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Was Kwon Sang-Woo ranked no. 1 in the February Film Actor Brand Reputation list? ( Photo Credit – YouTube )

The Korea Corporate Reputation Research Institute announced the Film Actor Brand Reputation rankings on February 18, 2025. While Kwon Sang-Woo took the first place, several big names from the South Korean entertainment industry followed in the list. From Jung Hae-In to Song Hye-Kyo, many were ranked accordingly. Even though Sang-Woo didn’t have any latest releases, he displayed a strong brand competitiveness.

Sang-Woo is a popular South Korean actor who rose to fame with the romantic comedy film My Tutor Friend in 2003. He later featured in the melodrama series Stairway to Heaven and gained massive recognition for his role. However, it was his last film, Hitman 2, that put him on a global map. Now, scroll ahead to know all about the February Film Actor Brand Reputation Rankings.

Kwon Sang-Woo secured the no. 1 spot among the...

Netflix’s Melo Movie is an easy-breezy romance. Part of the reason why the narrative is made to build up through the ten episodes is also the painstaking exploration of the motley of characters that populates the narrative. There are multiple strands of love, not just restricted to romantic union. We have platonic love between friends, siblings, and parental love which sometimes take the backseat in the pursuit of romantic love. Melo Movie is also a variation on the romantic subgenre of enemies to lovers. Through this guide, we familiarize ourselves with the main characters and the cast of Netflix’s Korean drama series.

Choi Woo-shik as Ko Gyeom

Choi Woo-shik’s international recognition comes from his role as the Kim family son in Bong Joon-ho’s Parasite. He also played significant roles in Yeon Sang-ho’s zombie horror Train to Busan and Bong Joon-ho’s benign-monster film Okja. To his filmography,...

The Berlinale Series Market has unveiled its 2025 lineup, featuring 17 international series under its Market Selects banner.

The productions, from 13 countries, range geographically from Brazil to South Africa to New Zealand and in genres from crime thrillers to biopics to dark comedies (check out the full line-up below). Among the higher-profile titles are the Australian/U.S. series Sunny Nights, starring Will Forte (The Last Man on Earth, Nebraska) and D’Arcy Carden (Barry, The Good Place) as an American brother and sister who head to Sydney to start up a spray tan business only to get caught up in the city’s criminal underworld; and Byun Seung-Min’s Concrete Utopia, a series spin-off of his 2023 hit action film set in a post-apocalyptic world after a catastrophic earthquake.

The small-screen industry event runs Feb. 16-19 as part of the Berlin Film Festival‘s European Film Market (EFM). The Market Selects projects will...

South Korea’s box office admissions dipped 1.6% in 2024 while local productions recorded a significant rise in market share across the year.

There were 123 million admissions in 2024, according to Kobis, the Korean Film Council’s box office tracking service. This is down on the 125.1 million admissions recorded in 2023, which had marked an 11% rise on 2022 as the country continued to attract cinemagoers back to theatres after the Covid-19 pandemic.

Scroll down for top 10 of 2024

The latest figures highlight that admissions remain 45.6% below pre-pandemic 2019, which had ranked as South Korea’s all-time highest box office year in terms of admissions and gross.

Total...

One of the most underrated action movies of 2024, Badland Hunters, is essentially Netflix’s take on a gonzo, surreal, Mad Max-style post-apocalyptic thriller. Every once in a while, Netflix’s original movies will deliver their own take on the plot and style of a classic action movie. The streamer will keep just enough of the original formula intact to attract its fans, but change just enough that it feels like its own thing and not just a shallow knock-off.

Rebel Moon, a sci-fi epic about a resistance force banding together to fight an evil empire, is Netflix’s version of Star Wars. Carry-On, a Christmas actioner about an everyman hero foiling a terrorist plot around the holidays, is Netflix’s version of Die Hard. Rebel Ridge, about a corrupt local police department’s manhunt for a highly capable war veteran, is Netflix’s version of First Blood. Extraction, the...

Disaster movies are an age-old conceit, but even the most reliable ideas can only be revisited so often before they lose the very thing that gave them their distinctive edge in the first place. Director Um Tae-hwa's Concrete Utopia offers a unique take on its genre, approaching dystopian sci-fi with subtlety and restraint. Instead of filling its 130-minute runtime with wall-to-wall examples of pulse-pounding, implausible action sequences, Concrete Utopia keeps its apocalyptic devastation simple, leaving room to zero in on the actual disaster: the psychological consequences.

The “Korean content boom,” including the rise of K-dramas and K-pop, was in focus during a panel at the Red Sea Souk, the market of the Red Sea International Film Festival in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on Sunday. But the chaotic political situation in South Korea in recent days, including a failed attempt by its president to introduce martial law and a failed attempt to impeach him, didn’t come up.

