Huh. Another one: Scandal Makers (aka Speed Scandal, 과속스캔들), which has enjoyed tremendous success in the past few months, is being remade by Hollywood.

The film has sold over 8.2 million tickets in Korea and catapulted young star Park Bo-young to household-name status (and earned her a Baeksang Award just a few days ago). It also stars Cha Tae-hyun (My Sassy Girl) and a very young Wang Seok-hyun. It is directed by Kang Hyung-chul.

Attached to direct the U.S. remake is Barry Sonnenfeld, director of films like Men in Black and RV and producer of Get Shorty, Ladykillers, and Pushing Daisies, who had the following to say about the Korean movie: “What a fabulous movie. It is funny, intelligent, and full of heart and values. It is also a movie with universal themes. I am honored to have the opportunity…” According to the CEO of M Line, which handles overseas sales and distribution, remake offers came from multiple studios, such as Universal, Sony, Disney, and Paramount.

The thing is, from everything I’ve heard, Scandal Makers is a great, fun, quality movie. The story seems remake-able. But it’s almost TOO remake-able — the plot doesn’t sound all that unusual for an American film: A 36-year-old bachelor finds his life upturned when he is surprised by the appearance of an unknown 22-year-old daughter… and her 6-year-old son. (The reason for the “speedy” scandals? Cha’s character, now a successful DJ and happy bachelor, was once an idol star in his teens with lots of female fans.) What keeps it afloat is its charm, and we know from past experiences that Hollywood tends to kill THAT elusive quality straightaway (case in point: My Sassy Girl, Il Mare, Tale of Two Sisters).

Via Mk.co.kr

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Who’s watching General Hospital 2? (I confess to trying the first episode out of love for Mr. Director, but did not get hooked.) Looks like you may be getting a General Hospital 3.

The MBC drama is currently in talks to consider another season, according to a rep from the production company. The matter isn’t decided yet, but if it goes forward, the third season will return with the same cast members; as some of the Season 2 members were part of the original cast, the production company does not think that will be a large obstacle. Furthermore, scriptwriter Choi Wan-kyu, who worked on both Seasons 1 and 2, would also return.

Director Noh Do-chul has expressed his willingness to sign on not just for a third season, but a possible fourth and fifth — perhaps making this one of very few successful attempts at the multiple-season kdrama (the only others to do so have been cable hits, like Rude Miss Young Ae or Chosun Police).

Noh says, “It’s time for the season drama format to make its appearance in Korea… as it has done in America. It’s much more economical to make use of a drama with pre-existing popularity than to get a new series to succeed.”

General Hospital 2, starring Kim Jung-eun and Cha Tae-hyun, currently airs on Wednesdays and Thursdays and is doing well in the ratings. The original series premiered in 1994 and featured some now-impressive names, like “Cannes Queen” Jeon Do-yeon, as well as Shin Eun-kyung, Lee Jae-ryong (who’s in Season 2 as well), Kim Ji-soo, and Gu Bohn-seung.

Via Star News

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Cha Tae-hyun’s son has made his onscreen debut.

The 2-year-old Soo-chan (1-year-old by Western calculations) appeared with Dad in his latest movie, Speed Scandal, as one of the children shooting a CF with Dad’s character, a former idol star turned radio DJ.

Cha explains that since the production had been having trouble finding children for the part, he volunteered his son, who “spent all the time when we filmed asleep.” His son’s acting fee? Six articles of clothing. (”But since he’s big, he can’t wear three of them.”) Btw, I don’t know who that little girl is, but she’s adorable.

Of course, the movie has another scene-stealing little kid, the 5-year-old actor Wang Seok-hyun, who plays the son of young single mom Park Bo-young. Park one day shows up and insists she’s the daughter of Cha’s character whom he had fathered while he was still a teenage student.

Speed Scandal opens December 3. Cha Tae-hyun has been married since June 2006 to his songwriter wife, and baby Soo-chan was born in December 2007.

Via Newsen

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There’s some new comedy coming out, and it’s called Speed Scandal or whatever, and I guess it stars Cha Tae-hyun (My Sassy Girl) and up-and-coming Park Bo-young (King and I), who’s starting to be called the New Moon Geun-young, which comes with both good and bad strings attached.

But whatever! Who cares about the movie when there is such adorableness to be had?

I mean, look at little Wang Seok-hyun, still practically a bebbeh!

I love his chubby cheeks. I love how he barely reaches table height to talk into the mic, below. I love how his head is so large it’s practically the size of his torso (particularly in the movie stills). I love that it looks like the kid dressed himself in the dark on the way to a Harry Potter reading. I love that his hair is curly but not permed, meaning somebody actually took a curling iron to that head of his. I love that his co-stars can’t seem to get enough of how cute he is, even though they’ve already spent months with him on the film set. I love how Cha Tae-hyun is copying the boy instead of the boy copying the adult for once. And I love how, in one set of photos, the kid’s wearing this resigned expression that says, “SIGH. It is such hard work being so cute! When will this end??”

[Read more →]

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On one hand, I’m a little bummed that The Return of Iljimae has been postponed, just when I was getting excited about it.

On the other hand, the drama that will take over the time slot intended for Iljimae is General Hospital 2. I wasn’t at all into the idea of this show — I don’t love medical dramas — even with its cast lineup:

Cha Tae-hyun (My Sassy Girl, Flowers For My Life)
Kim Jung-eun (Lovers in Paris)
Ahn Jae-ryong (Goodbye Solo)
Ryu Seung-soo (Mixed-up Inveestigative Agency)
Lee Jong-won (East of Eden)
Do Ji-won (Love Me Not)
Ryu Jin (Capital Scandal)
Go Jun-hee (What’s Up Fox)

But on the other hand (yes, that’s three rhetorical hands), General Hospital 2 is being directed by Noh Do-chul — who was behind two wonderful quirky series: Soulmate and Hello, Franceskca.

More about General Hospital >>

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