News

Ahaan Panday’s Saiyaara Vs Son Ye-Jin’s A Moment To Remember(Photo Credit –Facebook/Netflix)

Mohit Suri brings back the magic of the romantic dramas onscreen after years with Saiyaara. It features debutant Ahaan Panday and a fresh face Aneet Padda. It hit the theatres on July 18, 2025, and within the first weekend since its release, it has already smashed the box office. While the appreciation and excitement around the movie keep on buzzing, many people pointed out that they felt this was a copied version of a South Korean movie named A Moment To Remember.

For those who don’t know, A Moment To Remember is a Korean film starring Jung Woo-Sung and Son Ye-Jin in the lead. The storyline of the film revolves around Su-Jin, who gets diagnosed with a rare form of Alzheimer’s disease. How her love story with Chul-Soo gets tested when her condition gets...

Spoiler Alert !!!Major Squid Game Season 3 Finale Spoilers Ahead!

Squid Game season 3 just ended, and boy, did it hurt. Though it did conclude the series as the final season with only six episodes, it perfectly proved to be the ‘sad ending‘ that creator Hwang Dong-hyuk warned fans about. Not only was it a twist ending for the leading actor Lee Jung-jae, but even for the Front Man portrayer Lee Byung-Hun, suggesting a profound shift in him.

Here’s a quick recap: In the emotional climax that didn’t see many survive, the final game pitted Gi‑hun (Jung-jae) and Myung‑gi (Yim Siwan) against Myung‑gi’s newborn baby. And, making it as heartbreaking as it could get, Gi‑hun sacrificed himself so the infant could win. This had even Front Man In-ho rattled by his selfless act as the baby came victorious.

Shortly after, In‑ho triggered the island’s self-destruct sequence,...

When Squid Game dropped its first season in 2021, it quickly gained its reputation as a global phenomenon. The South Korean survival thriller has continued to captivate fans ever since. Now, after 4 years, the series has finally ended with an equally compelling finale. This makes us think about the hefty prize money that was at stake: 45.6 billion Korean Won. Ever wondered how much that’s really worth?

Let’s dissect whether the prize money was even worth as many lives as it cost, sparing a few. And also talk about how it stacks up against the wealth of the show’s protagonist, Lee Jung-jae, or Player 456. Here’s a rundown of the actual dollar value of the dystopian game show’s prize money.

How Much Is 45.6 Billion Won in Dollars?

In Squid Game, 456 players compete in a series of games, risking their lives, for one ultimate prize: ₩45.6 billion. It sounds like...

Ryu Seung-ryong, the veteran Korean star whose lead performance in Disney+’s Moving helped make it the platform’s most-watched Asian original to date, returns to the streamer next month in Low Life, a colorful period crime drama set against the backdrop of 1970s South Korea’s murky underworld. The 11-part series will premiere July 16 with a three-episode debut, followed by weekly releases leading up to a two-part finale on August 13. Low Life will launch internationally on Disney+ and domestically on Hulu as a Hulu Original.

Written and directed by Kang Yun-seong, the screenwriter behind Disney+’s Big Bet and director of Korean blockbuster The Outlaws, Low Life follows a ragtag pair of small-time schemers — an uncle and nephew— who stumble across a tantalizing rumor: a sunken treasure ship laden with riches has been found just off the Korean coast. With dreams of finally striking it rich, the duo plunges...

Ryu Seungryong is diving back into Disney+ waters with “Low Life,” a treasure-hunting crime drama set in 1970s Korea.

The 11-part series stars the “Moving” and “Chicken Nugget” actor as Oh Gwanseok, an opportunistic chancer who teams up with his nephew Oh Heedong (Yang Sejong) to chase get-rich-quick schemes. When word spreads about an ancient treasure ship discovered off the Korean coast, the uncle-nephew duo races against time and rival treasure hunters to claim their fortune.

“Low Life” comes from writer-director Kang Yunsung, who previously created the Disney+ hit “Big Bet” and helmed “The Outlaws.” The series also features Lim Soojung as Yang Jungsook.

Yang Sejong, known for “Doona!” and “Temperature of Love,” plays the nephew caught up in the high-stakes treasure hunt alongside his uncle’s schemes.

The treasure-hunting premise of “Low Life” taps into the popular Korean cinema tradition of heist and crime capers, with the 1970s setting...

Clint Eastwood is a renowned actor and filmmaker, known for his prolific and efficient working style. He has won two Oscars for his directing work, but the legend started as an actor and became a Western icon. One of his most popular Westerns is the third movie in his Dollars trilogy, The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly.

Eastwood’s character as the Man with No Name became extremely popular, and so did Sergio Leone’s morally grey style. The movie has far-reaching influences, with one of the most popular ones being Kim Jee-woon’s The Good, the Bad, the Weird, which starred Lee Byung-hun, known for his work on Squid Game.

