[Movie 2020] The Man Standing Next 남산의 부장들

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19/11/8 Not sure if the movie will still make the screening in 2019 as Lee Byung Hun's other movie Ashfall (Baekdusan) will be released in December instead.

 

Can only hope that the post production is going smoothly and it's just a matter of planning & timing for the release date. Perhaps to coincide with major filmfests in 2020? 

 

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November 12, 2019

Lee Byung-hun Does Double Duty With Disaster Films

Joan MacDonald FORBES 

Lee Byung-hun’s fans will have several chances to see him onscreen in the coming year, as he stars in three films, each of which features a storyline sure to get the adrenaline pumping. He appears in the disaster film Mt. Baekdu, which aims for a late 2019 or early 2020 release, as well as the political thriller, Chiefs of Namsan, aka The Man Standing Next, which aims for a release on Dec. 31. His next film, Emergency Declaration, another disaster film, plans to start production in early 2020.

 

Chiefs of Namsan is set in Korea in the 1970s. Lee plays a former Korean Central Intelligence Agency chief who becomes involved in assassinating the president. Actor Lee Sung-min plays President Park and Kwak Do-won plays another ex-KCIA officer. Woo Min-ho, who directed Lee in the film Inside Men, also directs Chiefs of Namsan, making this Lee’s most anticipated role of the year. Under Woo’s direction Lee’s role in Inside Men won him the Best Actor prize at the 52nd Baeksang Art Awards, 37th Blue Dragon Awards and 53rd Grand Bell Awards.

 

Spoiler

 

Lee also plays an intelligence officer in the disaster film Mt. Baekdu, only in that film he’s a North Korean agent. The film imagines a fictional eruption of Mt. Baekdu, an active volcano on the Chinese - North Korean border. Mt. Baekdu last erupted in 1903 and since it emits lava about every 100 years, its expected to flare up again soon. Although recent real-life eruptions have been minor, the fictional eruption is set to happen on a cataclysmic scale. The characters played by Lee and his co-stars—Ha Jung-woo, Jeon Hye-jin, Ma Dong-seok and Bae Suzy—must do what they can to prevent disaster. 

Ha plays a member of a South Korean explosive detonation team, while Ma plays a geology professor who predicts the eruption. Despite their different approaches and political affiliations, the characters work together to forestall catastrophe. Mt. Baekdu is directed by Lee Hae-joon, who also directed Castaway on the Moon.

 

 

Spoiler

 

Lee is already preparing for his next disaster film, Emergency Declaration. His co-star in that film is actor Song Kang Ho, who stars in Bong Joon-ho’s Parasite. Song and Lee worked together on three previous films, Park Chan-wook’s Joint Security Area and in two of Kim Jee-woon’s films: The Good, the Bad, the Weird and The Age of Shadows. 

 

Emergency Declaration will give Lee a chance to cope with catastrophe in a new environment, since the action in the C-Jes film takes place on a plane. An unforeseen event forces the pilots to make an emergency declaration and be forced to land their plane. Emergency Declaration is directed by Han Jae-rim, who directed The Face Reader and The King. 

 

Lee has dozens of Korean films and dramas to his credit and he’s appeared in a few Hollywood productions. His film work also includes A Bittersweet Life; and Masquerade; plus both the film and TV drama versions of the spy story Iris. His TV work also includes the drama All In and most recently Mr. Sunshine. Lee’s recent Hollywood roles include Storm Shadow in G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra and its sequel G.I. Joe: Retaliation, as well as roles in Red 2, Terminator Genisys, and The Magnificent Seven 

 

Joan MacDonald

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The Man Standing Next is finally here!  

 

Finally.. more movie images and a release date! 

 

December 3, 2019

 

THE MAN STANDING NEXT set for release January 2020

 

Source: StarNews ++

 

The much-awaited film highlights the 40 days before the assassination of the president of South Korea in 1979. This is the second encounter between director Woo Min-ho and Lee Byung-hun after 'Inside Men' featuring new acting transformations alongside actors Lee Seong-min, Kwak Do-won and Lee Hee-jun. 

