Hwang Jung-Min 황정민 [Upcoming Movies: “12.12: The Day”, “Mission Cross”, “Veteran 2”, “Hope”]

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February 25, 2013
Hwang Jung-min for the other When A Man Loves
by javabeans dramabeans.com


My first thought upon hearing that Hwang Jung-min is up for a new role in When A Man Loves was to cry, fist in air, How many more A-list co-star careers will the Hand Towel ruin?! Because that’s the name of the new MBC drama that Song Seung-heon has joined.
Only to find out that no, this is a different project with the exact same name. Why? Who can tell. Goodness knows there are enough other cliched titles out there to recycle that you could avoid two in one season. YOU’D THINK.
At least Hwang Jung-min’s When A Man Loves is a movie, so the two are in different formats. They’re both heavy dramatic pieces, though: Song’s drama is a revenge melo about a guy in a crime organization, while Hwang’s… has no description attached other than “conventional melo.” Hwang’s movie comes from the producers of his recent dark thriller New World, and is the feature directorial debut of the assistant director on big crime films The Unjust and Nameless Gangster.
Hwang has yet to sign contracts but has given a verbal agreement, while the film searches for its female lead. It plans to begin filming in April. Meanwhile, Song Seung-heon recently attended his drama’s script reading, which is gearing up to begin filming to take up the post-Level 7 Civil Servant timeslot.
Via Star News l Nate

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February 21, 2013
The Engrossing NEW WORLD's Three Acclaimed ActorsNew Gangster Saga Excites Audiences with Charismatic Leads 

by Lee Eun-sun KOBIZ


According to director PARK Hoon-jung, New World is a movie about politics by gangsters. That’s right. The world in the film is mixed with loyalty, betrayals and dilemmas. It's full of violence and blood, as well. The three actors are so convincing that spectators will believe that the characters they play and the world they inhabit are real. New World comes comes to life with the mature performances of its three leads and will likely elicit gasps from audiences at theaters. Photographed by Jono Lee

