Ha Jung-Woo 하정우 [Drama “Narco-Saints” | Upcoming: Movies “Nocturnal”, “Ransomed” | Travel Reality Show “Bros on Foot”]

[myownsecretmind]

thanks for the news... will definitely watch beastie boys and his new movie with jeon doyun, one fine day...

[rubie]

February 20, 2008

'Chaser' gives reprieve to K-cinema

"The Chaser (Chugyeokja)," a Korean thriller directed by Na Hong-jin, has sold about 800,000 tickets in just five days since its Feb. 14 release, taking it to No. 2 in domestic box office charts behind Hollywood flick "Jumper."

But the chase seems to be already over. According to ticket website Max Movie, "The Chaser" topped ticket reservations as of Tuesday, taking a 41.3 percent share. That translates into an easy victory for the Korean film in the coming weekend.

The show-stealing box-office performance of "The Chaser" came as a surprise. After all, it is a small-budget film, and its main actors are low-profile compared with those in other Korean movies in recent months. And the lengthy running time of 123 minutes is not a factor associated with stronger ticket sales here.

Defying all its negative aspects, "The Chaser" is now emerging as a major hit film in the first quarter. Critics hail the movie's breathtaking pace; viewers have expressed their pleasant surprise about the film's sheer excitement.

Following the filmmaking traditions of well-made thrillers, "The Chaser" exhibits a tight plot, impressive acting and relentless speed.

Director Na has made two fine choices in setting up his film. First, he ignores the motivation of the murderer. Social conditions are not treated as an important driver; instead, a critical view is presented against the authorities, who have lost their role and function as protectors of the public. Second, the overall anger about the incident is expressed through Jung-ho, an ex-detective played by Kim Yun-seok ("Tazza: The High Rollers") in a very personal fashion.

Jung-ho is now a pimp, but he confronts a strange situation in which many of his girls are simply disappearing. He finds a clue about the case when he goes after another missing girl named Mi-jin and even comes across the murderer, Young-min (Ha Jeong-woo). But the police do not care about Jung-ho's concern about Mi-jin, and everything begins to break down at a fast pace, sparking a wave of overwhelming emotions.

Meanwhile, the movie's production house, Bidangil, said it signed preliminary sales contract at the Berlin International Film Festival which ended on Feb. 17. After two screenings for buyers at the film market, "The Chaser" secured contracts for sales in France, Greece, and Hong Kong, as well as Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg, Bidangil said.

"French distributors competed to get the right for 'The Chaser' and American distributors also showed strong interest in the movie itself and in remake rights," said Seo Young-ju, president of Fine Cut who is in charge of the movie's overseas sales.

The advance of "The Chaser" offers a reprieve to Korean cinema which has struggled to defend its position against the onslaught of Hollywood blockbusters. In recent months, many Korean films starring high-profile actors tanked at the box office, raising concerns about the overall competitiveness of the domestic film industry.

By Yang Sung-jin (insight@heraldm.com), posters from CINE21

http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/

[rubie]

February 21, 2008

'The Chaser' on Demand at Berlin Film Festival

'The Chaser,' a Korean film about a serial murderer, was sold to France, Benelux, Greece and Hong Kong at the 58th Berlin Film Festival's film market.

After two unofficial trade shows for buyers at the Berlin Film Festival market, the film was sold to French and Hong Kong film distribution companies.

The film was also sold to 'Seven Group,' the largest media company in Greece as well as 'Cine Art' in Belelux.

Show Box said production company Circle of Confusion, which collaborates with the Wachowski brothers, also showed great interest in film director Na Hong-jin.

'The Chaser' is the story of a serial killer and a former detective who chases him. The film opened in Korea on February 13th and made it to the second spot at the box office in its first week.

Source: KBS Global

http://english.kbs.co.kr/society/news/1508714_11773.html

[Guest kdramafanusa]

February 06, 2008

HA Jung-woo explores his dark side

Internationally recognised actor HA Jung-woo, explores the dark side of humanity through his take on a serial murderer in Chaser. He is tracked down by a shady former detective played by KIM Yun-seok. First-time feature film director NA Hong-jin was in charge.

The dark thriller examines society and politics through a story that sees a confessed killer released unpunished while touching upon issues as prostitution and corruption.

HA commanded attention with his role in The Unforgiven, a film praised at international film festivals. He increased his international appeal opposite of Vera Farmiga in KIM Gina’s Never Forever.

