News bites: May 9, 2015
by awcoconuts
Jung Il-woo, Kwak Dong-yeon
- Aww, this movie sounds cute, but what is it about Korean men being cast as C-level executives of IT companies in Chinese movies? In Rise of a Tomboy, Jung Il-woo (Records of a Night Watchman) will play the CEO of an IT firm, who’s very pragmatic on the job but who, in his personal life, is earnest about finding true love. The movie is a rom-com about a woman (Zhao Li Ying) who pooh-poohs the idea of love and tries to unravel the mystery of romance using mathematical formulas. Jung’s CEO will inspect Zhai’s love formula and help to develop an application for it, falling in love with Zhai in the process. Rise of a Tomboy is directed by Guo Dalei and also stars Hans Zhang and Kimmy Tong. [Osen]
- Yay, Kwak Dong-yeon (Hwajeong, Modern Farmer) has landed his first lead — in a web drama, but still, it’s a lead! He’ll pair up with Bora (of Sistar) in Brown-noser, which is based on the same-named webtoon by Lee Ik-soo. Kwak’s character is a guy who’s always been better at fisticuffs than at using his words, which has tainted his academic record. He’s made a promise to his mother that he’ll graduate high school and he transfers to gain a fresh start, but he lands at a school filled with misfits and students who’ve come back after taking time off. Bora had confirmed early on as a student at the new school, and the show will be all about their struggles to survive high school. Brown-noser begins in mid-June on Naver TV. [Korea Economy]
- Park Chan-wook’s newest production has added two female cast members: Kim Hae-sook (Pinocchio, Marriage Not Dating) and Moon Sori (Law of Attraction) are joining Kim Min-hee and Ha Jung-woo in Agasshi. It’s a remake of the novel Fingersmith transplanted to Japan and Korea in the 1930s. Kim Hae-sook will play the head of housekeeping in Kim Min-hee’s remote mansion, while Moon will play Kim Min-hee’s aunt. Cameras for Agasshi begin rolling in June. [Xports News]
- Citing script rewrites and production delays, Lee Jung-jae (Big Match) has dropped out of Princess Deokhye (boo). However, Sohn Ye-jin (Pirates) is still considering the role of Joseon’s last princess, and production is expected to begin as soon as casting is complete. The novel and play versions of Princess Deokhye’s story have garnered much praise, and this version of her tragic life will be directed by Hur Jin-ho (Dangerous Liaisons, Christmas in August) and thus is hotly anticipated. [TV Report]
- A new sitcom possibly starring Sohn Dam-bi (What’s With This Family) will air on cable channel Olive TV this June. In Yumi’s Room, Sohn would play the titular character, a single freelance web editor in her 30s who’s on a quest to find herself and happiness. She’s described as a 4-D character: sexy on the outside and arrogant about her prowess at her job, but terrible at dating and inside, an incredibly heodang girl. Hyun Woo (Gap-dong) has also been offered a role as a single guy-next-door, and he and Sohn are still considering the project. [Sports Worldi, TV Report]
- Lee Byung-heon has been cast in a remake of a 1960s Hollywood film, The Magnificent Seven. A Western film about seven gunmen, Denzel Washington, Chris Pratt, and Ethan Hawke have also been cast. Lee’s just wrapped Beyond Deceit and the other Hollywood film he’s in, Terminator Genisys, will be released this July. [TV Report]
- Jiyeon (of T-ara) has departed for China to begin work on the Chinese-Korean joint production Reunion. Not much is known about the plot, except that it will be a romance set on a cruise ship traversing the Indian Ocean near Barcelona, and that Lee Dong-gun (Superdaddy Yeol) is a possible co-star. His agency declined to confirm, however, and would only say that talks are “proceeding positively.” Reunion will hit theaters in October in China. [Star News]
- With the help of crowdfunding, Battle of Yeonpyeong is finally premiering on the big screen — the film raised 800 million won (just over 725,000 USD), giving it the honor of Korea’s most successful crowdfunding campaign to date. The movie overcame setbacks and stars Kim Mu-yeol, Jin Gu, and Lee Hyun-woo in a true story about the fateful day in June 2002 when the second battle in Yeonpyeong occurred. At a recent production briefing, the leads recalled vividly what they had actually been doing that day in 2002 (they, like the rest of the country, had been cheering on the national team in the World Cup), and expressed regrets that they weren’t aware of the lives that were being lost on behalf of citizens at the time. They were spurred to do the movie to honor the heroes of the day, and Battle of Yeonpyeong makes its wide release on June 11. [Sports Worldi, Yonhab]
Kim Hae-sook, Moon Sori
Hyun Woo, Sohn Dam-bi
Jiyeon, Lee Dong-gun
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Tags: Jin Gu, Jung Il-woo, Kim Hae-sook, Kwak Dong-yeon, Lee Byung-heon, Lee Dong-gun, Lee Jung-jae, Moon Sori, news bites, Sohn Dam-bi
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1 redfox
May 9, 2015 at 12:34 PM
why chinese movie, bah
we need that charmer back on small screen. that smile slays.