 Choi Min-shik - Watching Not a Tree but a Whole Forest CHOI Min-shik is a master of acting. He exhibits this once again with New World. Now we should not only pay attention to his acting . It is time to carefully observe th eperformance of an actor who sees not a tree but a whole forest. - You must have found your character in the film very attractive. What made you think that this film would be an extraordinary work?  The story is simple except that it reminds of Internal Affairs (2003). I told director PARK about it. “In that manner, too many films are similar to one another, right?” director PARK told me. That makes sense. So I read the screenplay with more interest, studied the characters and found them interesting. Then I thought not only about myself but the entire cast. I like director PARK very much. Director PARK is excellent at designing his work and works very efficiently. I think it is premature to judge him on the basis of his sole previous work, The Showdown (2011).  - It was said that you yourself recommended LEE Jung-jae. Why?
Personally, I thought that a cool guy should play LEE Ja-sung in the film. Then an idea flashed across my mind. This was that LEE Jung-jae would be perfect for the role. But some worried about casting LEE as he was planning to act in a TV series. I insisted that we should call LEE first. We immediately called him. LEE was scheduled to sign a contract for the TV drama on that day of all days. I told LEE to make a decision after reading a screenplay that I would send him. “HWANG Jung-min and I are not as important as you in this project. Then think about it,” I added. (Laughs) Some actors refuse to play roles less important than younger actors. That kind of attitude is old fashioned and absurd. Actors should select their works by taking a long-range view of their works and careers. They need to have a more flexible attitude. Old actors become greater actors by expanding the scope of their acting. In this fashion, Korea will be able to have its own Alain DELON. It is one of the audience’s prerogatives to watch actors become more dignified and enhance their own attractiveness as they become older. I wanted New World to be a distinguished film. Actors and actresses are essential for making distinguished films. - Are you very good at reading other people’s minds?
Well, I am not bad. (Laughs) I easily trust people. I am simple so I hate thinking too hard. I hate being ambivalent. - Now you are shooting Myeong-Ryang (working title). You are playing another planning role in production of the next work, right?  Right. Admiral LEE Sun-shin of the Joseon Dynasty was a strategist. So I felt some burden. There is no reason why I should play the great admiral if the character is simply the hero LEE Sun-shin. Admiral LEE was a lonely man. In my opinion, Admiral LEE was not a dauntless leader but a resourceful one. Admiral LEE was lonely as he had trouble sleeping due to a nervous breakdown, suffered from diseases and had to fight uphill battles. This means that Admiral LEE was very humane. The film will depict how humane he was. by Lee Eun-sun  Hwang Jung-min - Knows the Real Taste of Acting HWANG Jung-min said that his character JUNG Chung is like a rainbow. This means that he has many characteristics. HWANG, who plays a man with strong versatility in the film shows the breadth of his acting experience. - Your character has an eager desire for a new life and world.
JUNG Chung has mysterious pathos. JUNG was a good-for-nothing at a traditional market in a rural town. He rises to the number-two position of the Gold Moon Group, an organized crime ring. The movie begins at that point. That premise is the core of the character. I wanted to express JUNG as a character with various colors. President BAEK in A Bittersweet Life (2004) is a simple character whereas JUNG is more complicated. In fact, President BAEK appears in A Bittersweet Life only four times. Audiences love the character so much so I wanted to act as him better. So New World was like one more chance was given to me. - JUNG Chung seems somewhat light. But, in fact, the character is powerful.
That is right. JUNG is very playful and at the same time, brutal. Even at important moments, he enjoys making a joke. Such is the allure of JUNG Chung. In his first scene, JUNG wears a white suit and sleepering gear for airplanes at an airport. His henchman is holding his shoes. This matches him well. I wanted to make audiences think, “Who the hell is that guy?” when I appear for the first time in the film. I expressed JUNG through one strong image without saying anything. About 50% of my dialogue was improvised. - How similar are you to the character?
When I received the script, the producer told me that I fit for the role. “The only thing that you have to do is to swear in the film,” the producer told me. “Do you know what the most difficult thing in acting is,” I asked the producer. When I act, the most difficult thing is to show myself – HWANG Jung-min. It is extremely difficult for me to see me objectively. Even after I turned 40, it is still very difficult. - Do you know the taste of acting now?
I have enjoyed acting more since I turned 40. Everything became more comfortable. In my 30s, I acted as if I fought in a battle. Now I feel great as I work as a more mature actor. It is like thinking, “Ok, fine,” even after hearing “Your acting is not good.” The more I think that I have to act well, the more unnatural my acting becomes. Audiences already know that I can act well. I cannot do better.  All I have to do is enjoy acting. Having fun is important in my acting. In a sense, that means I feel comfortable. I do not want to act until I die. I want to do something different some day. This is because we only live once. by Jun Jong-hyuk 
Lee Jung-jae - Finds a Breakthrough in a Dilemma LEE Ja-sung in this film is a man with a dilemma. The character is involved in two worlds – the police and an organized crime ring. But he does not feel free in either. Actor LEE Jung-jae played the man who suffers from this agonizing dilemma in New World. - You acted in a male-oriented movie for the first time in a while, right?
Well, yes. Eight years have passed since my previous male-oriented film Typhoon (2005). I got a call from CHOI Min-shik when filming of The Thieves (2012) was in its final stage. “There is a new movie project, New World starring HWANG and me. We are looking for an actor who will play a character called ‘Ja-sung’,” CHOI told me. Male actors have a desire to show action in a powerful movie, right? I was attracted to New World as it is an infrequent noir film. I like this work as it is earnest although it is less complicated. - How did you approach your character? Ja-sung is a cop but infiltrates a crime ring by hiding his true identity. In the ring, Ja-sung feels for JUNG Chung (HWANG Jung-min). But Ja-sung is torn between the two worlds as he has a mission. Ja-sung is a man who sometimes wants to quit everything including spying on the crime ring. But he cannot. The character becomes more involved in the ring. Ja-sung has a desire to escape from a certain world but ought to stand it. So I told director PARK, “I feel as if I were acting not in a noir film but in a melodrama.” “Right, I want that feeling,” director PARK answered. (Laughs) - Was New World a time for thinking about the presence of a man?
Definitely I felt a kind of force. That is something powerful that only men can have. You feel your blood boil when you hear words like loyalty, desire and power, right? New World is such a movie to men. Everyone falls in a dilemma in their lives. If a person confronts a dilemma of choosing one, it will be troublesome and painful. Ja-sung also struggles to find a breakthrough among tough guys. - In the early days of your career, you acted mainly in melodramas such as Il Mare (2000) and Interview (2000). But recently, you have acted mainly in action thrillers such as The Thieves and The Face Reader. Did you change your standards to select your films?
Well, frankly speaking, I have no idea. My old image was soft and my current image is tough. So, has my image changed? I think that I cannot answer this question yet. I think I need two or three more years to find out the answer after playing more characters. Maybe, I will be able to find a proper color for myself after playing many roles. But one thing is clear. Now I am sure that acting is not to play a character or become attracted to a character but to assimilate within a character. by Ji Yong-jin