KIM received praise for his supporting roles in numerous films which earned him this leading role. NA previously directed the short film A Perfect Red Snapper Dish. Chaser opens on February 14.

Yi Ch’ang-ho (KOFIC)

Source: KOFIC

[Guest inez]

more pics from 'The Chaser' cast..

credits: Ha Jung Woo fan blog..thanks heaps JW La..

[Guest kdramafanusa]

Box Office [2008.02.15 ~ 2008.02.17]

1. Jumper (U.S.)

3-day Adm / Total Adm : 572,057 / 793,597

Gross / Total Gross (won) : 3,799,813,500 / 5,220,471,500

Screen : 429

Opening Date : 2008/02/14

Director : Doug Liman

Main Cast : Hayden Christensen, Samuel L. Jackson, Jamie Bell, Diane Lane, Max Thieriot

2. The Chaser (South Korea)

3-day Adm / Total Adm : 545,537 / 770,339

Gross / Total Gross (won) : 3,701,331,000 / 5,136,897,500

Screen : 507

Opening Date : 2008/02/14

Director : Na Hong-jin

Main Cast : Kim Yoon-suk, Ha Jung-woo, Seo Yung-hee

3. The Spiderwick Chronicles (U.S.)

3-day Adm / Total Adm : 169,640 / 219,418

Gross / Total Gross (won) : 1,083,203,000 / 1,395,359,500

Screen : 207

Opening Date : 2008/02/14

Director : Mark Waters

Main Cast : Freddie Highmore, Mary-Louise Parker, Nick Nolte, Joan Plowright, David Strathairn

4. Once Upon A Time (South Korea)

3-day Adm / Total Adm : 111,855 / 1,432,536

Gross / Total Gross (won) : 728,039,000 / 9,374,718,500

Screen : 310

Opening Date : 2008/01/31

Director : Jung Yong-ki

Main Cast : Park Yong-woo, Lee Bo-young, Kim Eung-soo, Kim Su-hyun, Ahn Kil-sang

5. Lovers Of Six Years (South Korea)

3-day Adm / Total Adm : 107,343 / 1,017,643

Gross / Total Gross (won) : 722,822,500 / 6,782,225,500

Screen : 284

Opening Date : 2008/02/05

Director : Park Hyun-jin

Main Cast : Kim Ha-neul, Yoon Kye-sang, Sin Sung-rok, Cha Hyun-jung, Seo Dong-won

---

The Chaser ( Chu-gyuck-ja )

Director : NA Hong-jin (나홍진 / )

Production : Bidangil Pictures

Main Cast : HA Jung-woo, SEO Yeong-hee, KIM Yoon-suk

Executive Producer : JUNG Eui-seok, KIM Sun-yong

Cinematography : LEE Sung-je

Release Date : FEB 14 2008

Rate : Over 18

Genre : Crime, Thrillers, Action

Synopsis

Ex-cop pimp Jung-ho is irritated because his girls keep disappearing without clearing their debts. One night, he gets a call from a customer and sends Mi-jin. Jung-ho realizes the phone number of the customer matches that of the calls the missing girls got last. As something smells fishy, he searches for her. During his search, Jung-ho dents a car in the alley. When Jung-ho spots blood splattered on the driver’s shirt, he senses the man, Young-min, is the suspect. After an intense chase, Jung-ho catches Young-min. But because of Jung-ho’s pretense as a cop, they are both taken to the police station. At the station, the man bluntly confesses he has killed the missing women, and the last girl, Mi-jin, may still be alive. As the whole police force is obsessed with a random search for corpses, Jung-ho is the only one who believes Mi-jin is still alive. With only 12 hours left to detain the serial killer without a warrant, Jung-ho’s hunt begins, searching for Mi-jin entrapped in a place nobody knows.

Source: KOFIC

[Guest kdramafanusa]

For the daily box office (from Monday-Friday), "Chaser" rose to #1! It has sold more than 1 million tickets already.