A Clint Eastwood movie inspired Squid Game star’s ‘Oriental Western’ Clint Eastwood in The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly | Credits: United Artists

Clint Eastwood is a legend like no other. The veteran actor has been active...

The 29th Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival has selected actor Lee Byung-hun as the featured guest for this year’s Actor in Focus, titled The Master: Lee Byung-Hun.

Photo courtesy of Bh Entertainment

A true master of his craft, Lee has demonstrated exceptional range across genres both on screen and off, earning recognition as a global artist and one of Korea’s most iconic actors—hence the title The Master: Lee Byung-hun for this year’s Actor in Focus.

This year’s Actor in Focus will present ten films spanning Lee Byung-hun’s remarkable 30-year acting career: Joint Security Area (2000), Bungee Jumping of Their Own (2001), A Bittersweet Life (2005), Once in a Summer (2006), I Saw the Devil (2010), Masquerade (2012), Inside Men (2015), The Fortress (2017), The Man Standing Next (2019), and Concrete Utopia (2023).

Lee’s rise as a screen icon began early, with unforgettable performances in films like Joint Security Area, Bungee Jumping of Their Own,...

Imaginarium Productions, the UK outfit led by Andy Serkis and Jonathan Cavendish, has partnered with South Korea’s Artist Studio to develop a K-pop spy thriller.

It will mark a move into international production for Seoul-based Artist Studio, the production banner led by Lee Jung-jae, known for his roles in Netflix series Squid Game and Disney + Star Wars spin-off The Acolyte.

The thriller, which has the working title Secret Idol, blends the glamourous world of K-pop with high-stakes espionage. The plot centres on a secret agent who goes undercover as a K-pop trainee to take down an international crime ring,...

Hyun Bin Dons Classic Black Suit In Drama ( Photo Credit – Instagram )

It’s been years since we saw Hyun Bin in a K-drama. He was last seen in Crash Landing On You alongside his now-wife, Son Ye-Jin. Now, the first look of Made In Korea is out and creating ripples online. After his marriage in 2022, even though the actor featured in a film, Harbin, which grossed quite well at the box office, he was missing from the television industry. But he is back at it with the political drama, Made In Korea, and his fans are going gaga about it.

What Is Made In Korea Really About?

Made In Korea is going to be a political drama driven by a power struggle. Set against the 1970s Korea, the storyline will revolve around two men who get stuck in a razor-thin line of power, struggle, ambition, politics, and justice. The first...

Soccer Streaming

Disney+ has landed exclusive live streaming rights to the UEFA Women’s Champions League soccer tournament across Europe in a five-year pact covering the 2025/26 through 2029/30 seasons.

The deal makes Disney+ the sole destination for all 75 matches in the competition, with coverage launching in October alongside the tournament’s new 18-team League phase format. All matches will stream live at no additional cost to subscribers through the 2026 final at Ullevaal Stadion in Oslo.

ESPN will handle production duties for Disney+, providing multi-language commentary and pre- and post-game programming. The sports network brings four-and-a-half decades of broadcasting experience to the project, having recently added UEFA Europa League and UEFA Conference League coverage to Disney+ in Denmark and Sweden.

The announcement builds on Disney’s existing partnership with UEFA through the Playmakers program, which has introduced over 132,000 girls aged 5-8 to soccer across 6,300 centers in 46 countries since 2020. The initiative, recently extended through 2027, employs nearly 8,000 coaches.

Political thrillers usually have two speeds, if it’s not set to slow-burning intrigue then it’s high-speed action. Steel Rain is one of those films that refuses to stick to one lane. Instead, it throws espionage, war-room strategy, and action into the mix. The result is a relentless South Korean thriller that comes across as a splice of The Hunt for Red October and The Bourne Identity. At the center of the chaos is Eom Chul-woo (Jung Woo-sung), a North Korean operative who by no means of his own finds himself in charge of an unconscious Supreme Leader. With a coup unfolding back home and enemies around him, his only option is to flee to the South.

Will Park Bo Gum Host The Seasons After Lee Young Ji? ( Photo Credit – Instagram )

Park Bo Gum is embarking on a new and exciting venture. Ahead of his upcoming drama release, it has been confirmed that the actor will take over The Seasons as its new host. The current Mc, Lee Young Ji, will soon film her last episode. Following that, the Reply 1988 actor will make an exciting debut on The Seasons.

On February 14, Star News first reported that Park Bo Gum would be the new host of the kBS2 late-night music talk show. According to the outlet, the production is currently finalizing the guest list and filming schedule with the goal of premiering the new season next month. Shortly after, KBS2 confirmed the exciting news: “Park Bo Gum will be the new Mc of ‘The Seasons,’ following Lee Young Ji.” However, they didn’t confirm the filming and broadcasting plans,...