A curious crowd came to the market in Jeddah Old Town Al-Balad to listen to the panelists, namely disaster-thriller Concrete Utopia director and screenwriter Um Tae-Hwa, mystery-thriller Somebody director Yeo-Jung Kim, Hyoun-soo Kim, director of funding and support at Kofic, the Korean Film Council, and the founder and CEO of Barunson C&c, Woo-sik Seo, the veteran producer behind Bong Joon-ho’s Mother and Okja.

Masha Magonova, director – strategy, finance, and operations at Library Pictures International, served as the moderator for the session,...

Korean director Um Tae Hwa, known for dystopian thriller Concrete Utopia, is set to help train the next generation of Saudi filmmakers.

The director will conduct a masterclass in Jeddah early next year with 10 rising talents from the country, which will see the emerging filmmakers showcase their directing flair by adapting a scene from Concrete Utopia.

A session between the director and participants will take place on Saturday at Red Sea International Film Festival, which will include a screening of his 2023 feature and a lecture on filmmaking.

It marks the latest in a string of collaborative efforts between South Korea and Saudi Arabia,...

Marking its 4th year, Actors’ House is a special event that offers an in-depth look into the works of actors who represent the contemporary film industry, sharing their candid stories. This year’s event draws attention with prominent figures’ participation, including Sul Kyung-gu, Park Boyoung, Hwang Jung-min, and Chun Woo-hee.

First, actor Sul Kyung-gu, known for his limitless transformations through various roles, will be featured at the Actors’ House. Continuously expanding his spectrum by navigating different themes, genres, and characters, Sul Kyung-gu has consistently garnered praise from audiences for his solid acting skills. Most recently, he crafted a new iconic character in the 2024 Netflix series The Whirlwind (2024). At the Actors’ House, Sul Kyung-gu is set to showcase his true essence as an actor.

Actor Park Boyoung will also meet with the audience in Busan. After skyrocketing to fame as a rising star in Chungmuro with the success of the film...

Park Seo-joon's role as Prince Yan in The Marvels was brief but exciting. Gyeongseong Creature, Park Seo-joon's latest K-drama, will return for a second season in 2024 with a new setting and story. Park Seo-joon's Hollywood debut may have been short, but his career is already impressive.

K-drama icon Park Seo-joon made his Hollywood debut in The Marvels, but the Marvel Cinematic Universe arguably wasted the 35-year-old actor. 2023 was a big year for Park Seo-joon's career, as he returned to the world of K-dramas with Gyeongseong Creature. The Netflix series was his first leading TV role since Itaewon Class, one of the best K-dramas of all time. Park Seo-joons role in The Marvels was also a big deal, especially because it is relatively uncommon for established K-drama stars to appear in Hollywood productions. He had previously starred in 2023's Dream and Concrete Utopia before appearing in The Marvels.

Around a...

Squid Game: Meet the New Cast of the Highly-Anticipated Second Season - Main Image

Squid Game season 2 returns with new sets of players this year on Netflix, just in time for the holidays. Keep in mind that each new actor's roles for the second season have yet to be disclosed. Check out which stars you may recognize from their previous Kdramas!

Im Si-Wan

Outside being a member of the Kpop group, Ze:a, the award-winning actor Im Si-Wan has proven his talent when it comes to the acting industry.

Fans may recognize previous works of his from Jeong Seok-Won in tvN's Reply 1997, Yoon Jong-Woo from Strangers From Hell, Jang Byeong-Tae from 2023's Boyhood, but he is most popularly known for starring as the main culprit on the 2023 flick Unlocked as hacker Oh Jun-Yeong.

Kang Ha-Neul

The multiple best actor awardee Kang Ha-Neul has starred in prominent Kdramas since...

Park Seo-joon's K-drama characters are diverse but share humor. Comedy is a common thread in his roles, from Dong-man to Tae-sang. Even in a horror series like Gyeongseong Creature, Park Seo-joon's performance brings humor.

Park Seo-joons most successful K-drama characters are very different from each other, yet they all share one important trait. Active since 2011, Park Seo-joon has been in a lot of popular movies and TV shows, all of which contribute to his status as one of the biggest Korean actors working now. The list of Park Seo-joons movies and K-dramas includes titles like Fight For My Way, Whats Wrong With Secretary Kim, Itaewon Class, Concrete Utopia, and Gyeongseong Creature, the last of which returns for season 2 later in 2024.

Between coming-of-age stories and romantic comedies, Park Seo-joon has brought to life a lot of compelling, charming characters. A versatile actor, Park has gone from struggling young adults to...

CAA has come on board to advise on the worldwide sales of “Pleasant Outcast,” the post-apocalyptic Korean thriller series from Lotte Cultureworks (“Along With the Gods: The Last 49 Days”) and Climax Studio. “Pleasant Outcast” is set to premiere at Canneseries, which kicks off April 5.

The 10-part series is a companion piece to the Korean box office smash hit film “Concrete Utopia,” which was selected as South Korea’s Oscar contender and sold to 185 countries.

“Pleasant Outcast” is co-directed by Min Yong-keun (“Soulmate”) and Yang Soo-hee. It’s based on the same best-selling webtoon, “Cheerful Outcast.” While “Concrete Utopia” was based on the second part of “Cheerful Outcast,” “Pleasant Outcast” is based on the first part of the flagship title.

