'Inside Out 2' tops 3m admissions in S. Korea

US studio Pixar's animated film "Inside Out 2" surpassed 3 million admissions at the South Korean box office Saturday, the film's local distributor said. The coming-of-age movie hit the milestone on its 11th day of release, seven days faster than "Inside Out" (2015), according to Walt Disney Company Korea. If the current trend continues, the sequel is expected to easily surpass the previous film, which was seen by 4.97 million people. "Inside Out 2," which

June 22, 2024

[Box office] Movies in theaters this week

“Inside Out 2” (US) Opened June 12 Animation Directed by Kelsey Mann A now-teenaged Riley sees her “mind headquarters” undergo a sudden demolition to make room for new emotions that emerge during puberty, with the addition of four new feelings to the mix: anxiety, envy, ennui and embarrassment. “Handsome Guys” (South Korea) Opened June 26 Comedy Directed by Nam Dong-hyub Jae-pil (Lee Sung-min) and his friend Sang-gu (Lee Hee-jun), two well-meaning carpenters

June 21, 2024

'Harbin' starring Hyun Bin to premiere at Toronto film fest

Korean espionage film "Harbin," starring actor Hyun Bin, has been invited to the Toronto International Film Festival in September, according to CJ ENM, Wednesday. "Harbin," praised for its usage of cinematic artistry to depict historical events, will premiere at the Gala Presentations during the 49th TIFF. The 49th TIFF will be held from Sept. 5 to Sept. 15 in Toronto, Canada. Directed by Woo Byung-ho of "Inside Men" (2015), "The Drug King" (2018) and &quo

June 19, 2024

'Escape' to explore innate desire for freedom through story of N. Korean defector

Humanity's yearning for freedom is the main subject of "Escape," a film that follows a North Korean soldier who has defected to South Korea. "Escape" narrates the story of Gyu-nam (portrayed by Lee Je-hoon), a North Korean soldier about to be discharged after 10 years of service. Faced with no alternative other than a future of working on a farm or in a mine, Gyu-nam devises a plan to defect to South Korea in search of a better life. Hot on his trail is Hyun-sang (played

June 18, 2024

[Herald Review] Not your everyday comedy, 'Handsome Guys' boasts unique blend of genres

In a saturated content landscape, it is difficult to find something fresh and innovative. Yet, "Handsome Guys" manages to stand out by blending genres, providing viewers with an unprecedented viewing experience. "Handsome Guys" tells the story of Jae-pil (played by Lee Sung-min) and his friend Sang-gu (played by Lee Hee-jun), two well-meaning carpenters who relocate dreaming of a peaceful suburban life, but are constantly mistaken for troublemakers due to their intimidating a

June 17, 2024

‘Inside Out 2’ leads local box office, ‘Wonderland’ sits in second

Pixar animated film “Inside Out 2” is leading the local box office after its release this week, according to Korean Film Council data on Friday. “Inside Out 2,” the sequel to the 2015 charming and intelligent journey through the emotions of adolescence, opened Wednesday. On Thursday, the movie attracted 135,782 moviegoers, bringing its accumulated admissions to 332,286 for two days. “Inside Out 2” centers on a now-teenaged Riley as her “mind headquarters

June 14, 2024

[Box office] Movies in theaters this week

“Wonderland” (South Korea) Opened June 5 Sci-fi/Drama Directed by Kim Tae-yong Wonderland, an artificial intelligence service that allows people to communicate with departed loved ones through simulated video calls, causes mixed emotions for Jeong-in (Suzy) as her comatose boyfriend Tae-joo (Park Bo-gum) wakes up. “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga” (US) Opened May 22 Action/Sci-fi Directed by George Miller A young Furiosa (Anya Taylor-Joy), left with only fury after her mother i

June 14, 2024

Late Lee Sun-kyun’s ‘Project Silence’ confirms July 12 opening

“Project Silence,” an action thriller by director Kim Tae-gon, confirmed its theatrical release on July 12, according to the movie’s distributor CJ ENM. The film revolves around a national security officer Jung-won (the late Lee Sun-kyun), who is stranded on a collapsed bridge shrouded in thick fog on his way to send off his daughter at the airport. Ju Ji-hoon appears as a tow truck driver Jo-bak, who appears on the scene to clear crashed cars from the bridge. Veteran actor Kim

June 13, 2024

Canneseries-invited 'TAROT' will tell stories of people attempting to defy fate

Structured within a unique omnibus format, horror flick "TAROT" will tell the stories of individuals who try to challenge their destinies, the director said Wednesday. Produced by Studio X+U, "TAROT" is originally an omnibus drama series consisting of seven episodes. The series follows the stories of individuals who face ominous events predicted by tarot cards. For the movie version, three episodes from the series -- "Do You Believe in Santa?," "Going Home"

June 13, 2024

Bucheon film fest unveils 2024 lineup

BUCHEON, South Korea -- The Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival (BIFAN) on Wednesday unveiled the list of movies to be screened at this year's edition, with "Love Lies Bleeding" selected as the opening film and "Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In" chosen as the closing film. In addition to that, the annual film fest, a celebration of genre films from around the world, will showcase 255 short and feature films from around the world. The opening film, "Lo

