Dramabeans » Cha Tae-hyun

Hollywood reworks Scandal Makers

javabeans — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 00:39:31 +0000

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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Post tags: Cha Tae-hyun, Hollywood, Park Bo-young, remakes, stuff that bugs, Wang Seok-hyun

General Hospital may get third season

javabeans — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 16:23:08 +0000

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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General Hospital bumps out Ilijmae

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Post tags: Cha Tae-hyun, Kim Jung-eun, sequels

Baby son makes acting debut with Dad

javabeans — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 18:54:40 +0000

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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Speed Scandal turns Cha Tae-hyun into a young grandpa

javabeans — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 23:01:55 +0000

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??”

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Read the rest of Speed Scandal turns Cha Tae-hyun into a young grandpa (317 words)

© javabeans for Dramabeans, 2008. | Permalink | 22 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Cha Tae-hyun, Park Bo-young, press conferences, Wang Seok-hyun

General Hospital bumps out Iljimae

javabeans — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 16:31:10 +0000

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.

(...)
Read the rest of General Hospital bumps out Iljimae (510 words)

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Post tags: Cha Tae-hyun, directors, Kim Jung-eun, Noh Do-chul, Return of Iljimae

News bites: January 29, 2008

javabeans — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 22:15:32 +0000

SES lead singer Bada gave a performance as lead character Esmerelda in the musical Notre Dame de Paris on the 26th to positive reviews, particularly in the dance segments. Guess all that pop-star training came in handy.
Ha Jiwon takes on a role as a pianist in the film co-starring Cha Tae Hyun (My Sassy Girl) and Park Hee Soon (badass Baek Min-chul in Mixed-up Investigative Agency), which is titled Fool. The movie’s written by the screenwriter of The Host 2, also an internet manhwa writer of the original work the film is based upon, and is a “warm, genuine” story about a simple-minded neighborhood character, no doubt the titular “fool.” I’m guessing Cha Tae Hyun’s the dummy? (Will he ever play someone who isn’t?)
Actress Lee Bo Young (who’s doing press for her latest film, Once Upon a Time) admits that she’d attempted to be a news announcer, and even took the MBC announcers’ test in 2002, which she failed. Well, at least she’s pretty.
Speaking of pretty, actress and former pop singer Chae Jung Ahn has signed on as the exclusive brand model for women’s fashion line ab.plus by ab.f.z (yeah, try pronouncing that) for the next year. A rep for ab.plus explained contracting Chae for her “refined” and “mature” image, a side we definitely saw in Coffee Prince.
Ten years after her debut, singer Lena Park, also known by her Korean name Park Jung Hyun, gives a five-day series of concerts starting March 26, wrapping up her promo activities for her sixth album, “Come to Where I Am.”

SONG OF THE DAY

Lena Park, aka Park Jung Hyun – “눈물빛 글씨” (Tear-colored writing), her big single off her sixth album. [ zShare download ]

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Post tags: Bada, Cha Tae-hyun, Chae Jung-ahn, Ha Ji-won, Lee Bo-young, Lena Park, news bites, SES

Cha Tae Hyun’s baby blues

javabeans — Sat, 10 Nov 2007 21:29:27 +0000

Aw, cute.

Film and TV actor Cha Tae Hyun is set to become a first-time father at the end of this year, and he’s voiced a rather unusual concern: that his baby will look just like him. Hee.

Lim Chang Jung (who’s also expecting a baby, his second, in a few months) appeared the MBC program Imaginary Best Friend (airing on the 11th) and mentioned meeting Cha Tae Hyun recently and discussing their impending fatherhoods. Cha Tae Hyun’s reaction to a recent ultrasound was, “The baby’s head is two weeks ahead in terms of development, but its legs are a week behind. At this rate, I worry he’ll end up looking like me.”

I’d never really been a huge Cha Tae Hyun fan until I saw the drama series Flowers For My Life earlier this year. (If you’ve been reading this site for a while, you’ll know how much I absolutely adore that series. It’s one of the best dramas I’ve ever seen — witty, poignant, darkly funny.) He’s never been considered a hottie, and he’s made his career playing slightly awkward, bumbling characters. That self-deprecating humor is present in his acting and, it seems, now also in real life. Congrats and good luck to Mr. Cha~~

Source: Mydaily

SONG OF THE DAY

Bulldog Mansion – “Life Is…” [ zShare download ]

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