“Pleasant Outcast” was written by Kim Bo-tong, creator and co-writer of Netflix’s “D.P.” and Min Young-keun. Kim Bo-tong is also signed to CAA.

Described as being in the...

“Pleasant Outcast,” a 10-part Korean series that is set to appear at Canneseries next month, is a companion piece to “Concrete Utopia,” the hit film from last year that was selected as South Korea’s Oscar contender.

Both the Lotte Cultureworks series and “Concrete Utopia,” a dystopian drama-thriller set in a post-apocalyptic Seoul, are adapted from best-selling webtoon “Cheerful Outcast,” by Kim Soong Nyung. The film was frequently compared to William Golding’s seminal novel from the 1954 “Lord of the Flies” and its 1964 film adaptation.

Using the first part of the webtoon, the series follows Dong-hyun, a high school junior, who barely survives his day-to-day bullying at school. “When he wishes all were dead, an unexplained powerful earthquake destroys his school. Trapped in isolated circumstances, the hierarchy and power reshuffle as students struggle to survive, while continuous collapses and accidents kill more students. In this collapsed and extreme world, the...

Variety Awards Circuit section is the home for all awards news and related content throughout the year, featuring the following: the official predictions for the upcoming Oscars, Emmys, Grammys and Tony Awards ceremonies, curated by Variety senior awards editor Clayton Davis. The prediction pages reflect the current standings in the race and do not reflect personal preferences for any individual contender. As other formal (and informal) polls suggest, competitions are fluid and subject to change based on buzz and events. Predictions are updated every Thursday.

Visit the prediction pages for the respective ceremonies via the links below:

Oscars | Emmys | Grammys | Tonys

2024 Oscars Predictions:

Best International Feature Wim Wenders’ ‘Perfect Days’

Weekly Commentary: The United Kingdom is poised to win its first Academy Award with Jonathan Glazer’s “The Zone of Interest” and what a deserved win it will be.

But while I have the floor: it’s time for the...

Choi Yoonhee has been named as the new CEO of Barunson E&a, the Korean sales and production firm that is making a splash at the European Film Market in Berlin this week.

Choi, who joined the firm in 2021 from Cj Enm, takes over from Gene Hong (Brian) Park and Kwak Sin Ae. She joined as MD, overseeing domestic and international operations, and in April 2023 was upped to COO.

Barunson E&a has been in operation since 1996, though was not involved in international sales all that duration. Notable past titles include Bong Joon-ho’s “Mother” and Oscar-winner “Parasite,” on which Cj and Choi headed international distribution. Barunson E&a has also been behind Kim Jee-woon’s “The Good, the Bad, the Weird” and his more recent “Cobweb.”

The company’s upcoming slate also includes the next two features from director Bong Joon-ho, as well as projects from directors Kim Sung-hoon and...

Squid Game season 2 will follow Gi-hun's chase with a new motive, abandoning his plans to go to the U.S. Lee Jung-jae, Lee Byung-hun, Wi Ha-joon, and Gong Yoo are among the returning cast in season 2. Squid Game: The Challenge faced criticisms for not addressing the K-Drama's central themes, and two contestants threatened legal action.

The games are about to get even deadlier when Squid Game returns.

Variety revealed an official synopsis for season 2 of the acclaimed Netflix show, which "will follow Gi-hun as he abandons his plans to go to the U.S. and starts a chase with a motive." Along with Lee Jung-jae's Seong Gi-hun, Lee Byung-hun will return as Hwang In-ho/Front Man, as well as Wi Ha-joon as Officer Hwang Jun-ho, and Gong Yoo as the Games' mysterious Salesman. Joining them are Yim Si-wan, Park Gyu-young, Kang Ha-neul, Lee Jin-uk, Park Sung-hoon, Yang Dong-geun, Kang Ae-sim,...

Post-apocalyptic fiction (particularly movies) have been making headlines in fiction and pop culture alike due to their versatility in going beyond dystopian aesthetics and wild action to lay bare the naked truth of the human condition in all its glory and disgrace. Its origin goes back to Mary Shelley's The Last Man, whose 1818 classic Frankenstein was the precursor to the science fiction genre. Time and again, these post-apocalyptic stories depicted the depravity of society in the face of adversity, where survival takes precedence over basic decency when faced with harsh realities. With South Korean films making their mark on world cinema, the country's film industry has been diversifying its stories and making a foray into themes commonly deployed in Hollywood movies. These movies' success comes not from mere imitation, but in the bold directions they choose to bring these familiar ideas.

Badland Hunters stands at the intersection of a Venn Diagram where disaster movies,...

Badland Hunters explores a terrifying premise but doesn't properly explain the origins and abilities of the mutant army. Badland Hunters misses an opportunity to develop its main villain, Dr. Yang Gi-su to properly deliver on the monstrous final boss showdown. Badland Hunters doesn't follow up on Concrete Utopia or expand on its themes of betrayal and exploitation in a crumbling society.

