News

Korean entertainment conglomerate Cj Enm appointed Moving producer Jang Kyung-Ik as CEO of Studio Dragon.

Jang was formerly the President of Dragon’s domestic rival Studio & New, which is part of Next Entertainment World (New). He has also served as the Head of the Film Business Division at New.

Cj Enm’s said Jang was “a distinguished content producer with a stellar career,” with “exceptional planning skills and keen insight have led to the production of highly successful dramas and films.”

Jang is behind hit dramas like Disney+’s Moving, as well as Descendants of the Sun and Doctor Cha. Last year, Moving earned critical acclaim and swept major awards, including the Grand Prize in TV at the Baeksang Arts Awards, Best Series at the Grand Bell Awards, and multiple accolades at the Asia Contents Awards & Global Ott Awards. He also produced the 2018 film The Great Battle, which received 5.44 million box office admissions.

South Korea’s Cj Enm has appointed Jang Kyung-ik as CEO of its stock market-listed Studio Dragon unit. The company is one of the most prolific TV production houses in the world and a key partner of both Netflix and Tving, with hit shows that include “The Glory,” ‘Crash Landing on You” “Hotel Del Luna” and “Arthdal Chronicles.”

Jang is the former president of Studio & New, a rival TV production nexus that is part of investor-distributor group Next Entertainment World.

Cj Enm described Jang as “a distinguished content producer with a stellar career.” “His exceptional planning skills and keen insight have led to the production of highly successful dramas and films. Notably, he produced the hit dramas ‘Descendants of the Sun’ and ‘Doctor Cha,’ which achieved both high viewership ratings and widespread acclaim, as well as the film ‘The Great Battle,’ which attracted 5.44 million viewers. Last year, Jang further...

Korean entertainment powerhouse Cj Enm has named veteran executive Jang Kyung ik CEO of its K-drama subsidiary Studio Dragon. The appointment was revealed on Monday in Seoul.

An established figure in the Korean entertainment landscape, Jang comes to Cj Enm from content investor-distributor Next Entertainment World (New), where he served as head of the company’s film division, as well as president of its recently launched global content production subsidiary Studio & New. He scored a major win last year with Studio & New’s production of the K-drama action sci-fi series Moving, which became Disney+’s most-watched international streaming series to date.

“With the appointment of Jang, Cj Enm aims to strengthen Studio Dragon’s position as a leading content studio in the global market,” said a spokesperson from Cj Enm in a statement.

Other highlights of Jang’s tenure at New include hit dramas like Descendants of the Sun and Doctor Cha,...

South Korea’s Barunson E&a has landed international sales rights to sex comedy Forbidden Fairytale and is introducing the feature to buyers at Hong Kong Filmart.

The film centres on a woman who crashes into a car owned by the boss of an adult novel publishing house and must pay him back by writing erotic fiction, inadvertently becoming an overnight sensation. Her stories also reinvigorate her colleague, who has been experiencing sexual dysfunction for several years.

The feature is directed by Lee Jong-suk, who previously made 2018 crime thriller The Negotiation, and stars Park Ji-hyun from TV series Reborn Rich alongside...

South Korea’s Barunson E&a has landed international sales rights to sex comedy Forbidden Fairytale and is introducing the feature to buyers at Hong Kong Filmart.

The film centres on a woman who crashes into a car owned by the boss of an adult novel publishing house and must pay him back by writing erotic fiction, inadvertently becoming an overnight sensation. Her stories also reinvigorate her colleague, who has been experiencing sexual dysfunction for several years.

The feature is directed by Lee Jong-suk, who previously made 2018 crime thriller The Negotiation, and stars Park Ji-hyun from TV series Reborn Rich alongside...

‘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...

Na Hong-Jin will direct the Korean thriller for Plus M Entertainment.

Award-winning Korean actors Hwang Jung-min, Zo In-sung and Hoyeon have joined Alicia Vikander and Michael Fassbender in the cast of upcoming thriller Hope.

The Korean feature is directed by Na Hong-jin, marking his first film since The Wailing in 2016, and is backed by Korean producer-distributor Plus M Entertainment.