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March 3, 2013
'New World‘ over 2 millions audiences 10 days after the release
Source: Innolife Korea


The movie will break 2 millions audiences 10 days after the release.
On 2nd according to movie ticket computer network ‘New World’ recorded 307,814 audiences in a day, and 1,988,493 accumulated audiences on 1st, topped the box office. Released on February 21st ‘New World’ will break 2 millions audiences for 9 days. On the 10th day after the release it will became certain.
‘New World’ is now a box office hit topped the reservation and box office on the second week after release. The speed of ‘New World’ is same to ‘Nameless Gangster’ which recorded the best score among movies rated NC-17 released on 2012, proving its hot popularity.
Meanwhile ‘Miracle in Cell No.7’ drawing 10 millions audiences for the 8th times among Korean movies, had 298,871 audiences on 1st. The number of accumulated audiences is 11,225,537. It was released on January 23rd.

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Photos from Nate (misc sources)

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Source: Nate

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Source: Nate

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March 6, 2013
2013 Action Men: Shin Ha Kyun vs Lee Byung Hun vs Hwang Jung Min
Running Man vs Storm Shadow vs Fist of Legend
Source: Nate 1 l 2 l 3
Three of Korea's top movie actors, Shin Ha Kyun, Lee Byung Hun and Hwang Jung Min will go head-to-head as main action guys of 2013 in their upcoming movies. Shin Ha Kyun's movie 'Running Man' which is the first Korean movie to be produced by a major Hollywood movie studio will be released in April, similar to Hwang Jung Min's 'Fist of Legend' to be released on April 11. 
Meanwhile, actor Lee Byung Hun's Hollywood blockbuster sequel 'GI Joe: Retaliation' will be released on March 28 in a worldwide premiere.

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March 12, 2013

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March 13, 2013
'New World' set for release in Europe
By Lee Sun-min Korea JoongAng Daily
Action movie “New World” will be released in France and Germany after coming out in the United States and Canada next week, according to the film distributor Finecut yesterday.
French distributor TF1 and German buyer MFA will bring the movie starring Lee Jung-jae of “The Thieves” (2012) and Choi Min-sik of “Old Boy” (2003) to the European Continent. 
“?‘New World’ keeps showing new things and never lets [the audience] get bored,” said President Christian Meinke of MFA, according to Finecut. “The movie has a very [unique] story line and highlights talented actors.”
TF1 has previously distributed “The Man from Nowhere,” released in France in 2010. 
MFA distributed two 2009 films by director Bong Joon-ho, “Thirst” and “Mother,” and 2012 movie “Pieta” by director Kim Ki-duk to German-speaking countries. 
“New World,” which was released here last month, attracted more than 3.5 million moviegoers to theaters as of Tuesday. 