The following contains spoilers for Badland Hunters, now streaming on Netflix.

When fans think of Netflix sci-fi and horror, they usually look to properties like Stranger Things. However, the streaming service has capitalized on content from Asia that often hybridizes both genres. A variety of Korean projects like Sweet Home and All Of Us Are Dead, for example, have been riveting monster stories.

Between 2023 and 2024, Netflix put out Gyeongseong Creature, which focused on Koreans being experimented on and mutated in the 1940s. Now, Badland Hunters attempts to continue that...

Netflix revealed its annual slate of Korean films and series on Monday, and 2024 is shaping up to be another strong year of K-content, including returns for some of the streamer’s most popular global shows.

As previously announced, there will be a second season of Netflix’s marquee international show Squid Game coming this year but no release date has been confirmed yet. There will be second seasons for reality survival series Physical 100, the fantasy series Hellbound, the reality show Zombieverse and mystery drama Gyeongseong Creature.

Among the new series, the standout is the period drama Uprising which is co-written and co-produced by famed Korean auteur Park Chan-wook (Oldboy, Decision to Leave). There is also a host of series adaptations of popular webtoons including A Killer Paradox, The 8 Show and Parasyte: The Grey.

Netflix will also debut some intriguing Korean reality shows this year, that have the potential to get people talking.

Concrete Utopia is a hit thriller film that combines black comedy and psychological elements in a dystopian setting. Concrete Utopia is based on a webtoon called Pleasant Outcast and explores the story of a group of residents defending their home after a massive earthquake. Badland Hunters, the sequel to Concrete Utopia, is an action-packed dystopian movie with a simple plot about a hunter on a mission to save a kidnapped girl. Although not a direct sequel, both films take place in the same universe.

In 2023, the South Korean film Concrete Utopia became a massive hit with a 100% Rotten Tomatoes rating. As of today, the film has won 14 awards already, including two for best film. It was even selected as the South Korean entry for the 96th Academy Awards in the Best International Feature Film category. Unfortunately, it didn't make the shortlist, but Concrete Utopia still received very positive reviews for...

Stars: Ma Dong-seok, Lee Hee-joon, Lee Joon-young, No Jeong-ee, Ahn Ji-hye | Written by Kim Bo-Tong, Kwak Jae-Min | Directed by Heo Myeong Haeng

Badland Hunters is the latest film starring action hero Ma Dong-seok, and that is bad news for Korea. He was in Train to Busan in which the country was overrun with zombies, and in Ashfall where a massive volcanic eruption laid waste to the entire Korean Peninsula. And the amount of property damage he wracked up in The Outlaws and its sequels The Roundup and The Roundup: No Way Out would bankrupt most insurance companies.

In the opening scenes, Seoul is levelled by a catastrophic earthquake as the military are about to arrest Yang Gi-su for the murders and human experiments he’s committed trying to bring his daughter back from the dead. The building collapses on him, but you know he’ll be back later in the film.

There is a way to make apocalyptic or dystopian movies that can be fun. Filmmakers add a bit too much gravity to the scenario, but Badland Hunters is cool for being adventurous and humorous about it. It does so in the way the characters react to the situation, always having room for levity. But there is an emotional core, especially with regards to Nam San’s character, that shines through, even after the mayhem created by the action scenes dominates the movie. This movie can be seen as the fight between a good father and a bad one, and it is fun to watch unfold even though it’s too obvious. The movie is set three years after the events shown in Concrete Utopia. The people who were fortunate enough to survive the great earthquake had set up their own society and were trying to get through life. But nearby,...

A mix of established and new actors create vivid characters that bring Badland Hunters' post-apocalyptic world to life. Ma Dong-seok's incredible acting as Nam-san contributes to Badland Hunters' success and makes the ending satisfying. Lee Hee-joon's portrayal of Dr. Yang Gi-su and No Jeong-ee's performance as Han Su-na drive the plot and captivate audiences.

Warning: This article contains Spoilers for Badland Hunters.

The Netflix movie Badland Hunters includes a mix of established and new actors who help create vivid characters within a post-apocalyptic world. This South Korean action film explores the post-apocalyptic world in Seoul, Korea, after an earthquake destroys the city, turning it into an anarchical wasteland. The plot follows a retired hunter named Nam-san who comes out of retirement to help find a teenager who gets kidnapped by a corrupt doctor running a cult. The Concrete Utopia sequel leaned into action and zombies, making Badland Hunters...

Badland Hunters lacks the complexity and depth of its predecessor, Concrete Utopia. The action sequences in Badland Hunters are a major highlight, visually interesting and thrilling. While not a worthy successor to Concrete Utopia, Badland Hunters is an entertaining zombie action film.

