said. "But they take advantage of each other and sometimes Chun-ja crosses the line as if they are partners."

"There is no love in the beginning, but Chun-ja's pride triggers a romantic sentiment, allowing them to walk a fine line between partnership and romantic relationship. And Zo has an amazing ability to act with his eyes." 

Kim recommended the audience to focus on the maritime action film and the characters' ensemble. "Some say our film is a story of women and female friendship, but there are so many more elements to explore in the film. I think audiences will appreciate how director Ryoo, the king of action, depicts underwater scenes," she said. 

"Smugglers" will hit local theaters on July 26.

[Helena]

http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2023/07/22/2023072200409.html
Kim Hye-soo Hopes to Draw Moviegoers with Fun-Filled Film

english.chosun.com | July 22, 2023

 

Actress Kim Hye-soo attends a press event for her upcoming film "Smugglers" in Seoul on Tuesday.

Can actress Kim Hye-soo be a draw to attract moviegoers this summer, considered the peak box-office season with more tentpole releases than any other time of year?

Kim is ready to amuse viewers in the crime action thriller "Smugglers" directed by Ryoo Seung-wan, who has a knack for the genre and a proven ability to turn out successful caper and crime action films including his 2015 hit film "Veteran."

"I was very pleased when I was offered the role, as it is a female-centered film that is not too serious. Co-starring with Yum Jung-ah was also empowering," Kim said at a press event in Seoul early this week. "All I needed to do was just focus on how to convey the film's exciting and interesting story well."

"I truly enjoyed shooting the film, although there were some tough underwater action scenes," she added. "I kept a journal as I had so much fun while filming. I recently read it, and there were no words like 'hard' or 'tough.' I wondered whether I will ever have this kind of experience again as an actress. I already feel blessed simply to have been part of this film."

"Smugglers," also starring Park Jung-min and Zo In-sung, revolves around two women divers who eke out a living by collecting a variety of mollusks and other sea life and unexpectedly get caught up in smuggling.

The film is set for release on July 26.

[Helena]

https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/art/2023/07/689_355693.html
Crime action film 'Smugglers' invited to Toronto festival

By Lee Gyu-lee | 2023-07-26

 

A scene from the crime action movie "Smugglers" / Courtesy of NEW

The new crime action movie "Smugglers" has been invited to this year's Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), set to be held from Sept. 7 to Sept. 17 in Canada's largest city. 

The film's distributor, NEW, announced that director Ryoo Seung-wan's latest film will be screening in the festival's Special Presentations section.

"(The movie) combines director Ryoo Seung-wan's signature action and unique humor, which draw in audiences," Anita Lee, chief programming officer of TIFF, said in the statement. 

Directed by Ryoo, who is known for helming the 2015 action film "Veteran," the movie follows a group of "haenyeo," or female divers ― played by Kim Hye-soo, Yum Jung-ah and Go Min-si ― in a small fishing town in the 1970s. 

Their mundane life of collecting marine products to make ends meet turns upside down when they get involved in a high-stakes smuggling scheme. 

The star-studded film, which was released on Wednesday, was also invited to the 76th Locarno Film Festival, as part of its midsummer movie event, Piazza Grande. 

Along with "Smugglers," director Hur Jin-ho's drama film "A Normal Family" and director Um Tae-hwa's blockbuster disaster film "Concrete Utopia" have also been invited to TIFF's Special Presentations section.

[Helena]

https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/2023/07/26/entertainment/movies/Korea-Smugglers-Yum-Jungah/20230726163014078.html
'Smugglers' crew compliments each other on a film well done

BY LIM JEONG-WON [lim.jeongwon@joongang.co.kr] | July 26, 2023

From left, actors Kim Hye-soo, Go Min-si and Yum Jung-ah play female divers who smuggle goods from the ocean in ″Smugglers″ [NEXT ENTERTAINMENT WORLD]

Most people involved in making a film usually congratulate each other on their work, but the director and cast’s praise for veteran actor Kim Hye-soo in “Smugglers” was unlike any other. 

Actors Yum Jung-ah, Zo In-sung and director Ryoo Seung-wan were all in awe of Kim, who played one of the leads of “Smugglers” alongside Yum.