Woo Do Hwan To Play Hyun Bin’s Brother In Made In Korea? ( Photo Credit – Instagram )

Woo Do Hwan, best known for his role in Bloodhounds, is gearing up for his highly anticipated Ott comeback. According to the latest reports, he has been cast in the upcoming series Made in Korea, set in the 1970s. Do Hwan will share a special connection with Hyun Bin in this upcoming work, joining actor Jung Woo Sung and director Woo Min Ho.

On February 13, Korean media outlet Jtbc News reported that Woo Do Hwan is joining the cast lineup of Made in Korea. According to the report, he is already filming for the series. The actor will reportedly play Hyun Bin’s brother. More details about his character will be revealed soon.

Woo Do Hwan is known for taking on versatile and challenging roles, so his addition to the cast lineup of this...

From the highly-anticipated third and final season of Netflix’s industry-defining Squid Game series, to the sequels for thought-provoking breakout shows like Taiwan’s The World Between Us and Indonesia’s Santri Pilihan Bunda, here are the shows out of Asia to look out for in 2025. Add your own thoughts and suggestions in the comments below.

‘Squid Game’ Season 3 (Netflix)

Korea

Even before the second season of Netflix’s most successful series premiered on December 26, the streamer announced that a third and final season of the Korean series is already in the works and will release in 2025. The second season of the drama sees Seong Gi-hun (played by Lee Jung-jae), who was Player 456 in the first season, searching for the people behind the brutal survival game, three years after winning the ₩45.6 billion prize bounty. Who knows what Season 3 might entail. Though reviews have been mixed, another run so close behind is an exciting prospect.

One of the darkest chapters in South Korean history is chronicled in “12.12: The Day,” a riveting account of the coup d’état of the 1979 coup d’état that followed the Oct. 26 assassination of authoritarian president Park Chung-hee. Meticulously written and very well-performed by a top-notch cast including Hwang Jung-min (“Deliver Us From Evil”), the first feature from director and co-writer Kim Sung-su since 2016 is an exciting and highly suspenseful political action-thriller that ventures where no South Korean feature has gone before. This forensic examination of events that dashed hopes of democratic reform and plunged the nation into eight more years of severe military rule was a smash hit in its December 2023 release in Korea. Now it marks a worthy competitor in the best international feature film Oscar race as the country’s submission in the category.

With a domestic box office gross of $91.7 million, “12.12” is of those films that serves a purpose beyond entertainment.

A second season of Korean sci-fi fantasy series Moving is in the works at Disney+, Disney confirmed on day two of its Asia Pacific Content Showcase in Singapore.

The announcement was made by Carol Choi, Disney’s executive vp original content strategy for Apac, although no details on dates and cast on Moving season two were provided. Series creator, the influential Korean artist Kang Full, will be involved in the second season.

The series, which launched in August 2023, has been a huge hit for Disney+ and Hulu, with the company saying that Moving ranked as the number one local original title globally on Disney+ last year.

Moving is an adaptation of a popular webtoon created by Kang, whose works have been adapted into several local films. The show, that’s also written by Kang, stars some of the biggest names in Korean film and television, including Ryu Seung-ryong, Han Hyo-joo and Zo In-sung.

Director Kim Sung-su’s historical drama “12.12: The Day,” South Korea’s entry for the 2024 international feature Oscar race, chronicles a pivotal moment in the country’s history. The film depicts the military coup of Dec. 12, 1979, which led to an eight-year military junta.

The tense action drama features an ensemble cast including Hwang Jung-min (“Deliver Us from Evil”), Jung Woo-sung (“Asura: The City of Madness”), Lee Sung-min (“The Spy Gone North”), Park Hae-joon (“Believer”), Kang Gil-woo (Netflix’s “The Glory”), and Jung Hae-in (Netflix’s “D.P.”).

For Kim, the events depicted in the film left an indelible mark on his teenage years. “That night left a very clear memory. I was getting ready to apply for colleges that winter night when I saw in my own neighborhood an armored military vehicle passing down the street,” Kim tells Variety. “I climbed to the rooftop of my friend’s house and watched...

South Korea has selected historical action film 12.12.: The Day as the country’s Oscar entry for best international film.

The film was the highest-grossing film last year at the Korean box office and the decision to select it for the Oscars was a unanimous one, the Korean Film Council (Kofic) said.

Set against the backdrop of the December 1979 military coup, the film stars Hwang Jung-min, Jung Woo-sung, Lee Sung-min, Park Hae-joon and Kim Sung-kyun.

Directed by Kim Sung-su, the film was released in November last year. 12.12: The Day‘s domestic success marked the first time in four years since Parasite‘s release that a non-franchise local title crossed 12 million admissions.

12.12: The Day won the Grand Prize for Film and Best Film at Korea’s Baeksang Arts Awards. Hwang also picked up the Best Actor prize at the ceremony. Hwang played the role of Chun Doo-gwang.

The film is produced by Hive Media Corp and distributed by Plus M Entertainment.