 

 

 

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Source: Jason Bechervaise @Jasebechervaise

 

 

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December 3, 2019

 

Dictator’s assassination, volcanic eruptions at Paektusan coming to big screens soon

 

By Yoon Min-sik The Korea Herald

 

While South Korea’s box office is dominated by Disney’s “Frozen 2” at the moment, the competition is expected to get fierce later this month and early next month, when a number of local tent-pole films hit the theater.

 

The producers of “The Man Standing Next” confirmed Tuesday that the film -- inspired by the true story of the assassination of a former Korean president -- will open next month.

 

Starring Lee Byung-hun, Lee Sung-min and Kwak Do-won, the film is based on real-life events that took place in the 40 days leading up to the assassination of former President Park Chung-hee. 

 

“The Man Standing Next” (Showbox)

Showbox, the film’s distributor, released photos of both Lees as their respective characters in their office, another photo of a man standing in front of a tank, and one of Kwak speaking in what appears to be a courtroom -- possibly at the trial of the character inspired by Kim Jae-gyu, Park’s confidant-turned-assassin.

 

Lee Byung-hun plays this controversial figure, who remains the subject of conflicting theories, and Lee Sung-min plays the man who reigned over the country for 18 years. The film is directed by Woo Min-ho, the mind behind the acclaimed criminal drama “Inside Men.”

 

Another Lee Byung-hun film will be screened in theaters later this month. “Ashfall,” starring Lee and Ha Jung-woo, will hit the theaters Dec. 19, according to CJ ENM.

 

The film, also starring Ma Dong-suk (Don Lee), Jeon Hye-jin and Bae Su-zy -- better known as K-pop star Suzy -- is about what happens when multiple volcanic eruptions occur at Paektusan and a group of people from North and South Korea must join forces to stop the annihilation of the Korean Peninsula.

 

Lee plays an operative from the North, Ha plays an explosive ordinance disposal operative from the South, and Ma plays a geologist. All three characters play a critical role in a plan to stop the final explosion that will wipe out everyone on both sides.

 

It is directed by Lee Hae-jun, the veteran screenwriter and director at the helm of the 2009 film “Castaway on the Moon.”

 

Another major player, Lotte Entertainment, is expected to announce a release date soon for “Forbidden Dreams,” starring Choi Min-sik and Han Suk-kyu. The film is set to hit the theaters in December, and the specific date is widely expected to fall in the last week of the month.

 

The film is set in the Joseon era and tells the story of King Sejong (Han) and scientist and engineer Jang Yeong-sil (Choi). It focuses on the relationship between the two men of science and on what may have happened after Jang’s name vanished from the records, following his downfall due to a famous blunder that caused injury to the king.

By Yoon Min-sik
(minsikyoon@heraldcorp.com) 

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December 5, 2019

 

Lee Byung-hun’s ‘Man Standing Next’ Secures 2020 Asia Theatrical Releases (EXCLUSIVE)

 

By SONIA KIL Variety.com

 

Lee Byung-hun stars in "The Man Standing Next"
CREDIT: COURTESY OF SHOWBOX

Showbox’s political drama “The Man Standing Next” has secured releases in multiple territories in Asia. The film was picked up by Falcon for Indonesia, The Klockworx for Japan, Viva Communications for the Philippines, Shaw Renters for Singapore and by Moviecloud for Taiwan. Release dates in each territory have yet to be confirmed.

 

Set 40 days before former South Korean President Park Chung-hee’s assassination in 1979, “Man Standing Next” tackles the relationships and conflicts among second-in-command characters who were at the peak of the power struggle.

 

Based on local political journalist-turned-writer Kim Choong-seek’s best-selling non-fiction “KCIA Chiefs,” the film marks the reunion of director Woo Min-ho (“Drug King”) and actor Lee Byung-hun (“G.I. Joe”), after the success of “Inside Men” in 2016. “Inside Men” and director’s cut “Inside Men: The Original” together managed some 9 million ticket sales in South Korea.