“I am so incredibly lucky have been able to work with Kim,” Yum said during an interview with local reporters last Friday. Yum played Jin-sook, a leader of female divers who smuggles goods through the ocean and who teams up with Kim’s character Chun-ja, in “Smugglers.” “I had the opportunity to work with Kim a very long time ago — 27 years ago, in a drama — but through ‘Smugglers,’ we have become good friends.”

 

Main poster for ″Smugglers″ [NEXT ENTERTAINMENT WORLD]

“Kim is the kind of actor that changes even the way cameras react,” Ryoo said during another interview with reporters on Wednesday. “We had the camera set to dark mode, and Kim was acting with her head tilted to one side. When she looked up, the monitor lit up too. I was amazed at how that could happen.”

“Kim was like the sun on set — she shined and allowed others to shine too,” Zo said during a separate interview last Friday. “I had a smaller role in ‘Smugglers,’ but I was glad that I made the choice to join the cast because I got to work with Kim and Yum.”

Ryoo, who has directed a dozen feature films so far, including “Die Bad” (2000), “No Blood No Tears” (2002), “The City of Violence” (2006), “Veteran” (2015) and “Escape from Mogadishu” (2021), said that balancing well-known aspects with new elements in “Smugglers” was the key point for consideration.

“I think, whether I intend to or not, there is an expectation and a preconception that the audience has toward my work based on my filmography,” Ryoo said. “Meeting those expectations and at the same time bringing something new to the table is the task. Some directors repeat themselves too much and get bad reviews, and some directors try too unfamiliar things and get ignored. It’s a really hard job. The new aspect for ‘Smugglers’ is that it’s set in the ocean, so the actors perform underwater.”

The actors trained for months for those underwater scenes, and for Yum, who was not familiar with the water or swimming, that was quite the challenge.

 

Spoiler

Actor Yum Jung-ah [ARTIST COMPANY]

“I trained very diligently — I play the leader of the divers, so naturally I had to be very proficient at swimming and diving,” she said. “I started with holding my breath, to diving a meter down underwater, to two meters, then six. I thought that at this rate, I would live in a pool even after filming, but that didn’t happen." 

Kim and Yum were shown footage of underwater scenes and divers when they were first cast, and Ryoo reflected on their reactions — both actors were stunned, according to the director.

“This was before they had confirmed that they would appear in ‘Smugglers,’ and after I showed them the footage, they were speechless,” Ryoo said. “I mistakenly thought that they were moved by what they had seen and thought casting them would be a success. But later I found out that Yum had been worried about swimming and being underwater, and Kim had nearly had a panic attack just from watching the footage.”

 

Director Ryoo Seung-wan [NEXT ENTERTAINMENT WORLD]

But both actors ultimately joined the cast as the two leads, and Ryoo said he had “complete faith” in them.

“I had complete faith in them because they were actors who had proved for decades that they could act in any environment when they set their minds to it,” Ryoo said. “Underwater, diving, swimming, they could do it if they said they would.”

Zo, who plays Sergeant Kwon, a smuggler who convinces Jin-sook and Chun-ja to dive into the world of smuggling, said that he reciprocated Ryoo’s faith because he knew that Ryoo would not waste even the smallest of characters.

 

Spoiler

Actor Zo In-sung plays Sergeant Kwon, a smuggler who convinces female divers to join him on a scheme, in ″Smugglers″ [NEXT ENTERTAINMENT WORLD]

 

Actor Zo In-sung [IOK COMPANY]

“There needed to be a bridge between Kims and Yum’s characters,” Zo said. “And the director knew that — that was the purpose of my character, Sergeant Kwon. He has a reasoning for each character, and with that, I could trust him to lead the film well.”

Ryoo thanked Zo for participating in “Smugglers” despite the small size of his role and said that he likes Zo's acting. The two previously worked together in Ryoo’s last film, “Escape from Mogadishu.”

“After working with Zo in ‘Escape from Mogadishu,’ I became comfortable working with him and cast him again in ‘Smugglers,’” Ryoo said. “The staff for ‘Smugglers’ is the same staff that worked with me in ‘Escape from Mogadishu,' so they were also fans and colleagues of Zo.”

As the Korean film industry is facing trouble after the Covid-19 pandemic, with the number of moviegoers dwindling as people turn to streaming services and the price of film tickets soar, this summer’s domestically produced blockbusters such as “Smugglers” are tasked with the daunting job of reviving the film scene. Ryoo said that while it wasn’t his intention to jump into this job, he expects good results with “Smugglers” and says that things couldn’t be worse than it was during the pandemic.

