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

[rubie]

February 3, 2016

"A Violent Prosecutor" opening score: 5th place at 520,000 ticket sales

Source: OSEN via Hancinema.net

Actors Hwang Jeong-min and Kang Dong-won's movie "A Violent Prosecutor" has a reputable opening score.

According to the Korea Film Council, "A Violent Prosecutor", which was released in 1,226 theaters on the 3rd, gathered 525,636 audiences and came in 1st in the Box Office that day.

This makes the movie the fifth record holder including foreign movies. The first was "The Admiral: Roaring Currents" (682,701), second was "The Avengers: The Age of Ultron" (626,165), third was "KUNDO : Age of the Rampant" (551,841) and fourth was "Transformers 3" (545,995).

"A Violent Prosecutor" beat "Kung Fu Panda 3" that was in first place all along since its release.

"A Violent Prosecutor" is about an investigator named Jae-wook (Hwang Jeong-min) in prison who meets a fraud named Chi-won (Kang Dong-won) who can clear him name.

The movie was of great issue as it's the first time Hwang Jeong-min and Kang Dong-won came together. Hwang Jeong-min succeeded greatly with the movies "Veteran", "Ode to My Father" and "The Himalayas" while Kang Dong-won brought about a syndrome with "The Priests".

[rubie]

February 4, 2016

‘A Violent Prosecutor’ dominates box office

(Showbox)

Korean movie “A Violent Prosecutor” attracted the fifth highest number of moviegoers here on its release date, drawing 525,750 viewers on Wednesday, grossing 3.95 billion won ($3.28 million).

The number of viewers who watched the film on Wednesday marks the fifth highest opening day numbers among films released here. 

“The Admiral: Roaring Currents” (2014) takes first place with 682,701 viewers on its release date. “Avengers: Age of Ultron” (2015) is second with 622,165 viewers. This is followed by “Kundo: Age of the Rampant” (2014), which attracted 551,841 moviegoers, and “Transformers: Dark of the Moon” (2011), with 544,995 moviegoers.

The lead actors are likely to have played a significant role in the good turnout for “A Violent Prosecutor.” Veteran actor Hwang Jung-min plays a prosecutor sentenced to jail on charges of murder. Actor Gang Dong-won is an attractive yet conniving young man. 

Another factor could be the large number of screens it is being shown on -- 1,266 screens as of Wednesday. In contrast, other homegrown films are being shown on fewer screens. “SORI: Voice from the Heart” is being shown on 315 screens while “A Melody to Remember” is being shown on 368 screens, as of Wednesday. 

“A Violent Prosecutor” revolves around a prosecutor, Jae-wook, who runs into a shrewd and conniving guy called Chi-won. Jae-wook attempts to prove his innocence by teaming up with Chi-won to discover the mastermind behind the web of lies that led to his imprisonment. 

By Son Ji-hyoung (json@heraldcorp.com)

[rubie]

February 4, 2016

Koreans watched record 4.22 films each last year


(Yonhap)

South Koreans watched 4.22 movies in average last year, the highest since the Korean Film Council began tallying online ticketing statistics in May 2004.

According to the KOFIC’s report on the 2015, the number of moviegoers rose 1 percent on-year to post 217.2 million people, surpassing the 200 million mark for three years in a row. 

Industry sales also jumped 4.2 percent to 2.11 trillion won, hitting the 2 trillion mark for two consecutive years. 

KOFIC officials said ticket sales for Korean movies logged 112.9 million people, about half of the total moviegoers last year. 

2015 was a lucrative year for the Korean film market, with a slew of mega-hit films such as “Northern Limit Line,” “Veteran,” “The Beauty Inside” and “Inside Men.”

“South Korean movies used to have a lot of ups and downs but have been growing steadily in recent years,” said Tae Eun-jeong, researcher at KOFIC. "Exports are expected to rise continuously, as many movies are targeting both domestic and foreign viewers.”