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Elaine
May 10, 2015 at 3:16 AM
Meh, I never did and still don't find JIW attractive in any way. he's good to an extent but not a great actor.
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dean
May 10, 2015 at 3:21 AM
JIW is relevant in korea but he's not an A-list actor. in other Asian countries he's nugu to general public and his fanbase isn't huge. In my country, people don't give a shit for him bcuz he ain't popular. several korean celebs get to be in chinese movie but still, they are not relevant in mainstream society of China.
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Ronalyn
May 10, 2015 at 3:54 AM
I'm just casual fan of il woo but I admit here in the Philippines he's not popular. His fanbase is quite small and nobody in public society knows who he is. yes he is Nugu actor here.
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Kyla
May 10, 2015 at 7:36 AM
JIW may not be as big as LMH but I think he is still popular because of 49 Days. Regardless, I still like him. I'd watch him anywhere. :)
redfox
May 10, 2015 at 10:36 AM
um you guys, what queued you to criticize his looks? That´s really inappropriate.
I think even if his looks are, say, different, he is very charming, he knows how to seduce people with the smile and the attitude. more than handsome, he is charming. and although his projects have gone downhill lately from the start or second half, I did like his character in Golden Rainbow in the first half of the show.
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Judith
May 11, 2015 at 8:37 AM
@redfox
Lol beauty is subjective but you say it's inappropriate? laugh my butt off. We all entitled to our opinion. If you can't take it, not our problem. Jung il woo is NOT handsome NOT charming to me either. When I showed my friends they ALL said he's not attractive. His acting is not all that and his popularity has always been just average. That's it. Nothing special.
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redfox
May 11, 2015 at 12:00 PM
ok ok, I can take it allright, Miss Vicious. yet when I expressed my opinion some time ago everyone jumped at me. just sayin, but whatever. I am saying it is not inappropriate towards me but towards the person targeted, right. it is not like your opinion is the law. I for one never presented mine as one
Kelly
May 12, 2015 at 7:09 AM
@redfox
I find you quite pathetic, rude, and a bit nasty. You're the one being disrespectful because you're calling people names like "Miss Vicious" when that person did not even say anything harsh. Stop embarrassing yourself.
I gotta admit, jung il woo is only better at acting than TVXQ's Yunho. When it comes to overall star power, fanbase, singing, composing music, esp. dancing Yunho kicks il woo's ass.
redfox
May 12, 2015 at 10:16 AM
heeeeere we go again.
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Cassidy
May 11, 2015 at 8:32 AM
Me too. Jung il woo is not good looking or hot at all IMO. He's just not my cup of tea. He's not the best actor either.
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LilianS
May 11, 2015 at 10:32 PM
It's opposite to me, I'm hook on to him, I love his smile and straight nose as well as his facial expression.
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Kelly
May 12, 2015 at 7:01 AM
@lilianS
Sorry not sorry I don't think jung il woo is cute and he looks plastic to me.
LilianS
May 12, 2015 at 8:43 AM
Kelly, I don't think so, Ii Woo is come from natural beauty, when you saw his teen photos, he is just the same.
bjharm
May 10, 2015 at 3:29 AM
simple truth is he can earn more money making a film in china than a drama back in korea, a lot more. And he can tag on the hallyu title to his CV when he does come back to Korea. Of course he could try the Jang Nara trick of doing both a chinese film and a korean drama at the same time, but you got to be a real hallyu star power to pull that trick off.
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LilianS
May 11, 2015 at 1:44 AM
I wish he would sign on a kdrama very soon! I missed him too.
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fab
May 10, 2015 at 5:10 AM
Yeah I miss that smile, sadly I could not watch his last drama.
P.s I couldn't care less if he's popular anywhere or if he's not at the level of the so called "A-list". Give me a break like that's the only thing that counts.