Last year, Um Tae-hwa’s Concrete Utopia became a bona fide hit in South Korea and internationally. It was critically acclaimed, a festival darling, South Korea’s entry for Best International Feature at the Academy Awards, and it was in the top five highest-grossing films in Korea in 2023. The sequel to the film, Badland Hunters, takes an unexpected turn, focusing on the survivors on the outside, on the streets, among the rubble where a wayward doctor threatens to upend what little is left of humanity.

Related Badland Hunters' Ending Explained Here's what happens at the end of Badland Hunters, Netflixs new post-apocalyptic action movie that serves as a sequel to 2023s Concrete Utopia.

Warning: This article contains Spoilers for Badland Hunters

Badland Hunters revolves around Dr. Yang's twisted experiments and his goal to bring his daughter back to life. Dr. Yang's experiments required human test subjects, resulting in a cult and the creation of zombie-like creatures. The ending of Badland Hunters highlights the contrast between Nam-sa and Dr. Yang, emphasizing the importance of community and defeating selfishness.

Badland Hunters, Netflix’s new action film, ends with Nam-sa putting an end to Dr. Yang Gi-su’s twisted operation by killing the scientist and freeing his prisoners. Directed by Heo Myung-haeng, the Netflix Korean movie takes place in a post-apocalyptic world that came to be after an earthquake. Most of the film takes place a few years after society collapsed, and now humans have found a way to keep going despite the almost inhospitable conditions of the planet. However, Dr. Yang, whose story began shortly before the apocalypse,...

If you’re looking for a popcorn action film, then Badland Hunters is the perfect weekend watch. This is one of those leave your brain behind and enjoy the ride kind of films that solely focuses on the action and the fun rather than wasting any time on the characters. No, really, I didn’t even catch all the names, and there’s no time to get emotional because the film keeps us at more than arm’s length from the characters. Badland Hunters is set 3 years after the events of Concrete Utopia, where a devastating earthquake (much like in 2012) destroyed the planet and stole Thanos’ dream job, eliminating half of the planet, or at least, South Korea. In Concrete Utopia, we follow the story of the residents of an apartment building, which is the only one left standing after the earthquake. A miracle building, if you will, the film...

For some reason, the sequel to Concrete Utopia is a Netflix original and was released on the platform before most of the globe had a chance to watch the first part. I suppose Badland Hunters isn’t really a sequel so much as a film that exists in the same universe as Concrete Utopia. The film stars Ma Dong-Seok (Don Lee) in his first Netflix original in the leading role of a huntsman in the dystopian ruins of South Korea after a devastating earthquake. Badland Hunters is the story of his search for a little girl, who is under his protection but gets taken away under the pretense of her being offered clean water and protection. In this lawless badland, though, there are many enemies, so will our huntsman be able to save the girl? Or will he end up losing to the dark side? Before we get into the nitty-gritty details of the film,...

One of South Korea’s biggest hits of last year is set to hit stateside. Concrete Utopia is a film that gained acclaim and was a massive hit at the Korean box office in 2023 with an earning of $28.0 million from 3.85 million admissions when the film opened on August 9 of last year. The film was also a Korean Oscar contender. Variety’s review of the film stated, “[Concrete Utopia] places its characters in a desperate, scary, do-or-die situation and then refuses to tell the audience what to think about them. It’s a fractious, blood-soaked drama about the will to survive that feels like Earthquake crossed with Lord of the Flies.”

Variety is now reporting that Concrete Utopia has secured a U.S. streaming release on a platform called Rakuten Viki, a service that specializes in Asian content. The streaming platform has licensed exclusive rights to the film in the U.

Badland Hunters is Netflix’s latest entry into the world of Korean cinema, and it makes for a gritty post-apocalyptic actioner featuring one of Korea’s biggest stars, Don Lee. However, there’s some confusion about whether it’s a sequel or not. Last year, one of Korea’s biggest blockbusters was Concrete Utopia. Critically acclaimed for its dystopian vision, that film was a tour de force for veteran lead actor Lee Byung-hun. It also won numerous Korean film awards and was South Korea’s entry for the Best International Feature Film category for this year’s Academy Awards. However, it did not make the shortlist.

Concrete Utopia is about a devastating earthquake that reduces Seoul to rubble. Everything is in ruins except the Imperial Palace Apartments. The apartment dwellers covet their resources and keep outsiders out, building a utopia lead by Yeong-tak (Lee). The film was lauded for its keen observations on power,...

A total of 35 films from 24 countries and regions have been shortlisted to compete for 16 awards at this year's Asian Film Awards.

Renowned Japanese director Kurosawa Kiyoshi will serve as the Jury President for this year's Awards. As the first Japanese director to hold this position, Kurosawa Kiyoshi is deeply honored. He will lead the Jury and over 200 Voting Members in selecting the winners for this year's Asian Film Awards.

The winners of other Afa awards, including the Lifetime Achievement Award, Excellence in Asian Cinema Award, Afa Next Generation Award, and Rising Star Award, will be announced later.

