After acting for ten years, Yoo Ji-tae is taking on his debut drama role. Despite his many film roles (Oldboy, Sympathy for Lady Vengeance, Ditto, Hwang Jini, Attack the Gas Station) and his additional career as filmmaker, remarkably Yoo has never done a television series before. While we see many a star go from television to film, it’s unusual for such a big name actor to go from an entirely film career to a television one. Perhaps we owe this move to his suitably high-profile co-star, Choi Ji-woo.

He takes on the part of a university instructor who falls in love with a famous movie star (Choi) in SBS’s December drama A Star’s Lover [스타의 연인] . (Let me tell ya, they make one good-looking — and tall — couple.)

(Looks like this is the drama formerly called Lovers in Asuka before it was then changed to Oh My Goddess, which has now changed its moniker once again. Third time’s the charm? Yeesh, just pick one already — especially considering how none of the titles is really remarkably better than the others.)

Yoo’s character is highly educated but has a somewhat difficult personality, part-time lecturing while aspiring to be a novelist. Lest you think this is another Notting Hill, the story is purported to be “a realistic love story” and departs from the potential Cinderella-story aspect of the premise.

The drama starts filming later this week, shooting on location in Japan, and is aiming for an end-of-year broadcast.

Via E Daily

RELATED POSTS

• A potential comeback for Hallyu’s queen Goddess of melodrama
• Yoo Ji-tae travels the short-film circuit
• Yoo Ji-tae’s directorial release
• Air City: Episodes 1 & 2

Tags: Choi Ji-woo, Yoo Ji-tae

Filed under: Drama Casting & News by javabeans - 9 Comments →

After all the hullaballo, Kwon Sang-woo finally married Sohn Tae-young today (September 28), and I for one am glad, since we won’t be having to hear about it anymore.

The couple gave a press conference prior to the wedding, as the wedding itself was closed to the press. Sohn Tae-young wore a Kenneth Pool gown, which she bought on the couple’s recent trip to England.

Kwon: “I’m finally getting married. I’m so nervous — my nerves don’t begin to compare with any film festival or event I’ve been to. … We’ll live happily together. I vow to love her forever.” Sohn: “It doesn’t feel real yet. Actually, I wasn’t nervous at all while getting ready. But now I’m starting to feel it.”

When asked about kids, Kwon answered that he’d like three, but joked that Sohn “has agreed to two, for her figure’s sake.”

And, since it’s not every day such a huge Hallyu star gets married, we have a pretty impressive guest-star roster that rivals the red carpet at some of the largest industry events.

The parade of high-profile attendees >>

Tags: Byun Jung-soo, Cha Seung-won, Choi Ji-woo, Ha Ji-won, Han Ga-in, Hwang Bo, Jang Dong-gun, Jung Woo-sung, Kim Sung-soo, Kwon Sang-woo, Lee Beom-soo, Lee Byung-heon, Lee Jung-jae, Lee Jung-jin, Oh Ji-ho, So Ji-sub, Sohn Tae-young, Song Seung-heon, star romances, weddings, Yoo Ji-tae

Filed under: Celebrity News by javabeans - 59 Comments →

After a rather disappointing “comeback” last year with the overproduced (and under-thought-out) action drama Air City, Hallyu (and sob) queen Choi Ji-woo just might be back on television by the end of the year.

December will see the start to a new SBS series, Oh! My Goddess!, to be produced by Olive Nine. (Note: Some sources talk about this like a done deal; others say that Choi is almost set to appear in the drama; and others talk of her as the most likely prospect. For what it’s worth.)

In the drama, Choi’s (would-be) role is Lee Mari, a top actress who’s bombarded with romantic advances by four men. Those men (as yet uncast) vary across the board in character and background: one is a Korean literature graduate student with aspirations of becoming a writer, another a famous photographer, one a third-generation chaebol (sigh, that trope won’t die), and the last a young top exec at a media corporation.

The series is said to be nearing contract finalizations. Writer will be Kang Eun-jung of Lovers in Paris, and Oh! My Goddess! will follow Moon Geun-young’s sageuk drama Painter of Wind.

