Jung Woo-Sung 정우성 [Movies: “Hunt” + upcoming “A Man of Reason”, “12.12: The Day”]

[bearcreek]

 

OP uploaded his photo with Jung Woo Sung on the same flight back to Incheon few hours ago. 

“Mr Jung Woo Sung has a great voice, good manners and reads during his flight, watching foreign movies and he just woke up!! lol”

 

https://www.instagram.com/p/CWG_u-Yh3rb/?utm_medium=copy_link

[Helena]

https://k-odyssey.com/news/newsview.php?ncode=1065574742907211
'Squid Game''s Lee Jung-jae directed, led and produced film 'Hunt' to be released

연합뉴스 / 2021-11-15 09:59:08

 

▲ This photo, provided by Mega Box Plus M, shows the production crew for "Hunt" having finished shooting the film. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

 

SEOUL, Nov. 15 (Yonhap) -- Actor Lee Jung-jae’s first directing film, “Hunt,” has recently finished its 6 months of shooting, distributor Mega Box Plus M announced Monday.


The film shows NIS agents Park Pyeong-ho and Kim Jung-do encountering a heavy truth while chasing after the head of the North Korean spies sent to the South. Lee directed, produced and played the lead role for the spy-action film.


Lee plays Park Pyeong-ho (assistant manager of NIS Team 1) and actor Jung Woo-sung plays Park Pyeong-ho’s rival, Kim Jung-do (assistant manager of NIS Team 2). This is their long awaited collaboration after “City of the Rising Sun” (1999) 22 years ago.


Actress Jeon Hye-jin plays Park Pyeong-ho’s assistant, actor Heo Sung-tae took the role of an agent of Kim Jung-do’s team and actress Go Youn-jung has taken part as a student who gets caught up in a huge incident.


“I sincerely thank all the staff who gave a big help thinking thoroughly over how we could possibly improve the scenes. We will strive to present a great film to the audiences waiting for and looking forward to ‘Hunt,’” said director-actor Lee.


“The shooting took about 100 times, but I don’t even know how those times have passed. The production is a personally meaningful piece as well in that I and Lee are appearing in the same work after ‘City of the Rising Sun.’ We hope for a lot of anticipation and attention,” said Jung.

 

[source=LJJ’s instagram]

 

(END)

(C) Yonhap News Agency. All Rights Reserved

 

—

 

Lee Jung-jae & Jung Woo-sung at Blue Dragon Film Awards (2008 & 2013)

[cr: Chosun]

[Helena]

On 11/8/2021 at 11:21 PM, Helena said:

https://k-odyssey.com/news/newsview.php?ncode=1065578598930029
…11th Artists of the Year Awards

..

The Shin Young Kyun Arts and Culture Foundation announced Tuesday that it has decided to appoint director Hwang, director Lee Chang-ho, and actor Jung Woo-sung, and independent film director Yoon Dan-bi as the recipients of the awards…

The Good People Artist award, which is given to artists who have shown exemplary activities of giving back to the community, will be given to Jung for raising public awareness on refugee crisis and providing humanitarian aid for people in need as the goodwill ambassador for the U.N. refugee agency.

..The Artist of the Year Awards selects artists who have been recognized for their outstanding achievements in the film and theater industry throughout the year and gives a total of 100 million won in prize money and a plaque. The awards ceremony will be held at Myungbo Art Hall in Seoul on Nov. 18. (END)

 

https://www.breaknews.com/sub_read.html?uid=849278
Jung Woo-sung Jung, Winner of Good People Artist Award “I never thought of myself as a good person.”

By dj3290@naver.com | 2021/11/19 [12:10]

 

▲ Jung Woo-sung won Good People Artist Award <PhotoSource=ArtistCompany> © BreakNews

 

Actor Jung Woo-sung won Beautiful Artist Awards’ Good People Artist Award.
 
At the 11th Beautiful Artist Awards ceremony held on the 18th, Jung Woo-sung was selected as the main recipient of Good People Artist Award.

 
At the end of each year, Beautiful Artist Awards is an award ceremony that selects artists who have been evaluated for outstanding performances in film and theater fields over the past year.  In addition to his acting activities, Jung Woo-sung has exerted a good influence by taking the lead in helping refugees at home and abroad as a goodwill ambassador for the UN Refugee Agency.  Jung Woo-sung said, "As an award winner, it seems difficult to live by protecting and proving the value and meaning of the award." He said, "I have never considered myself a 'good person'.”  He continued, "In the movie 'Witness', a girl named Ji-woo asks Soon-ho, a lawyer, 'Are you a good person?' “, he added.

 
Meanwhile, Netflix series 'Sea of Silence', which Jung Woo-sung participated as a producer, is about to be released.

[Helena]

On 11/19/2021 at 3:14 PM, Helena said:

Meanwhile, Netflix series 'Sea of Silence', which Jung Woo-sung participated as a producer, is about to be released

 

https://about.netflix.com/en/news/the-silent-sea-head-to-the-moon-this-christmas-eve-december-24th-release
The Silent Sea Head to the Moon This Christmas Eve December 24th Release Confirmed!

By Publicist Julie Lee (juliel@netflix.com) | 21 November 2021

 

Netflix has confirmed the December 24th release and has disclosed the teaser poster for The Silent Sea. Set in the year 2075 when depletion of natural resources has devastated Earth, this Netflix Series tells the story of an elite team sent on a special mission to an abandoned research base on the moon.

The poster for The Silent Sea, unveiled for its Christmas Eve launch to the moon, depicts Song Jian (Bae Doona), an astrobiologist who has just set foot on the moon. She is a member of an elite team sent to the moon to save Earth from ruin with its depletion of natural resources. This lone figure on the moon, still an infinitely mysterious place that remains an uncharted territory for humans, piques our curiosity in this story of exploration and prepares the ground for the question, “What happened at an abandoned Korean research base?” While looking for clues to save Earth, team members become mired in mysterious predicaments and unforeseen events that occur in outer space. Their fates hanging by a thread will keep viewers on the edge of their seats.

The Silent Sea is a series based on director Choi Hang-yong’s short film by the same name, which received much acclaim at the 13th Mise-en-scène Short Film Festival in 2014. Actor Jung Woo-sung was enthralled by this story that Choi has been crafting over a decade. “I loved the spectacular ideas behind the story. I wanted to be involved in creating a sci-fi series that is uniquely Korean,” Jung said. His participation in the production of the series has garnered much attention from early on. Also joining the creative process of this intriguing story of exploration is writer Park Eun-kyo, who received Best Screenplay awards at the Korean Association of Film Critics Awards for Mother and at the Blue Dragon Awards for Crush And Blush. A juggernaut cast — consisting of Bae Doona, Gong Yoo, Lee Joon and others — portrays the elite team members who risk their lives to participate in a special mission. With the synergy and the intense suspense they create, the sci-fi thriller The Silent Sea will surely become the grand finale to the year 2021 for Korean films and series.

The Silent Sea will be released worldwide on December 24th, only on Netflix.

Production Information
Title: The Silent Sea
Directed by: Choi Hang-yong
Written by: Park Eun-kyo
Starring: Bae Doona, Gong Yoo, Lee Joon, Kim Sun-young, Lee Mu-saeng, Lee Sung-wook et al.
Distributed by: Netflix
Produced by: Artist Studio

About Netflix:
Netflix is the world's leading streaming entertainment service with 214 million paid memberships in over 190 countries enjoying TV series, documentaries, feature films and mobile games across a wide variety of genres and languages. Members can watch as much as they want, anytime, anywhere, on any Internet-connected screen. Members can play, pause and resume watching, all without commercials or commitments.

 

——Related Coverage: koreaherald | joongang |

[Helena]

[2021-11-19] Korea National Ballet Society’s Night

 

Actors Lee Jung-jae and Jung Woo-sung attended the National Ballet event to encourage and praise Korea's representative ballerinas for their best performances.

 

https://sports.chosun.com/news/news.htm?id=202111230100169620011243&ServiceDate=20211122

 

—

 

http://www.koreanfilm.or.kr/eng/news/news.jsp?&blbdComCd=601006&seq=5660&mode=VIEW
SQUID GAME’s Lee Jungjae Wraps Directorial Debut

by Pierce Conran | Nov 23, 2021

Lee Stars in Spy Thriller HUNT alongside Jung Woosung

 

Squid Game star Lee Jungjae has just wrapped production on his latest challenge - his directorial debut Hunt. The crime film also sees him appear before the camera, co-starring with his friend and fellow star Jung Woosung, the pair appearing together on screen again for the first time in over 20 years.

Hunt is an espionage drama in which Lee and Jung play special agents on the hunt for a dangerous mole. Both working for the Korean National Intelligence Service (KNIS), Pyungho (Lee Jungjae), from the International Department, and Jungdo (Jung Woosung), of the Domestic Department, are independently attempting to track down a North Korean mole within the agency. Their search brings them face-to-face with a terrible truth, but they must push forward and complete their mission.

A major Korean star since the mid-1990s, known for Il Mare (2000), The Thieves (2012), New World (2013) and Assassination, Lee recently experienced a surge in international popularity following his leading role in the hit drama Squid Game, which became Netflix’s most popular show, with 142 million subscribers tuning in over its first four weeks on air.