“Man Standing Next” features Lee, one of the most internationally known Korean actors, as the director of Korean Central Intelligence Agency which pulls the trigger on the President, and whom he had previously faithfully served. Alongside Lee, Kwak Do-won (“The Wailing”) and Lee Sung-min (“Drug King”) are playing a former KCIA director and the President, respectively.

Currently in post-production, the film is set for a January 2020 release in its home country. Given the high level of interest in the topic, as well as the actor-director package, it is already expected to be one of the highest grossing films in Korea next year.

 

The Korean box office is already boiling. The Korean Film Council this week forecast that admissions will hit an all time record in 2019. By the end of November 204 million tickets had been sold, and a further 20 million are expected to be sold in December. The current record stands at 219.9 million, set in 2017.

 

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Source: 익스트림무비 @extmcommunity

 

Translated from Korean by Google
The total production cost for The Man Standing Next is more than 20 billion won (about 17 million USD?), making the break-even point = 5 million admission. https://buff.ly/2PkAaGG

 

 

Net production costs for 'Chiefs of Namsan', to be released in January, 2020 are W17 billion. Including marketing costs, the total cost will likely exceed W20 billion.

 

Set in 1979, the Korean Central Intelligence Director (Lee Byung-hun), who was called the second power, narrated the story for 40 days before the assassination of the president. Overseas filming locations such as the United States and France were carried out, and a substantial portion of the production budget was spent implementing the 1970s era.

 

Net production cost 17 billion

Estimated total production cost 20 billion

 

Expected Break-even Point (Simplified Calculation Excluding Overseas Pre-Sale) will be about 5 million audience attendance.

 

 Lee Byung Hun posted on his IG the international character posters for TMSN. Like all of us, he might have been caught surprised by it as well. Unexpected yet fantastic images.

 

BH caption: This is fun.

 

Spoiler

 

 

International posters revealed

THE MAN STANDING NEXT: 'Why he pulled the trigger?' 

 

 

[peonie]

"The Man Standing Next " - trailer

 

[mistymorning]

Oh my god.  Ok, I still don't trust the director, but that trailer is awesome!

 

Translation for the trailer subtitle.

 

This is KCIA.

Assuming you're dead, tell me everything.

Seems that you know something interesting.

October 1979 The Assassinatin of the president

Just for the democracy of my beloved mother nation, I am...

What should we do with that da%$ traitor?

I'll deal with him quietly

Looks like Chief Gawk turned the tank again.

This is not the place for someone like you! (expletive!)

Why did he

 Are you the real thugs here?

Chief Kim, do you also want me to step down?

Mr President, I'll stand by you.

Declare the martial law.

It'll end if we push with tank.

Mr President, martial law is not the way.

Are you threatening me?

Why did he pull the trigger?

He(president) doesn't leave the second-in-command alive.

Lee Byung-Hun

Lee Sung-Min

Kawk Do-Won

Lee Hee-Jun

The Man Standing Next

Mr. President, 

what do you want me to do

Coming soon ( Release on January)

 

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Thank you so much @peonie for the trailer clip and @mistymorning for the wonderful translation. Appreciate both sharing a lot! Rather weird though that the trailer was said to be an international trailer (after the international posters) but there was no English subs provided. Nonetheless, hope Showbox will release more captures and clip with related info in English as well.

 

 

 

Really hope the movie will live up to the mounting expectation. The cast is already an awesome ensemble and the plot is well-known.. Dir. WMH, please don't disappoint. TMSN Fighting!

 

Here's the trailer in YT version, thanks ES for the highlight.

 

Published on December 10, 2019 by Lee Min Sung

 

 

Spoiler

 

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December 12, 2019

 

THE MAN STANDING NEXT Production Event

 

Source: Newsis ++

 

Director Woo Min Ho alongside actors Lee Byung Hun, Kwak Do Won and Lee Hee Jun attended the movie's production event held at CGV Apgujeong in Seoul on December 12.

