Here’s more info on the Hollywood debut project for Kang Hye-jung. The Korean article mistakenly refers to the title of the film as “Wedding Planner,” but I believe it’s actually Korean Wedding, to be co-produced by Korea’s CJ Entertainment and American Vertigo Entertainment and Lionsgate.

Korean Wedding centers around an American man falling in love with a Korean woman; he proposes, and they set off for the mother country to gain her parents’ consent. Apparently this is based on the real-life experiences of one of the writers, Iain McConnell, who co-writes with his cousin, Jason Filardi, who wrote Bringing Down the House (which did such a cleverly original and multidimensional job of Odd Couple-ing the Uptight White Man and the Uproariously Loud Black Woman, no? No racial stereotyping there at all). I’d say it sounds based on My Big Fat Greek Wedding and Meet the Parents, but whatever.

I think the movie sounds terrible already (Look at those crazy Koreans! Omg what are they going to make me eat? Think of all the language misfires that will ensue! O, culture clash, were you ever so rife with comedic potential? Hilarrrrrrious), or if not terrible, then at least terribly trite. I’m a little disappointed that such a strong actress as Kang Hye-jung has chosen this kind of standard film as her crossover vehicle — she’s capable of so much more — but maybe I should just be glad she’s not playing another of many vampire or ninja assassins. (Of all the upcoming Hallyu-goes-Hollywood attempts, I think Song Hye-gyo’s John Woo film is looking the most promising right now.)

Well, if anyone can bring to life the little quirky details of a character, it’s Kang Hye-jung. And yeah, I’ll probably see it. Isn’t that what counts?

Via Today Korea (in Korean); and in English: Variety Asia and Hollywood Reporter

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Filed under: Chungmuro/Film by javabeans - 20 Comments →

Twenty-six-year-old movie actress Kang Hye Jung, whom I loved as the quirky Hana in last year’s underrated drama series Flowers For My Life, is prepping to make her (sigh, another one?) Hollywood debut.

According to her management, YG Entertainment, she’ll be filming in Los Angeles later this year, but they remained mum on the details, saying those would be publicized once the contract is complete. What, you couldn’t wait for the ink to dry before running to the media, only to tell them to wait for the ink to dry so you could, uh, run to the media again?

She was reportedly approached by the filmmakers after gaining international recognition in films Oldboy and Welcome to Dongmakgol. The film she’s being cast in will be helmed by a Korean (-American, I believe), and is described as a love story and melodrama.

All right. Shall we do a rundown of Korean stars attempting Hollywood? Well, so far we have:

Lee Byung Heon (a ninja assassin in GI Joe), everybody’s favorite punching bag Rain (a ninja assassin in Ninja Assassin), Jang Dong Gun (an Asian warrior assassin in Laundry Warrior), Jeon Ji Hyun (a vampire warrior — assassin? — in Blood the Last Vampire — are you noticing a theme here?), and Song Hye Gyo (actually a two-parter; first is Fetish, then John Woo’s 1949), among others.

The immediate question that comes to mind for all of these situations is: Can they even speak English? (Even if they are playing chinkified stereotypes for the most part.) Well, we’ll see about that soon enough, but in my opinion, if we’re talking about casting a Korean star in an English-language film, I want to see Jung Ryeo Won in an indie flick or something. She’s got a unique aura about her that’s both Korean and Western, and at the same time neither entirely Korean nor entirely Western. It’s something I connect with — which I think a lot of hyphenates (whatever-slash-Americans) can identify with — and somebody oughtta make use of that.

Via Hankyung

SONG OF THE DAY

Soulzean - “Doo Roo Roo” [ Download ]

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Score!

Song Hye Gyo made a surprise appearance at Cannes Film Festival on the 20th in conjunction with the announcement that she will be appearing in 1949, director John Woo’s next film, he of the stylish Hong Kong and Hollywood action blockbusters (Mission Impossible II, Face/Off, Broken Arrow).