“Two years ago, when I filmed and released ‘Escape from Mogadishu,’ the situation was very bleak,” the director said. “You couldn’t buy tickets after 7 o’clock in the evening, the audience had to sit with seats between them and the entire number of people going to theaters was a third of what it was before. But we did have positive responses to ‘Escape from Mogadishu,’ and I got the courage from that to open ‘Smugglers’ this time around.”

And so far, “Smugglers” also seems to be gathering good responses from the audience, with 170,000 people having bought tickets for the film even before its release, as of Tuesday. The film opens Tuesday, July 26, in theaters across Korea. 

[Helena]

https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/art/2023/07/689_355778.html
INTERVIEW Director Ryoo Seung-wan talks about balancing the new and familiar

By Kwak Yeon-soo | 2023-07-26
 

Director Ryoo Seung-wan / Courtesy of NEW

Ryoo Seung-wan, acclaimed director known for the action films such as "Veteran" (2015) and "Escape from Mogadishu" (2022), said he always tries to find a balance between sticking to his established film style and venturing into uncharted territories.

"I think there is nothing more dangerous than repeating yourself. As a filmmaker who has made over 10 feature-length films, I have my own style. But my ambition is to keep renewing myself and find the balance between relying on proven methods and exploring new approaches," he said during an interview with The Korea Times at a cafe in Seoul, Wednesday.

His latest film "Smugglers" features an ensemble cast of women characters, which is extremely rare in the action genre. Set in the 1970s in a peaceful seaside village, the film revolves around a group of female divers who unexpectedly become involved in an illegal smuggling scheme.

"Female divers are an important set-up for the film, so it seemed natural to have female leads. However, the film doesn't display gender roles or feminist philosophy. It's more about the relationships between the characters," Ryoo said. 

During the interview, Ryoo explained why he cast Kim Hye-soo and Yum Jung-ah as Chun-ja and Jin-sook, respectively.

"I've known Kim since I was an assistant director. Her close-up shot was so beautiful it literally lit up the monitor I was staring at. I've been a fan of Yum since her debut. She gives subtle performances and seems at ease all times, but leaves a strong impression on viewers," he said. 

 

Spoiler

A scene from the film "Smugglers" / Courtesy of NEW

He admitted that he is drawn to films that portray betrayals and reconciliation. "I think these stories are dramatic. The film also deals with themes like the decline of small towns, putting female divers in danger, and the burden of being a firstborn daughter (from Jin-sook's point of view)," he said. 

He also talked about homegrown films not faring well at the box office. 

"I think filmmakers should make better films. Ever since I dreamed of becoming a filmmaker, there hasn't been a time when cinema wasn't in crisis. It's almost like complaining about the bad economy each year. We, filmmakers, should get ourselves together and do better," he said. 

The director said he wishes "Smugglers" to ignite discussion when the audience are leaving the theater.

"I'm anxious about how the film is going to be received by the audience. I want everybody to talk about the film, whether it's about the music, action sequences, fashion or actors. My greatest fear is having no reaction at all," he said. 

Asked about the fierce competition for the summer box office, Ryoo said, "I'm relieved that all summer movies have different charms. As a person who hates competition, I'm not interested in big numbers. I just hope audiences like our film." 

"Smugglers" is currently playing in local theaters. 

—
https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20230726007900315
Director of 'Smugglers' aims to balance freshness and familiarity

By Kim Eun-jung (ejkim@yna.co.kr) | July 26, 2023

Ryoo Seung-wan, director of crime action film "Smugglers," is seen in this photo provided by the production company NEW. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

SEOUL, July 26 (Yonhap) -- Director Ryoo Seung-wan's action thrillers are known for an inventive plot, colorful characters and daring action scenes, and his new film "Smugglers" has it all and ventures into new territory: female-centric narratives.

Released Wednesday, "Smugglers" revolves around female divers who are tangled up in a high-stakes smuggling scheme, starring veteran actresses Kim Hye-soo and Yum Jung-ah.

Set in a small fishing town in the 1970s, sea women, locally called "haenyeo," struggle to collect decent harvests after a chemical factory is built near the seashore, and they begin to salvage smuggled goods thrown into the sea to make money.