Two of South Korea’s biggest male stars Hyun Bin and Jung Woo-sung will go head-to-head in “Made in Korea,” an upcoming crime series.

Set in the turbulent 1970s, “Made in Korea” is a crime thriller about Kitae, a man consumed with a desire for wealth and power, and Geonyoung, a stalwart prosecutor that stands in his way. Constantly at loggerheads, the pair find themselves involved in an era-defining incident that will forever change their futures.

The show stars Hyun Bin as Kitae, and Jung as Geonyoung. Other cast members include: Won Ji-an, Seo Eun-soo, Cho Yeo-jeong and Jung Sung-il.

The screenplay was written by Park Eun-kyo and Park Joon-seok (“A Normal Family”) and is directed by Woo Min-ho. Production is by Hive Media Corp., which was previously responsible for feature films “Inside Men,” “The Man Standing Next,” “12.12 The Day” (aka “Seoul Spring”).

For Woo, it is his first TV series as director.

Two of Korea’s A-listers, Hyun Bin and Jung Woosung, are set to appear in Disney+ original Made in Korea. The series will premiere next year.

Set in the turbulent 1970s, crime thriller Made in Korea follows Kitae, a man consumed with a desire for wealth and power, and Geonyoung, a stalwart prosecutor that stands in his way. Constantly at loggerheads, the pair find themselves involved in an era-defining incident that will forever change their futures.

Hyun Bin, who has starred in hits like Crash Landing On You and Confidential Assignment, will play the role of Kitae. After featuring in 12.12: The Day and Hunt, Jung will play the role of Geonyoung.

Made in Korea will be director Woo Min-ho’s first series. He also recently collaborated with Hyun Bin on biographical period film Harbin, which will premiere in the Gala section of the Toronto International Film Festival on September...

Alain Delon influenced Asian actors and directors, including Hong Kong directors John Woo (The Killer) and Johnnie To. These filmmakers admired Alain Delon when he played gangsters in Melville’s films.

Johnnie To wanted to work with Alain Delon. He offered him the lead role of Vengeance, that of Francis Costello in 1967, as an allusion to Jeff Costello in Le Samouraï, which was played by Alain Delon. After Alain Delon refused, Johnny Hallyday was chosen by Johnnie To. Vengeance made its international premiere at the Cannes Film Festival on 17 May 2009. It is screened at the Festival International des Cinémas d’Asie in Vesoul as part of a retrospective devoted to Asian films.

In the comedy You Shoot, I Shoot by Hong Kong director Pang Ho-Cheung, actor Eric Kot plays a hired gun who identified himself as Jef Costello. He dresses like him and talks to him through a poster of...

After a decade in prison, Su-hyuk wants nothing more than a simple life. As one of Korea’s most feared assassins, he put many enemies to the ground. But now he learns he has a young daughter, and discovering this news changes everything. All Su-hyuk wants is to care for his child, make up for lost time with his former love, and leave his past behind.

This isn’t a quest that will be easy, as Su-hyuk soon finds out. His old boss, now known as the Chairman, still runs the criminal operation with an iron fist. The chairman sees Su-hyuk as one of his most valuable assets and refuses to let him walk away so easily. He sends two unhinged killers, Woo-jin and his girlfriend Jin-a, to ensure Su-hyuk has no choice but to return to the life of violence he’s tried to escape.

Standing in their way is director Jung Woo-sung,...

After spending a decade in prison, a hitman learns that he has a daughter and just wants a chance at a normal life. But his former mob boss wants him back at any cost, sending merciless assassins after him.   Epic Pictures is releasing Jung Woo-sung's crime action flick, A Man of Reason, this Friday, July 5th, in theaters followed by digital next Tuesday, July 9th.   Epic passed along two clips to share with you, something to entice you to head and watch it this holiday weekend in the U.S. We have also included the trailer.   A Man of Reason was written and directed by Jung Woo-sung. Their movie stars Jung Woo-sung, Kim Nam-gil, Park Sung-woong, Kim Jun-han, Park You-na, and Lee Elijah.   ...

[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...

Your browser does not support the video tag. Korean actor Jung Woo-sung directs and stars in A Man of Reason, exploring the protagonist's life after release from prison. The film features an action-packed revenge plot and a talented ensemble cast, including Kim Nam-gil, Park Sung-woong, and Park Yoo-na. A Man of Reason showcases Jung Woo-sung's range, following his roles in crime dramas, thrillers, and a romance drama.

Korean actor Jung Woo-sung sits in the director's chair for A Man of Reason, in which he also stars as a recently released convicted torn between loyalty to his old crime boss and the possibility of a family life with his girlfriend. The release of his new movie comes after his roles in 2023's romantic K-drama Tell Me That You Love Me and 2022's highly acclaimed political thriller Hunt.

A Man of Reason opens with Soo Hyuk's release from prison after spending a...