Hwang starred in The Wailing, which played at Cannes, and is also known for Netflix’s Narco-Saints, Cannes 2022 title Hunt and Berlin 2023 feature Kill Boksoon.

Zo is known for roles in war epic The Great Battle and more recently Escape From Mogadishu,...

International and indie film distributor Well Go USA Entertainment has acquired North American rights to Korean film Escape From Mogadishu. It will open in theaters in the U.S. and Canada August 6 following a July 28 release in Korea.

The film is based on true events and chronicles the harrowing experience of bitterly opposed North and South Korean diplomats trapped in the city of Mogadishu at the advent of the Somalian civil war in 1991. The dramatic years-long conflict, which exploded following the rebel-led ouster of dictator Mohamed Siad Barre, was introduced to American audiences through blockbuster film Black Hawk Down, which picks up the narrative in war-torn Mogadishu in 1993.

“The film portrays this almost unfathomable event that throws the horrors of war into sharp relief,” said Well Go CEO Doris Pfardrescher. She noted the production team’s careful study of surviving embassy records and historical accounts to create the most realistic possible depiction.

Korea’s New Strikes Multi-Picture Deal With Library Pictures

Korean outfit Next Entertainment World (New) and financier Library Pictures International have signed a three-year co-financing deal covering a slate of Korean-language films. The companies say the pact will focus on making diverse titles with appeal for local filmgoers as well as the potential to be harnessed for remakes in the U.S. and around the world. Next Entertainment World’s projects to date include Train To Busan, Peninsula and The Great Battle. Library has investments in Legendary Pictures and operates co-financing deals in Indonesia, Vietnam, and Turkey. CAA Media Finance, Evolution Media Capital, and O’Melveny & Myers advised on the deal. The deal was negotiated with Danny Lee and Whitney Kim for New.

“The partnership with Library will be a driving force in expanding opportunities for Korean storytellers and accelerate our overall growth,” said Kim Jae-min, President of New’s film department.

Los Angeles-based Library Pictures International has inked a deal to co-finance a slate of Korean-language films with South Korean studio Next Entertainment World, also known as New.

Financial terms weren’t disclosed. The agreement was described by the two companies as a three-year, multi-picture financing pact spanning a diverse slate of titles, including finished films, movies currently in pre-production, as well as future projects to come. New has a strong track record at the South Korean box office, having produced such hits as Train to Busan, Peninsula and The Great Battle.

The South Korean deal follows a series of financing pacts Library ...

Los Angeles-based Library Pictures International has inked a deal to co-finance a slate of Korean-language films with South Korean studio Next Entertainment World, also known as New.

Financial terms weren’t disclosed. The agreement was described by the two companies as a three-year, multi-picture financing pact spanning a diverse slate of titles, including finished films, movies currently in preproduction as well as future projects. New has a strong track record at the South Korean box office, having produced such hits as Train to Busan, Peninsula and The Great Battle.

The South Korean deal follows a series of financing pacts Library has unveiled ...

U.S. entertainment financier Library Pictures International has struck a three-year deal to co-finance a slate of Korean-language movies from Next Entertainment World (N.E.W.).

Library’s investment will include finished films, films currently in pre-production, as well as projects developed over the course of the next three years. The company was started in 2008 as a local distributor and has gone on to produce and distribute titles including “Train to Busan” “Peninsula” and “The Great battle.” It listed on the Korean stock market in 2014.

“The partnership with Library will be a driving force in expanding opportunities for Korean storytellers and accelerate our overall growth, said Kim Jae-min, president of N.E.W.’s film department. “Leveraging New’s existing production, financing, and distribution capabilities, we are able to support the Korean film ecosystem on a larger scale, helping bring local creators and IP to the global entertainment arena.”

“Korean-language content is...

The co-financing deal will help fund local projects with potential for US and global remakes.

Korea’s Next Entertainment World (New) has signed a slate co-financing deal for Korean-language films with Los Angeles-based Library Pictures International.