Their risky business comes to an end when customs officers swoop in and results in tragic consequences. Years later, Chunja (Kim) and Jinsuk (Yum) reunite to retrieve diamonds thrown into the sea and take rev
enge on those responsible for their painful past.

During a group interview, Ryoo said he was inspired by a story of female divers who smuggled daily goods in the 1970s for a living, and took interest in creating a maritime action thriller featuring haenyeo.

"While smuggling today is associated with drugs, the concept of smuggling in the 1970s was different. As the country was under strict control, daily necessities, such as food and clothes, were smuggled. I have childhood memories of seeing people trading smuggled goods in cafes," the 49-year-old Ryoo said.

Ryoo said he wrote the screenplay while having Kim and Yum in mind, and the amazing ensemble between the veteran actresses and other cast members, including Zo In-sung, Park Jung-min and Go Min-si, is worth watching.

"As the story is about haenyeo, it is natural to feature female protagonists. Rather than projecting their gender identity, I focused more on friendship between the women and their twisted relationship," he said.

One of the riveting scenes was the fight scene between female divers and knife-wielding male gang members equipped with oxygen tanks in deep water where sharks lurk.

To create realistic and captivating scenes, Ryoo said the filming crew asked for advice from veteran female divers and a synchronized swimming team coach. 
 


"As the women are not strong enough to match the guys on land, it seemed more realistic to have conflicts underwater as they experience water resistance instead of gravity. Although action scenes sometimes use slow motion to highlight their movements, an underwater sequence is naturally slower than on land," he said.

A scene from the crime action thriller "Smugglers" is seen in this photo provided by the production company NEW. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

It is also fun to watch the bloody confrontation between Kwon Sang-sa (played by Zo In-sung), a merciless kingpin of a nationwide smuggling business, and Jang Do-ri (played by Park Jung-min), a sailor-turned-gangster boss in a narrow hotel alley.

"I wanted to portray stylish but extreme action scenes to foreshadow a dangerous situation that awaits haenyeo," he said. "I wanted their action to be seen as very dangerous, intense and cathartic, but heads toward an unpredictable direction. I asked the martial arts director to design movements in a way that maximizes the genre's thrills."

Since his impressive debut in 1996 with "Die Bad," the director has tried his hand at different genres, including "The Berlin File" (2013), "Veteran" (2015), "The Battleship Island" (2017) and "Escape from Mogadishu" (2021), and vowed to keep reinventing himself.

Ryoo said he has recently completed shooting the sequel of "Veteran" and begun editing, expecting it to be released in the winter season of 2024.

"There is nothing as risky as relying solely on past success to achieve success again. I constantly made efforts to create different films," he said. "Balancing between familiarity and freshness is the most challenging." (END)

[Helena]

https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20230731003700315
'Smugglers' attracts 1.17 mln admissions over weekend

By Shim Sun-ah (sshim@yna.co.kr) | July 31, 2023

A promotional poster for the Korean crime action thriller "Smugglers," is seen in this image provided by its distributor NEW. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

SEOUL, July 31 (Yonhap) -- Director Ryoo Seung-wan's new crime action thriller "Smugglers" has sold over 1 million tickets in its first weekend at local theaters, data showed Monday, signaling the emergence of a box-office smash for this summer.

According to the data from the Korean Film Council (KOFIC), "Smugglers" topped the weekend box office by drawing 1.17 million viewers from Friday to Sunday.

The number accounts for 53.9 percent of the total box office sales during the period.

Released on Wednesday, the movie has attracted a cumulative 1.72 million admissions in just five days.

Set in the 1970s in a peaceful seaside village, "Smugglers" revolves around two female divers, played by Kim Hye-soo and Yum Jung-ah, who are unexpectedly tangled up in a high-stakes smuggling scheme.

It was the first of the four highly-anticipated big-budget Korean films to open for the summer box office.

The box office rankings may change when director Kim Yong-hwa's sci-fi film "The Moon" and director Kim Seong-hoon's buddy action comedy "Ransomed" open Wednesday.

Disney and Pixar's animated film "Elemental" ranked second at the box office over the weekend, following "Smugglers."

The film's cumulative audience has reached over 5.67 million, adding 360,000 more people over the weekend. It surpassed Japanese director Makoto Shinkai's latest animated film "Suzume" to become the most-viewed foreign film in South Korea this year.