Son Ye-jin is called the “One and Only” for good reason. She became a star right with her debut and has been at the centre of public interest as an icon of melodrama ever since. She has moved between different genres, while avoiding stereotypes and fearlessly embarking on adventures to find her unique character and novelty. Successful both on cinema and TV, Son Ye-jin is one of the most iconic actresses of her generation. On the occasion of being the focus of the special spotlight at Bifan, here are ten of her best movies, in chronological order, although it is obvious, that her two best movies are “The Last Princess” and “The Truth Beneath”

1. Lover's Concerto (2002) by Lee Han

One day, Ji-hwan begins to receive letters from an unidentified person. The letters, containing black-and-white photos of happy children playing, remind Ji-hwan of his old two friends. Five years earlier, while...

Exclusive: Epic Pictures has set a North American release date for Korean action film A Man of Reason which it acquired from Acemaker Movieworks. The feature directorial debut of veteran actor Jung Woo-sung will have a limited theatrical release on July 5 before heading to VOD on July 9.

Jung also stars in A Man of Reason with supporting cast including Kim Nam-gil (The Fiery Priest), Park Sung-woong (The Killing Vote), Kim Jun-han (Hospital Playlist), Park You-na (Hotel del Luna) and Lee Elijah (The Good Detective).

The story follows a hitman who, after spending a decade in prison, learns he has a daughter and just wants a chance at a normal life. However, his former mob boss wants him back at any cost, sending merciless assassins after him. The movie first debuted at the Toronto Film Festival in 2022.

Said Epic Pictures CEO and owner Patrick Ewald, “We are beyond excited to bring...

Actor In Focus

Recently, confirmed to star in Park Chan-wook’s new film “The Ax,” Korea’s Son Ye-jin is set as the subject of the Bucheon International Fantastic Festival (BiFan)’s annual actor focus. Previous honorees include Jeon Do-yeon, Jung Woo-sung, Kim Hye-soo, Seol Kyung-gu, and Choi Min-sik.

Son who was the star of breakout TV series “Crash Landing on You,” has wide-ranging credits that include “A Moment to Remember,” “The Art Of Seduction” in 2005; an eccentric woman married to two husbands in “My Wife Got Married” in 2008; and as a spirited pirate in “The Pirates” and the 2016 hit “The Last Princess.”

These have earned her more than 50 awards including the Prime Minister’s Commendation, three Grand Bell Awards, six Baeksang Arts Awards, five Blue Dragon Film Awards, and two Korean Association of Film Critics Awards. She was also named best actress at the Asia-Pacific Film Festival for her performance in 2005’s “April Snow.

A Korean adaptation of Taiwanese hit You Are The Apple Of My Eye is in the works and is being introduced to buyers at the Cannes market by K-Movie Entertainment.

The remake will mark the feature directorial debut of Cho Young-myoung, with a cast led by Jung Jin-young and Dahyun. Jung is known as a singer and former leader of boy group B1A4 but has also gained recognition for acting in TV series Love In The Moonlight and Police University. Dahyun is a member of girl group Twice and is set to make her acting debut in sports drama Sprint.

Essentially a sequel o f”Man Standing Next”, in terms of the succession of historical events, “12.12: The Day” became the highest-grossing Korean film of 2023, with many citing it as the movie that saved Korean cinema in the particular year.

“12.12: The Day” is available from Echelon Studios

The story begins in December 1979, after the assassinaton of President Park, with the whole country being in turmoil and martial law having been declared. The initial 30 minutes of the 140 of the movie set the base of what happened after the aforementioned events, additionally introducing the two main rivals, Defense Security Commander Chun Doo-gwan and Capital Defense Commander Lee Tae-sin, while the rest focus on the 9 hours which the coup unfolded, starting with the arrest of the Army Chief of Staff, Jeong Sang-ho.

Check also this article The 20 Best Korean Movies of 2023

Kim Seong-su directs the movie in a style that will remind...

Echelon Studios, in collaboration with 815 Pictures, has officially picked up US distribution rights to Kim Sung-su's latest feature and box office hit, 12:12 The Day.

The historical action drama broke records last year, grossing $90m to become Korea's biggest film of 2023. Since its release, the box office sensation has received rave reviews from critics and left a lasting impression with audiences, and currently leads nominations at this year's Asian Film Awards, including Best Film, Best Director, and Best Actor.

Based on true events, 12:12 The Day is set against the backdrop of the real-life military coup that took place on 12 December 1979, which resulted in an eight-year military junta in South Korea. The film stars Hwang Jung-min (Deliver Us from Evil), Jung Woo-sung (Asura: The City of Madness), Lee Sung-min (The Spy Gone North), Park Hae-joon (Believer), Kang Gil-woo (Netflix Original The Glory), and Jung Hae-in (Netflix Original D.

North American Digital Release

North American digital distributor Echelon Studios has come on board “12.12: The Day,” the highest grossing film from Korea last year.