 

 

 

Spoiler

 

Spoiler

 

Spoiler

 

Spoiler

 

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December 12, 2019 

 

Actor Lee Byung-hun confident with his new film 'The Man Standing Next'

 

By Kim Boram

 

SEOUL, Dec. 12 (Yonhap) -- Star actor Lee Byung-hun said Thursday that his forthcoming movie "The Man Standing Next" is a stylish film noir about a political dynamite in 1979 that changed the South Korean modern history.

 

Directed by Woo Min-ho of the 2015 box-office smasher "Inside Men," "The Man" is the film adaptation of a best-selling non-fiction with the same title written by a newspaper reporter, exploring the behind-the-scenes power struggle among high-ranking officers of the national spy agency and the government of strongman President Park.

 

President Park is the name of the main character in the film modeled after President Park Chung-hee, who ruled the country for 18 years until his assassination in 1979 at the hands of his intelligence chief, Kim Jae-kyu.

 

The flick focuses on their emotions and intricate relationships during the 40 days before Oct. 26, 1979, the day of the presidential assassination.

 

"This film is based on the true story, and it is also a film noir that is sophisticatedly designed," Lee said at a press conference in Seoul. "It is about the real event and the characters that have really existed in our history. Audiences will put their feelings into the movie in a very fierce way."

 

Actor Lee Byung-hun speaks at a press conference on political movie "The Man Standing Next" in Seoul on Dec. 12, 2019. (Yonhap)

Lee plays Kim Kyoo-pyeong, the incumbent chief of the Korea Central Intelligence Agency (KCIA) in 1979, who is known to be the second-in-command after President Park (Lee Sung-min).

 

As Park's reign of terror continues for almost two decades, Kim has to deal with Park Yong-gak (Kwak Do-won), a former director of the KCIA, who escapes to the United States in a bid to reveal the Park government's secretive operations.

 

Forty days later, Kim shoots President Park to death and the political landscape tumbles as Park's almost decadeslong dictatorship ends all of a sudden.

 

The veteran actor who has experienced tens of characters throughout his almost 30-year acting career said it was difficult to portray a historic figure whose records still exist.

 

"It's kind of emotional distress. I have to be very careful and cautious about everything related to the real event and real people," Lee said. "During the filming, all actors and film crew were concerned about possible historical distortions."

 

But he emphasized that "The Man" does not focus solely on the political event itself but more on emotional and mental status, and complex, tortuous behind-the-scenes relationships in a short period of time.

 

"This movie depicts emotions and relationships among those who are deeply related to the historical event, that we cannot find in text," he said. "Other actors and I had to study and read many books, interviews and other materials before and during the filming."

 

So the eclectic actor tried to refrain from offering emotional ad-libs or jokes but paid more attention to the screenplay.

 

"I had to stick entirely to the scenario and act as it instructs," he said. "I thought if I call up emotions that is not presented in the scenario, it can be another distortion."

 

"The Man," set to open in January, is Lee's second film released this winter. The blockbuster disaster movie "Ashfall," starring Lee and Ha Jung-woo, will hit local screens on Dec. 19.

 

"I'm happy to show two pieces of different genres and tones at the same time," he said. "But I regret that one character may be forgotten too soon. But I'm trying to accept it as positively as I can."

 

brk@yna.co.kr

 

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Full video: Lee Byung Hun x Kwak Do-won x Lee Hee-jun x 'The Man Standing Next' Production Report 

 

 

December 12, 2019

 

‘The Man Standing Next’ a film about final weeks leading to dictator’s death

 

By Yoon Min-sik The Korea Herald

Former President Park Chung-hee, a man who ruled over South Korea with an iron fist for 18 years, is a highly divisive figure in the country’s history. So is his right-hand man and eventual assassin, Kim Jae-gyu.

 

The upcoming film “The Man Standing Next,” starring Lee Byung-hun and directed by Woo Min-ho, offers what its creators say is a faithful depiction of the 40 days leading up to the president’s death. “I was pumped up after reading the script and felt that it was a well-polished film noir, even though it is based on a true story,” said Lee during a press conference about the film in Seoul.