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March 19, 2013
Ticket sales for 'New World' pass 4 million mark
YonhapNews
SEOUL, March 19 (Yonhap) -- South Korean movie "New World" has exceeded 4 million tickets sold in local cinemas, official box-office data showed Tuesday.
   The star-studded noir-action film had sold about 4.17 million tickets as of Monday, 26 days after opening in local cinemas, according to the Korean Film Council that tracks the box-office figures.
   A film drawing an audience of 4 million is normally considered a commercial success in South Korea with a population of 50 million.
   Starring Lee Jung-jae, Choi Min-shik and Hwang Jung-min, the flick is about a young police detective sent to infiltrate an organized crime ring as a mole. After eight years of living a double life as a member of the ring, he succeeds in gaining the trust of the organization's No. 2 man but soon lands in trouble as police begin an operation to bust the gang members.
   It was written and directed by Park Hoon-jung who made his directorial debut with "The Showdown" in 2010. He is best known as the script writer of "I Saw the Devil" (2010) by director Kim Jee-woon and "The Unjust" (2010) directed by Ryoo Seung-wan.
   

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March 8, 2013
In Focus: New World
by Darcy Paquet KOBIZ

 South Korea has produced many gangster films in the last 15 years, but according to director PARK Hoon-jung, the film New World represents something different. Modeled after such works as The Godfather and the Hong Kong film Infernal Affairs, New World is a “gangster epic” that instead of training its eye on the plight of one or two individual characters, expands its scope to focus on the broader structures of power that govern a crime organization. It is, in other words, about the politics of a criminal gang.
 
LEE Jung-jae plays a police officer who over the course of eight years has been passing himself off as a member of the powerful Goldmoon crime syndicate. With a baby on the way, he is desperate to retire, however his handler Chief Kang (CHOI Min-shik) keeps him on as a succession struggle develops between the gang’s number 2 (HWANG Jung-min) and number 3 (PARK Sung-woong) members. The film details both the inner workings of Goldmoon, where rival factions quickly develop around the two prospective leaders, and the efforts of the police to infiltrate and control the crime syndicate and its business activities. Director PARK Hoon-jung first attracted notice within the Korean film industry for writing the screenplays for RYOO Seung-wan’s The Unjust (2010) and KIM Jee-woon’s I Saw the Devil (2010). He made his debut as a director in 2011 with the period film The Showdown, which was largely overlooked by Korean viewers upon its release. However with his second film New World he has scored a major commercial success, landing at the top of the box office chart. The film also sold well to international territories at the recent European Film Market, held during the Berlin International Film Festival. Critics have praised the film for its colorful cast of characters and the strong acting performances, and it has managed to successfully distinguish itself within Korea’s tradition of gangster films. Already there is talk about the possibility of a sequel, given that PARK’s original script covered a much broader period of time and contained much material that was excised. PARK, who claims to have seen The Godfather more than 100 times, is also surely aware that throughout film history this particular sub-genre has turned out numerous interesting sequels. In the meantime, New World will reach international viewers in a surprisingly short time, with North American distributor Well Go USA planning to release the film in early spring.

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Source: Nate
Special gifts from HJM for lucky audience when 'New World' exceeds 5 million admission