The film has been on theatrical release in North America, through 815 Pictures since last year and grossed over $1 million. Echelon said that the film will have a streaming release later this year. It will also be available to pre-order to own on iTunes, Apple TV, Google Play, YouTube Movies, Vudu, Vimeo OnDemand and OnDemand Korea shortly.

Directed by Kim Sung-su and with a Korean gross exceeding $90 million, the action drama is based on true events in December 1979, which resulted in an eight-year military junta in South Korea.

The film stars Hwang Jung-min (“Deliver Us from Evil”), Jung Woo-sung (“Asura: The City of Madness”), Lee Sung-min (“The Spy Gone North”), Park Hae-joon (“Believer”), Kang Gil-woo (Netflix series “The Glory”), and Jung Hae-in (Netflix’s “D.P.”).

Treasure Island...

Japanese filmmaker Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s latest feature, Evil Does Not Exist, and the period action pic 12.12: The Day, from Korea, lead the nominations at this year’s Asian Film Awards.

Both films received six nominations, including Best Film and Best Director. Directed by Kim Sung-soo, whose credits include Asura: The City Of Madness and The Flu, 12.12: The Day is set against the backdrop of the real-life military coup of 1979, which resulted in an eight-year military junta in South Korea. The cast includes Hwang Jung-min (The Wailing), Jung Woo-sung (Asura: The City Of Madness), and Lee Sung-min (The Spy Gone North). Released on November 22, the film sailed past the 12 million admissions mark at the Korean box office over the Christmas holiday period, becoming the highest-grossing film of 2023 in the market.

Hamaguchi’s Evil Does Not Exist — which debuted out of Venice — follows Takumi and his daughter Hana, who live...

The historial action drama has become the biggest film of 2023 at the local box office.

Historical action drama 12.12: The Day has surpassed 12 million admissions and $90m at the South Korea box office as of today (January 2), according to the Korea Box-office Information System (Kobis).

The Korean film has been revitalising the local box office, where the only stand-out hit of 2023 had been Don Lee’s crime action franchise film The Roundup: No Way Out, with 10.6 million admissions and $79.8m.

12.12: The Day, released by Plus M Entertainment on November 22, ended the year with more than 11.8 million admissions and $88m,...

Romantic Korean movies garner a worldwide reputation due to their tear-jerking, bold storytelling, aesthetics, and exceptional cinematography. Few genres possess the transformative power to evoke profound feelings as effortlessly as romantic Korean movies.

These tales of love and heartbreak seamlessly shake the root of human emotions, leaving an indelible mark on the viewer’s soul. The performances within these films stand as poignant testaments to the unparalleled skill of Korean actors in capturing the complexities of love, loss, and the bittersweet melancholy symphony.

Let’s run on the cinematic journey and look for tear-jerking performances that represent emotional symphonies performed gracefully and precisely. Which scenes moved our feet and filled our hearts with melancholy?

Christmas in August

Christmas in August is a poignant masterpiece of Korean cinema that stands as a testament to the genre’s ability to evoke emotions with their audience. Directed by Hur Jin-ho, this 1998 film remains a touchstone in romantic dramas.

Box office in South Korea has faced a challenging 2023.

Korean drama 12.12: The Day has taken a strong $11.2m on its opening weekend in South Korea, delivering a shot of optimism to the local box office in the wake of a challenging year.

The film, distributed by Plus M Entertainment, comfortably claimed the number one slot and has taken $14.1m since its release on November 22. It has recorded nearly 1.9 million admissions to date and accounted for 80% of all tickets sold across its opening period.

Based on events that took place in the chaotic time after dictator Park Chung-hee was assassinated...

Korean drama “12.12: The Day” brought life back to South Korean cinemas with a powerful $11 million opening weekend.

Directed by Kim Sung-soo and starring the reliable Hwang Jung-min and Jung Woo-sung, the film recounts a nine-hour period in 1979 in which a military coup was attempted. It is understood to be based on real events, but with a fictional telling.

It earned $11.2 million between Friday and Sunday accounting for four out of every five tickets sold in the country. Over its five-day opening run it earned $14.1 million.

That is the second highest opening by any film this year, behind only summer hit “The Roundup: No Way Out” and it is expected to achieve two million ticket sales on Monday.

The strong performance lifted the overall box office for the weekend back above $10 million for the first time since the Chuseok holiday in late September and only the second time since the summer.

Korean Romantic Remake Is 28 Years Better Late Than Never

Leading Korean star Jung Woo-sung (“A Moment to Remember”) will star opposite Shin Hyun-been (“Hospital Playlist”) in “Tell Me That You Love Me,” an original series for Genie TV. The show is a remake of the hit Japanese series of the same name that first aired at Tokyo Broadcasting Systems linear channel in Japan some 28 years ago in 1995.

The new show will upload to Genie’s own streaming service on Nov. 27 and the same day in Japan on Disney+. It will also play on Korean cable channel Ena.