Jung, who last appeared with Lee in the 1999 crime drama City of the Rising Sun, is known for Beat (1997), The Good, The Bad, The Weird (2008), Cold Eyes (2013) and Steel Rain (2017). He has also been dabbling with working behind the scenes, including as a producer on next month’s Netflix Original Drama The Silent Sea.

Also among the cast are Jeon Hyejin of ASHFALL (2019), Lee’s Squid Game co-star Heo Sungtae, and rising star Go Yoonjung of Netflix’s Sweet Home.

[Helena]

[2021-11-26] The 42nd Blue Dragon Film Awards

 

Actors Lee Jung-jae and Jung Woo-sung presented Best Director Award to Director Ryoo Seung-wan (Mogadishu).

 

 

 

Spoiler

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[LJJ’s instagram + Herald]

 

Blue Dragon 2008

 

Blue Dragon 2013

 

Cr: SportsChosunDB

 

 

[bearcreek]

Jung Woo Sung x Lee Jung Jae x Jo In Sung (audience seat) at 42nd Blue Dragon Film Award on 2021/011/26

 

 

 

 

 

 

[bearcreek]

OH NOOO…

Artist Company shared that Jung Woo Sung has been tested positive for COVID-19 last night 11/29 and is now on self quarantine.  Hope he is feeling better and recovering well!!!  

 

Lee Jung Jae’s agency shares that Lee Jung Jae tested negative for COVID-19 and both Jung Woo Sung and him are fully vaccinated.  Both of them attended Blue Dragon Award as presenters last Friday 2021/11/26 and he has just depart for US on 2021/11/27.

 

https://n.news.naver.com/mnews/article/009/0004886544?sid=102

 

 

 

[Helena]

https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/2021/12/01/entertainment/television/lee-jungjae-jung-woosung-covid19/20211201101936949.html
Blue Dragon Film Award attendee's positive test rattles actors

BY YIM SEUNG-HYE [yim.seunghye@joongang.co.kr] | December 1, 2021

 

Lee Jung-jae, left, and Jung Woo-sung on the stage of the Blue Dragon Film Awards on Nov. 26 to present an award. [SCREEN CAPTURE]
  

With actor Jung Woo-sung testing positive for Covid-19, concern is on the rise about the possible spread of the virus to actors who attended the Blue Dragon Film Awards, held Nov. 26.

The attendants did not wear masks most of the time during the event, though they were seated with one empty seat between them. Jung was fully vaccinated, according to Artist Company.

Organizers say that Jung "hardly came into contact with other actors at the ceremony." Those who did come close to the actor were advised to be tested, the organizers added.

Lee Jung-jae, who presented an award with Jung without wearing a mask, was tested after the ceremony before traveling overseas, and the test was negative.

Lee attended the 31st Gotham Awards, held Nov. 29 in New York, and won a trophy for the "Breakthrough Series -- over 40 minutes" and "Squid Game." Lee attended the event with Kim Ji-yeon, CEO of Siren Pictures, director Hwang Dong-hyuk and actor Jung Ho-yeon.

 

—

 

http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20211201000270
COVID-19 resurgence halts local filmmaking industry

By Song Seung-hyun (ssh@heraldcorp.com) | Dec 1, 2021

 

Jung Woo-sung (Artist Company)

The COVID-19 pandemic is once again shaking the Korean filmmaking industry, as two star actors -- Jung Woo-sung and Go Kyung-pyo -- tested positive for the COVID-19 virus on Tuesday.

Other actors and crew who worked with Jung and Go now find themselves in a situation in which they have to halt their current projects and undergo COVID-19 PCR tests.

According to Jung’s agency Artist Company, the actor went into self-quarantine after being confirmed as a COVID-19 patient on Monday night. 

Actors Lee Byung-hun and Cho Seung-woo who were in close contact with Jung while filming a commercial recently also took PCR tests Tuesday after hearing the news. Lee tested negative while Cho is still waiting for his test results.

Jung‘s agency added that the actor received his second dose of a vaccine more than two weeks ago.

Go also immediately stopped filming his Netflix original “Seoul Vibes” and went into self-quarantine after testing positive for COVID-19.  All of the actors and crew on the “Seoul Vibes” set, including Yoo Ah-in and Moon So-ri, are undergoing COVID-19 testing.

[Sleepy Owl]

 

It's December already!  

Welcome to our Soompi Advent Calendar Event where we together count down to Christmas.

Do join us for some fun while we wait for Christmas! 

 

Your Event Organizers,

@partyon @Sleepy Owl @agenth @confusedheart

[Helena]

On 12/15/2020 at 5:33 PM, Helena said:

Gallup Korea "Movie Stars Who Shined the Year of 2020”

1. Song Kang-ho - 27.8%

2. Lee Byung-hun - 14.0%

3. Ma Dong-seok - 9.1%

4. Hwang Jung-min - 7.5%

5. Jung Woo-sung - 6.2%

 

Koreans surveyed on their favorite Movie Stars who shined

Survey Period: November 5~28, 2021Participants: 1700 people (13+ years old) nationwide
 
Gallup Korea "Movie Stars Who Shined the Year of 2021”
1. Lee Jung-jae - 39.7% <Squid Game> (NETFLIX drama)
2. Youn Yuh-jung - 18.9% <Minari>
3. Ma Dong-seok - 11.4% <Eternals>
4. Song Kang-ho - 8.8% <Parasite> <The King's Letters> (both 2019)
5. Lee Byung-hun - 7.0% <The Man Standing Next> (2020)
6. Hwang Jung-min - 5.6% <Hostage>
7. Gong Yoo - 3.6% <Seobok>
8. Jung Woo-sung - 3.5% <Steel Rain 2: Summit> (2020)

Spoiler

9. Kim Hye-soo - 2.6% <The Day I Died> (2020)
10. Zo In-sung - 2.5% <Mogadishu>

11. Ha Jung-woo - 2.2%
12. Yoo Ah-in - 2.0%
13. Choi Min-sik - 1.8%
13. Seol Kyung-gu - 1.8%
15. Jung Ho-yeon - 1.6%
15. Song Joong-ki - 1.6%
17. Heo Sung-tae - 1.5%
18. Oh Yeong-su - 1.4%
19. Cha Seung-won - 1.2%

20. Cho Jin-woong - 1.0%

 

 

 

2007-2021

Spoiler

 

Gallup Korea "Movie Stars Who Shined the Year of 2007”
1. Jeon Do-yeon (Secret Sunshine) - 49.7%
2. Song Kang-ho - 16.5%
3. Bae Yong-joon, Ahn Sung-ki - 6.4%
5. Sol Kyung-gu- 5.0%
 
Gallup Korea "Movie Stars Who Shined the Year of 2008”
1. Song Kang-ho (The Good, The Bad, The Weird) - 13.1%
2. Son Ye-jin (My Wife Got Married) - 11.3%
3. Kim Hye-soo (Modern Boy) - 7.4%
4. Jeon Do-yeon (My Dear Enemy), Jang Dong-gun - 7.3%
6. Jung Woo-sung (The Good, The Bad, The Weird) - 6.1%
7. Ha Jung-Woo (The Chaser, My Dear Enemy) - 5.4%
 
Gallup Korea "Movie Stars Who Shined the Year of 2009”
1. Lee Byung-hun - 20.1%
2. Jang Dong-gun - 17.9%
3. Sol Kyung-gu - 17.5%
4. Ha Ji-won - 14.3%
5. Jung Ji-hoon / Rain - 8.3%
 
Gallup Korea "Movie Stars Who Shined the Year of 2010”
1. Won Bin (The Man from Nowhere) - 30.7%
2. Jang Dong-gun - 14.4%
3. Kang Dong-won - 11.6%
4. Lee Byung-hun - 6.4%
5. Song Kang-ho - 5.6%
 
Gallup Korea "Movie Stars Who Shined the Year of 2011”
1. Won Bin - 11.3%
2. Park Hae-il - 9.5%
3. Jang Dong-gun - 8.8%
4. Kim Ha-neul (Blind) - 8.2%
5. Gong Yoo - 5.8%
6. Lee Byung-hun, Song Kang-ho - 4.8%
8. Ha Ji-won - 3.1%
9. Ahn Sung-ki
10. Han Seok-kyu- 3.0%
 
Gallup Korea "Movie Stars Who Shined the Year of 2012”
1. Lee Byung-hun - 37.6%
2. Song Joong-ki - 15%
3. Kim Hye-soo - 7.6%
4. Jang Dong-gun - 7.4%
5. Ha Jung-woo - 6.4%
6. Jeon Ji-hyun
7. Kim Yoon-seok
8. Park Bo-young - 4.2%
 
Gallup Korea "Movie Stars Who Shined the Year of 2013”
1. Song Kang-ho - 22.5%
2. Ha Jung-woo - 18.9%
3. Lee Byung-hun - 18.0%
4. Ryu Seung-ryong - 10.1%
5. Sol Kyung-gu - 7.4%
6. Lee Jung-jae - 6.7%
7. Kim Hye-soo - 6.3%
8. Kim Soo-hyun - 5.7%
9. Jang Dong-gun - 3.7%
10. Jeon Ji-hyun - 2.8%
 