The 17th Asian Film Awards Nomination List

Best Film

12.12: The Day (South Korea)

Evil Does Not Exist (Japan)

Paradise

Perfect Days (Japan)

Snow Leopard (Mainland China)

Best Director

Kim Sung-soo | 12.12: The Day (South Korea)

Gu Xiaogang | Dwelling by the West Lake (Mainland China)

Hamaguchi Ryusuke | Evil Does Not Exist (Japan)

Kore-eda Hirokazu...

‘Snow Leopard’, ‘Paradise’, ‘The Goldfinger’ and ‘Godzilla Minus One’ also land multiple nods.

South Korean box office hit 12.12: The Day and Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s Evil Does Not Exist lead the nominations for the 17th Asian Film Awards, with six nods each including best film.

Also up for best film is Prasanna Vithanage’s Paradise from Sri Lanka-India, Wim Wenders Perfect Days from Japan and Chinese feature Snow Leopard by the late Pema Tseden.

Scroll down for full list of nominations

The winners will be announced at a ceremony in Hong Kong on March 10 and will be decided by a...

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...

Hit local titles include ’12.12: The Day’ and ‘The Roundup: No Way Out’.

South Korea’s box office admissions recorded a rise of 11% in 2023, boosted by two local hits, but saw 44.8% fewer cinemagoers than in pre-Covid 2019.

There was a total of 125.1 million admissions in 2023, according to the Korea Box-office Information System (Kobis), demonstrating steady growth year-on-year.

However, with audiences still not returning to cinemas at pre-pandemic levels, the number is a 44.8% decrease from 2019, which was year before the Covid-19 outbreak but also the all-time highest box office year on record in terms of admissions and gross.

Total box office gross...

A strong December for local films helped make up for an otherwise miserable 2023 at the South Korean box office – previously the fifth largest cinema territory worldwide.

And while theatrical markets in other major territories have recovered to reach at or near pre-pandemic levels, Korea finished 44% below 2019.

Data from the Korean Film Council’s Kobis tracking service showed annual gross revenues of KRW1.261 trillion ($964 million at Jan 2024 rates of exchange) in 2023. That represented a gain of 9% on 2022, but it was far below the KRW1.91 trillion ($1.46 billion) recorded in 2019, the last pre-covid year.

The bleak trend was mirrored in terms of attendance or ticket sales, which remains the country’s preferred performance measure. Cinema attendance reached 125 million in 2023, an 11% increase compared with the 113 million recorded in 2022, but 45% below 2019’s 227 million.

Kobis’ monthly data describe a year of peaks and troughs. Powered by holdover title “Avatar: The Way of Water,” 2023 started brightly enough,...

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences branches began voting today to determine the shortlists in 10 categories for the upcoming 96th Academy Awards. These categories, along with the number of films to be named, are: documentary feature (15), documentary short subject (15), international feature (15), makeup and hairstyling (10), sound (10), original score (15), original song (15), animated short film (15), live action short film (15), and visual effects (10).

The shortlist voting period runs from Dec. 14-18, with the finalists announced on Dec. 21. Nominations voting will occur from Jan. 11-16, and the official nominees in all categories will be revealed on Jan. 23.

The Academy comprises nearly 10,000 eligible voting members, each belonging to one of 18 branches. Each branch nominates for its respective category. However, four branches (as of now) don’t represent specific awards categories: casting directors, executives, marketing/public relations and the recently created production and technology.

Of note is that each branch member casts a ballot for best picture,...

Chicago – There is a thoughtfulness in the top South Korean films that cannot be duplicated in any other cinema culture. Along with now classics like “Oldboy” and “Parasite,” another Korean visionary emerges with a story about humanity … co-writer and director Um Tae-hwa has created a “Concrete Utopia.” The film is in U.S. theaters on December 15th.

Rating: 4.0/5.0

After a massive earthquake, Seoul has swiftly been reduced to rubble. Everything in the city has collapsed, except for one building … Hwang Gung Apartments. Banding together for the sake of their survival, the residents of the apartment elect ‘Yeong-tak’ (Lee Byung-hun) as their Representative. Under his leadership, the building stands as a safe and peaceful utopia for its residents. But amidst the continual threats to their survival unexpected conflicts begin to arise among them, and the closed society is in danger of its own collapse.

Director Um Tae-hwa (inset) of ‘Concrete Utopia...

Deadline on Monday launched the streaming site for its Contenders Film: International, featuring the full panel videos from Saturday’s award-season showcase of 12 movies submitted by their countries to this year’s Oscar International Feature race.

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Actors who took part in the discussions included South Korean entry Concrete Utopia‘s Lee Byung-hun, Renée Soutendijk from Netherlands’ Sweet Dreams, Eli Skorcheva from Bulgaria’s Blaga’s Lessons and Eliane Umuhire from Belgium’s Omen.

They were joined among others by directors including J.A. Bayona from Netflix’s Society of the Snow, Hugh Welchman from Poland’s The Peasants, Noora Niasari from Australia’s Shayda, llker Çatak from Germany’s The Teachers’ Lounge, Concrete Utopia‘s Um Tae-hwa, Ena Sendijarević from Sweet Dreams, Stephan Komandarev from Blaga’s Lessons, Omar Hilal from Egypt’s Voy! Voy! Voy!, Jude Anthany Joseph from India’s 2018 – Everyone Is a Hero,...