The original series featuring Etsushi Toyokawa and Takako Tokiwa, was written by Kitagawa Eriko and told a slow-burning tale of romance developing between an aspiring young actress and an up-and-coming painter who lost his sense of hearing. Each episode topped the ratings of the previous one, making the show a smash it and a (pre-social media) social phenomenon.

Right from his debut feature “Runaway” in 1995, Kim Sung-su has established two things vehemently: he can work with big stars and he can work on a big budget quite effectively. Starting with a then-young but nonetheless impressive Lee Byung-hun, he has since gone on to work with the likes of Lee Jung-jae, Jung Woo-sung, Hwang Jung-min and even Zhang Ziyi in a rare Korean production appearance. Since his last two works, he has also established that he is also adept at working with an ensemble cast, with both “The Flu” and the highly impressive “Asura: The City of Madness” having an extensive and impressive cast-list. Seven years since “Asura: The City of Madness”, Kim returns to the big screen and with a couple actors he has worked with for “12.12: The Day”, a political thriller based on recent Korean history.

Synopsis

On December 1979, Seoul had been enduring a harsh winter before the upcoming spring.

Taiwanese screenwriter and director Su Chao Bin wrote this Ming Dynasty wuxia drama primarily for Michelle Yeoh to star in. According to Su and producer Terence Chang, the approach was to do a story in the style of Gu Long's wuxia, populated with multiple characters plus a touch of suspense and mystery. Producer John Woo's input is mainly as an adviser, but he did direct one action scene which featured his daughter and thereby also credited as co-director. Su won the Best Director award for his effort at the 17th Hong Kong Film Critics Society Awards.

on Amazon by clicking on the image below

The story starts off with an interesting animated prologue detailing the arrival of Monk Bodhi from India some eight hundred years ago. He spent his early years preaching in the Palace and then retired to Mt Jinhua where he trained and...

‘The Tyrant’ director Park Hoon-jung is behind ‘The Witch’ films.

South Korea’s Acemaker movieworks has sealed deals on Park Hoon-jung’s upcoming action film The Tyrant (working title) and actor Jung Woo-sung’s directorial debut A Man Of Reason to a slew of territories.

The Tyrant has pre-sold to Germany (Splendid), Taiwan (MovieCloud), Southeast Asia (Purple Plan), Thailand (Neramitnung Film), Cis (Paradise Group) and inflight (Eagle).

Director Park is the filmmaker behind hit features The Witch: Part 1 and Part 2 and Venice title Night In Paradise as well as upcoming action feature The Childe, which is in post-production.

The Tyrant...

If 2017's “Steel Rain” was an idealistic, rather narrowed down look at the quest for Korean reunification and the forces that may come between that, then its sequel, “Steel Rain 2: Summit” is the broader, more refined version of the same vision. It may be entirely unrelated to its predecessor but it is hard to avoid making comparisons, especially given both share the same ambitious end goal. However, where the latest instalment thrives is in its dedication to acknowledging the rest of the cogs in the cluttered machine that is the strained inter-Korea relations, and the ways that all sides can manipulate each other in the quest for fiscal, and non-fiscal, power and gains.

“Steel Rain 2: Summit” is available from Echelon Studios

Central to proceedings are the leaders of three countries crucial to the quickly arriving peace summit: US President Smoot (Angus Macfadyen), South Korean President Han Kyeong-jae (Jung Woo-sung...

2022 has been the year of Korean actors making their directorial debuts. But where Lee Jung-jae and Jung Woo-sung decided to debut with their own action features, actress Lee Joo-young, best known for her excellent work in small indie films like “Maggie” or “Baseball Girl” makes her debut with a similarly small but charming short film “Leave at Door, Bell X”.

Leave at Door, Bell X is screening at Osaka Asian Film Festival

Ji-ho spends more than she should to buy a used bike, with the aim of working as a food delivery rider. One night, she picks up a delivery and misdelivers it to the wrong address, and every step she takes through the night to rectify her mistake just ends up in more delays, less money earned and lower ratings for her.

In today's world, where food delivery apps are aplenty and people are very quick to rate and review their deliveries,...

“As I was developing the characters and becoming more and more involved in the script development, it just was a natural decision for me to want to direct it myself and getting the courage to do that,” admits Lee Jung-jae about taking the plunge with his feature directorial debut, the Korean action drama “Hunt.” For our recent webchat he adds, “I was thinking a lot about will Korean audiences like this film and will foreign audiences be able to empathize with it,” he explains. “The answer to these questions was not easy and I went through four years of the script rewriting phase.” Watch our exclusive video interview above.

See dozens of interviews with 2023 awards contenders

Lee directed, co-produced (with Han Jae-duk) and co-wrote (with Jo Seung-Hee) the espionage thriller, in which he also stars alongside countryman Jung Woo-sung. Set in South Korea during the tumultuous 1980s when tensions with...

