Noteworthy Films on the Horizon
Foreign interest in Korean films has been on the rise. Not only known films but also new projects have been gaining attention. Here are several films that are in production or pre-production.
▶ A comforting and healing hand we all might need - Wish
LEE Joon-ik is coming back with another touching drama. Just as he fascinated audiences with
King And The Clown and
Radio Star, he is trying to arouse the sympathy of audiences again with his new film
Wish. Shooting started on April 13th, but it has already created a lot of news for the fact that
SOL Kyung-gu, who has actively played in a variety of films including artistic ones like
A Peppermint Candy and
Oasis as well as commercial movies such as
Public Enemy,
Silmido and
The Tower, is working with LEE for the first time.
Wish is a drama about a girl who has an unforgettable and painful memory from the past but her wish triggers her family to overcome their desperation and leads them to a new phase of life. Director LEE said, “With this heartbreaking material, I wanted to make the film as happy as possible. I am going to present a human drama where hope blooms at the edge of unhappiness and desperation.” Following on from his previous works, this film is expected to be filled with warmth.
The first scene they shot was the scene where SOL and
KIM Sang-ho are getting along well as friends and colleagues at a factory. Well known as good actors, they performed together in harmony. The director also put a lot of effort into every single scene. SOL, dramatically acting as a father facing the pain of his young daughter, will reach out the comforting and healing hand. Wish is scheduled to be released late this year.
▶ 4 couples' week before wedding - Wedding Eve (working title)
The exciting and thrilling ‘marriage blues’ of the four couples are going to be portrayed. It will be an episodic film about marriage blues, which means psychologic uneasiness and stress of a person just before a wedding. The cast and story is worthy of our trust, considering it is produced by
SOO FILM, which has participated in a number of successful romantic comedy films such as
All For Love,
Antique,
Finding Mr. Destiny and
All About My Wife. It is scheduled to be released late this year.
▶ Impactful melodrama that will move audiences - When a Man Is in Love (working title)
After the cast for
When a Man Is in Love has been fixed with
HWANG Jung-min and
HAN Hye-jin, preparation for shooting has accelerated. The skilled actor HWANG has gained enough credit by playing a variety of roles in
You Are My Sunshine,
The Unjust,
New World and
Fists of Legend. This is a melodrama about a small time bully who falls in love with a woman for the first time in life.
His precious and beloved partner will be played by HAN, who starred in
26 Years. She is going to emit the charm of a mature woman by playing the role of Ho-jeong, the woman who opens her heart to the pure love of Tae-il. HAN Dong-wook, the assistant director of
The Unjust,
Nameless Gangster: Rules of the Time and
New World will grab the megaphone and start shooting the film near the end of April. HWANG said, “I trust in him because I saw what he is capable of when working on
The Unjust and
New World.” HAN Hye-jin said, “From the moment I read the scenario, the character moved me. I’m happy to work with HWANG Jung-min on this good film.”
▶ A message to family, friends and society - An Elegant Lie (working title)
The staff of
Punch, a hit film viewed by 5.3 million viewers in 2011, are back together to make
An Elegant Lie. The director of
Punch LEE Han is going to make the film based on a novel written by KIM Ryeo-ryeong. In the film, an ordinary 14-year-old girl commits suicide, then the life of the people around her including her mother and sister will be portrayed. While the previous film
Punch had a warm and bright story, the original story of
An Elegant Lie is a suspenseful one. The original novel gained favorable comments for capturing a realistic message about family, friends and society as well as the sadness of the message.
When LEE made Punch, he exhibited a sound point of view on education, multi-cultural families and the disabled. The question is what emotions will he touch on with this new film. He is planning to start shooting in June. The mother of the girl who kills herself will be played by KIM Hee-ae.
▶ Action drama in a unique style - High Heel (working title)
It’s been 6 years since
JANG Jin and
CHA Seung-won worked together. They were a team when making
Murder, Take One in 2005 and
My Son in 2007. Film fans will warmly welcome their reunion. Shooting will start in April. CHA plays the role of a violent crime detective and JANG directs the film with his unique style and cinematic sense.
Director JANG is a very talented person, having worked with plays on the stage and a TV studio (Saturday Night Live Korea) besides film shooting sets. CHA has been away from the film scene for 3 years after he starred in
71-Into The Fire and
Blades of Blood in 2010, which is why his fans are longing for the film.
High Heel is an action drama featuring a gangbuster who wants to become a woman, a woman who gladly helps him and another man. Scheduled to be released late this year.