Gallup Korea "Movie Stars Who Shined the Year of 2014”
1. Choi Min-sik - 42.3%
2. Song Kang-ho - 22.2%
3. Ryu Seung-ryong - 10.5%
4. Ha Jung-woo - 9.0%
5. Lee Byung-hun - 4.5%
6. Kang Dong-won - 4.2%
7. Sol Kyung-gu - 3.7%
8. Jung Woo-sung - 3.6%
9. Hyun Bin - 3.3%
10. Kim Soo-hyun - 3.2%
 
Gallup Korea "Movie Stars Who Shined the Year of 2015”
1. Yoo Ah-in - 26.9%
2. Song Kang-ho - 20.3%
3. Hwang Jung-min - 16.1%
4. Jeon Ji-hyun - 14.2%
5. Ha Jung-woo - 11.8%
6. Choi Min-sik - 9.8%
7. Oh Dal-soo - 6.2%
8. Lee Jung-jae - 5.8%
9. Kang Dong-won - 4.2%
10. Yoo Hae-jin - 4.1%
 
Gallup Korea "Movie Stars Who Shined the Year of 2016”
1. Hwang Jung-min - 21.2%
2. Song Kang-ho - 18.4%
3. Gong Yoo - 12.7%
4. Ha Jung-woo - 11.4%
5. Yoo Hae-jin - 10.8%
6. Lee Byung-hun - 9.6%
7. Lee Jung-jae - 6.3%
8. Jung Woo-sung - 6.2%
9. Jeon Ji-hyun - 5.4%
10. Ma Dong-seok - 5%
11 Song Joong-ki
12 Yoo Ah-in
13 Choi Min-sik
14 Kim Hye-soo
15 Kang Dong-won
15 Sol Kyung-gu
17 Jo Jin-woong
18 Son Ye-jin
19 Oh Dal-soo
20 Ra mi-ran
 
Gallup Korea "Movie Stars Who Shined the Year of 2017”
1. Song Kang-ho - 35%
2. Ma Dong-seok - 17.8%
3. Lee Byung-hun - 12.6%
4. Hwang Jung-min - 8.1%
5. Ha Jung-woo, Sol Kyung-gu - 6.3%
 
Korea's Gallup "Movie Stars Who Shined the Year of 2018”
1. Ma Dong-seok - 19.9%
2. Ha Jung-woo - 18.6%
3. Lee Byung-hun - 11.2%
4. Song Kang-ho - 10.9%
5. Joo Ji-hoon - 7.3%
6. Yoo Hae-jin
7. Jung Woo-sung
8. Hwang Jung-min
9. Jo In-sung
10. Cha Tae-hyun
14. Kim Hye-soo
14.
16. Son Ye-jin
16.
 
Gallup Korea "Movie Stars Who Shined the Year of 2019”
1. Song Kang-ho - 29.8%
2. Ma Dong-seok - 18.2%
3. Gong Yoo - 8.9%
4. Jo Jin-woong - 8.5%
5. Ha Jung-woo, Lee Byung-hun - 7.1%
7. Jung Woo-sung - 4.5%
8. Yoo Hae-jin - 4.1%
9. Hwang Jung-min - 3.6%
10. Honey Lee - 3.3%
Ryu Seung-ryong (3.0%), Lee Jung-jae (2.8%), Sol Kyung-gu (2.4%), Jung Yu-mi (2.2%), Ahn Sung-ki, Jang Dong-gun (2.1%), Jo Yeo-jung (2%), Ryu Jun-yeol (2.0%)
 
Gallup Korea "Movie Stars Who Shined the Year of 2020”
1. Song Kang-ho - 27.8%
2. Lee Byung-hun - 14.0%
3. Ma Dong-seok - 9.1%
4. Hwang Jung-min - 7.5%
5. Jung Woo-sung - 6.2%
6. Gong Yoo - 5.9%
7. Ha Jung-woo - 4.0%
8. Lee Jung-jae - 3.6%
9. Kim Hye-soo - 3.5%
10. Lee Jung-eun - 3.4%
11. Kang Dong-won - 3.3%
12. Sung Dong-il - 2.9%
13. Yoo Ah-in - 2.7%
14. Yoo Hae-jin, Kwak Do-won - 2.4%
16. Son Ye-jin - 2.0%
17. Hyun Bin - 1.9%
18. Sol Kyung-gu - 1.6%
19. Choi Min-sik - 1.5%
20. Ahn Sung-ki, Jo Jung-suk - 1.4%
22. Lee Je-hoon, Han Suk-kyu, Park Bo-gum, Joo Ji-hoon - 1.3%
26. Jo Yeo-jung, Jo Jin-woong - 1.1%
28. Park Seo-joon, Jo In-sung, Jang Dong-gun - 1.0%

 

 

[Helena]

[2021-12-22] Netflix’s original series ‘The Silent Sea’ Press Conference

 

This photo provided by Netflix shows the cast and crew of "The Silent Sea" posing during a press conference streamed online on Dec. 22, 2021.

Will ‘The Silent Sea‘ be the next K-content that’ll start a global sensation?

 

[ by krishkim | zapzee ]

The Silent Sea tells the story of elite crews who leave for a research base abandoned on the moon to carry out a special mission. On the 22nd, the series held an online press conference, which actors and producers attended.

Director Choi Hang Yong shared, “Many movies about space feature distant space. But not that many of them set their stories on the moon. That’s where I found the charm.” Actually, the series is based on the short film by director Choi that received praise at the Mise-en-scène Short Film Festival in 2014.

Soon after Netflix announced the drama adaptation, A-list star Jung Woo Sung joined the project as a producer, making headlines. Afterward, Crush and Blush and Mother writer Park Eun Kyo helped expand the story. “I really enjoyed director Choi Hang Yong’s short film,” said Jung Woo Sung. “I also liked its unique setting. I thought I could create Korean SF within the smart setting, so I jumped on it.”

Kingdom star Bae Doo Na and Goblin star Gong Yoo will be leading the mysterious story unfolding on the moon. “At first, I was like, ‘Can I star in a space movie in Korea?’ When I first saw the short film, it was surprisingly well made within a limited budget and conditions. Seeing it, I wanted to take on the challenge,” Bae Doo Na commented.  Gong Yoo relayed, “I wanted to work in the SF genre. And I received the offer around that time. It felt like ten exclamation marks exploded in my head. It was a charming series with ingenious imagination and original material.”

Due to the back-to-back success of Netflix K-contents, The Silent Sea team must be feeling a lot of pressure. “We do feel pressured, but each project has its own worldview and emotion. So we can’t compare ours to the success they saw,” Jung Woo Sung responded. “The question is how the people around the world will like The Silent Sea‘s unique narrative.”

 

Meanwhile, Netflix’s original series The Silent Sea will be released on December 24th.

 

Spoiler

 

Source (1)
Translator Kim Hoyeun: If you are a fan of K-drama, K-movie, and K-pop, I am your guy. I will continue to provide you with up-to-date K-entertainment news.

 

—

 

https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/art/2021/12/688_320994.html
Netflix's imaginative 'The Silent Sea' series will show Korean-style sci-fi

 

By Lee Gyu-lee | December 22, 2021

 

Director Choi Hang-yong, from left, scriptwriter Park Eun-kyo, actors Lee Mu-saeng, Kim Sun-young, Gong Yoo, Bae Doo-na, Lee Joon, Lee Sung-wook and executive producer Jung Woo-sung pose for pictures during an online press conference for the new Netflix series, "The Silent Sea," Wednesday. Courtesy of Netflix

Netflix's star-studded sci-fi series, "The Silent Sea," produced by actor Jung Woo-sung, is set to take off this Friday. 

"There are a lot of sci-fi flicks out there, but to make one in Korea is not as easy. But with the series' brilliant concept, I think it could create a Korean-style sci-fi story," Jung, the executive producer of the show, said during an online press conference for the series, Wednesday. 

Set in a dystopia where resources on Earth have been depleted, the mystery thriller series unfolds the story of space explorers who carry out a perilous mission on the moon.  A group of astronauts ― played by Bae Doo-na, Gong Yoo, Lee Joon and Kim Sun-young ― goes on a 24-hour mission in outer space to retrieve samples from an abandoned research facility on the moon, where they encounter an unexpected turn of events. 

The series is adapted from the 2014 short film of the same name, which was the graduation project of the series' director, newcomer Choi Hang-yong. Screenwriter Park Eun-kyo, who co-scripted director Bong Joon-ho's "Mother" (2009), and director Lee Kyoung-mi's "Crush and Blush" (2008), penned the script. 

Director and creator Choi said that he wanted to create a story about the underexplored satellite of the earth, the moon.  "There are a lot of works about outer space, but I didn't really find any that were based on the moon. The moon is close to Earth, but we don't know much about it," Choi said, explaining how he came up with the story for his graduation project.  "And as it was made into a Netflix series, I believed we can expand that story. Whereas the short film only focused on the character's story on the moon, we could add in subplots on Earth and throw in questions about the issues regarding the planet, along with portraying the space crews' survival."