Under the three-year, multi-picture deal Library will invest in finished films, films currently in pre-production and projects developed over the course of the arrangement. The focus, said the companies, will be on “a diverse slate with wide appeal to local filmgoers and the potential for locally relevant remakes in the US and throughout the world.”

New, which over the past decade has expanded from...

Korean media group Next Entertainment World has partnered with L.A.’s Library Pictures International, signing a three-year co-financing slate for the production of Korean-language films.

A “global local-language content financier focused on industry-leading storytelling,” Library is looking, with New, to capitalize on opportunities in the world’s fifth-largest film market, cultivating a diverse set of projects with appeal to Korean locals, with the baked-in potential for remakes in the U.S. and elsewhere.

Under terms of the arrangement, Library’s investment will go into already finished films, projects currently in development, and those that will be developed by New over the course of the next three years.

“The partnership with Library will be a driving force in expanding opportunities for Korean storytellers and accelerate our overall growth,” said Kim Jae-min, president of the film department at New. “Leveraging New’s existing production, financing, and distribution capabilities, we are able...

Pre-sales also closed on crime feature ‘Dirty Money’.

South Korea’s Acemaker movieworks is launching sales ahead of the EFM on Remember, a Korean remake of Atom Egoyan’s 2015 Nazi-hunter film that starred the late Christopher Plummer.

The thriller, in post-production, is directed by Lee Il-hyung, whose 2016 crime film A Violent Prosecutor recorded 9.7 million admissions and took $69.5m at the local box office. Leading cast members include Lee Sung-min (The Man Standing Next) and Nam Joo-hyuk (The Great Battle).

The story is set in Korea where a retired octogenarian soldier with dementia goes in search of vengeance against pro-Japanese collaborators,...

The Asian cinema market has been growing steadily over the last couple of decades and gaining millions of fans both on and off the continent. China alone has a gigantic movie industry that is projected to surpass $22 billion by the end of 2025, but South Korea and other countries don’t lag too far behind.

Instagram is the place where you can witness the unparalleled popularity of Asian films, actors, and actresses. The network is crowded with popular movie accounts, so it’s always interesting to follow who ranks highly in the cinematography of the largest continent.

We decided to do the dirty work for you and present some of the finest Asian movie profiles on Instagram. Let’s take a look!

Lee Min-Ho

With more than 21 million followers, Lee Min-Ho is definitely one of the most popular Asian actors – at least on Instagram. We appreciate Min-Ho for his acting skills...

The hit Japanese anime “Josee, the Tiger and the Fish” is getting a Korean live-action adaptation and the first trailer has recently been launched.

Synopsis

A story that depicts the brightest moments of Josee and Young-seok. Josee has a physical disability and lives in her own world. Young-seok enters her world.

Director Kim Jong-hwan knows how to tell female stories, with both his previous feature films “The Table” and “Worst Woman” as well as his last work, the segment “Walking at Night” in the Netflix anthology series “Persona” starring Iu, being female-centric narratives. “Josee” features superstars Han Ji-min (“Miss Baek”) and Nam Joo-hyuk (“The Great Battle”) in the central roles of Josee and Young-seok. It is scheduled for a release in December, 2020.

Includes new films from Ann Hui, Mohamed Diab and Kaouther Ben Hania.Asia

Love After Love (China)

Dir. Ann Hui

Hong Kong filmmaker Ann Hui revisits the work of Eileen Chang with this adaptation of 1943 novella Aloeswood Incense about a young woman from Shanghai who heads to Hong Kong to continue her studies, but ends up working for her aunt, seducing rich and powerful men. The cast features Eddie Peng, Ma Sichun and Faye Yu. Hui is regularly feted on the Asian festival circuit but has not been selected for an A-list European event since 2011 when A Simple Life played in competition in Venice.

Director Kim Yong-hoon has managed quite a casting coup of sorts with his debut feature film “Beasts Clawing at Straws”, bringing together superstars Jung Woo-sung and Jeon Do-yeon together for the first time.