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March 22, 2013
'New World' borrows from the best to make a highly entertaining crime drama
BY: DAVID VOIGT Examiner.com
 Once in a while in a trip to the multiplex we get the occasional treat from another country. Opening today in theaters in Toronto and Vancouver is the film that has been number #1 at the Korean Box Office for the past two weeks and is now launching on screens throughout North America today. "New World" is a taught and intense crime thriller featuring some of the finest heavyweights that the country has to offer.
In "New World" the head of the Goldmoon crime syndicate is dead, leaving his top two lieutenants to now vie for the job. Seizing the opportunity, the police launch an operation called “New World,” with the perfect weapon. The boss’ right hand man, Ja-sung (Lee Jung-jae), who has been a deep-cover operative for 8 years, closely watched by handler Police chief Kang (Choi Min-sik). With a baby on the way, and living in mortal fear of being exposed as a mole, Ja-sung is torn between his duty and honor as a cop, and the fiercely loyal gang members who will follow him to hell and back. Using inside information from Ja-sung to damage the relationship between the two feuding contenders, suspicions grow that a traitor lives in their ranks. The ruthless Jeong (Hwang Jung-min) escalates the game by hiring hackers to search the police database. As Operation New World closes in, and with the stakes climbing higher and a gangland bloodbath guaranteed among those that remain, Ja-sung makes a final, shocking decision no one could have predicted.
For only his second trip in the director's chair, Park Hoon-jung has crafted a slick crime drama that admittedly draws from a variety of obvious influences at times is still a tightly wound pot boiler of a film that will put you on the edge of your seat from minute one. It's the kind of film that keeps the spark alive from an intellectual basis as the back and forth manoeuvrings and human chess playing is a marvel to watch as all these different factions vie for power and maintaining their own interests. Hoon-jung's script while a little slow in the first act picks up steam at all the right moments, slowly sucking the audience into the intense drama of it all and the impossible choices that these characters are forced to make provides for some great viewing thanks to some solid lead performances.
Lee Jung-jae as the conflicted Ja-sung draws us in as a man on the edge between living a normal life or a life who commands loyalty power and respect at every single turn as both sides of his conscience and his life pull at him to the point where he is forced to make some very difficult choices. The iconic Choi Min-sik as the rough around the edges police chief Kang gristles when he's on screen with a sincere I don't give a... kind of attitude and it works to perfection as both these men are working towards very different ends and both man has reached the point where the other has simply become too unpredictable and neither man can trust the other. Both actors slid into the roles with ease and worked exceptionally well when together and even better when apart as both men command the screen at every frame. Hwang Jung-min brings a manic energy as Jeong the friend and partner to Ja-sung that could easily hug him one minute or stab him to death the next one.
While watching this film you couldn't help but get the feeling that writer/director Park Hoon-jung wanted "New World" to be an iconic gangster that would transcend language barriers and be remembered alongside some of the Hollywood classics. The film doesn't quite get there given the numerous elements borrowed from films that so obviously inspired him, it gets pretty darn close and is a highly entertaining gangster flick that is more than worth a look.
4 out of 5 stars

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http://www.filmfestdc.org/

March 26, 2013
Hit Korean Films Invade US CapitalDANCING QUEEN and MASQUERADE Selected for Filmfest DC

by Pierce Conran KOBIZ


Two of the biggest Korean hits of last year are set to play in the heart of America, after being programmed for Filmfest DC, which begins its 10-day run on April 11th in Washington DC. Dancing Queen and Masquerade, both CJ Entertainment titles, each landed in 2012’s top 10 performing Korean films. Starring the popular singer and actress Uhm Jeong-hwa, as well as the versatile charcter actor Hwang Jung-min (currently in the hit gangster flick New World), Dancing Queen was a successful musical comedy drama that lit up the charts during the Lunar New Year holiday in late January. Korea’s other big holiday, the Chuseok (or thanksgiving) festivities that usher in the fall, set the scene for Masquerade's record-breaking box office run. The period drama starring Lee Byung-hun, and based on the oft-told ‘Prince and the Pauper’ tale, became the third most successful Korean film of all time, though as of earlier this month it has since dropped to number four following Miracle in Cell No. 7’s blockbuster run. Washingtonians will be privy to the best in commercial Korean cinema when the 2013 edition of Filmfest DC gets underway in mid-April.

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March 29, 2013
'New World' Gets High Praise in U.S.
The ChosunIlbo
"New World" has received rave reviews in the United States since its release in North America on March 22.
The New York Times said "'New World' is both less bloody and more thoughtful than most of its genre, the shifting-alliances plot becoming more engrossing as it progresses."


And the Los Angeles Times wrote that "writer-director Park Hoon-jung tells this twisty story of internecine warfare within a Korean corporate crime syndicate with patience, elegance and no small amount of bloodshed."
Another critic said that no one has made a gangster movie like "New World" in the United States for the past few years.
The film is soon expected to top 4.5 million viewers in Korea.