 

Lee plays Kim Gyu-pyeong, the fictional lead character based on Kim Jae-gyu.

 

Based on a nonfiction book of the same name, the original Korean title literally translates into “Directors of Namsan,” referring to the directors of the now-defunct Korean Central Intelligence Agency. 

 

 

Spoiler

The spy agency, founded after Park came to power, answered directly to the president and has been accused of numerous politically charged crimes, including kidnap and torture, mostly in the Namsan area. Former President Kim Dae-jung, one of Park’s biggest political rivals, was perhaps the best-known victim of the agency.

 

Veteran actor Lee Sung-min plays the character inspired by Park Chung-hee, called only “President Park.”

 

Despite the different names, the film is about the true story of Kim Jae-gyu -- the chief of the spy agency at the time of the assassination -- and his predecessor Kim Hyong-uk, who in this picture is named Park Yong-gak. It is Park Yong-gak who sets the events in motion by traveling to the US after losing power and testifying before the US Congress, dishing up dirt on the administration.

 

“When I read the book 20 years ago, it was so shocking that I read it in one sitting. Eighteen years of modern Korean history that I didn’t really know about unraveled before me, and I vowed to one day make a movie about it,” said director Woo.

 

He said the timing of Park’s revelations to the US politicians was the only major change made in the cinematic adaptation -- the actual event took place two years before the assassination, not 40 days. “The content of the original was so vast, so I decided to depict the 40 crucial days. Why the incident (the assassination) happened is what interested me the most,” he said.

 

Playing opposite Lee is Kwak as Park Yong-gak, the president’s onetime confidant, who turns on him after being ousted from the administration.

 

“Usually when acting, it is possible to anticipate the other (actor’s) movement. With Kwak, that was impossible. It was as if he were completely throwing himself into the situation,” Lee said of his co-star.

 

Another person who went all in was Lee Hee-jun, playing the head of the president’s security team, a character inspired by Park’s loyal bodyguard Cha Ji-chul. The usually slender actor put on 25 kilograms to depict the famously heavy Cha.

 

Kwak and the rest of the cast said they made efforts to be faithful to what actually happened, so as to not distort history.

 

“I kept thinking that there is not enough material (on real-life people). I kept pondering (over the character) as to how I should depict him, up until the very last shooting,” said Kwak.

 

“We had to act in a way that was close to reality,” Lee said. “I think playing a real person based on a real-life event can help the audience connect more with the film. In that sense, I think it will be a very powerful film.”

 

“The Man Standing Next” opens in local theaters in January. 

By Yoon Min-sik (minsikyoon@heraldcorp.com)

 

Source: SHOWBOX @showboxmovie

 

 

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December 13, 2019

 

Bringing the shock of a nation to the big screen: ‘The Man Standing Next’ tells the story behind the death of Park Chung Hee

 

Source: INSIDE Korea JoongAng Daily //  Yuntae Kim

 

From left, actors Lee Byung-hun, Kwak Do-won, Lee Hee-jun and director Woo Min-ho talk about the upcoming film “The Man Standing Next” at a press conference in Apgujeong CGV on Monday in southern Seoul. The film is scheduled to hit local theaters next month. [YONHAP]

Oct. 26, 1979, is a date that immediately rings a bell with most Koreans. It was the day that Park Chung Hee, the nation’s third president, was assassinated by his closest associate, Kim Jae-gyu, the director of the Korean Central Intelligence Agency (KCIA).

 

The KCIA during the Park Chung Hee administration wielded almost unlimited and unchecked power to detain any sort of anti-government movement or pro-communist forces. Those in command of such a powerful organization were seen as trusted allies of the president, as they were the second most powerful political figure of the time.