Should be #1 this weekend too. =)

Box Office [2008.02.18 ~ 2008.02.22]

1. The Chaser (South Korea)

5-day Adm / Total Adm : 418,481 / 1,086,767

Gross / Total Gross (won) : 2,739,822,500 / 7,210,441,500

Screen : 575

Opening Date : 2008/02/14

Director : Na Hong-jin

Main Cast : Kim Yoon-suk, Ha Jung-woo, Seo Yung-hee

2. Jumper (U.S.)

5-day Adm / Total Adm : 250,195 / 975,237

Gross / Total Gross (won) : 1,587,153,000 / 6,373,195,000

Screen : 472

Opening Date : 2008/02/14

Director : Doug Liman

Main Cast : Hayden Christensen, Samuel L. Jackson, Jamie Bell, Diane Lane, Max Thieriot

3. The Spiderwick Chronicles (U.S.)

5-day Adm / Total Adm : 88,953 / 285,544

Gross / Total Gross (won) : 521,240,500 / 1,781,907,500

Screen : 283

Opening Date : 2008/02/14

Director : Mark Waters

Main Cast : Freddie Highmore, Mary-Louise Parker, Nick Nolte, Joan Plowright, David Strathairn

Source: KOBIS

-----

Should we start a thread on HJW's new movie with Jeon Do-yeon? I can't find it in the Official Thread listing, but I'm not sure it it's already there (just under a different title perhaps).

[myownsecretmind]

wow congrats the chaser... this will definitely boost up hjw popularity..

[Guest kdramafanusa]

Box Office [2008.02.22 ~ 2008.02.24]

1. The Chaser (South Korea)

3-day Adm / Total Adm : 646,267 / 1,724,466

Gross / Total Gross (won) : 4,408,338,000 / 11,559,714,000

Screen : 505

Opening Date : 2008/02/14

Director : Na Hong-jin

Main Cast : Kim Yoon-suk, Ha Jung-woo, Seo Yung-hee

2. Jumper (U.S.)

3-day Adm / Total Adm : 321,193 / 1,292,960

Gross / Total Gross (won) : 2,122,416,000 / 8,473,035,000

Screen : 401

Opening Date : 2008/02/14

Director : Doug Liman

Main Cast : Hayden Christensen, Samuel L. Jackson, Jamie Bell, Diane Lane, Max Thieriot

3. L: Change The World (Japan)

3-day Adm / Total Adm : 154,081 / 203,359

Gross / Total Gross (won) : 958,079,500 / 1,229,719,500

Screen : 301

Opening Date : 2008/02/21

Director : Hideo Nakata

Main Cast : Ken'ichi Matsuyama, Mayuko Fukuda, Bokuzo Masana, Renji Ishibashi, Sei Hiraizumi, Shingo Tsurumi, Yuta Kanai, Erika Toda, Shunji Fujimura

Source: KOFIC

[Guest kdramafanusa]

On the 27th, Showbox Media Plex revealed that "The Chaser" has surpassed 2 million mark. Since opening on the 14th, "The Chaser" has attracted 2,008,821 moviegoers (up to the 26th) in 435 theatres. This is the 2nd film of 2008 to sell more than 2 million tickets, following "Forever The Moment".

Source: Yonhap News

[Guest AlecRuby]

CHASER LOOKS REALLY GOOD, HA JUNG WOO IS AN AMAZING ACTOR, IN ADDITION BEING A KILLER IS A DIFFERENT SIDE OF HA JUNG WOO THAT I THINK HE IS GOOD AT BECAUSE HE IS SO VERTISATILE.

[Guest kdramafanusa]

Box Office [2008.02.28 ~ 2008.03.02]

1. The Chaser (South Korea)

3-day Adm / Total Adm : 627,749 / 2,895,001

Gross / Total Gross (won) : 4,285,818,000 / 19,405,329,000

Screen : 490

Opening Date : 2008/02/14

Director : Na Hong-jin

Main Cast : Kim Yoon-suk, Ha Jung-woo, Seo Yung-hee

2. Vantage Point (U.S.)

3-day Adm / Total Adm : 353,834 / 458,091

Gross / Total Gross (won) : 2,335,261,500 / 2,978,223,500

Screen : 353

Opening Date : 2008/02/28

Director : Pete Travis

Main Cast : Dennis Quaid, Matthew Fox, Forest Whitaker, Sigourney Weaver, William Hurt, Edgar Ramirez, Zoe Saldana

3. BA:BO (South Korea)

3-day Adm / Total Adm : 333,292 / 434,016

Gross / Total Gross (won) : 2,166,467,000 / 2,787,992,500

Screen : 342

Opening Date : 2008/02/28

Director : Kim Jung-kwon

Main Cast : Cha Tae-hyun, Ha Ji-won, Park Hee-soon, Park Ha-sun

Source: KOFIC

[Guest kdramafanusa]

Source: Variety

Warner Bros. to remake 'The Chaser'

Studio picks up rights to South Korean hit

By DARCY PAQUET, MICHAEL FLEMING

South Korean hit pic 'The Chaser' is being remade by Warners.