Synopsis

The destinies of hard-luck lowlifes slowly converge and come crashing down: Jung-man barely gets by working at a sauna and taking care of his sick mother until he finds a bag full of cash in the locker room; Tae-young is in trouble after his girlfriend runs away with the money he borrowed from a loan shark. Soon, a dead body mysteriously turns up; Mi-ran, caught between her husband’s violence and a dead-end job as a bar hostess, she finds a young lover Jin-tae, who offers to kill her husband… And now their dog-eat-dog game starts.

The film is adapted by Kim from the Japanese novel “Wara nimo Sugaru Kemonotachi”. In addition to Jung Woo-sung as...

White Mulberry award for first film went to Tanaka Seiji’s Japanese film Melancholic.

Oliver Chan’s debut feature Still Human, starring Anthony Wong, picked up both the top Audience Award and the Critics Award at the 21st Udine Far East Film Festival (Feff) in North-eastern Italy.

The Hong Kong drama, featuring Wong as a paralysed construction worker and Crisel Consunji as his Filipina caretaker, had its director and co-stars onstage at the Teatro Nuovo – a familiar place for Wong who previously won a Golden Mulberry Award for Outstanding Achievement in Udine.

“We live on the other side of the...

One of the bloodiest confrontations in Korean history, the story of the siege of Ansi, where Goguryeo forces held their fortress against 200,000 invading Tang soldiers that raged for eighty-eight days, is a familiar piece of the country’s history.

“The Great Battle” is screening atUdine Far East Film Festival

Stationed along the Korean border, soldier Sa-mul (Nam Joo-hyuk) is chosen to put his courage to the test with a special plot by his commander to assassinate the rogue commander Yang Man-chung stationed at the Ansi fortress. Upon arriving and infiltrating the society of those under his command, he puts his quest on hold in order to help deal with the threat to the fortress by Li Shimin, a ruthless Tang soldier determined to overtake the fortress and kill all those there. The longer he puts off his mission in order to defend the fortress with the rest of the soldiers,...

This year’s line-up for the Far East Film Festival in Udine includes numerous surprise hits, as well as a diverse selection that mixes the best of Asian commercial cinema with accessible Asian art house.

Among the surprise hits are “A Cool Fish” and “Dying to Survive” from mainland China, and “Project Gutenberg,” the Hong Kong counterfeiting thriller which topped the Chinese box office. From Taiwan, “More Than Blue” was another title that took China’s box office crown.

The mainland Chinese selection also includes Han Han’s “Pegasus”, Zhang Wei’s transgender drama “The Rib,” and coming of age drama “The Crossing,” which premiered in Toronto.

Labelled as a Hong Kong production, Renny Harlin’s “Bodies at Rest,” and Yuen Woo-ping’s “Master Z: The Ip Man Legacy” also find festival berths.

The festival’s nine titles from Japan include comedy “Fly Me To Saitama,” Sabu’s absurdist “Jam...

In 2018, the Korean film business stumbled, as local films made with blockbuster budgets and targeting the usual high seasons of Chuseok and Christmas last year failed to deliver blockbuster earnings. So Korean distributors have embraced some tactics to enhance their bottom lines.

Genre films “Monstrum,” “Fengshui,” “The Negotiation,” “Take Point,” “Swing Kids” and “Drug King” tripped over each other and did healthy B.O. but not the blockbuster business that distributors anticipated.

“The South Korean market has been supersaturated and the market has reached its limit. It is pretty obvious that no one would make significant profit when there are four to five films to watch in one season,” one disappointed producer told Variety.

Now, key distributors have announced lineups filled with fewer blockbusters and more small to mid-sized titles. At the same time they are accelerating overseas expansion and diversifying content formats.

Two of Cj Entertainment’s 2019 tentpoles, Bong...

One of the bloodiest confrontations in Korean history, the story of the siege of Ansi, where Goguryeo forces held their fortress against 200,000 invading Tang soldiers that raged for eighty-eight days, is a familiar piece of the country’s history. Coming to the screen in a somewhat bloated epic by director Kim Kwang-sik, this new effort arrives on Blu-Ray, DVD and digital by WellGo USA on January 8, 2019.