"The Silent Sea" has been one of the most anticipated series of the year and features a star-studded cast.  Jung, who took part in casting the actors, said he carefully nominated the actors who would be the best fit for each role.  "There were things that the short film had, whereas, it would be different when it's adapted into a longer series," he said. "It's one thing for actors to imagine themselves as the character and how they would act in the scenes from the script. But putting them on the set to actually play out the scenes, which requires a lot of imagination, was another challenge. So I carefully thought of those who would be able to do that." 

Spoiler

The poster for the series / Courtesy of Netflix

img3
A scene from the series / Courtesy of Netflix

Actors Gong and Bae said they gladly took on the challenge of starring in the sci-fi series, as they were drawn to the story.  "Personally, I've been wanting to work on a unique genre… and when I read the script, I was like, 'Eureka!' like I had ten exclamation marks in my head," Gong said. "It had the brilliant imagination, unique concept and genre that I'd been waiting for… there was no reason to turn it down."  Bae added that she didn't hesitate to get on board after watching the director's short film, even before reading the script.  "When I first got the script, I was pretty skeptical about whether a space flick, especially about the moon, could be made in Korea. But that was before I saw the film, 'The Silent Sea'… it was amazing how well he made the film even with limited means," she said. "I was really moved after watching the movie, and although I didn't really know who this person was, if he was making it, I wanted to get on board with the challenge."

Writer Park hinted at the large scale of the set, which breathes life into the space-based story.  "(When I wrote the script,) I prepared myself not to get disappointed, as some things could probably not be portrayed in real life because it would be a huge challenge. Even when I was writing it, I would ask myself if something was possible," she said. "But when I saw the set, it was beyond what I'd imagined… the scale of it was even greater than what I had in mind, which was a great pleasure."

 

[Helena]

https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/art/2021/12/689_321126.html
Hwang Jung-min, Jung Woo-sung to reunite in political drama film 'Spring of Seoul'

By Kwak Yeon-soo | 2021-12-25 09:14

 

From left, actors Hwang Jung-min, Jung Woo-sung and Park Hae-joon / Courtesy of SEM Company, Artist Company and PLEO ent.

Actors Hwang Jung-min and Jung Woo-sung will reunite with director Kim Sung-soo for the political thriller film, "Spring of Seoul" (working title), six years after the three collaborated on the 2016 film, "Asura: The City of Madness."

 

Based on a real-life story, "Spring of Seoul" follows an event that occurred during a short period of political freedom set at the end of the 1970s.

Kim is known for his darkly cynical crime thrillers, such as "Beat" (1997), "City of The Rising Sun" (1999) and "The Flu" (2013). His next film will be produced by Hive Media Corp., the production company behind "Inside Men" (2015), "The Man Standing Next" (2019) and "Deliver Us From Evil" (2020).

"Spring of Seoul" refers to the period that began on Oct. 26, 1979, when former President Park Chung-hee was assassinated by his close aide, and lasted until May 17, 1980, when coup leader Chun Doo-hwan extended martial law to the whole nation and violently suppressed mass pro-democracy protests.

"Hwang and Jung decided to join the project based on their trust in director Kim and the script, which they both found enthralling," the production team said. Veteran actor Ahn Sung-ki and Park Hae-joon, who shot to fame with JTBC drama, "The World of the Married" (2020), will also star in the film.

"Spring of Seoul" will begin filming in February 2022. The release date has not yet been announced.

 

—

[ kofic ] KIM Sung-soo / Director

In early '90s, director KIM started in the film industry by working on such films as <BLUE IN YOU>, <BERLIN REPORT>, <THEY WERE LIKE US> as a writer, prop master and assistant director among other roles. His 1993 exceptionally made noir debut <SCREAM CITY> was highly praised and won the Critic's Award at 20th Seoul Independent Film Festival. In 1997, <BEAT> catapulted JUNG Woo-sung and KO So-young into stardom, and in 1998, <CITY OF THE RISING SUN> became his back-to-back hit and confirmed the mega star status of JUNG Woo-sung and LEE Jung-jae. Period actioner <MUSA-THE WARRIOR> was regarded for tightly knitted story, massive scale and stylish visuals. And now he's back after 10 long years of absence with Korean cinema's first ever viral outbreak film <THE FLU>. Director KIM's visual flair and refusal to abide to genre conventions is a breath of fresh air for Korean cinema. Massive scale, and realistic depiction of humanity are cinematic elements that are rarely seen in local blockbusters. Teaming up with his yesteryear muse JUNG Woo-sung once more, KIM’s next project was the big-budget cops and gangsters action-thriller <The City of Madness>, which also featured heavyweight stars such as HWANG Jung-min, JU Ji-hoon, KWAK Do-won and JUNG Man-sik.

[Helena]

[2016-11-03] The 11th London Korean Film Festival: In Conversation with Jung Woo-sung & Kim Sung-soo

 

Interviewed by View of the Arts (Sanja Struna), MyM, The London Tree, Hangul Celluloid.
Transcription by Roxy Simons
Edited by Roxy Simons
Photos of Kim Sung-soo and Jung Woo-sung © Sanja Struna
Asura photos © CJ Entertainment

 

 

Introduction:


Jung Woo-sung made his debut in a TV commercial in 1994 and applied for an open audition for a leading role in The Fox with Nine Tails (1994). The role launched his career and set him on the path to becoming one of the most popular actors in Korea. Over the years, he has had numerous 'leading man' roles in films ranging from A Moment to Remember (2004) to Daisy (2006), Scarlet Innocence (2014) and beyond.



Kim Sung-soo's directorial debut came in 1993 with Scream City. In 1997, his film Beat catapulted Jung Woo-sung and Ko So-young to stardom and his 2001 period action film Musa - The Warrior became highly regarded for its tightly knitted story, massive scale and stylish visuals. Kim Sung-soo's latest film is Asura: The City of Madness, starring Jung Woo-sung.

The following interview took place on 3 November 2016 prior to the London Korean Film Festival 2016 screening of Asura: The City of Madness:

Interview:

 

Spoiler

Hangul Celluloid: You’re here promoting Asura: The City of Madness, your latest film, why did you decide to set it in a fictional city rather than in a normal Korean city? Did it give you more freedom to push characters to greater extremes?



Kim Sung-soo: As you know that story is kind of ridiculous, so perhaps it’s really hard to set it in a real city. Since it’s told in a very extreme way, like the film Sin City, it had to be set in a fictional place — a city of crime and sin. I didn’t want to set it in a completely unrealistic space, so it is based on Korea 40 or 50 years ago in the outskirts of Seoul. The places are run-down and ready to be redeveloped, and there is a sense of gentrification. So it is where the minority of society dwell, that’s why you see a lot of characters that are on the fringes of society. When gentrification happened in Korean society there is always a fight for power and financial advantages between the construction side, politicians, and local authorities. Although Korea doesn’t have mafia gangs who rule the city, but this kind of conflict between those three powers were quite common as they tried to gain an advantage over society.




 

 


The London Tree: Out of all the movies you’ve done before this is your bloodiest role, how enthusiastic were you when doing this film?



Kim Sung-soo: I can answer; he didn’t want to do it! I forced him to do it.

Jung Woo-sung: Before I read the script I didn’t know this film was focused on this kind of story, I had already promised that I would do it before reading it.

Kim Sung-soo: That was your big mistake!

Jung Woo-sung: I was really stunned and frustrated when I actually read the script, this is the kind of character you can’t really show. It’s very hard to charm audiences with this character, his world view makes you question what’s being shown, so I had to really be set into my character to present that.

 

View of the Arts: Besides directing you have co-written or wrote most of your films, and this is your fourth collaboration together, to what extent did you have characters in mind when you were working on the screenplay?

Kim Sung-soo: I’ve been thinking about this story for a long time, although it wasn’t written up fully I had thought about it conceptually for a really long time. I talked to Jung Woo-sung about working on this film together, and I said that I had to work with him. He said it was a bit too dark but I said I really wanted to work with him so he said he would. He’s played these young wanderers in the past and they’re always on the periphery of society, this character was in continuation with those roles. This film revolves around relationships rather than a series of events, he is the only character in this film that interacts with every important character in the film so it was really important for me to have Jung Woo-sung in the role, and it has a connection to the other characters he had played in my films.

 

 

MyM: Since the last time you worked on a film together was in 2001 what was it like to be on set together again?

 


Kim Sung-soo: It makes me feel old. Honestly, I didn’t realise that 15 years had passed it’s gone so fast. 


Jung Woo-sung: Too fast!

Kim Sung-soo: I’m really close with him and we often talk about ideas and future projects, during this time we were meandering around and worrying about some of the meticulous things. I’ve learned one thing from my life, if you want to make something good and you have a good partner don’t hesitate. 

Jung Woo-sung: It was very familiar and we were just regretful and asked why didn’t we work together. It was like a return of lost time in some ways when we made this film.

 

Hangul Celluloid: Going back to your earlier career, probably more than any Korean actor you have had a persona of the upstanding leading man for a lot of your films. When you made the film Cold Eyes a lot of people were surprised and happy that you were playing a character that was so dark, and so different from your much loved following. Why did you choose the film at that point? And have roles since been influenced by it?
 