(khnews@heraldcorp.com)

[rubie]

February 3, 2016

South Korea box office hits record high in 2015

BY JEAN NOH ScreenDaily

Theatrical box office was up 3.1% while admissions also grew; local films took 52% of admissions.

South Korea box office hits record high in 2015

South Korea’s film industry grew 4.2% last year to rack up a record KW2.1 trillion ($1.7bn), according to the Korean Film Council (KOFIC). The governmental organization says the growth is due to increase in box office and ancillary sales.

Theatrical box office was up 3.1% to a record $1.4bn (KW1.71 trillion).

Admissions also went up 1% to a record 217 million, meaning South Koreans saw an average of 4.22 films per person last year. Overall, local films took 52% of admissions in 2015. Local films clocked up 112 million admissions, up 4.9% from the previous year, while foreign films took 104 million, down 2.8%.

TV and internet VOD demand contributed to the growth of the digital online market which saw a 12.7% jump to $270m (KW334.9bn). IPTV grew 15.7% to make up for 78% of ancillary markets, while internet VOD grew 16.7% compared to 2014.

According to KOFIC, exports for the Korean film industry were down 12% to $55.5m due to less demand for local film servicing from international productions, such as the location shoot for The Avengers: Age Of Ultron.

However, sales for completed films went up 11.3% to $29.3 million. This was made up of $16.8m for contracts signed in 2015 plus overages from films previously sold.

The latter saw a massive 62% jump to $12.5m due to increases in foreign box office receipts and profits from films sold to China in 2014 that saw additional sales in ancillary markets.

A total of 121 more films than 2014 sold overseas, bringing last year’s total to 650 films exported.

Box Office Top 10

(title/country/admissions/distributor)

1. Veteran (S. Korea) 13.4 million, CJ E&M
2. Assassination (S. Korea) 12.7 million, Showbox
3. The Avengers: Age Of Ultron (US) 10.4 million, Walt Disney Company Korea
4. Ode To My Father (S. Korea) 8.9 million, CJ E&M
5. Inside Men (S. Korea) 7.2 million, Showbox
6. The Throne (S. Korea) 6.2 million, Showbox
7. Kingsman: The Secret Service (UK-US) 6.1 million, 20th Century Fox Korea
8. Mission Impossible - Rogue Nation (US) 6.1 million, Lotte Entertainment
9. Northern Limit Line (S. Korea) 6 million, NEW
10. Jurassic World (US) 5.5 million, Universal Pictures International Korea

[rubie]

February 5, 2016

Review: Good guy in ‘Prosecutor’ is the same old guy

Source: INSIDE Korea JoongAng Daily

Hwang Jung-min, left, plays the falsely imprisoned prosecutor Jae-wook, who seeks revenge with the help of a pretty-faced con man named Chi-won, played by Gang Dong-won, in the just-released film “A Violent Prosecutor.” [SHOWBOX]

When watching the just-released action comedy “A Violent Prosecutor,” it’s hard to shake the feeling that the film is trying to catch up with Korea’s latest film trend, albeit belatedly. 

Directed by newbie filmmaker Lee Il-hyeong, the film follows an upright prosecutor named Jae-wook (Hwang Jung-min) who ends up in prison and falsely accused of killing a suspect who was found dead after undergoing rough interrogation. 

While finding a way to take revenge on his boss, the would-be politician who set up Jae-wook in the first place by persuading him to admit the charges, he teams up with Chi-won (Gang Dong-won), a pretty-faced swindler with a long criminal record who knows a thing or two about the ongoing case. 

By tipping him off with some insider information, Jae-wook gets Chi-won freed from the cell, making the best use of his legal knowledge. 

From then on, Chi-won becomes an avatar for the still-imprisoned Jae-wook, trying to dig up enough evidence to open a retrial for the case. 

The best part of the film is Gang’s comedic performance as a mischievous con man, which is highly in contrast to the solemn priest apprentice he played in last year’s film “The Priest.” 