Stationed along the Korean border, soldier Sa-mul (Nam Joo-hyuk) is chosen to put his courage to the test with a special plot by his commander to assassinate the rogue commander Yang Man-chung stationed at the Ansi fortress. Upon arriving and infiltrating the society of those under his command, he puts his quest on hold in order to help deal with the threat to the fortress by Li Shimin, a ruthless Tang soldier determined to overtake the fortress and kill all those there.

“Majestically Epic” – Houston Chronicle

“Full of good, solid action” – eFilmCritic

Director Kim Kwang-Sik (“My Dear Desperado”) brings to life the first Korean action blockbuster to depict the Goguryeo dynasty in the epic story “The Great Battle”, ready for combat on digital, Blu-ray Combo Pack and DVD January 8 from Well Go USA Entertainment. Set during the Tang dynasty, the action-packed film is based on the historic 80-day battle between the Goguryeo and Tang forces known as The Siege of Ansi, that took place while the two groups were at war between 645-668 Ad. Kwang-Sik uses cutting-edge cinematic technologies to create spectacular action sequences in “The Great Battle” which stars Zo In-Sung (“The King”), Nam Joo-Hyuk (“Bride of the Water God”) and Park Sung-Woong (“The Swindlers”). The discs also come with a behind-the-scenes featurette with commentary from the director and cast.

Synopsis:

With epic scale and breathtaking action, “The Great Battle...

Space exploration drama, “First Man” opened on Thursday and moon landed in top spot of the South Korean box office. The Upi release earned $3.48 million from 423,200 admissions over its four opening days.

Korean drama, “Dark Figure of Crime” slipped to second from the previous weekend’s top spot. The Showbox release earned $2.46 million from 311,600 admissions between Friday and Sunday for a total of $26.4 million after three weekends on release.

Sony’s “Venom” took third place, earning $1.88 million between Friday and Sunday. That gave it a three-weekend total of $28.6 million from 3.67 million admissions.

Incurring only a modest week-on-week drop of 11%, Korean drama “Miss Baek” took fourth. The Little Big Pictures release earned $1.13 million between Friday and Sunday for a total of $3.45 million after two weekends.

“A Star is Born” slipped to fifth from the previous weekend’s fourth. The Warner Bros. title earned $470,000 for $2.09 million after two weekends. Walt Disney’s...

Local crime drama, “Dark Figure of Crime” jumped to top spot at the South Korean box office, toppling the previous week’s winner, “Venom.” The Showbox release earned $4.42 million from 553,000 admissions between Friday and Sunday for a total of $22.0 million from 2.83 million admissions after two weekends.

“Venom,” incurred a week-on-week drop of 58% and slipped to second place. The Sony release earned $3.93 million between Friday and Sunday for a two-week total of $25.4 million.

Opening on Thursday, Korean drama “Miss Baek” landed in third. The Little Big Pictures release earned $1.5 million over its opening four days. Starring Han Ji-min the drama is Lee Ji-won’s directorial debut feature. It sees the story of an ex-convict woman who meets a girl that reminds her of her own childhood. The woman decides to save the youngster from domestic violence.

Musical drama, “A Star is Born” opened on Tuesday and landed in fourth. The Warner Bors.

Released on Wednesday, American action thriller, ‘Venom’ topped the South Korean box office. The Sony release showed on some 1,300 screens nationwide and earned $16.4 million from 2.08 million admissions over five days.

Another Oct. 3 opener, South Korean crime drama “Dark Figure of Crime” landed in second. The Showbox release earned $12.6 million between Wednesday and Sunday. Based on real events, “Dark Figure” sees the story of a police detective and a killer, who confesses to multiple murders. The two films together accounted for 82% of total weekend box office.

Korean historical action drama, “The Great Battle” slipped to third from the previous week’s top spot, with a week-on-week drop of 72%. The Next Entertainment World release earned $1.8 million between Friday and Sunday for a total of $38.8 million after three weekends on release.

Disney’s “Christopher Robin” debuted on Wednesday and landed in fourth. The live-action adventure drama earned $1.73 million between Wednesday and Sunday.

Cj Entertainment...