Jung Woo-sung: In fact, when I choose a project I always choose leading roles so I didn’t think too much about supporting roles to be honest. I never thought I would be interested in being a supporting character, but in the case of James he has such charisma and the tension of his role is crucial to sustain the film. I wasn’t offered the role initially, I was asked to review the script and that’s how I got to know about the project and I found that the tension, charisma, and importance of this character actually completes the story so I thought if I didn’t take the role I would regret it. After I had done this project my perception of leading and supporting roles have actually changed, and I have become much more free when it comes to choosing my roles since then. 
When it comes to being Mr. Romantic, I actually wasn’t really aware of this perception and people’s expectations of me. I don’t really think about it, I always want to try out different roles and for me it was such a natural development so I don’t think playing an evil character would be very cool and attractive, but this tension that James carries is very special and I thought that rather than him dying in such a cool way he could have gone in a more ridiculous way.

 

The London Tree: The film has many complex characters and intertwined stories, how long did it take you to plan the whole movie out?

Kim Sung-soo: The conception of the story goes back to five or six years ago, but when it comes to adding details to the story and working on the script it took me about ten months. When the script was complete, I showed people and they said it’s very unique but they weren’t sure it could be a commercially successful film. Literally everyone said that to me apart from my producer Han Jae-duk who said that this is quite fun and worth trying. He actually gave me a big push and he helped to put this together. He said that maybe if we work with renowned and well-known actors we would have a chance at making it, and we had already cast the other actors and they all wanted to work with Jung Woo-sung so it worked out well.

 

Spoiler

 

View of the Arts: Given that your past characters and your one in Asura are very different did you approach the role in a different way to your previous characters?

 


Jung Woo-sung: Actually recalling this period I’m not sure how I did it. So focusing on the world view that’s hidden behind the script was important, the message that Kim Sung-soo wanted to give seemed clear but it was also incomprehensible to me, so this is a story he wanted to tell but it is steeped in the character of Han Do-kyung and that is something I thought was key. The main character in a film always needs to be very convincing to audiences, but this particular person he’s the kind of person that will have a bare-fist fight with people. That was what I was given, and that was the challenge.


Kim Sung-soo: He was very confused at first on how he could interpret the role by himself, he was continuously asking what he can do but I couldn’t help him. I could only say that the character was living in his hell, and the only way to become this character was to jump through hell. I know him very well, and he is the kind of person that doesn’t complain. But when we were making this film he says to me ‘hyung this is really tough’ and he never says this, and the day before shooting he asked me to come to his room and he was drunk and we normally don’t drink before shooting and he said that. Secretly I really appreciated this because it meant that the real Jung Woo-sung was living in hell, and I was really happy to hear that.

 

 

MyM: Your character does seem to go through hell, and during the film he has a lot of intense interactions with others throughout. You particularly go head-to-head with Hwang Jung-min’s character Park Sun-bae a lot, what was it like to work with him on these scenes?

 

Jung Woo-sung: Yes, I deeply appreciate his performance and him as an actor, he’s also really fun. I think he’s extremely unique because he has various textures as a performer, and the relationship between Park Sun-bae and Han Do-kyung works in a way that his character is in charge of the reaction of my character. He reacts to the events that Park Sun-bae sets out, either by pretending or being influenced by him, so perhaps it was a bit easier for me to perform than Hwang Jung-min.

The amount of energy he gives to an actor on set is enormous. I feel like through him the character energised those around him. Especially the very last scene, he as an actor truly does exist as Park Sun-bae so what he sets out in the scene and his energy really influences the performances of the other actors around him so we all perform at our best.

 

Hangul Celluloid: You recently starred in a very small production called Don’t Forget Me directed by Lee Yoon-jung, the film wouldn’t have been made if it wasn’t for you. What do you think about the difficulties faced by new directors that have to go through crowdfunding for productions that really should be easy to make?

Jung Woo-sung: It started as pure chance but it gave me experience as a senior, in Korea its known as being a Sunbae, so whoever started their career first has an unspoken responsibility to support their juniors. I had this sort of relationship with the director, she had worked on The Bad, The Good, and the Weird in the past and she’s also a fan of mine. I wanted to help her out, it started as a short film script and it developed into a feature length film. She had never directed a full-length film before so as her senior I introduced her to a lot of female producers, but they were often very low-budget or they tried to change the script, so out of respect to her I took the role of a producer and worked on this film in this respect as well. We both matured through this experience and we both learnt a lot through this process.

 

—

 

https://penelopethemovie.com/interview-kim-sung-soo-and-jung-woo-sung-asura-the-city-of-madness/
[INTERVIEW] Kim Sung-soo and Jung Woo-sung (ASURA : THE CITY OF MADNESS)

Remarks collected by Pierre Siclier - Korean Film Festival in Paris 2016

Spoiler

In France, the lovers of Asian cinema had certainly discovered in 2001 with Musa, princess of the desert (film or sino-Korean). After fifteen years, filmmaker Kim Sung-soo and actor Jung Woo-sung met for the fourth time with Asura: The City of Madness (our critique here). A film noir mixed with a police and political corrupt as known so well in Korean cinema, they came to present at the 11th Korean Film Festival in Paris. Together, they go back on their collaborations, through the long period of inactivity of the director and especially on the complexity of the main character of Asura, who travels constantly between the good and the bad.

 

With Asura, this is your fourth collaboration. The last dates back to almost 15 years.

Kim Sung-soo: It’s true, when you think about it, 15 years is a long period of time. But surprisingly it went rather quickly. Woo-sung is a little bit my first client, so he is someone with whom I always want to work.

Jung Woo-sung: One has the impression of having taken each of our paths over the years before finding themselves. But, despite the time that has passed, it is as if we had never left.

 

 

Kim Sung-soo, you’ve spent ten years without turning between 2003 and 2013. For what reasons?

K.S.s: During this period I made a lot of other things. The business in China, I have set up my production box, I have taught at the university… I wanted to do several things at once, I think by ambition. But with so many caps, I realized that I was not necessarily very good in all of these areas. It took me 10 years for me to refocus and return to my own enjoyment; realization.

 

We often find, in Korea, actors who alternate roles, and of very different kinds. You have the option not to be reduced to a single image?

K.S.s: As a director, I always have the idea to choose an actor with respect to the image it conveys. But sometimes to do just to work in another registry. This is what I did on the casting of Asura. For some actors, I’ve wanted to keep their image, while for others it was more of the break and take another direction.

J.W.s : I think an actor is like water. Depending on the container in which it is put, it changes form. Water is something that is difficult to hold in the hands. Depending on the director in front, so you may have different results. This is why I do not want to be confined to an image and a type of role. And with Kim Sung-soo, this synergy that we have together comes from the fact that I have full confidence in him to achieve this.

 

The main character played by Woo-sung is an anti-hero who never manages to take decisions. It is a character ultimately much more complex that the scenario could advertise.

K.S.s: I think that the character of Han is a little picture of what I was before. I wanted to make good films, and also films with great success. I was doing something one day, and I felt like I was doing something wrong the next day. I tried to compare these two ideas that are opposed to each time in the film. It is all a matter of decision, and this is found with this character. When I created it, I didn’t want that we can define it as a good guy or a bad guy. That the audience is always in doubt, and does not easily empathize him. But at the same time, by this constant doubt, this leaves a door open.

J.W.s: When I interpret this type of role, the easiest for me is to seek the understanding of the public. The difficulty here comes from the fact that Han does not know himself, how is his character. So in the end, he has even more been a question of trying to convince the public of the type of protagonist that he observes, because it remains an unknown total. It’s quite a complex character and difficult to play. After, for the question of morality, it must be understood that this character lives in a fictional town, filled with criminals, where it is said that evil is normal. So obviously it comes to losing the entire value of the harm.

 

Finally, he remains very human.

J.W.s: Yes one might even think that he is like us. One is always to ask yourself if you have made the right choice. And we tend to be convinced that we made the right decisions. But if you observe things more objectively, it would be probably very surprised. Therefore, Han is a bit of a mirror of this.

It is a form of originality in a genre accustomed to observe certain codes in his writing.

K.S.s: Actually in a film of this kind, one usually has stories well-designed, which develop so as to achieve a certain end. I wanted to avoid that situations fall into the stereotypes of the film noir. Get away from the idea that each scene is built to bring the following. Asura still has all the ingredients to be a film noir classic, but I wanted to have a different approach. This goes through the history and its evolution, as a series of narrative episodes, but also in relation to the main character, that I thought differently. Usually a character has a goal and evolves during the movie until you reach it. There, Han is confronted with unexpected things and it should still react to the situations, it can ultimately than to undergo them. It is, therefore, more in submission than in action.

 

 

There will still be a reaction on his part to the end. But it appears almost uncontrolled, non?

K.S.s: Yes. In fact, after having finished the film, I realized that I had just built in order to have this final sequence. This character does not make a decision, but in the end, when it can no longer do anything and that he is standing with his back to the wall, it becomes aggressive. It is like a dog that bites its master. He is rebellious, and finally, in this house at the funeral, putting all his adversaries in the same place to create a form of chaos. This is not something he has necessarily reflected nor anticipated, it is really something instinctive because it is a question of survival.

 

Until the end so you have a very dark picture of the world.

K.S.s : But you know, I am convinced that in our world it’s the villains who run. It is the law of the strongest. Of course in the movies the nice win. But in real life, this is not like that. The people that rule always say to the people how to behave, that it must be good and honest. Of course this is a way to dominate and submit. Around me, in real life, I’ve never seen a nice really win.