Every year since its creation in 1956, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) invites the film industries of various countries to submit their best film for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film. The category was previously called the Best Foreign Language Film, but this was changed in April 2019 to Best International Feature Film, after the Academy deemed the word “Foreign” to be outdated.

The award is presented annually by the Academy to a feature-length motion picture produced outside the United States that contains primarily non-English dialogue. For the 96th Academy Awards, the submitted motion pictures must be first released theatrically in their respective countries between December 1, 2022, and October 31, 2023. The deadline for submissions to the Academy was October 2, 2023, and 92 countries submitted a film. The 15-film shortlist will be announced on December 21, 2023, followed by the official nominations on January 23, 2024.

Here are this edition's Asian Submissions for Best International Feature Film.

Like the Japanese with their Godzilla movies, the Koreans are partial to a bit of post-apocalyptic social satire, and Um Tae-Hwa’s box office hit Concrete Utopia follows a path trailblazed in 2013 by Bong Joon-ho’s cult sci-fi Snowpiercer. Adapted from the popular webtoon Pleasant Outcast by Kim Soong Nyung and partly inspired by British writer J.G. Ballard’s 1975 novel High-Rise, it centers on a Korean apartment block whose residents become lawless after a terrifying earthquake rips through the country.

Although local superstar Lee Byung-hun steals the show as Yeong-tak, a charismatic rebel leader with a sinister secret, the story is seen through the eyes of a young couple — Ming-seong (Park Seo-joon) and Myeong-hwa (Park Bo-young) — who wake up one morning to find that their lives, and in fact the whole world, have changed forever.

Related: Deadline’s Contenders International – Full Coverage

Speaking about South Korea’s official Oscar submission...

Deadline’s Contenders Film: International award-season event launches Saturday beginning at 9 a.m. Pt, the latest in our series of showcases that this time turns the focus toward global cinema via discussions with the casts and creatives of 12 movies submitted by their countries for the 2024 Academy Awards’ International Feature race.

Click to sign up for and watch today’s livestream.

The 2023 Oscar ceremony was a triumph for international film. Going into the ceremony, Edward Berger’s All Quiet on the Western Front was a winner already, having earned a spectacular seven nominations. If that wasn’t enough, it came away with four statuettes: one for International Feature, and three for Cinematography, Music and Production Design. Clearly this can’t happen every year, but, like Bong Joon-ho’s Parasite before it, Berger’s World War I epic proved that boundaries are being broken down, and international film, once synonymous with arthouse,...

Concrete Utopia is an intense thriller with a complete understanding of the subject matter. The film explores the theme of survival of the fittest and delves into character dynamics and class. Lee Byung-hun delivers a standout performance, while Park Bo-young gives a riveting and layered performance.

Concrete Utopia is an intense thriller that keeps you on the edge of your seat. The concept is simple, but it's executed brilliantly as writer-director Tae-Hwa Eom has a complete understanding of the subject matter. The film centers on what people would do if society collapsed. Though we’ve seen these movies time and again, Concrete Utopia finds the nuances that bring a sense of necessity to its story. That being said, some of the line delivery can be excessive, but it's never without purpose and the cast is impeccable overall. In particular, Lee Byung-hun (Squid Game) gives it his all and is easily the standout performance.

“Can’t people just be humane, peace-loving citizens?,” Min-sung (Park Seo-joon) asks at the beginning of “Concrete Utopia,” wondering aloud why the hundreds of apocalypse survivors using his apartment building as makeshift shelter can’t simply share resources and work together.

It’s a lovely sentiment, but writer/director Tae-hwa Eom appears to take his protagonist’s rhetorical question as a personal attack. From there on out, he devotes every subsequent frame of his film to explaining why humans are apparently incapable of doing anything good for each other. In the film’s view, only one human institution is strong enough to stand steadfast when our innate barbarism rears its ugly head: the condo board.

“Concrete Utopia” opens with a brutal earthquake that reduces Seoul to rubble and instantly forces its surviving population to revert to a hunter-gatherer society. The film wisely wastes zero time explaining why the disaster took place,...

Concrete Utopia is a South Korean Oscar entry that combines mainstream disaster movie content with psychological terror and societal commentary. The film portrays a dystopian society devastated by a natural disaster, where residents must barter for food and deal with trespassers in their apartment building. The story follows a morally ambiguous quest to rid the complex of outsiders, led by a mysterious resident, and features unexpected twists and a horrifying flashback sequence.

With a first-rate title like Concrete Utopia, expectations for South Korea's Oscar entry this year are already peaking. Then you hear that it's helmed by Um Tae-hwa, acclaimed director of Vanishing Time: A Boy Who Returned (2017), and your curiosity might just spike even more. Korean cinematic masterpieces are aplenty, and Concrete Utopia could perhaps be added to this elite list. Sure, it's somewhat mainstream, more commercial content, but its layers of psychological terror and statements on society make...