Unlike his image as a chic model-turned-actor, his character as a blustering liar who insists to his naive girlfriend that his Busan dialect derives from the Pennsylvania region where he attended Wharton School is truly entertaining.

However, Hwang’s demanding and wacky prosecutor character is far from being original, as versions of it appeared on the big screen in many forms last year, best represented by “The Advocate: A Missing Body” and “Inside Men.” 

Especially since Hwang won accolades for portraying a righteous cop in last year’s No. 1 hit “Veteran,” another version of the same character feels very redundant.

An unlikely matchup of the enforcer of the law and the one he should be chasing is also something we’ve seen already in “Inside Men.”

So in the end, the film’s charm has to be found in its comedic aspect.

In addition to Gang’s performance, attention-grabbing sidekicks played by Park Sung-woong, Kim Byung-ok and Hwang Byung-kook make the film an easy-to-watch option at the box office during Lunar New Year. 

The film opened nationwide Wednesday.

BY JIN EUN-SOO [jin.eunsoo@joongang.co.kr]

[rubie]

Source: 네이버영화카페 (네영카) ‏@navermoviecafe 

[rubie]

February 5, 2016

'Violent Prosecutor' surges at box office

Source: The Korea Times 

Hwang Jung-min, top, and Kang Dong-won from "A Violent Prosecutor"

Crime-comedy movie "A Violent Prosecutor" is at full throttle, having drawn about a million theatergoers nationwide only two days after its opening, topping the box office.

The movie, with A-list male stars Hwang Jung-min and Kang Dong-won, sold over 520,000 tickets on Wednesday, followed by more than 460,000 Thursday. The opening score beat last year's two biggest blockbusters, "Veteran" (410,000) and "Assassination" (470,000).

With the Lunar New Year holiday season running from this weekend until Wednesday, the movie is expected to attract as many theatergoers again in the next couple of days.

In the movie, a temperamental prosecutor, Byun Jae-wook (Hwang), is framed for murder and thrown in prison. With sly con artist Chi-won (Kang), who he meets in prison, Byun plans a counterattack on those who set him up. 

aoshima11@ktimes.com

[rubie]

Source: 네이버영화카페 (네영카) ‏@navermoviecafe 

[rubie]

February 5, 2016

Crime Comedy Set to Dominate Holiday Box Office with Ease

Source: The Chosun Ilbo

A crime comedy starring top actors Hwang Jung-min and Kang Dong-won looks set to be the unchallenged box office leader over the Lunar New Year holiday. 

"A Violent Prosecutor," which hit theaters on Wednesday, attracted 525,752 viewers on its opening day alone, leaping straight into the top box-office spot. Its nearest competitor, No. 2-ranked "Kung Fu Panda 3," drew 63,659 moviegoers. 

The film's opening day tally surpassed those of such blockbusters as last year's "Assassination" and "Veteran," which drew some 470,000 and 410,000 viewers on their opening days and went on to sell over 10 million tickets each. 

"A Violent Prosecutor" is likely to continue to dominate the box office for the week to come as few other options are available in theaters. Showbox is the only major domestic distributor releasing a film targeting the Lunar New Year holiday lasting until next Wednesday, leaving the flick without big rivals.

[rubie]

Source: 네이버영화카페 (네영카) ‏@navermoviecafe 

[rubie]

February 5, 2016

Film 'A Violent Prosecutor, reaches 1 million admission on second day of release

Source: Innolife.com

Film 'A Violent Prosecutor' ranked top on Box Office with a million audiences in its second day since the release.

According to movie ticket collective network on February 5th, 'A Violent Prosecutor' ranked top on Box Office with 465, 463 audiences on February 4th.

'A Violent Prosecutor' is on its second day of release, and it already reached one million viewers. It is an overwhelming opening score.

Meantime, 'A Violent Prosecutor' was an issue as actor Hwang Jeong-Min and Gang Dong-Won were the leading actors.