June 12, 2024

[Herald Review] Son Suk-ku’s 13-minute-long ‘Night Fishing’ a dynamic one-man show

South Korean actor Son Suk-ku’s upcoming film, “Night Fishing,” is a sci-fi thriller short with a running time of 12 minutes and 59 seconds. The number of cameras used for this short film is seven, all of which are built-in cameras integrated into an electric car. The movie, which unfolds a story from the car’s point of view, revolves around an anonymous agent (Son) who is on a mission to track down an unidentified creature flying in the sky. As the sun sets, he lies in w

June 12, 2024

Sci-fi drama, thriller, occult comedy films coming to cinema in June

Three movies of distinctive genres are coming to the cinema in June, in the hope of gaining attraction by avoiding the summer blockbuster season which falls in July and August. On June 5, director Kim Tae-yong’s sci-fi drama flick “Wonderland” hit local theaters. After his romance drama “Late Autumn” (2010), he has returned with a cast as impressive as his previous feature film. “Wonderland,” starring Tang Wei, Suzy, Park Bo-gum, Jung Yu-mi and Choi Woo-

June 9, 2024

Stray Kids win award at short film festival

Stray Kids won the prestigious Global Spotlight Award with their self-produced "SKZFLIX" at the Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia 2024 in Japan. The prestigious international short film festival is one of Asia's largest such festivals and is officially recognized by the Academy Awards. The festival, which began in 1999, held its awards ceremony Tuesday in Shibuya, Japan. From over 4,936 entries submitted from 114 regions worldwide, 270 works were selected based on this year�

June 7, 2024

[Box office] Movies in theaters this week

“Wonderland” (South Korea) Opened June 5 Sci-fi/Drama Directed by Kim Tae-yong Wonderland, an artificial intelligence service that allows people to communicate with departed loved ones through simulated video calls, confuses Jeong-in (Suzy), as her comatose boyfriend Tae-joo (Park Bo-gum) wakes up from the hospital. “The Plot” (South Korea) Opened May 29 Crime/Thriller Directed by Lee Yo-sup It is Yeong-il's (Gang Dong-won) job to arrange commissioned contract ki

June 7, 2024

[Herald Interview] Suzy, Park Bo-gum boast real chemistry in ‘Wonderland’

South Korean heartthrobs Suzy and Park Bo-gum said they were satisfied with their romantic chemistry as portrayed in upcoming AI fantasy romance movie “Wonderland.” Helmed by Kim Tae-yong of “Late Autumn” (2010), the movie revolves around people reuniting through AI in a simulated virtual world called Wonderland. Suzy and Park, who have developed special rapport as emcees of the Baeksang Arts Awards for many years, showed their special on-screen chemistry in “Wonder

June 5, 2024

[New on the scene] Director Lee Yo-sup remakes his favorite film into ‘The Plot’

A few years ago, Lee Yo-sup, who directed the 2016 small-budget film“Queen of Crimes,” had a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to remake his all-time favorite movie “Accident” (2009). While he changed the majority of the plot and added a different array of characters, one thing he wanted to keep was the original work’s mood. “I wrote the scenario (of the remake version) as a big fan of the original work. That gave me a lot of things to consider, and it took some

June 3, 2024

[What to Watch] Three movies that will warm your heart with seniors’ wisdom

The 16th Seoul International Senior Film Festival kicked off Thursday, showcasing 75 movies from home and abroad. The festival, dedicated to works with fresh insights from seniors that raise questions not just about elderly life but also death, relationships and generations, has established itself as an international film festival. The festival has evolved into a forum for exchanging ideas and concerns about seniors as the issue of the aging population has become one of the world's top topi

June 1, 2024

Korean Film Archive screens classic films from Philippines

A special exhibition on the golden age of film in the Philippines will continue until June 12 at the Cinematheque in Sangam-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul. Nine films that have been digitized by LVN Pictures, a Philippine film studio, will be screened during the exhibition entitled, “Golden Age of Philippine Cinema: LVN Pictures,” the Korean Film Archive said. LVN Pictures, founded in 1938, is regarded as one of the most influential motion picture and post-production studios in Philippine cine

May 31, 2024

[Box office] Movies in theaters this week

“Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga” (US) Opened May 22 Action/Sci-fi Directed by George Miller A young Furiosa (played by Anya Taylor-Joy), left only with fury after her mother is ruthlessly killed by warlord Dementus (Chris Hemsworth), embarks on an 18-year-long vengeful journey home. “Following” (South Korea) Opened May 15 Mystery Thriller Directed by Kim Se-hwi Real estate agent Gu Jeong-tae (Byun Yo-han) has a strange, if not perverse, habit of peeping into other people&rsq

May 31, 2024

Byeon Woo-seok’s debut film ‘Soulmate’ back in cinemas

Thanks to the skyrocketing popularity of TV series “Lovely Runner” and its lead actor Byeon Woo-seok, local multiplex chain CGV is bringing back Byeon’s debut film “Soulmate.” Starting Friday, 21 CGV cinemas across the countries will screen “Soulmate” which premiered in March 2023. A special edition of the movie poster will be given to moviegoers on a first-come first-served basis. Fourteen more CGV theaters including those in Gangneung, Mokpo and Jeju w

May 30, 2024