 

[Helena]

http://www.koreanfilm.or.kr/eng/news/features.jsp?blbdComCd=601013&seq=547&mode=FEATURES_VIEW
Now, Call Me a ‘Director’

by Park Hyeeun | Dec 20, 2021

Lee Jungjae, Park Jeongmin, Lee Jehoon, Choi Heeseo, Son Sukku

 

In Hollywood, you can often meet a versatile ‘filmmaker’ who is good at both the actor in front of the camera and the director behind the camera. However, the emergence of a director who was an actor is not common news in Korea.
Recently in Korea, however, the ‘wall’ between actors and directors is gradually breaking down. Especially, veteran actors in the Korean film industry have declared their directorship, creating a new wind.

Korea's leading female actor Moon Sori's directorial debut film The Running Actress (2017), and Kim Yunseok’s directorial debut Another Child (2019), who was recognized as a box office hit actor in many movies including Escape from Mogadishu, and Jung Jinyoung's directorial debut ME AND ME, who was the hero of King And The Clown, the first costume drama that drew 10 million moviegoers for the first time, were recognized by winning prizes in many film festivals abroad.

From 2021, more remarkable new films by the directors who were actors are waiting. Actor Lee Jungjae, who is drawing attention as a global top star through the main character of Squid Game, will debut as a director in 2022 with a spy action film HUNT (TBD). Four young actors, Park Jeongmin, Son Sukku, Choi Heeseo, and Lee Jehoon who are drawing attention from the Korean film industry, also had been debut as director at the 2021 Busan International Film Festival through the short film Unframed project.

 

HUNT, Lee Jungjae’s Directorial Debut

 
On November 13, Director Lee Jungjae's first movie HUNT cranked up. HUNT is a spy action film in which two government agents face huge truth as they chase a spy. Lee Jungjae has been a representative Korean actor for 25 years since his debut as an actor in 1994, starring in Director Bae Changho’s film The Young Man. The directorial debut film made by Lee Jungjae, who was reborn as a global star through the Netflix Series Squid Game that brought a huge sensation around the world in 2021, is expected to draw attention from the film industry around the world as well as Korea.

Also, Director Lee Jungjae's HUNT is the first film in 22 years that reunites Lee Jungjae and Jung Woosung, the two main characters of City of The Rising Sun (1999). Director Kim Sungsoo cast the best two youth stars of the time, Lee Jungjae and Jung Woosung, and the film drew a milestone in Korean film history. Since then, Lee Jungjae and Jung Woosung have been in a relationship as long film comrades, but it is the first time in 22 years that the two meet again in one movie.

 

Lee Jungjae will also play the main character Park Pyeongho in his directorial debut HUNT. Park Pyeongho is a meticulous and cool-hearted character, an NSP agent with a natural sense and intelligence. In addition, Actor Jung Woosung, who has shown a wide range of characters across genres such as Innocent Witness (2019) and Steel Rain series, will appear as passionate and bold Kim Jungdo, an NSP agent. The two characters are special agents with their own beliefs, and the doubts between the two characters form an intense tension in the movie.

In addition, Actor Jeon Hyejin of The Merciless (2017), which was invited to the Midnight Screenings at Cannes,  plays another agent to help Lee Jungjae. Heo Sungtae, who worked with Lee Jungjae in Squid Game, will also appear as an NSP agent pressuring him in the film. Heo Sungtae said, "Making a movie with Actor Jung Woosung and Director Lee Jungjae seemed to be dreaming in itself. I expect it to be a movie that resonates with the audience greatly." Jung Woosung, the producer and main character of HUNT, also expressed confidence. He said, "The 100 times of shooting was smooth as if it were flowing with water. It is especially meaningful to me in that I act in the film with Director Lee Jungjae after City of The Rising Sun. Thanks to the passionate actors and staff, I was able to run at full speed while filming the movie.”

Director Lee Jungjae does not hide his confidence in his first movie HUNT. “I'd like to thank all the staff for their fierce consideration to complete better scenes in the long journey of the 100 times of shooting for the last six months. I had to lead the film as a newbie director preparing for my directorial debut and a leading actor at the same time, but thanks to the fellow actors who worked together, I was able to finish it successfully. I think I can show a great movie to the audience waiting for HUNT.” Expectations are growing on how Director Lee Jungjae drew the spy games between the two agents digging into huge conspiracies amid suspicions and vigilance. HUNT is scheduled to be released in 2022 after completing the second half of the work.

[Helena]

http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20220104000741
[Herald Interview] Actor Jung Woo-sung open to more challenges as producer

By Lee Si-jin (sj_lee@heraldcorp.com) | January 4, 2022

 

Jung Woo-sung (Netflix)

An accomplished actor, Jung Woo-sung, 48, wishes to offer stunning Korean content to viewers as a producer.

“‘The Silent Sea’ was my second experience in reproducing a short film, following ‘Remember You’ in 2014. I always find the task of an executive producer difficult, but I wish to continue this work to bring the splendid projects created by the skilled directors to more viewers,” executive producer Jung said in an online interview Tuesday.

The actor and producer said he had never intended to work behind the scenes.

“As an actor, I always had the dream of directing movies or drama series, but not producing. But after I heard how the young directors in our film industry suffer from various hardships, I wished to help them by introducing other producers. But this surely had some limits,” Jung said.

“To encourage the talented directors, I decided to be brave and tried my best to showcase the projects,” the producer added.

Though Jung did not have a particular role model or specific goal, he hopes to continue to introduce outstanding works to the public after his experience as producer of “Remember You” and “The Silent Sea.”

When asked why the sci-fi mystery short film was reproduced as a Netflix’s series, Jung said he believed Netflix was a perfect partner for many reasons.

“The project was first considered as a feature film. However, because Korean sci-fi flicks do not have a great reputation in the domestic market, there was a possibility of doing harm to the unique charm of the original ‘The Silent Sea,’” Jung said.

“When I turned my eyes to foreign production companies, Netflix welcomed the idea and hoped to turn the short film into an eight-part series. This was how another challenge was started, but I gladly accepted,” the producer added.

 

Jung Woo-sung (Netflix)

The actor said that being an executive producer was an interesting experience.

“When a new movie or drama series is unveiled, (as an actor) I should focus my performance on expressing the given role. But I had to see the bigger picture as a producer. I tried hard to listen to different comments and reflect on what I could have done better to satisfy viewers,” Jung said.

Though Jung thought that some criticisms were expected and certainly understandable, he hoped viewers and drama fans would see the new attempts being made through “The Silent Sea.”

“Because there were not a lot of sci-fi projects about the moon, we did not have enough data and references to look up. But I thought this was a chance for all of us, believing we could become a good reference when we produce the characteristics of the moon in an amazing fashion,” the passionate producer told The Korea Herald.

“The process was frightening, but we were proud after shooting the scenes,” Jung added.

Toward the end of the interview, Jung talked about the characters in the series.

“After the short film was chosen to be reproduced as a series, I believed it right to not star in the series. And when Gong Yoo was chosen to take the role of the space explorers’ captain, I was extremely satisfied with the news and did not have any thoughts of becoming involved in the series as an actor,” Jung told The Korea Herald.

While Jung previously questioned himself about the next season during the production stage, he said that he is currently more concerned about ways to meet viewers’ expectations and improve the series.

After its release on Dec. 24, 2021, the eight-part series ranked fifth in Netflix‘s global TV show list, according to FlixPatrol.

[Helena]

https://zapzee.net/2022/01/04/jung-woo-sung-says-lee-jung-jae-is-someone-who-always-supports-him-no-matter-what/
Jung Woo Sung Says Lee Jung Jae Is Someone Who Always Supports Him No Matter What

by krishkim

 

Jung Woo Sung made a pleasant transformation into a producer in the Netflix original series The Silent Sea. In a recent interview, Jung Woo Sung mentioned Squid Game‘s success and his best friend, Squid Game star Lee Jung Jae.

In September last year, Squid Game caused a global sensation when it became the most-watched Netflix series in the world, showing an unprecedented success. Though it became an excellent opportunity to introduce K-content to the world, other projects were forced to endure the pressure and expectations.

“(The standard of success has become Squid Game) It’s cruel,” he laughed. “We have to get rid of that standard quickly. It was a worldwide sensation and a social phenomenon. How many Hollywood movies have seen such a phenomenon? There is only a handful in the world. It’s a fateful phenomenon that cannot be easily achieved.”

 

Credit: High Cut

The topic naturally led to Squid Game star Lee Jung Jae, aka Jung Woo Sung’s best friend.

“When it comes to common decision-making, we talk about it together,” Jung Woo Sung shared. “For example, as for The Silent Sea, he was there supporting me the whole time. I stand by him too. This is respect. We see and understand what one another is trying to express and accept it as it is so that they can be conveyed well.”
Jung Woo Sung also showed off his friendship with the actor. “I felt proud (when he became a global star). So I teased him a lot when we worked on his movie together. I had so much fun just watching everything from his side.”