[Photo=A Violent Prosecutor Still cut]

[rubie]

February 5, 2016

Hwang Jung Min Jokes About How He Plans to Get Tickets to BIGBANG’s Concert

Source: Soompi by ilmare42

On February 5’s episode of “Park Kyung Lim’s 2 O’Clock Date,” actor Hwang Jung Min talks about how much he wants to go to BIGBANG’s upcoming concert.

Host Park Kyung Lim asks him, “Are you really a fan of G-Dragon?” and Hwang Jung Min answers right away, “Yes, that’s true! I’m a fan of BIGBANG.”

Hwang Jung Min says that he had a great time when he went to G-Dragon’s concert in the past. “I really wanted to dance, but I’m terrible at dancing so I was too embarrassed,” he says with a laugh.

“They’re doing a concert in Seoul, you know,” he adds. “In the beginning of March. I tried to get tickets online, but I couldn’t. They sold out in about three minutes.” Park Kyung Lim commiserates with him, since she says she also wasn’t able to get tickets to their show.

Hwang Jung Min then jokes, “Kang Dong Won recently entered YG Entertainment. So I’m planning on asking him [to get me tickets].”

When asked what his favorite BIGBANG and G-Dragon songs are, Hwang Jung Min replies that he likes everything, including “Bang Bang Bang” as well as older songs like “Heartbreaker.” However, when Park Kyung Lim tries to get him to sing part of “Heartbreaker,” he says, “I really can’t sing!”

Hwang Jung Min recently starred with Kang Dong Won in the hit film “A Violent Prosecutor,” which was released in Korea on February 3 and was already seen by over 1 million people after only two days in theaters.

Source (1) (2)

[rubie]

Source: Pierce Conran

[rubie]

February 6, 2016

'A Violent Prosecutor' reaches 2 million audiences 4 days since release

Source: Innolife.com

'A Violent Prosecutor' reached 1 million audiences on the second day of its release and it now reached 2 million in 4 days.

According to collective network of film tickets, film 'A Violent Prosecutor' reached 2 million audiences. 

Film 'A Violent Prosecutor' was an issue as actor Hwang Jung-Min and Gang Dong-Won were starred.

Meantime, 'A Violent Prosecutor' has the first weekend in lunar new year holidays that draws expectations.

Source: Jason Bechervaise

[rubie]

Source: Pierce Conran

[rubie]

To all friends at the thread celebrating Lunar New Year of the Monkey 恭禧發財

2016: The Year of Monkey

Source: Korean Safari

2016 is the year of Monkey (Fire Monkey) starting from February 8, 2016 (called the Lunar New Year) and lasting to January 27, 2017.

Monkey ranks ninth position in the Chinese Zodiac. They are cheerful and energetic by nature and usually represent flexibility. People under the sign of the Monkey are wise, intelligent, confident, charismatic, loyal, inventive and have leadership.

The weaknesses of the Monkeys are being egotistical, arrogant, crafty, restless and snobbish.

[rubie]

February 8, 2016

'A Violent Prosecutor' surpasses 4 million views

Source: STARN News
        
Hwang Jung Min and Kang Dong Won's 'A Violent Prosecutor' has surpassed 4 million views.

According to the latest data summary released by Korea Film Council, Hwang Jung Min and Kang Dong Won's first collaboration film, 'A Violent Prosecutor,' has surpassed 1 million views on February 5th, 2 million views on 6th, 3 million views on 7th, and 4 million views on 8th.

This pace is much quicker than that of 'Assassination,' 'The Avengers,' and 'The Thieves.'

'A Violent Prosecutor' was officially released on February 3rd, and it attracted 1 million viewers every day. Currently, it is showing absolute domination over all of the other major films that were released afterwards.

It is expected that the aggregate number of views will continue increase much quicker during the rest of the Lunar New Year holidays, and many people are now focusing their attention to new achievements that 'A Violent Prosecutor' will make.

Meanwhile, 'A Violent Prosecutor' evolves around a prosecutor who was imprisoned by a false charge of murder, and a swindler with nine criminal records.