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kayg
May 10, 2015 at 8:28 AM
oh yess plsss ! i fell in love with him totally since 49 days ! but why did he keep choosing bad projectsssss likeee erghhhhhhhhh ... i couldnt bring myself to watch golden rainbow till the end because of the 50 episodes length and GAHH i couldnt watch night watchman because i couldnt stand yunho's actingggg
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LilianS
May 11, 2015 at 1:52 AM
Me too, I'm crazy for him since 49 days, then I watched Flowers boy ramen shop...Take care of my lady.....the moon that embraces the sun...return of ijimae.....golden rainbow & recent night watchman..Star chef..I find him very charming in different role.
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Cheyenne
May 11, 2015 at 8:41 AM
@kayg
Shut Up! Yunho's acting was decent. Critics and K-netizens agreed about this. The one whose acting was horrible and unbearable was the female lead Go Sung Hee. She is the weakest link among the 4 main leads. She is a shit actress.
JIW is only good at acting, but Yunho can sing live with MR removed and he's one of the best dancers. He even wrote his own solo songs. Yunho is more talented and more popular than JIW. That's obvious!
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Cheyenne
May 11, 2015 at 8:56 AM
@fabhilleo @kayg
my opinion: il woo is not ugly but he's not that attractive.
In my country, he's not famous and people don't give damn for him. In Japan, Yunho is FAR FAR MORE POPULAR than the nugu jung il woo, whose got very weak public appeal and pitiful fanbase..ugh
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redfox
May 11, 2015 at 8:53 PM
oh please, screaming fans.
Kelly
May 12, 2015 at 7:15 AM
@redfox,
lmao, and what are you trying to say about those "screaming fans"?.... Even non-fans know he's way more popular in Japan than il woo. It's too obvious.
fab
May 14, 2015 at 2:55 AM
Why are you comparing him with Yunho? Is there a competition going on that I missed? I'm not into K-pop but as far as my knowledge goes, JIW is not an idol, so comparing their popularities is just...how can I phrase this politely... I can't. Never mind.
2 wackycashew
May 9, 2015 at 12:35 PM
I'm actually looking forward to Jung Il Woo's movie cuz I also like Hans Zhang and Zanilia Zhao (Li Ying). So, I was pleasantly surprised and excited to see Il Woo's name as part of the cast when I heard that Hans and Zanilia were reuniting in a new project. =)
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coffeenlucia
May 9, 2015 at 2:44 PM
Zhao Li Ying!! <3 Will be watching for her. (I'm still waiting for her and Chen Xiao to be in another drama together though lol.)
Although, dunno how she'll "[pooh-pooh] the idea of love and [try] to unravel the mystery of romance using mathematical formulas." Interesting premise.
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wackycashew
May 9, 2015 at 8:05 PM
I like Chen Xiao, too. ;)
I think Li Ying studies the subject and is the rational type? So, she also believes that love can be formulaic and she can calculate who's the most compatible with you romantically? Hans, on the other hand, is the more emotional type?
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ilikehim
May 9, 2015 at 4:35 PM
Who is the lead though? Some weibo posts make it sound like Hans Zhang is the lead with the whole excitement over "Boss & Me" reunion.
Well, I guess either is fine with me. Although I prefer Jung Il Woo over over Hans Zhang...Hans was really cute with Zhao Li Ying in Boss & Me. The reunion is fine by me!
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wackycashew
May 9, 2015 at 8:06 PM
I think Hans is the lead and Il Woo probably second lead?
Yes, love them in Boss & Me. ^^ Fans have been hoping for a reunion and here it is!
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ChelseaS
May 10, 2015 at 9:23 PM
Boss and Me feels on this one. Is JIW second lead in this movie?
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3 panshel
May 9, 2015 at 12:45 PM
Brown-noser wouldn't be Kwak Dong Yeon's first lead. He was the lead in Adolescence Medley, which is one of my favorite dramas. I marathon all four episodes from 1 AM to 6 AM and cried my eyes out. He is my favorite child actor, but I wish they would pair him up with someone his age or younger. He is always acting opposite of noonas (Lee Se Young, Joo Da Young, now Bora).
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4 Miky
May 9, 2015 at 1:45 PM
I'm really looking foward to Battle of Yeonpyeong
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5 cherkell
May 9, 2015 at 1:57 PM
For those who do not know the history behind this reboot, "The Magnificent Seven" was also a remake of the 1954 Akira Kurosawa mega-classic "Shichinin no samurai" (Seven Samurai).
My bets are on Lee Byung-heon's character being the first to die. Anyone else in agreement? :/
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kalel
May 9, 2015 at 4:06 PM
You're probably right even though I've read an article about this upcoming movie which stated the fact that LBH's role does not exist in the original Sturges' film. It's a part written especially for him so he might not be the first to go...who knows! Slightly irrelevant here but the ultra handsome Jason Mamoa will be co-starring (well, let's hope it's not him the first to die like in GoT!) and the director is Antoine Fuqua of the Training Day. This genre has been overlooked since Eastwood's superb Unforgiven...let's see this new approach. I can't wait.