Coming in third was "Mission: Impossible -- Dead Reckoning Part One" starring Tom Cruise, seen by 300,000 people during the period. The Hollywood action blockbuster fell two places from the previous week.

In fourth place was the animated film "Detective Conan The Movie: Black Iron Submarine" with 89,000 admissions, followed by "Barbie" starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling with 81,000 viewers. (END)

 

—

https://variety.com/2023/film/asia/korea-box-office-smugglers-dominates-weekend-1235683109/
Korea Box Office: Female-Led ‘Smugglers’ Dominates Weekend Action

By Patrick Frater | Jul 30, 2023

Filmmaker R&K

There is female empowerment in Korean cinemas, but it is coming more from local characters, than global hit “Barbie.”

Female-led crime action film “Smugglers” dominated the weekend at the South Korean box office and pushed aside “Mission: impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One” which had headed the chart for the previous two sessions.

“Smugglers” earned $9.31 million between Friday and Sunday, according to data from Kobis, the tracking service operated by the Korean Film Council (Kofic), giving it a nearly 54% market share. Over its full five opening days, the film has built up a cumulative total of $13.1 million.

Directed by stylish action specialist Ryoo Seungwan (aka Ryu Seung-wan), “Smugglers” is set in Jeju where some of the island’s famous diving women have lost their jobs. Instead they use their skills to mount a smuggling operation, collecting illegal shipments that have been dropped into the sea.

The film has already been invited to both the Locarno and Toronto film festivals as special screenings material.

Pixar animation “Elemental” held on to its second place in its seventh week on release in Korea. It earned $2.85 million over the weekend for a 17% market share. That increment gives it a running total of $43.8 million, and poised within a day or two to become the second highest grossing film of the year in Korea.

Over the latest weekend, “Mission: Impossible” earned $2.43 million in third place. Over three weeks on release in Korea, it has earned $27.9 million.

A step below the trio of market leaders, “Detective Conan The Movie: Black Iron Submarine” earned $703,000 in its second weekend of release.

“Barbie,” which has had a miserable time in real world Korea, remained in fifth position. It earned $667,000 in its second weekend for a 12-day cumulative of $3.28 million. “Insidious: The Red Door” earned $398,000 in sixth place. It has accumulated $2.85 million over the same period.

Korean animation “Super Wings: Maximum Speed” earned $175,000 over the weekend, to reach a cumulative of $673,000.

New release kids film “Pinkfong Sing-Along Movie 3: Catch the Gingerbread Man” earned $114,000 over the weekend and $165,000 over its opening five days. Re-released Chinese film “My Love” remained in the chart, earning $121,000 over the weekend.

And in a taste of what may be to come, Korean sci-fi action-drama film “The Moon” earned $124,000 from previews. It opens widely on Wednesday and may help the slowly building recovery of cinema in Korea.

The latest weekend saw nationwide aggregate takings of $17.4 million, making it the fourth biggest weekend of 2023.

[Helena]

https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/2023/08/07/entertainment/movies/Korea-Smugglers-The-Moon/20230807115315761.html
'Smugglers' draws 3.5 million viewers in second week

 

BY LIM JEONG-WON [lim.jeongwon@joongang.co.kr] | August 7, 2023

 

Main poster for ″Smugglers″ [NEXT ENTERTAINMENT WORLD]

“Smugglers” attracted a cumulative total of 3.5 million moviegoers, while competing films “Ransomed” and “The Moon” failed to attract even one million over the weekend. 

“Smugglers,” starring Kim Hye-soo and Yum Jung-ah as female divers, attracted 3.5 million moviegoers in the second week of its release as of Sunday. Only one other Korean film, “The Roundup: No Way Out,” had attracted more than 3 million viewers. “The Roundup: No Way Out” ultimately garnered 10.6 million, becoming the first film since the wane of the Covid-19 pandemic to gain the title of 10-million-ticket-seller. 

“Ransomed” and “The Moon,” which opened in theaters last Wednesday, only managed to attract 700,000 and 360,000 cumulative audiences, respectively. “Ransomed” stars Ha Jung-woo and Ju Ji-hoon as a duo that tries to deliver a ransom to save a kidnapped diplomat, while “The Moon” is led by Do Kyung-soo and Sul Kyung-gu and tells a story of astronauts in space. 