Not only that, the screenplay was written by Wang Hui-ling of the much-lauded Lust, Caution and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. Song co-stars with Chinese actor Chang Chen, and startled reporters at the press conference for 1949, where she appeared alongside Woo and producer Terrence Chang. (Apparently Song arrived at Cannes on the 17th, but remained hidden in her hotel room until her appearance on the 20th at Woo’s request. Woo had made no mention of Song’s participation in the film until she arrived at the press conference.)

She explained, “John Woo contacted me [in January] after watching Hwang Jini. I’m incredibly honored to be working with a director I admire so much.” (According to a Korean article — so take with a grain of salt, naturally — owing to Song’s popularity in China from her dramas Autumn in My Heart and Full House, the Chinese press in attendance focused their attention and aimed more questions at her than her co-star Chang Chen.)

(Here’s Chang Chen looking modern.)

1949 is described as a “big-budget romance” based on real-life events that took place at the end of World War II and in the last years of the Chinese Civil War.

As for the language issue, the film will be Chinese-language, mixed with English; Song Hye Gyo is currently studying both. She also assures us that 1949 won’t interfere with her participation in director Pyo Min Su’s upcoming drama co-starring Hyun Bin, The World They Live In, as the drama starts in July and will end this year, while 1949 will start filming at the end of the year and aims to release sometime in 2009.

I know I’ve been skeptical of Song Hye Gyo as well as crossover acting roles in general, and John Woo’s had some misses recently, but this one sounds really promising.

Via Star News

SONG OF THE DAY

Jung Jae Hyung - “지붕 위의 고양이” (Rooftop cat) featuring Jang Yoon Ju, who I’ve just realized is also the fashion model judge in I Am a Model. Small world. [ Download ]

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Um. I know it’s hardly accurate to judge a movie based on a 30-second trailer, much less a few photo stills. But, erm, based on these stills of the upcoming action flick G.I. Joe… it looks kinda lame.

Which is too bad, since, as usual, Korean fans are excited about the inclusion of another big-name star (this time actor Lee Byung Heon) in a Hollywood production. And G.I. Joe does boast some well-known Hollywood names, starting with director Stephen Sommers (The Mummy, Van Helsing) and actors Dennis Quaid, Sienna Miller, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Jonathan Pryce, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, and Marlon Wayans.

I was more optimistic about Lee’s chances being cast as Storm Shadow (a ninja assassin with dual loyalties to both Cobra Commander and G.I. Joe) than, say, Rain’s criticized performance in Speed Racer, because Lee Byung Heon has at least distinguished himself more as an actor than Rain. But Rain will get another chance to redeem himself, playing (sigh) a ninja assassin in the upcoming Wachowski brothers production of the same name. Yeah, I know Lee’s role was supposedly changed from Japanese to Korean, but that’s just something to appease the Koreans — to the rest of the world, a ninja is a ninja.

Well, fingers crossed for more successful Hollywood crossovers for Jeon Ji Hyun (Blood: The Last Vampire) as a vampire-hunting warrior and Jang Dong Gun (Laundry Warrior) as an “Asian warrior assassin.”

(Seriously, Hollywood? Are you running down the Asian Stereotype Checklist and all just happened to get stuck in the “warrior assassin” mode? What next? A slew of movies about nerdy Asian scientists who speak Kong-Ching-Japlish (hey, they all sound the same, right?) who decide to engage the world in a new Red Terror and revitalize communism with the help of their doll-faced, subservient women? While acing the SAT, running convenience stores and bemoaning their lesser-endowed sexy parts? ‘Cause… yeah, we are not impressed. And by “we” I mean “me,” but I’m pretty sure also “we.”)

Filming began in February in L.A., and G.I. Joe plans to release in Summer 2009.

Via Star News

SONG OF THE DAY

8eight - “물어봅니다” (I ask) [ Download ]

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Dance Dance Revolution! HA!

Anyone who’s watched The Colbert Report for a while now will probably, like me, have anticipated some kind of shenanigans to come of Stephen Colbert’s reported dance-off challenge with Rain in a battle to assert his kpop idol supremacy. After all, Colbert’s the guy who cultivated a mock rivalry with indie rockers The Decemberists and finally challenged them to a “Guitarmageddon” shred-off — at which point he took out a guitar, faked injury, and called in a “last-minute” replacement. Good thing Peter Frampton was on hand to step in, right?