Lee Jung Jae was the first person who got the “special thanks” in The Silent Sea. “He’s someone who always watches and supports me even if I don’t say anything,” Jung Woo Sung relayed. “There is this gratitude I have for him, beyond doing something at the scene or giving him a gift. So there was no other person than him to come first on the list.”

Source (1)

[Helena]

https://k-odyssey.com/news/newsview.php?ncode=1065601774468418
‘The Silent Sea’ executive producer Jung Woo-sung “criteria based on ‘Squid Game’ are harsh”

연합뉴스 / 2022-01-04 17:29:03

 

▲ This photo, provided by Netflix, shows Jung Woo-sung, the executive producer of "The Silent Sea," the Netflix original series. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

 
SEOUL, Jan. 4 (Yonhap) -- S. Korean actor Jung Woo-sung (48), the executive producer of “The Silent Sea,” the Netflix original series, has mentioned, “Producing is hard as expected” at an online interview on Jan. 4.

 


Jung mentioned that there was a great burden after “Squid Game” has gained global popularity, raising worldwide expectations for the Korean content, adding, “It is harsh. The standard should be eliminated as soon as possible,” based on the current situation where the criteria for evaluating the work’s success are on the basis of “Squid Game.”

 


“The Silent Sea,” which depicts the story of a special team heading for the abandoned research station in the moon for a future Earth suffering an extreme water shortage, has remained in Netflix Global TOP10 since its release.

 

Jung admitted the evaluation that viewers’ preference on “The Silent Sea” varied and said, “I take in the criticism and continue to reflect on what I have missed as a producer.”

 


Jung Woo-sung, who gave the second try as a producer following the movie “Don’t Forget Me,” said, “I was worried about the commercial potential this time,” adding, ”I repeatedly thought about the director’s responsibility, intention and path of directing.”

Referring to main actors Bae Doo-na and Gong Yoo, he mentioned, “It makes me proud just by looking at them.”

He said there were expectations towards his cameo appearance and said, “I thought the attention should not be dispersed, so I refused. Instead, I made a voice appearance in the movie.”

 


Jung Woo-sung is currently ahead of the release of “Guardian,” the movie that he directed.  (END)

(C) Yonhap News Agency. All Rights Reserved

[Helena]

http://www.koreanfilm.or.kr/eng/news/features.jsp?blbdComCd=601013&mode=FEATURES_VIEW&seq=551
Settling Korean Cinema 2021 & Forecasting 2022

by KIM Subin | Jan 04, 2022

Settling Korean Cinema 2021 & Forecasting 2022

 

In 2021, a total of 60.52 million moviegoers visited movie theaters. It is a slight increase from 59.52 million viewers in 2020. However, the era of having 60 million viewers is still unfamiliar compared to the boom that exceeded 200 million viewers for the seventh consecutive year before the COVID-19. 2021 was the year when all workers in the film industry struggled amid uncontrolled variables. As if to relieve the thirst of moviegoers, the lineup of movie distributors in 2022 is full of Korean films.

 

Spoiler

The Efforts to Protect Movie Theaters

 

Escape from Mogadishu(2021), SINKHOLE(2021)

The year 2021 dawned without any promise to end the Pandemic. As a result, on January 11, the total number of moviegoers was 10,776, the lowest since 2004. However, the mood at the end of the year was a little different. On December 15, it recorded 634,948 viewers, the largest daily audience number since the Pandemic. Over the year, variables related to COVID-19, such as the start of COVID-19 vaccination, the emergence and spread of mutant viruses, changes in social distancing stages, and restrictions on movie theater business hours, have continuously affected the theater business. Especially, the recent resumption of restrictions on theater business hours led by the government policies caused the film industry workers to appeal for countermeasures. Major multiplexes such as CGV, Lotte Cinema, and Megabox tried to reduce the deficit by raising ticket prices. Korea Film Council made several attempts to attract audiences, including distributing 6,000 won discount tickets. The theater industry also joined forces with paid media services to release Korean tent pole movies. While both sides guaranteed 50% of the production cost, Escape from Mogadishu and SINKHOLE were released, attracting more than 2 million audiences respectively, recording meaningful results. In particular, attracting a total of 3.61 million viewers, Escape from Mogadishu was recognized for its cinematic quality, becoming the most popular Korean film of the year, while sweeping so many awards, including the Best Film, the Best Director, and the Best Art Direction at the Blue Dragon Film Awards.

 

Powerful Hollywood Movies & Good Fight of Korean TentPole Movies

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On the Line(2021), The Three Sisters(2021), Aloners(2021), Everglow(2021)

2021 was a year when overseas blockbuster films were powerful. In 2020, Korean films accounted for 68% and foreign films 32%, but in 2021, Korean films accounted for 32% while foreign films 69.9%, showing the opposite pattern. The fact that 8 out of the top 10 box office films were foreign films shows the aspect. Among foreign films, Hollywood blockbusters, which had delayed their release, were released one after another, chosen by the audience. Spider-Man: No Way Home surpassed 6 million viewers in Korea on the first weekend of January 2022, recording the largest number of the audience in the shortest time among the foreign movies released during the Pandemic. According to Box Office Mojo, the film earned $1.217.54 billion (about 1.4494 trillion won) worldwide by December 31, serving as a hero not only in Korea but also in global theaters. The Eternals, the third top among the last year's releases, was particularly popular in Korea with the merit of the Marvel series and Actor Don Lee's appearance, followed by Black Widow, Fast & Furious 9 THE FAST SAGA, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba the Movie: Mugen Train, Venom: Let There Be Carnage, Soul, and Cruella, making Top 10 in Korean box office hits.

2021 was also the year when special theaters such as IMAX were in the spotlight, proving the power only movie theaters have. The ticket sales and audience share of those premium theaters increased compared to 2019. The movie Dune, released in October, recorded sellouts every day at the IMAX theaters at the time of its release and surpassed 1 million viewers by re-screening at the IMAX theaters at the end of November. The popularity of large-scale blockbusters and special theaters proved the possibility of theaters in the Pandemic era and gave homework in terms of film diversity at the same time.

The number of Korean movies available in theaters decreased. Only two Korean films, Escape from Mogadishu and SINKHOLE, were ranked in the Top 10 in the box office. Although the films were released in the fourth stage of social distancing due to the re-proliferation of COVID-19, they attracted 3.61 million and 2.19 million viewers, respectively, serving as support for the theaters. Director Pil Gamsung's debut film Hostage: Missing Celebrity, and Directors Kim Gok and Kim Sun's crime thriller On the Line also surpassed 1 million viewers. Many Korean films delayed their release due to the theater conditions in the Pandemic or continued to be sold to the OTT market in 2021. Among them, independent art films such as The Three Sisters, Aloners, Everglow, Gull, A Long Way to School, and SNOWBALL received the spotlight, showing the power of good stories.

Active Roles of Creators in Chungmuro

 

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Last Night in Soho(2021), Mona Lisa and the Blood Moon(2021)

Following Korean content, 2021 was the year of keen interest in Korean film creators. The best example is that Actor Youn Yuhjung won the Best Supporting Actress for Minari at the Academy Awards in April. Five days after the prize-winning news was reported, Minari surpassed 1 million viewers, which is a rare case for diversity films. Director Bong Joonho served as the president of the International Jury of the Competition at the 78th Venice International Film Festival following the announcement of the opening of the 74th Cannes International Film Festival, where Actor Song Kangho participated as a judge. Director Hong Sangsoo's In Front of Your Face and Director Han Jaerim's Emergency Declaration were both invited to Cannes's Premier and Non-competitive section, respectively.

We also could meet Korean actors and staff members in many films in various languages. The Eternals, Actor Don Lee co-starred in, and Last Night in Soho, Director of Photography Chung Chunghoon participated in, were released, while Mona Lisa and the Blood Moon, starring Actor Jeon Jongseo, entered the competition section at the Venice International Film Festival. Although the casting news has not been officially announced, Actor Park Seojoon is taking on a new challenge by listing his name on IMDb credit for The Marvels, while Actor Yoo Teo was cast in Past Lives, which is invested and produced by A24 that produced Minari.

Meanwhile, OTT content made by the creators, who have strengthened their careers in Chungmuro, was also widely loved. Squid Game established itself as Netflix's top box office series, with 142 million households watching it for 28 days after its release. Subsequently, Hellbound and The Silent Sea drew attention, and the names of the creators who have strengthened their careers in the film industry, including Director Hwang Donghyuk, Director Yeon Sangho, Art Director Chae Kyungsun, and Music Director Jung Jaeil, were mentioned worldwide.

 

Korean Films That Will Fill Theater Screens

 

In the new year, masterpieces of Korean films are about to be released. According to the 2022 lineups revealed by distributors, Director Yim Soonrye will return with The Point Men, starring Hwang Jungmin and Hyun Bin. It is the story of a diplomat and an NSA agent trying to save a Korean kidnapped in the Middle East. Director Kim Sungjae's Bogota, who directed Minority Opinion, is a crime movie set in Bogota, Colombia. Both films suffered difficulties in overseas filming due to COVID-19 but were listed in the new lineup in 2022. Director Han Jaerim presents the aviation disaster movie Emergency Declaration. It is a blockbuster that required more than 20 billion won for its production, and Jeon Doyeon, Song Kangho, Lee Byunghun, and Kim Namgil form an ensemble. After Escape from Mogadishu, Director Ryoo Seungwan returns quickly with Smuggling, a crime film of the two women set in the 1970s. Kim Hyesoo, Yum Jungah, Jo Insung, and Park Jungmin will appear in the film.