A propulsive, albeit complicated, narrative plays out across Lee Jung-jae’s directorial debut “Hunt.” Cashing in on the capital that “Squid Game” and a recent Emmy win got him, Jung-jae marries the spy and action genres in a film that he co-writes, directs, and stars into middling results. Fictionalizing the Gwanju Uprising that took hold of the Southern Korean government in the 1980s, the film is ostensibly about two career spies — Jung-jae’s Korean Central Intelligence Agency Foreign Unit Chief Park Pyong-ho and Jung Woo-sung’s Domestic Unit chief Kim Jung-go — investigating each other to discover who a mole codenamed Donglim.

Continue reading ‘The Hunt’ Review: Lee Jung-Jae’s Directorial Debut Gets Lost In Its Own Maze at The Playlist.

Hot off the heels of his Emmy-winning performance in the hit Netflix series Squid Game, Lee Jung-jae reminds audiences that he is not some new hot commodity out of South Korea, but he is a bona fide mega-star that Western audiences are lucky to be blessed with. His latest project showcases his boundless skills as he directs, writes, produces, and stars in Hunt, a Cold War-era espionage thriller set in South Korea.

Hunt, Lee's directorial debut, follows two agents, Park Pyong-ho (Lee) and Kim Jung-do (Jung Woo-sung), from the Korean Central Intelligence Agency who must find a North Korean mole embedded deep within the agency. There is a bit of a rivalry between the two as they head up different divisions. It causes unexpected shifts in their investigation, and they naturally suspect each other. As they chase down the traitor, it becomes clear that the whole agency will be impacted...

This review originally ran May 19, 2022, in conjunction with the film’s world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival.

The opening credits of “Hunt,” a South Korean thriller that premiered at the Cannes Film Festival at midnight on Thursday, offer an unusual juxtaposition. The first card in Lee Jung-jae’s film points out that this is a fictional story, and any resemblance to real people, etc. But that’s immediately followed by several cards laying out the political history of South Korea in the 1970s and ’80s: How a military coup took over in 1979 after the assassination of the president, and how the leader installed by that coup eventually claimed the presidency and began a crackdown on the press and anyone who didn’t agree with him.

So what is “Hunt?” A fictional story, or the thinly-disguised tale of what happened after this new president, who is conspicuously unnamed throughout the film,...

There are two competing components to Hunt, a South Korean espionage action thriller set in the 1980s directed by and starring Lee Jung-jae, in how it unravels. This refers not just to the story, which centers on opposing agents Kcia Foreign Unit chief Park Pyong-ho (Lee) and Domestic Unit chief Kim Jung-do (Jung Woo-sung), but its tone. First premiering at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival and now getting a release through Magnolia Pictures, at times it aspires to be more of a fast-paced action flick where characters get in a variety of chaotic shootouts. Cars are riddled with bullets, entire buildings are blown to pieces, and the body count starts to pile up as the characters rush headlong into each new crisis.

Lee Jung-jae and Jung Woo-sung in Hunt Image: Courtesy of Magnet Releasing. Lee Jung-jae follows up his Emmy-winning turn in Squid Game with the ambitious espionage thriller Hunt, a film set in South Korea during the height of the Cold War. Lee stars in, directs, co-writes, and co-produces this taut,...

To mark the release of Hunt, out now, we’ve been given a poster signed by Lee Jung-jae to give away to 1 winner.

After a group of operatives on a top secret government mission are gunned down, Korean Foreign Intelligence Unit chief Park Pyong-ho (Lee Jung-jae) and Domestic Unit chief Kim Jung-do (Jung Woo-sung) must uncover a North Korean spy, known as Donglim, who is deeply embedded within their agency and thought to be responsible for the leak. Not knowing who to trust, paranoia and suspicion spreads throughout the department, as the two conflicting units race against the clock to find the elusive mole, and slowly start to uncover the truth – an unthinkable plot to assassinate the South Korean president.

Please note: This competition is open to UK residents only

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Hunt is in cinemas and available on Altitude.Film from 4th November

The Small Print

Open to UK...

Korean-produced crime thriller series “Bargain” will debut on the Paramount+ streaming platform from 2023. Within Korea it will play on local streamer Tving.

“Bargain” revolves around a group of strangers who gather at a remote motel with ulterior motives –and each of them seeking to bargain. The series follows the characters after an unexpected earthquake traps them inside the building. With no one to trust, they must find a way to survive. It stars actors Jun Jong-seo (Money Heist: Korea) and Jin Seon-kyu (Extreme Job)

The show is an adaptation of director Lee Chung-hyun’s award-winning short film of the same name released in 2015, although the earthquake story-line is a new plot addition.

The adaptation is headed by director Jun Woo-sung, who was part of the production team of the original short film. He picked up the story and developed it into a six-part series.

The show comes to Paramount+ as...