 

So why the KCIA head would kill the president still remains something of a question mark in modern Korean history. In the upcoming film “The Man Standing Next,” director Woo Min-ho brings the historical figures to the screen to tell a story that answers the question “Why did he pull the trigger?” adapted from a non-fiction local best seller of the same title by reporter Kim Choong-sik. The film recounts the final 40 days of tension between the political figures before the assassination takes place.

 

Director Woo came across the book during his college years and always thought that it would be an epic tale to tell on screen. However, since it is based on one of the nation’s most shocking political events, he was initially hesitant to bring the heavy subject to the big screen.

 

“There were no books or articles describing the psychological state or the relationship between these figures that ultimately led to the assassination,” Woo said during a press conference for the movie held in southern Seoul on Monday. “So I’ve always wanted to do this. But I would have given up on making this film if Lee Byung-hun refused this role. I wrote and planned the script thinking of only Lee in the role.”

 

“Although it’s based on real events, I thought this film work was a very sophisticated noir,” said actor Lee Byung-hun who plays the lead character Kim Gyu-pyeong, who is modeled after KCIA director Kim.

 

The film is the second film project that Woo and Lee have worked on together, following the success of their first movie “Inside Men,” which was a huge hit in local theaters in 2015.

 

Unlike his simple-minded and straightforward character from “Inside Men,” the character that Lee portrays in this film mainly hides his emotions, not wanting his feelings to be used against him by his many enemies.

 

Woo and the rest of the cast were especially effusive about Lee Byung-hun’s acting skills.

 

“It couldn’t have been easy, because Lee’s character had to mask his emotions in front of others, but the audience still had to see the inner turmoil he is going through,” Woo said.

 

“I was awe-struck by Lee’s acting,” said actor Lee Hee-jun, who plays president Park’s chief bodyguard, Kwak Sang-chun. “My acting was more simple [and direct]. Lee’s character, on the other hand, had to conceal what he felt but simultaneously draw sympathy from those watching, which I think would be incredibly difficult to do.”

 

Actor Lee Hee-jun also had to put in a lot of effort to portray his character, including gaining 25 kilograms (55 pounds) for the role.

 

“When Woo gave me the script, he said that my character would be best portrayed if I gained weight,” Lee Hee-jun said. “But he left the decision completely up to me. After reading the script, I agreed with him.”

 

“Even when someone who is not an actor gains a lot of weight, everything from the tone of their voice to how they walk is different,” Woo added. “It was same for Lee Hee-jun as well. Through this film, the audience will be seeing a side of Lee that they have never seen before.”

 

Woo also praised actor Kwak Do-won for being very earnest on set, saying that Kwak was “always holding on” to his script when he wasn’t on camera. Kwak plays Park Yong-gak, who is based on Kim Hyung-wook, a former KCIA director who began living in exile in New Jersey in 1973 after his relationship with the president went south. Kim is known to be one of the key political figures who revealed a scandal involving KCIA agents bribing some American congressmen for favorable diplomatic conditions.

 

“I believe that the script holds all the answers to acting,” Kwak explained. “Just like students looking over their notes before taking an exam, I had all the conversations and discussions I had with the director and the cast written down in my script. That’s mainly why I was looking at the script [all the time].”

 

“The only tweak that I made for the film [that is different from actual history] was to bring the Koreagate scandal to the year 1979 when it actually happened two years prior,” Woo commented. “I thought the scandal was the real beginning of this story, but since I couldn’t fit the whole two years into film, I set the timeline differently for a more compact delivery. But other than that, the rest of the timeline and events closely mirrors what had actually happened.”

 

Lee admitted that the hardest aspect of playing his character was that very fact.

 

“We shot every scene knowing that it is all based on historic events,” Lee Byung-hun said. “We were extra careful to stick to the scripts and not to ad-lib in fear of distorting the figures or what had happened. We were referencing various records, testimonies and interviews about our characters until the very end of shooting the film. I hope our efforts are shown through the characters’ web of emotions and relations.

