(What’s with all the vampires lately, huh?)
Although the Hollywood debut for Jeon Ji-hyun (or Gianna Jun) was announced over a year and a half ago, there hasn’t been a whole lot of news about it. Now that Blood: The Last Vampire‘s worldwide release is coming up, though, the press whirl is starting to kick back into gear with more news, interviews, and other promotional tidbits.
In the action flick based on the popular manga (which also had an anime film), Jeon plays “Saya,” a young vampire hunter who happens to be a vampire herself. The film is scheduled for a simultaneous American, European, and Asian theatrical release on June 11.
Oshii Mamoru, the writer of the Blood books, recently praised Jeon to the press, saying, “It seems as though the Saya I had thought up walked right out of the original. Her acting is really great.”
Jeon’s participation in Blood is part of the reason why she hasn’t been very active in the Korean industry for the past two years, aside from briefly promoting her 2008 film The Man Who Was Superman, which co-starred Hwang Jung-min. Before that, she was in the film Daisy in 2006 and Windstruck in 2004, both of which were disappointing at the box office — not necessarily for being bad movies, but because expectations were so high after she starred in the super-popular romantic comedy My Sassy Girl (which has since gotten its own (failed) U.S. remake).
I’m not familiar with the Blood/Vampire franchise, but my initial impressions from reports and stills is that it looks gorgeous, and Jeon really does look the part. What with a whole slew of Hallyu actors trying to make the jump to Hollywood, I’ve been kinda cynical as to their crossover chances, but this one looks promising, and I’m interested in seeing how it pans out.
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Tags: Hollywood, Jeon Ji-hyun
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It looks yummy. I want to see it badly. I think I will be rounding up the entire music hall (my high school buddies) for that film. I can’t wait.
I gotta admit, she does look like Saya a bit. I think it’s the look in her eyes in the fourth picture down.
Gonna spread the joy. **copies URL**
first! ^-^
for my first time yeah!
can’t wait! thanks for the news! going to spread this too!!!
wah! i’m excited for this! XD
Javabeans,
I was wondering if you knew whether it’s true that Jeon Ji-hyun is a “hwa-gyo”? I know this is unrelated to her movie, Blood: The Last Vampire, but I was curious and I wasn’t able to find any good English sources information verifying it. Her company Sidus HQ seems to be denying it and claiming that they’re going to file a lawsuit to the people who leaked the news, but it seems like it’s true since her parents’ names sound Chinese; mom’s last name is Mok; and police confirming her father’s ethnicity during her duplicate phone investigation. There’s nothing wrong with her being a hwa-gyo but I just find it odd since she denied it on multiple occasions before, which would mean that she lied to the public.. and that could hurt her credibility in Korea (i.e., Lee Young Ja claiming that she lost weight w/o surgery)
Anyways thanks for all the updates on Jeon and the rest of the stars here 
Been waiting for this for a while now. I’m an old anime/manga geek and I have high hopes for this. Even with the recent string of craptacular comic book movies….
On a side note I think I must be one of the few people who thought “My Sassy Girl” was horrible…
Been waiting for this for soooooooooooooooo long XD
I. Will. Watch!
It’s so simple yet awesome. I always loved her since the Sassy Girl days until the rest of her film including Daisy and Windstruck and sometimes mistaken her to Shin Min Ah not being a Korean can’t identify much of the two (that was when I’m a babe in kdrama/movies) but gladly now I knew. I heard about a bit of pieces about her doing some film in Hollywood and now it’s being materialized finally. Another Asian in Hollywood hopes to see more. Best luck to her!!!
I enjoy all her films, specially “Daisy”(yeah I love JWS & his lonely assassin character)… sassy girl & windstruck were on the same theme, plot, etc. while in the man who was superman, even though she only portrayed a supporting character, the film is really great…most of it because of HJM of course.. Hence, I hope this blood squirting action film will do good in cinemas and I really hope next time, she would play a super-sad-would-be-her-best-character-ever in the near future due to her acting.
i will definitely watch out for this movie! Can’t wait…!
yea!! I cannot wait for this! I loved the anime movie when it came out… Thanks for the update and all your hard work, Dramabeans!!
@Jin-Ah, you’re not alone. I didn’t think My Sassy Girl was horrible, but I never understood what all the hype was about, either.
sidenote: Is she still dating Jung Woo Sung, or did they break up?
This movie looks interesting. Just the kind of flick that I could drag my husband to without him complaining. (I get enough of an earful about my Kdrama addiction.
)
“YOU WANNA DIE?!!?” Ah, yes, I can’t wait for My Sassy Vampire Slayer. If they can work in a montage where Saya kills 60 undead thingies while “I Believe” is playing, this movie will be Epik Win.