In a moment of pride for India, Director Atlee’s latest cinematic masterpiece, “Jawan,” starring the iconic Shah Rukh Khan, has garnered international recognition. The film has been nominated in the prestigious Best Feature category at the Astra Awards 2024, placing it alongside remarkable contenders from around the globe.

Atlee, a seasoned director, has dedicated numerous years to the Indian film industry, leaving an indelible mark with his outstanding contributions. His diverse and impactful body of work has resonated with audiences both domestically and internationally, earning him a reputation as a cinematic maestro.

The nominees for Best International Feature are:

"Anatomy of a Fall” (France)

”Concrete Utopia” (South Korea)

”Fallen Leaves” (Finland)

”Jawan” (India)

”Perfect Days” (Japan)

”Radical” (Mexico)

”Society of the Snow” (Spain)

”The Taste of Things” (France)

”The Teacher’s… pic.twitter.com/WpeYQCpxH9

— Hollywood Creative Alliance (@TheHCAAwards) December 7, 2023

“Jawan” represents a significant stride for Indian cinema as it steps onto the global stage.

In a moment of pride for India, Director Atlee’s latest cinematic masterpiece, “Jawan,” starring the iconic Shah Rukh Khan, has garnered international recognition. The film has been nominated in the prestigious Best Feature category at the Astra Awards 2024, placing it alongside remarkable contenders from around the globe.

Atlee, a seasoned director, has dedicated numerous years to the Indian film industry, leaving an indelible mark with his outstanding contributions. His diverse and impactful body of work has resonated with audiences both domestically and internationally, earning him a reputation as a cinematic maestro.

The nominees for Best International Feature are:

"Anatomy of a Fall” (France)

”Concrete Utopia” (South Korea)

”Fallen Leaves” (Finland)

”Jawan” (India)

”Perfect Days” (Japan)

”Radical” (Mexico)

”Society of the Snow” (Spain)

”The Taste of Things” (France)

”The Teacher’s… pic.twitter.com/WpeYQCpxH9

— Hollywood Creative Alliance (@TheHCAAwards) December 7, 2023

“Jawan” represents a significant stride for Indian cinema as it steps onto the global stage.

When Concrete Utopia, the latest from South Korean director Um Tae-hwa, was one of the films to show at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival, it was a work I put as one of my most anticipated of the entire event. Where many others on that list proved to be just okay despite commanding performances, this one that the director co-wrote with Lee Shin-ji feels like it was more than worthy to have gotten that spot looking back on it all these months later. With great production design, compelling performances all around, and a sufficiently layered script, it asks more soaring questions about humanity's capacity for violence when pushed to the brink just as it builds its broken world from the ground up.

Shortlist of 15 films to be announced December 21, nominations out on January 23, 2024.

The Academy has announced eligible features in the categories of international feature film, animation, and documentary for the 96th Academy Awards on March 10, 2024.

The shortlist of 15 films will be announced on December 21, and the nominations announcement is January 23, 2024.

International

Eighty-eight countries or regions have submitted films eligible for consideration in the international feature film category. An international feature film is defined as a feature-length motion picture (more than 40 minutes long) produced outside the US with a predominantly (more than 50%) non-English dialogue track. Namibia is a first-time entrant.

Academy members...

Just as Pulp Fiction triggered a wave of inferior gangster flicks with a penchant for witty, fast-paced dialogue and Get Out paved the way for several socially conscious horror efforts, the seeds of Parasite’s widespread influence are beginning to sprout. The disaster movie Concrete Utopia would have still existed were it not for the unprecedented international success of Bong Joon-ho’s Oscar winner, of course, but I doubt producers would have been as eager to give blockbuster funding to a similarly class-conscious satire (which just happens to unfold under near-apocalyptic circumstances) if they didn’t sense similar breakout potential.

It’s not necessarily a criticism that the third film by director Um Tae-hwa follows closely in Bong’s footsteps, marrying his love for the country’s early wave of issue-driven melodramas––as was the case with Parasite, the influence of Kim Ki-young’s The Housemaid looms large––with contemporary big-budget spectacle.

Concrete Utopia

With Concrete Utopia, South Korea has once again hit the sweet spot between making a film of sufficient quality and depth to go for the big awards – it’s the country’s official Oscar submission for 2024 – and making one which is entertaining enough to pull in the crowds. Set in the aftermath of a disaster which sees massive earthquakes shatter the concrete infrastructure of Seoul, it focuses on the inhabitants of the last apartment building standing, and the increasingly extreme decisions they make as they try to survive. Playing the man whom they elect as their leader is one of Korea’s most popular actors, Lee Byung-hun, and the director is Um Tae-hwa. In the run-up to its US release I met the two of them at a press conference where they discussed the film’s satirical themes and its complex characters.

Concrete Utopia director Um Tae-hwa Photo:...