We can also see the new films of film masters. Director Park Chanwook's Decision to Leave is a story that begins when a detective who investigates the death case in the mountain meets the wife of the deceased, starring Park Haeil and Tang Wei. Director Hirokazu Koreeda presents Broker, a story based on 'Baby Box,' which leaves a baby behind. Korean actors such as Song Kangho, Kang Dongwon, Bae Doona, Lee Jieun, and Lee Jooyoung star in, raising expectations. Director Choi Donghoon completed Alien, a story that unfolds as the door of time opens between the end of Goryeo and 2022 when aliens appear. Expectations are high only with the names of the cast, including Ryu Junyeol, Kim Woobin, Kim Taeri, So Jisub, Yum Jungah, Jo Woojin, and Kim Euisung.

New films with unique concepts will also add vitality to the theater district. Director Kang Yikwan's Virus (working title), starring Kim Yoonseok and Bae Doona, is set in the world where an unidentified virus spreads, which kills people who feel love within a few days. Director Kim Yonghwa's new film The Moon (working title) is the story of a man left alone in space and a man on Earth desperately trying to save him, starring Sul Kyunggu and Do Kyungsoo. Director Kim Taeyong's WONDERLAND features an artificial intelligence service that allows video calls with people who do not exist in the world. Park Bogum, Suji, Gong Yoo, Tang Wei, Jung Yumi, and Choi Woosik will star in the movie. Director Kang Hyungchul's new film High Five is a story about five people who accidentally gain superpowers. They bump into those who covet their superpowers. Lee Jaein, Yoo Ahin, , Ra Miran, and Kim Heewon star in the movie.

We can also expect the release of the sequels of the box office hits. Confidential Assignment, Hyun Bin and Yoo Haejin starred in, attracting 7.81 million viewers, will return with Confidential Assignment 2: International. Daniel Henney participates in a joint investigation as an agent from the US FBI in the film. Honest Candidate, which surpassed 1 million viewers in the Pandemic era, continues its sequel on the subject of the protagonist's return to politics. In The Pirates: Goblin Flag, the sequel to The Pirates, new cast members such as Kang Haneul and Han Hyojoo continue the adventures of the pirates in the Joseon Dynasty. Director Park Hoonjung is directing The Witch 2: The Other One, following The Witch: Part 1. The Subversion. Director Kim Hanmin completed the trilogy of Admiral Yi Sunshin, including Roaring Currents: The Road of the Admiral, Hansan, and Noryang.

What will the debut films made by actors look like? Actor Lee Jungjae will make his directorial debut with Hunt. It is a spy action film that takes place as NSA agents chase after a North Korean spy director sent to South Korea, starring Lee Jungjae and Jung Woosung. Actor Jung Woosung also directs Guardian and plays the main character in the movie. Guardian depicts the protagonist's struggle to protect only one person.

In addition, Director Kang Jekyu's 1947, Boston, Director Yoon Jekyun's Hero, Director Lee Wontae's The Devil's Deal, Director Lee Haeyoung's Ghost, Director Min Yonggeun's Soulmate, Director Kim Taegon's Silence, Director Lee Yosup's Accident, and Director Kim Hyungjoo's The Match have been announced to be released. The film industry workers and audiences are waiting in unison for the films to arrive safely on the screen.

 

—

 

https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/art/2022/01/689_321738.html
Upcoming Korean movies to watch in 2022

By Kwak Yeon-soo | 2022-01-05

 

The year 2022 is shaping up to be a big year for the film industry, with an enormous lineup of movies coming to theaters. These include a number of delayed blockbusters rescheduled for release in 2022 because of the pandemic, such as "Emergency Declaration," "Life is Beautiful" and "Hero."

New releases by directors like Kim Han-min, Choi Dong-hoon and Kim Yong-hwa will provide viewers with a wider selection. Some actors will also expand their talents behind the camera for their feature directorial debuts.

Long-awaited movie sequels will be among the biggest releases of 2022.

"The Pirates: Goblin Flag," a sequel to the 2014 action film, "The Pirates," will be coming to theaters on Jan. 26. The upcoming film, featuring Kang Ha-neul and Han Hyo-joo, promises a new adrenaline-pumping storyline and a cast of fresh faces. The previous movie, starring Son Ye-jin and Kim Nam-gil, garnered about 8.7 million in ticket sales in 2014.

"The Roundup," the sequel to the 2017 crime action film, "The Outlaws," is slated for release in the first half of 2022. Ma Dong-seok, also known as Don Lee in the U.S., will appear in a reprise of his iconic role as Ma Seok-do, while Son Suk-ku will newly join the cast as the villain. "The Outlaws" attracted more than 6.9 million moviegoers in 2017. 

"Confidential Assignment 2," a follow-up to the 2017 action comedy flick, "Confidential Assignment," will be arriving this year. It revolves around North Korean detective Lim Cheol-ryung (Hyun Bin) who joins hands with South Korean police detective Kang Jin-tae (Yoo Hai-jin) to complete a secret mission. The first installment racked up 7.8 million ticket sales in 2017. 

A few films that involved overseas filming during the pandemic will finally be released.

"The Point Men," featuring actors Hwang Jung-min and Hyun Bin, is based on a real event in Afghanistan that took place in 2007, when 23 South Korean missionaries were captured and held hostage. The film production of the hostage crisis drama, shot at least partly in Jordan, had been delayed due to the spread of the coronavirus. It is scheduled to hit theaters in the second half of 2022.

Crime drama film "Bogota: City of the Lost," featuring Song Joong-ki, will be unveiled this year. It experienced production disruptions due to the pandemic. As the film tells the story of Koreans who migrated to Colombia in the 1990s in search of a better life, the filming began in January 2020 in Colombia. However, the production team shut down production a few months later, as the pandemic forced film and TV shoots to pause their work. The production resumed in June of last year in Korea and finished filming in October. 

 

New releases by directors like Kim Han-min, Choi Dong-hoon and Kim Yong-hwa

Choi Dong-hoon, the director behind the commercially successful films, "The Thieves" (2012) and "Assassination," (2015) will present sci-fi crime flick "Alien," a two-part blockbuster about aliens living in Korea that travel back in time to the Joseon era (1392-1910). The leading cast includes Kim Tae-ri, Ryu Jun-yeol and Kim Woo-bin.

Director Kim Han-min, the mastermind behind "Roaring Currents" (2014), is returning with another naval epic, "Hansan: Rise of the Dragon," that centers on the legendary historical figure, Admiral Yi Sun-sin. "Roaring Currents" (2014) is by far the highest-grossing film in Korea, having garnered over 17 million moviegoers.

 

Kim Yong-hwa, the director behind the success of the "Along with the Gods" franchise, will return with "The Moon," a sci-fi blockbuster that features an all-star cast, including Seol Kyung-gu, Kim Hee-ae and EXO's D.O. 

Kang Je-kyu, whose early film, "Taegukgi: Brotherhood of War," (2004) drew 10 million viewers, will bring out a new film, "Boston 1947," which chronicles the stories of Korean athletes during the Boston Marathon in 1947.

 

Actors expanding their talents behind the camera for their feature directorial debuts.

"Squid Game" star Lee Jung-jae and actor Jung Woo-sung, who most recently produced Netflix's original series, "The Silent Sea," will make their directorial debuts this year, respectively. 

In his debut action film, "Hunt," set in the 1980s when the authoritarian regime was at its peak, Lee will play elite agent Park Pyung-ho, who chases after a North Korean spy while coming to terms with the truth about his country.

Jung's debut film, "Guardian," follows the story of a man who tries to protect his estranged daughter, who is kidnapped by a killer for hire.

[Helena]

[The Game Caterers 2] ep.1-1｜Rough Seflies And Unstable Temperature, Sudden Representative.. Chaos

#ChaosParty #It'sProbablyAWarlikeShooting #TheGameCaterers2 

Our first business trip to ARTISTCOMPANY! 

First, selfies you’ve never seen before(?) 
Then smartly managing the room temperature 
To be promoted as the representative in a blink….? 
It’s all so confusing, ARTISTCOMPANY
It’s a chaos with sense and sensibility colliding 
How will the legendary actors react with the Guess Who quiz? 

 

[The Game Caterers 2] ep.1-2｜The Cheekiest(?) Clients We’ve Met During Guess Who

 

#PrizeGoneInABlink #FriendshipGoneInABlink 
#GuessWhoIsADangerousGame 
#MassageSlippersAreAlwaysHere #TheGameCaterers2 

The reactions of legendary actors toward Guess Who! 
In the midst of actors acting strange, Group breakdown and cheekiness(?) all together, 
There’s no hope for humanity as the game goes on… 
What will be the results of Guess Who for ARTISTCOMPANY employees’ welfare? 

 

We'll come if you want us! 
Variety show delivery service is back [The Game Caterers 2] 

On tvN every [Fri.] night around 10:30 p.m.
Check out the full version on Channel Fullmoon 

For more information on our business trips: https://bit.ly/2RpuQE