Contents Panda, Next Entertainment World’s international sales arm, has scored a series of sales deals for “Rampant,” one of the biggest Korean titles set for the second half of 2018.

Well Go USA had picked up “Rampant” for North American release, set for Nov. 2. The film has sold to the U.K. and Vietnam (Purple Plan), Germany (Splendid Film) and to Rafaella Films for the Philippines, Movie Cloud for Taiwan, Sahamongkolfilm for Thailand, Colorful Garden for Myanmar and Westec Media for Cambodia. Clover Films had picked up the film for Hong Kong, Macau, Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia and Brunei. Cine Asia will handle the film in Australia and New Zealand.

Directed by Kim Sung-hoon (“Confidential Assignment”), “Rampant” is a period action blockbuster set in the Joseon dynasty. It is the story of a prince who struggles to save Joseon from the rampage of what’s known as the Night Demons. Two...

The Korean tentpoles which dominated the Chuseok week, continued to rule the South Korean box office over the latest weekend.

Costume action drama “The Great Battle” remained on top, accounting for 43% of the weekend total. The Next Entertainment World release earned $6.43 million between Friday and Sunday for a total of $35 million from 4.53 million admissions after two weekends on release.

Cj Entertainment’s “The Negotiation” climbed to second spot from the previous week’s third. The crime drama earned $2.99 million, for a two-weekend total of $13.7 million. Megabox’s “Fengshui” slipped to third from second, with a week-on-week drop of 58%. The costume drama earned $1.9 million for a total of $15.3 million after two weekends.

Korean independent release, “The Soul-mate” landed in fourth. Opening on Wednesday, the comedy earned $2.81 million over five days. Starring Don Lee (“Train to Busan”), “Soul-mate” revolves around a judo instructor who becomes haunted by a dead police officer’s soul.

Another busy post-summer lineup of specialties are heading into theaters this weekend, including Sundance and Toronto’s period bio-drama Colette by filmmaker Wash Westmoreland, opening in New York and L.A. via Bleecker Street. And fresh off of its Venice and Toronto debuts, Annapurna’s The Sisters Brothers by French filmmaker Jacques Audiard, starring John C. Reilly, Joaquin Phoenix and Jake Gyllenhaal, which will also begin in both cities before rolling out further in the coming weeks. Tribeca Film Festival opener, Love, Gilda will get a wider bow in over eighty locations Friday via Magnolia Pictures. Sundance Selects is launching fellow doc Tea with the Dames spotlighting Dames Eileen Atkins, Judi Dench, Joan Plowright and Maggie Smith, while also on the non-fiction front, Greenwich Entertainment is opening Garry Winogrand: All Things Are Photographable theatrically before airing on PBS next year.

Other limited releases coming out this weekend include Pj Raval...

Going all the way back to the Goguryeo Dynasty, siege action epic The Great Battle chronicles the historic standoff of a small Korean garrison against the might of the Tang army in the 7th century. Light on jingoism and heavy on spectacle, this surprisingly deft war film is an engaging ride throughout, even as it gets a little top-heavy in its final third. In the year 645 Ad, Emperor Li and his Tang Dynasty army march from one brutal victory to the next in the lands of Goguryeo. He soon sets his sights on Ansi Fortress; but also headed there is the young army captain Sa-mool, who has been ordered to assassinate Ansi’s leader, Yang Man-chun, who failed to come to Goguryeo’s aid on the...

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

Well Go USA has acquired the English language rights to “Freaks” for around $2 million at the Toronto International Film Festival, an individual with knowledge of the deal told TheWrap.

Zach Lipovsky and Adam Stein directed the psychological thriller from their script, and the distributor is planning a theatrical release for it.

The film made its debut at the festival on Saturday and stars Emile Hirsch, Bruce Dern, Lexy Colker and Amanda Crew. It follows a girl who discovers a bizarre and threatening new world behind her front door after she escapes from her paranoid father.

Producers on the project include Lipovsky, Stein, Jordan Barber and Mitchell Waxman. Executive producers are M. Alan Stein, Phil Kim, Eliazbeth Costa de Beauregard Rose and Rick Alyea.

Mihal Abou-Sayed,...