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March 29, 2013
New World Receives Favorable Reactions from Foreign Press“Both Less Bloody and More Thoughtful than Most of Its Genre”
by Kim Hyun-min  KOBIZ
Park Hoon-jung’s New World, the first film for grown-ups to attract over 4 million viewers in 2013, has been receiving a mass of favorable comments from the press since its release in North America on March 22nd. IMDb and Rotten Tomatoes posted psotive comments from renowned press companies as follows:
“New World is both less bloody and more thoughtful than most of its genre, the shifting-alliances plot becoming more engrossing as it progresses.” New York Times (Jeannette Catsoulis), “Writer-director Hoon-jung Park tells this twisty story of internecine warfare within a Korean corporate crime syndicate with patience, elegance and no small amount of bloodshed.” Los Angeles Times (Gary Goldstein), “All that said, no one in American movies has made a crime opera this good in years.” Salon.com (Andrew O'Hehir) and more. The flood of praises proved the potential of New World in the United States.

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Thanks to adeleyam for the highlight at LBH-soompi.com


April 4, 2013
The 49th Paeksang Arts Awards will be held at Peace Hall, Seoul Kyunghee University on May 9, 2013.
Source: JoinsMSN.com

Best Actor Nominees
Ryu Seung-Ryong - The Gift From Room 7Song Joong-Ki - Werewolf BoyLee Byung-Hun - Gwanghae: The Man Who Became KingHa Jung-Woo - BerlinHwang Jung-Min - New World
Source: Nate

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April 5, 2013
Two Well Organized Popcorn Movies
by Lee Eun-sun KOBIZ
▶ Filled with humanity as well as action - Fist of Legend   

▶ informationDirector KANG Woo-suk | Starring HWANG Jung-min, YU Jun-sang, YOON Je-moon | Genre Action, Drama | Running Time 153 Minutes | Rating 18+ | Release April 10 ▶ synopsisThere were many boys who excelled at fighting and left their own tales of heroism at their schools. Some of them are now the owner of a noodle restaurant who became frustrated as he lost a boxing match to become a champion, a manager at a large company who ran out of self-respect to gain promotion and a good-for-nothing guy who dreams of becoming a somebody. These guys were friends back in their school days. But now they begin their last matches not for themselves but for someone else.

“I think that Fists of Legend is a movie like a boxer who waits for the gong to make a sound to begin to fight in a ring just ahead of the start of a boxing match.” Director KANG Woo-suk poured humanity into Fists of Legend. “We need to see the world including family love and friendship among men more positively,” KANG emphasized. When people come to see this movie, they will expect fight or action scenes. But after the end of the film, they will experience human feelings.” KANG is still a very influential to audiences. Fist of Legend is the 19th film by KANG who has directed films with various themes in genres such as comedy, action, thriller and drama. KANG brought JUNG Doo-hong as the fight choreographer for the film to create exciting action scenes. An extravagant show is added on top of that. Fists of Legend deals not only with stormy actions but also with a heartfelt story of three buddies, with a big TV fight show as its setting. Their story travels through the past and the present. The film literally shows “human actions.” Once the three friends cultivated their friendship and had fun together. But a twist of fate forces them to meet again in the ring. They fight with their whole lives at stake, which will excite audiences. Actors HWANG Jung-min, YU Jun-sang and YOON Je-moon perfectly fit their roles in the film. They successfully transformed into legendary fighters with sharp eyes through hard training. The film contains the actors’ strong passions, who wouldn't delay shooting even after they became injured. Their real actions lead to dramatic action skill duels. The movie is touching and full of suspense.
▶ Unique Korean action selected by Hollywood - Running Man ▶ informationDirector CHO Dong-oh | Starring SHIN Ha-kyun, LEE Min-ho, KIM Sang-ho | Genre Action | Running Time 127 minutes | Rating 15+ | Release April 4 ▶ synopsisCHA Jong-woo is the father of a son who is 18 years younger than him. He earns a living by working for an auto repair center in the daytime and as a cab driver at night. One day, a passenger is found dead in his taxi. Then Jong-woo runs scared . But overnight, he becomes the main suspect of the murder case. Jong-woo is chased by the police, reporters and unidentified men. Finally, Jong-woo prepares to strike back.