Via IB Times

RELATED POSTS

• Air City: Episodes 1 & 2

Tags: Choi Ji-woo, comebacks

Filed under: Drama Casting & News by javabeans - 21 Comments →

• Ara and Jang Geun Seok are dolling up and gettin’ down in an online teaser ad for a cosmetics brand, showing off what is being dubbed their “techtonic” Tecktonik dance. Touted as sexy and cute, I’d use any another term — dorky-cute, disco-lite, uber-goofball? — instead.
• 21-year-old Moon Geun Young opens up in an interview about her feelings about how her fame has affected her younger sister, who has explained that it’s hard being the little sis of Korea’s Little Sis — she’s always being compared or treated with awkward curiosity. Now a high school student, younger sis lives abroad and studies in Australia, where Moon Geun Young explains that she can hopefully “stand on her own without being in my shadow.”
• According to the director of Rain’s company JTunes, Rain hasn’t mentioned any interest in a woman in the past seven years. (What about guys?)
• Fashion designer Andre Kim (who’s had a long career but hasn’t seemed to have a new idea in years) tells The Star Show that of all the numerous celebrities he’s worked with, sob queen Choi Jiwoo is the star with the perfect body. (He lists Lee Byung Heon as the most charismatic male actor.)
• Yoo Seung Ho (that young cutie who played young Yonsama in Legend) has been cast in the music video for “Don’t Go, Don’t Go,” R&B duo Brown Eyes‘ comeback single. (Starring opposite is new Japanese actress Ishizaka Yuri.) His role entails “emotional” and “heartbroken” acting; looks like he’s trying his best to shed the child-star image.
• With only a week till his new drama airs, Lee Dong Gun is lining up the CF offers, promoting pre-harvest rice sales and fielding more proposals from beverage, clothing, and construction companies. While it’s common for a new drama to bring the CF offers, it’s cited as being unusual for the offers to come in before the drama has even begun. Maybe they’re just happy to see him back onscreen after his recent rough patch.
• Some of JYP’s teen-sex-kitten proteges the Wonder Girls had a few words to share about their Svengali-master on MBC’s Brain Battle (isn’t that shooting a little high?). Apparently JYP gets “sensitive” when he’s hungry (unlike the rest of us robots); Yoo Bin explained that while recording their album, he’d gotten so hungry once that he’d scolded her. After a snack, she saw him being affectionate with another member and felt sad. (Maybe he was upset with, I don’t know, her work? I’ve seen her performing.)
• Singer JOO cites an occasion prior to her debut when JYP had commented on her weight, saying, “What’s with this [flab]? It’s like tofu.” Because teenage girls don’t already have enough issues about their looks — thanks, Mr. Monkey-man.

 
SONG OF THE DAY

Alex - “깍지껴요” (hold hands), from his recent first solo album “My Vintage Romance.” Overall, the album sounds a lot more mainstream than his previous work, going more into ballad and pop territory. He does have the voice for it, even though I prefer the more innovative music of Clazziquai. [ Download ]

RELATED POSTS

• Break me off a piece of that chocolate
• Rain and Colbert: The dance(Dance Revolution)-off
• Little Sis takes on the tomboy look
• Moon Geun Young returns to dramas; the sageuk revival continues
• Korea’s Little Brother, all grown up
• That is a whole lotta look you’re wearing, Jang Geun Seok
• Kim Byul, Jang Geun Seok — and baby makes three
• The future of kpop
• “Please, for the love of god, lip-synch already!”

Tags: Choi Ji-woo, Go Ara, Jang Geun-seok, Lee Byung-heon, Lee Dong-gun, Moon Geun-young, news bites, Rain, Wonder Girls, Yoo Seung-ho

Filed under: Celebrity News by javabeans - 20 Comments →

Wow. Everything I say in this post will probably be surprising, because the finale of Air City — which took me this long to finally see, due to general lack of interest — in an unexpected turn, didn’t completely suck. Actually, it’s the first episode I liked since Episode 5. Nobody is more surprised than me.

See, I’m not a horrible mean hag who enjoys tearing down other people’s hard work. I am completely able to give props where they are due. I want to give props and I’m pleased to finally have some to deliver. And despite an overwhelmingly mediocre run, I think the writers pulled out a nice finale. Then again, perhaps this benefits from having absolutely no expectations left — they’ve been pretty effectively crushed by the last ten installments. But I wasn’t annoyed once this episode, which is rare enough for this drama.

(Random) SONG OF THE DAY

Wanted - “사랑이란..” (Love is… / The thing called love) [ zShare download ]

AIR CITY Episode 16 (Final) >>

Tags: Air City, Choi Ji-woo, episode recaps, Lee Jin-wook, Lee Jung-jae

Filed under: Drama Recaps by javabeans - 22 Comments →