Warner Bros. has picked up remake rights to South Korea’s surprise hit “The Chaser,” and already the project is taking on the aura of the studio’s last major Asian remake hit, “The Departed.”

Early discussions are underway for William Monahan to write the script, with Leonardo DiCaprio circling to star, but no deals have yet been set.

Monahan won an Oscar for “The Departed.”

Dan Lin, Doug Davison, Roy Lee and Monahan will be producers, with DiCaprio possibly ending up in some producing capacity as well.

Studio bought the project from Na Hong-jin, in a deal that was announced in Seoul on Thursday. WB paid $1 million plus various incentives based on the remake’s box office performance. Kim Su-jin, head of production house Bidangil Pictures, will also receive a co-production credit.

The mid-budget thriller has earned more than $20 million in 20 days of release.

Pic is based loosely on the exploits of a real-life serial killer, played by Ha Jung-woo (“Never Forever”).

Suh Youngjoo’s new sales company Fine Cut unveiled the film at a private screening at Berlin’s European Film Market in February and subsequently arranged a screening in Los Angeles.

Sales deals have already been clinched for France, Hong Kong, Greece and Benelux.

Monahan and DiCaprio just worked together on “Body of Lies,” the Ridley Scott-directed WB thriller that also starred Russell Crowe.

Posted: Thurs., Mar. 6, 2008, 6:33pm PT

[Guest kdramafanusa]

Box Office [Monday 2008.03.03 ~ Friday 2008.03.07]

1. The Chaser (South Korea)

5-day Adm / Total Adm : 318,458 / 3,136,831

Gross / Total Gross (won) : 2,094,251,000 / 20,997,303,500

Screen : 489

Opening Date : 2008/02/14

Director : Na Hong-jin

Main Cast : Kim Yoon-seok, Ha Jeong-woo, Seo Yeong-hee

2. Vantage Point (U.S.)

5-day Adm / Total Adm : 140,763 / 563,969

Gross / Total Gross (won) : 916,877,500 / 3,670,843,000

Screen : 391

Opening Date : 2008/02/28

Director : Pete Travis

Main Cast : Dennis Quaid, Matthew Fox, Forest Whitaker, Sigourney Weaver, William Hurt, Edgar Ramirez, Zoe Saldana

3. BA:BO (South Korea)

5-day Adm / Total Adm : 129,188 / 530,740

Gross / Total Gross (won) : 835,669,500 / 3,415,557,000

Screen : 411

Opening Date : 2008/02/28

Director : Kim Jeong-kwon

Main Cast : Cha Tae-hyeon, Ha Ji-won, Park Hee-soon, Park Ha-seon

Source: KOBIS (Figures represent 97% of nationwide box office)

[Guest ♡ Mrs Jung Ji Hoon ♡]

was never really interested in him before, but after watching choo gyuk ja.. wow. i'll be looking forward to anything he's in, haha.

[Guest huangsy]

new thread started for his movie, One Fine Day, at http://www.soompi.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=170972

2008 is a good year for him, 3 movies already !!!

[Guest AlecRuby]

new thread started for his movie, One Fine Day, at http://www.soompi.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=203002

2008 is a good year for him, 3 movies already !!!

thanks for the site, but it seems that i can't get in. there is a board message saying that some files are missing or that it has been moved or deleted.

i am happy that jung woo ssi is getting a lot more promoted in movies. he is so good with his acting that it scares me sometimes. 2008 is a great year for him, three movies plus more coming his way. i just hope that he could get sometime to do a drama or two. i would love that.

[myownsecretmind]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY OUR DEAR HA JUNG WOO SSI....

[rubie]

March 11, 2008

Happy Birthday Ha Jeong Woo-ssi!

Wishing More Great Moments & Much Happiness

Health & Success!

[Guest atel]

ya .the picture of his father ..the one right beside Ha Jung Woo

http://photo-media.hanmail.net/200510/26/n...55034.800.0.jpg

he looks like his father. ha jeongwoo's taking a low key approach to his career despite his father's reputation. but after The Chaser looks like he can't be low key anymore. lol some netizens are saying he's the like next "song gangho" (XD don't like it when they do that kind of comparisons though - you know so-and-so is gonna be the next blah blah... but that's just me ).

recently Ha Jung Woo has a new CF with Cho Seung woo~ ..feel like they should be a in movie together ^^

http://www.ksdb.co.kr/company/press/downloadfile/cf22.wmv

lol that's what i thought too after i saw that cf (well i saw the cf at another site though).