BY LEE JAE-LIM [lee.jaelim@joongang.co.kr]

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TMSN behind-the-scene filming clips from Naver, thanks to the sharing on twitter by @ByungBlue

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December 15, 2019

 

The Man Standing Next: New Stills Are Coming Through

 

Photos: Showbox

 

Kim Gyu Pyeong (Lee Byung Hun)

 

- displaying 'Magnesium Deficiency Eye Acting'.

 

 

Park Yong Gak (Kwak Do Won)

 

- never letting go of the script, sticking together.

 

 

Kwak Sang Chun (Lee Hee Jun)

 

- gaining 25kg is not easy as losing weight.

 

 

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TMSN trailer with English subs

 

Source: KoBiz @KoreanFilmBiz

 

 Coming Soon
"Mr. President, what would you like me to do?"
#TheManStandingNext

 

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December 18, 2019

 

Korean film distributors beef up 2020 pipeline to dethrone Disney

 

Source: PULSE News

South Korean film distributors have bolstered their movie pipeline next year after losing their home turf to Walt Disney Company who swept box offices with Frozen 2.

 

Walt Disney Company Korea was the leading film distributor in the country with a market share of 26.9 percent through November, ahead of No. 2 CJ ENM by 3.6 percentage points, according to Korean Film Council on Tuesday.

 

This is the first time for a foreign distribution house to claim the top spot in Korea since the council started releasing market share data in 2008.

 

CJ ENM, which lost out to Disney despite distributing major hits like Bong Joon-ho’s “Parasite” and action comedy film “Extreme Job,” will be joining hands with director Yoon Je-kyoon to make a film adaptation of the popular Korean musical “Hero.” Yoon was behind some of Korea’s highest-grossing movies, with the disaster film “Haeundae” garnering 11.3 million viewers and the drama film “Ode to My Father” pulling in 14.3 million.

 

The distributor would also back the upcoming film by Lee Yong-ju, known for his hit romance film “Architecture 101.” The new movie, tentatively titled “Seo Bok,” would be about the world’s first human clone and bring together heartthrob actors Park Bo-gum and Gong Yoo.

 

“The Man Standing Next” [Photo by Showbox]

 

Local distributor Showbox has seven films lined up for 2020, filled with A-list actors. In January, it would release “The Man Standing Next,” a movie that deals with the Oct. 26, 1979 assassination of Korea’s third president Park Chung-hee. Directed by Woo Min-ho, the film would feature an ensemble cast including Lee Byung-hun, Lee Sung-min and Kwak Do-won.

 

Lee Byung-hun is to star in another Showbox movie titled “Emergency Declaration" with Song Kang-ho, who has recently been gaining worldwide recognition for his role in “Parasite.”

 

In 2015, Showbox stood at No. 2 with a market share of 17.1 percent. But its market presence has continued to fall, with its share shriveled to 5.7 percent in January-November this year.

 

By Park Chang-young and Kim Hyo-jin

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 English-subbed International trailer

 

Published on December 15, 2019 by KoreanFilmBiz KoBiz

AN UNTOLD STORY OF THE KOREAN CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY (KCIA), AND ITS POLITICAL MANEUVERING IN THE 1970S

 

 

In the 1970s, Korea is under the absolute control of the President Park (LEE Sung-min) who controls the KCIA, the organization with an edge over any branch of government. The director of KCIA, KIM Gyu-pyeong (LEE Byung-hun), is the seemingly most prospective second-in-command. In the midst of reign of fear, a former KCIA director, PARK Yong-gak (KWAK Do-won) who knows all about the government’s obscure operations, exiles to the U.S. where the investigation of ‘Koreagate’ is underway. As the tension escalates, the stifling political maneuvering by the all second-in-command’s unfolds.

 

Photo: alatus_deus

 

Dir. WMH and LBH

 

 

Source: Showbox

 

Chiefs of Namsan

Like it or Not

Non-fiction Bestseller Original Story

 

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Clips: SHOWBOX

 

Actors Immersed in their character and Conquering the role.

 

Kwak Do Won as Park Yong Gak

 

Trembling Eye Acting vs Magnesium Deficiency