/Reporting by Lee Mi-Ji en@starnnews.com

[rubie]

February 10, 2016

‘A Violent Prosecutor’ dominates Seollal box office

Comedy action flick “A Violent Prosecutor” drew 1.17 million moviegoers on Tuesday, the Lunar New Year, topping the Korean box office since its premiere on Feb. 3. 

As of Wednesday, the film had attracted a total of 5.4 million viewers according to the official box-office tracker Korean Film Council. The film broke the 5 million viewer mark faster than previous local box office hits “Assassination,” “Veteran” and “The Thieves.” 

Poster of "A Violent Prosecutor" (Showbox)

Directed by Lee Il-hyeong, “A Violent Prosecutor” follows a prosecutor Byun Jae-wook, played by Hwang Jung-min, who is framed for murder and gets 15 year in prison. He meets Chi-won, played by Gang Dong-won, a good looking conman, in prison. Byun, with his legal knowledge, helps Chi-won to get acquitted, and in return asks Chi-won to carry out plans to take revenge against those who framed him. 

By Ahn Sung-mi (sahn@heraldcorp.com)

[rubie]

February 10, 2016

"A Violent Prosecutor" Hwang Jung-min, "Kang Dong-won is cute"

Source: Sports Donga via Hancinema.net

Actor Hwang Jung-min complimented Kang Dong-won.

Hwang Jung-min was interviewed recently in a café in Seoul. He said, "I didn't think much about my part of the movie. It wasn't important. I just wished my opponent was a guy who likes to have fun. I was the happiest when I heard Kang Dong-won was on board".

"He was everything I had been waiting for. He was so well prepared and I realized that he was thoughtful too. I also got my energy from him".

Hwang Jung-min called Kang Dong-won 'long'. "He is bright and he makes everyone smile".

"I realized how big Kang Dong-won was when the fans cheered for him at the Red Carpet event before the release of the movie".

"A Violent Prosecutor" is a criminal movie about a prosecutor who is framed and put in jail, helping a fraud get out of prison first so that he could help him. Hwang Jung-min takes on the role of the prosecutor Byeon Jae-wook.

Kang Dong-won plays a handsome looking conman named Han Chi-won. "A Violent Prosecutor" was released on the 3rd and is currently holding a record of 5.44 million audiences.

[rubie]

February 5, 2016

JUNG Woo-sung and HWANG Jung-min Wrap ASURA
Crime-Action Film Marks Return of Director KIM Sung-soo

by Pierce Conran / KoBiz

KIM Sung-soo’s Asura completed its four month production on January 25th. Featuring a heavyweight lineup of stars, including JUNG Woo-sung, HWANG Jung-min, JU Ji-hoon, KWAK Do-won and JUNG Man-sik, the crime-action film is being produced by Sanai Pictures and will be distributed by CJ Entertainment.
 
Featuring in a KIM film for the fourth time, following Beat (1997), City of The Rising Sun (1999) and Musa-The Warrior (2001), JUNG plays a detective whose wife is suffering from terminal cancer. In order to help her, he steps outside the bounds of the law but is caught. While facing prosecution, he goes up against a crooked politician, played by HWANG.
 
Though only featuring in a supporting role here, Asura marks HWANG’s fourth collaboration with Sanai pictures, after the hit gangster film New World (2013), Man In Love (2014) and A Violent Prosecutor which bowed this week in Korea to sensational numbers, drawing a million admissions in just two days. HWANG’s current hit streak includes Ode to My Father (2014), Veteran (2015) and The Himalayas (2015).
 
JU most recently appeared in Confession (2014) and The Treacherous (2015) while KWAK featured as the villain of the recent period drama The Magician and will next be seen alongside HWANG in NA Hong-jin’s Goksung.
 
Beyond his collaborations with JUNG, director KIM also made the romcom Please Teach Me English (2003) and most recently the 2013 influenza thriller The Flu (2013). CJ Entertainment is expected to release the film in the second half of 2016.