Best thing about Blood was Hyde’s tune “Season’s Call.” In fact, definitely check out his own vampire flick with Gackt and , “Moon Child.” It’s . . . interesting.
Movie looks fun, but there’s too much wuxia-meets-Matrix (redundant comparison?) pyromania here. Not enough dancing like a nutter on “High School Night” at the local club.
Newest Trailer
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H8bl-g1z9vk&feature=related&fmt=18
“I was wondering if you knew whether it’s true that Jeon Ji-hyun is a “hwa-gyo”?
Nah, it’s bogus. It’s like how some weirdos started claiming Confucius was Korean.
Lol I always love Belleza’s witty comments! I was always anticipating when this movie would come about until I forgot it,
. The photos look awesome, definitely gonna watch it!
lol @ My Sassy Vampire Slayer! I imagine a whole new generation of fanboys who love Asian schoolgirls with swords.
“I imagine a whole new generation of fanboys who love Asian schoolgirls with swords.”
Oh you mean, “Underworld 4: Rise of the Girl’s Generation”? That’s in the works already. Word is, Hyundong will make a guest appearance as a werewolf, who will gets beheaded by Taeyeon, quartered, and then fed to hungry wolves. (Apparently, Taeyeon insisted on screenwriting credits for the movie!) And that Yoona and Yuri will be enemies, but the other girls won’t be able to figure who is who. Hell, I know I don’t.
I really wish this would have been in Korean with subtitles, because after watching the trailer I cringed a few times when I heard her speak.
It’s not so much the accent, but it’s more like she’s reading the lines rather than actually acting…
goodness she’s still sooo beautiful..And she can really pass being young. Will definitely watch out for this =)
I’m excited to see this. I loved the anime movie and the series. I already have high expectations, so I hope it’s good.
i didnt like the anime movie but am still VERY excited for this
@hjkomo: I don’t think she ever dated Jung Woo Sung (someone correct me if I’m wrong), though they do look a very photogenic couple in those Giordano ads! Wish they’d do those ads again, they were sexy.
The Blood stills look pretty good, I hope the movie is similarly exciting.
It looks like it will be good. I enjoyed the anime move so much. I think she does look the part.
Ohh I was watching the anime (I still have to get back to it). She looks young in the pics… good thing because I recall the character was a school girl. It looks cool. I’m going to check it out because I love this genre.
Two words: female Blade. But yes, I can’t wait to see it. Love vamps
woW! this looks promising@! hahaha. never been much of a fan of asian vampire flicks, but i’ll watch this one. so far, the only movie of jun ji hyun which i like is only my sassy girl. i have watched daisy and thought it’s a little but boring and far too sentimental in a way…..
btw, the girl who wears a white kimono in the screenshots lookS so much like KOYUKI, my fav japanese actress after nanako matsushima!! IS THAT KOYUKI????????
@diana,
“IS THAT KOYUKI????????”
Yup, it’s Koyuki. I think she got cast due to the Last Samurai.
after seeing the trailer, my first comment was “Is she will shown wearing a school uniform in the entire movie??” i know fanboys with their thing about seeing pretty girls in school uniform… especially for this Sassy Vampire Girl…
i don’t know, from the trailer i only interested seeing koyuki
well hope the movie won’t suck…
Oh wow, about time the promotions are back on. The anime was great. I can’t wait for the release in the US! Totally going to watch it. =D
Have to say that long pig-tails isn’t the best look for JJH.
Anyway, I hope this film turns out well – tho repeated delays usually isn’t a good sign.
Seriously speaking, I prefer the Japanese trailer.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ErnOqBKNvmk
Wait, so this is an Asian film being marketed in the States? I’m kind of confused. Is it all Asian actors?
While I want this to succeed very badly, I doubt that it will. I don’t have enough faith in my country that people will be motivated to see a film if there’s no Americans in it. Yeah, I know I’m generalizing but I’m just saying what I’m used to and surrounded by (in my area, NJ/NY area).
But this looks fun and if it opens anywhere near me I think I’ll drag one of my friends to go see it.
It’s because of all the hype from Twilight o_O
Wendy, I was just going to leave the same comment.
“what’s with all the vampires lately?” – one word : Twilight.
Ppl are making mucho money on Vampires. While the crazy fans (and theres LOTS of them) wait for movie #2 to come out, there are plenty of new vampire stories to keep them interested. So actually, in a weird way, all these vampire stuffs recently actually make Twilight even more famous.
^what rebecca said about twilight. lol
idunno, this movie looks very faux epic, wonder how it turns out
ohhhhhhhhh it looks goooood =D
OMG!!!!!!! i want to watch that!!!!!!!