The Korean Film Council selected Running Man as for support from its global project which the council introduced with a view to promoting Korean films’ advancement into overseas markets in 2012. Running Man is the first Korean film to receive major investment from 20th Fox International Productions. “Running Man shows various characters and unexpected events and actions with an ordinary citizen as its lead,” said Sanford PANITCH, a representative of FIP. “This film will show new possibilities of Korean movies by utilizing characters, Korean emotions, and fresh action based on the geographical characteristics of Seoul.” Running Man tells a story of a man who gets involved in a murder case in downtown Seoul and is falsely accused and then chased as the main suspect. The film shows new possibilities for Korean films with an implausible situation, a realistic fugitive story, Korean humor and a universal theme that can cross borders. Actions by the fugitive and his chasers offer thrills different from those of other Korean films that usually center on confrontations. Purely physical actions based on landforms and installations on the ground are quite realistic.    SHIN Ha-kyun previously played unique characters in Joint Security Area, Sympathy For Mr. Vengeance, Welcome To Dongmakgol and Thirst. SHIN attempted his first action film through Running Man. SHIN is afraid of heights but he overcame his vertigo and completed his action scenes. YANG Kil-young, the stunt coordinator of The Host and Old Boy differentiated the action scenes with practical ideas in Running Man.

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April 6, 2013
'Fist of Legend,' simultaneously being released in Korea & US
Source: Innolife Korea 

Director Kang Woo-Suk's new movie 'Fist of Legend' is being released in 20 cities in North America. It will be the biggest simultaneous release among the movies distributed to the foreign countries by Korean distributor. 
According to CJ Entertainment, 'Fist of Legend,' which is being released in Korea on the 10th, will be released in 20 North American cities on the 12th(local time). The cities include; Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, Washington D.C, Las Vegas, San Francisco, Atlanta, Philadelphia, San Diego, Seattle, Houston, Dallas and New Jersey in the US, and Toronto and Vancouver in Canada. 
'Gwanghae' and 'Berlin,' which was also distributed by CJ Entertainment, were also released in North America in similar scale, but it was carried out after two or three weeks after being released in Korea. 'Fist of Legend' is first to be simultaneously released in such a big scale as in Korea. 
'Fist of Legend' will also have special press conference in LA before its release. Director Kang Woo-Suk will participate in the press conference and have an interview with major media. [picture=CJ Entertainment]

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April 8, 2013
FISTS OF LEGEND to Premier in Korea and US in Same WeekOpen in the States April 12th, 2 Days After Korea by Lee Eun-sun KOBIZ
 
 Fists of Legend, directed by KANG Woo-suk, will premiere in 20 cities in North America on April 12th (local time). In Korea, the human action film is scheduled for release on April 10th. So the film will premiere in North America and Korea in the same week. The film will be screened at 23 theaters in 20 cities include LA, New York, Chicago, Washington D.C., Las Vegas, San Francisco, Atlanta, Philadelphia, San Diego, Seattle, Houston, Dallas and New Jersey in the U.S. and Toronto and Vancouver in Canada. Previously, Masquerade and The Berlin File were released on a similar scale, but they were released in North America two and three weeks, respectively, after their releases in Korea. Fist of Legend will be the first Korean film to be premiered both in Korea and the U.S. in the same week. Among KANG Woo-suk films, Two Cops (1994), How to Top My Wife (1995) and Public Enemy Returns (2008) have previously screened in America. In the meantime, a special preview of Fists of Legend will be held in LA today (April 8th) before its official premiere in the U.S. Director KANG will take part in the preview and give interviews to the local press.