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ChelseaS
May 10, 2015 at 9:25 PM
WHAT??? They are rebooting this classic?
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6 DBChen
May 9, 2015 at 2:11 PM
Hooray! Jung Il Woo in a language I understand! I hope he gets to keep his hair black. He looks so good that way.
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7 mindy
May 9, 2015 at 2:28 PM
Wait, the Reunion premise confuses me. A cruise ship traversing the Indian Ocean near Barcelona? How does that make geographic sense? Is there another Barcelona other than the one in Spain?
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awcoconuts
May 9, 2015 at 3:45 PM
You're right, it should read "from/to" Barcelona instead of "near," and the source does reference the Indian Ocean, but that seems like an awfully long way to travel by cruiseship!
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KDramaNewbie
May 9, 2015 at 3:51 PM
Haha! Around the world in 80 days!
Must be a typo, she must have meant Mediterranean ocean and Barca...
Or Bali and Indian Ocean...
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8 Y.
May 9, 2015 at 2:44 PM
"Not much is known about the plot, except that it will be a romance set on a cruise ship traversing the Indian Ocean near Barcelona"
I am... confused. Barcelona is in the Mediterranean Sea - or is there an other BCN there in the Indian Ocean? Or does it mean that the cruise normally traverses the Indian Ocean but it's in BCN?
(sorry, English is not my mother tongue so maybe I missed a nuance or something)
'Battle of Yeonpyeong' sounds quite interesting, both it being a crowfunding and the story itself. The other projects, I'm not sure I'll be watching them (unless 'Reunion' is set in Barcelona)
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9 don'tknow
May 9, 2015 at 3:31 PM
I'm here for my child Kwak Dong-yeon, still sad he wasn't the male lead in school 2015.
I'm anticipating his new drama anyway.
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10 Amal
May 9, 2015 at 3:38 PM
I'm so happy to see Jiyeon finally back as an actress. Yay. Lee Dongun has actually already departed to China (saw some fantakens) with Jiyeon and the filming has started, so yeah despite what his company said, he's 100% confirmed.
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11 kanz
May 9, 2015 at 6:44 PM
Aw, Jung Il Woo's movie's premise sounds good.. The movie maybe decent too.
Too bad Lee Jung Jae bows out from Princess Deokhye, but having SYJ as lead is not bad too.. Maybe after Lee Jung Jae, they can court Jung Woo Sung and reunite him with SYJ? :)
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12 yey
May 9, 2015 at 7:46 PM
finally a new drama from kwak dong yeon
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13 SuperKids
May 9, 2015 at 10:11 PM
I had to read the paragraph twice and even checked the world map lest I've forgotten my Geography. Barcelona is nowhere NEAR the Indian Ocean. Barcelona sits on the Mediterranean coast and heading West there's the Atlantic Ocean and Pacific Ocean in between before we get to the Indian Ocean. Heading East, there's still the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden before you get to the Indiam Ocean. I don't have any confidence in the producers if they don't even know what they are talking about. We've a flop coming.
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14 rhienz
May 9, 2015 at 10:20 PM
every time i see pictures of Kwak Dong-yeon, always remind me of the younger Lee Min-ho.
where is he? i miss that boy .
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15 kayg
May 10, 2015 at 8:30 AM
i thought that the picture of jungwoo is actually yonghwa / jung shin .... maybe its just mee
oh and looking forward to battle of yeonpyeong because of lee hyun woo hahahaa
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16 harmonyfb
May 10, 2015 at 9:02 AM
incredibly heodang girl
I don't know what that means. :puzzled:
Agasshi
I'm really interested to see how they handle the (quite frank) lesbian content. Will they ignore it & treat the relationship as just friendship?
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bean
May 10, 2015 at 10:49 AM
ㅎheodang is like.. a person who seems good on the outside, because they seem very cool or smart or attractive or whatever but theyre actually kind of... easily confused or they speak without thinking. like, theyre actually kind of an airhead
it was lee seung-ki's nickname after he started appearing on 1night 2 days :p
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17 Chimera
May 11, 2015 at 6:38 PM
Wait Fingersmith is getting a Park Chan Wook adaptation?! O_o *scrambles off to google* I-I don't know how I feel about this. Too terrified to let myself hope for glorious awesomeness? At the very least, I hope they keep the romance (you know the one I mean). The story will lose its soul without it.
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