So what better way to cheekily circumvent his own dance challenge — short of calling in Justin Timberlake to pinch-hit, er, pinch-dance (as I only half-joked about earlier) — than to conduct the challenge on Dance Dance Revolution consoles (with the refrain of his Rain parody song altered to sing, nonsensically, “He’s dancin’ in Korean…”)?

Rain did show off some dance moves before the Dance Dance Revolution portion, and although I don’t think he showed himself to his best advantage (he dances more impressively in his music videos, imo), he acquitted himself reasonably well. Perhaps in keeping with Rain’s self-consciousness about his English, the segment was pre-recorded without a live audience and his speaking was kept to a bare minimum (a mere, “I don’t think so” as he made his grand entrance). Plus, the burden of the humor (and the brunt of the joke) was borne by Colbert himself, who countered Rain’s flashy moves with his own laughably dorky ones (but performed with complete gravitas, of course).

Colbert was also the one who was “outmaneuvered” by Rain on the DDR console — which, if you watch The Colbert Report regularly, you’ll note is something of a rare concession, since Colbert never makes his character out to be the loser of anything. In fact, despite all the faux-trash-talking he’s done, I’ve been surprised (pleasantly, actually) at how deferential Colbert has been to Rain. I mean, he frequently makes his guests appear silly and does his best to push their buttons with his obnoxious, self-described “willful ignorance.” But then again, I also think Colbert only pushes his aggressive character as far as his opponent/guest can handle it, and Rain might still require some special handling. In any case, Colbert has always been careful not to place Rain at a disadvantage.

All in all, the segment was hilarious and Rain’s participation — despite barely talking — showed him in the best possible light, which was as an It-Getter who’s in on the joke and knows how to laugh at himself. (Which, I suppose, is helped when the joke is really about him laughing at someone else.) The appearance can only help.

SONG OF THE DAY

Rain - “태양을 피 하는 방법” (How to Escape the Sun). This version’s different from the version I posted earlier; this is the one in the music video, and is the song used as the basis for Colbert’s “Singin’ in Korean” spoof. [ Download ]

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• As a promotional measure, looks like Yoon Eun Hye’s collaboration with brand-new pop/hip-hop duo Mighty Mouth was a smashing success. They’ve shot up the music charts with “frightening speed” for a new artist, chasing #1 song “One More Time” (Jewelry) to land the #2 spot on Nate’s Top 100. (Song here.) Such is the power of Yoon Eun Hye.
• Han Ji Min (above), currently acting in historical drama Yi San opposite Lee Seo Jin, is launching her own clothing line, Sweet SOUP by Han Ji Min. Clothing company Dongkwang International is producing the brand, described as cute “French chic” and marketed to teenagers and younger twentysomethings. Han Ji Min will participate in the designing and as brand model.
• Song Seung Heon and Kwon Sang Woo’s new film Destiny (Sook-myeong) isn’t out yet — it releases on the 20th — but its OST single is already a hit.
• Actress-singer (and lingerie entrepreneur) Uhm Jung Hwa admits that the strongly criticized over-revealing, sexy costuming that she wore during performances in her ninth album days were actually underwear. Honey, we knew.
• Jang Geun Seok has been picked as a car-racing event host for MBC ESPN’s Go To eXtreme show. He professes to be a fan of the show, whose season 1 was emceed by Ryu Shi Won and Yoon Jung Su. He sure is busy; after Hong Gil Dong ends, his movie Do Re Mi Fa So La Ti Do opens in April. Does he sleep?
• The Korean psychological thriller Addicted, starring Lee Byung Heon and Lee Mi Yeon, has been remade by Hollywood (sigh) — the American version, Possession, stars Sarah Michelle Gellar (hmm) and Lee Pace (yay!) and is set to open on the 28th. With the rash of Korean films being given the glossy Hollywood treatment (in addition to Addicted and Il Mare [made into The Lake House], My Sassy Girl and Tale of Two Sisters are in the works), let’s hope ONE of them can get it right.

 
SONG OF THE DAY

Sook-myeong OST - “Remember” by Gavy NJ. [ zShare download ]

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