As “Concrete Utopia,” one of the four films including “Smugglers,” “Ransomed” and “The Moon” that was expected to revive the Korean film industry, and the one that got the most positive reviews from critics so far, is opening on Wednesday, it looks unlikely “Ransomed” and “The Moon” will do better at the box office. 

Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer” is also opening in theaters next week, while the Pixar animation “Elemental” is still doing well in theaters and seems hard to beat.

 

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https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20230809008900315
'Smugglers' to compete in Spain's Sitges Film Festival

By Shim Sun-ah (sshim@yna.co.kr) | August 09, 2023

 

This photo provided by NEW shows a scene from the Korean crime action thriller, "Smugglers." (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

SEOUL, Aug. 9 (Yonhap) -- The Korean crime action thriller "Smugglers" has been invited to the competition category of this year's Sitges International Fantastic Film Festival in Spain, the movie's local distributor said Wednesday.

The new feature from director Ryoo Seung-wan will be shown in the Orbita section for introducing the most notable films of the year, alongside another Korean film "Concrete Utopia," NEW said.

Sitges, one of the world's largest genre film festivals, is set to run from Oct. 5-15 in the resort city of Sitges, located 35 kilometers southwest of Barcelona.

Set in the 1970s in a peaceful seaside village, "Smugglers" revolves around two female divers, played by Kim Hye-soo and Yum Jung-ah, who unexpectedly get tangled up in a high-stakes smuggling scheme.

Angel Sala, the executive director of the festival, praised the film as a fun and touching action film full of unexpected heroines.

The movie was previously invited to the 48th Toronto International Film Festival set to open in September and the 76th Locarno Film Festival that kicked off a week ago for an 11-day run.

It has topped the local box office since its release on July 26, with its audience tally expected to surpass 4 million soon. (END)

[Helena]

https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/news/2023-08-13/entertainment/movies/Smugglers-surpasses-four-million-cumulative-viewers/1845533
'Smugglers' surpasses four million cumulative viewers

BY LIM JEONG-WON [lim.jeongwon@joongang.co.kr] | August 13, 2023

 

Main poster for ″Smugglers″ [NEXT ENTERTAINMENT WORLD]

“Smugglers” garnered more than 4 million cumulative moviegoers on Friday, 17 days after its release, surpassing its breakeven point, according to distributor Next Entertainment World. 

"Smugglers" is about a group of female divers in a fictional town in Korea in the 1970s who smuggle goods from the sea. Kim Hye-soo, Yum Jung-ah and Zo In-sung star in the film. 

“Smugglers” is one of four domestically produced films having opened this summer that was expected to revive the stagnant film industry, along with “Ransomed,” “The Moon” and “Concrete Utopia.” So far, “Smugglers” has been doing the best, with “Concrete Utopia” gaining 1 million moviegoers in the first week of its release and “Ransomed” and “The Moon” trailing behind. 

Directed by Ryoo Seung-wan, “Smugglers” has also been invited to the 56th Sitges Film Festival, the 48th Toronto Film Festival and the 76th Locarno International Film Festival. 

 

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https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/art/2023/08/689_356945.html
Crime action film 'Smugglers' surpasses 4 million admissions

By Kwak Yeon-soo | 2023-08-13

Crime action film "Smugglers" has attracted over 4 million admissions, surpassing its break-even target after just 17 days.

According to NEW, the film's distributor, its total ticket sales recorded over 4.19 million as of Saturday, becoming the second highest-grossing film of the year following "The Roundup: No Way Out," which garnered more than 10 million moviegoers.

"Smugglers," starring Kim Hye-soo, Yum Jung-ah, and Zo In-sung, revolves around female divers from the 1970s who unexpectedly become involved in an illegal smuggling scheme. 

With the debut of "Concrete Utopia," however, "Smugglers" slipped to second spot but continues to perform well at the box office. 

"Concrete Utopia," starring Lee Byung-hun and Park Seo-jun, has drawn more than 1 million viewers in four days after its release on Aug. 9. The film revolves around survivors of a massive earthquake who try to rebuild their lives in the only apartment complex left standing following the disaster. 

Action drama film "Ransomed" and sci-fi blockbuster "The Moon," which opened in theaters on Aug. 2, failed to attract big audiences. They attracted over 933,424 and 465,426 cumulative audiences as of 4 p.m. Sunday, respectively.