Lee Jung-jae reunites with Jeon Ji-hyun in caper film

54 March 15, 2011

Lee Jung-jae reunites with Jeon Ji-hyun in caper film

by javabeans

When the “Korean Ocean’s Eleven” was first announced a couple months ago, we knew we could expect a big-name cast, from the attachment of A-lister Lee Jung-jae (The Housemaid) and based on the pattern established by the Hollywood franchise. And yup, the project has now brought onboard a whole slew of famous faces, starting with Jeon Ji-hyun (Snow Flower and the Secret Fan), who re-teams with Lee after first starring with him in the lovely romantic film Il Mare back in 2000. (I LOVE the subtle, understated Il Mare; it still pains me what Hollywood did to it with The Lake House.)

The movie is titled Thieves and centers around a heist in a Macau casino; the prize is a multimillion-dollar diamond called “The Sun’s Tear.” Heading the “once-in-a-lifetime cast” is Lee Jung-jae playing the mastermind, with Jeon playing a loud-mouthed, curse-up-a-storm type of thief (my kinda girl!) who specializes in jewelry and art. Then there’s Korea’s veteran glamourpuss Kim Hye-soo (Home Sweet Home, Tazza) playing a familiar role, the femme fatale, though this one also is a master safecracker.

“National actor” Kim Yoon-seok (The Chaser, Jeon Woo Chi) also stars, as well as other famous veterans like Oh Dal-soo (The Fixer, Bang-ja Chronicle) and “Korea’s Mom” Kim Hae-sook (Life Is Beautiful, Thirst).

Thieves is helmed by a man who knows how to mix crime, action, and comedy; Choi Dong-hoon directed Tazza, The Big Swindle, and Jeon Woo Chi. It’ll begin shooting in May.

I love a good action/caper movie, and this is a pretty damn solid cast. Can’t wait.

Lee Jung-jae

Jeon Ji-hyun

Kim Hye-soo

Kim Yoon-seok

Kim Hae-sook

Oh Dal-soo

Via Seoul.co.kr

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1 ohemgee

March 15, 2011 at 1:17 PM

ok, i didn't think i'd like the pairing at first (haven't seen Il Mare-i know- i'm lame!), but MAN am i looking forward to LJJ and JJH now!

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2 Biscuit

March 15, 2011 at 1:22 PM

I'd never expect to see all of these actors TOGETHER in a film. OMG, I ain't watching this for the plot, I just HAVE to see this for the cast!

LJJ and KHS are smokin with their alluring charisma. JJH absolutely needs to be in a Korean film again, and it's with LJJ. And the rest of the cast have this extreme level of solid acting chops where I can now peacefully watch this film without thinking it's going to turn out cheesy or ruined when you've got such great leads.

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Denali

March 15, 2011 at 1:36 PM

I second that comment of yours.

All I could think of while reading the news was, "holy 모?이!".

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myweithisway

March 15, 2011 at 2:12 PM

I third that comment, this is one smokin' cast!

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anna hae

March 16, 2011 at 3:08 AM

DITTO!

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3 Sere

March 15, 2011 at 1:22 PM

OMG! \o/

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4 malia

March 15, 2011 at 1:35 PM

I LOVE IL MARE!!

Seriously. Anyone who hasn't watched it really should. It's amazing!

I think it's on dramacrazy.net :]

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rose

March 15, 2011 at 6:50 PM

i like il mare very munch , it so beautiful and heartwarming , i dint watch the hollywood version they are always mess up like what they did with sassy girl ......

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roake

March 15, 2011 at 7:59 PM

dito

I like il mare and the trailer for the remake just didn't do it for me. Especially true about my sassy girl.

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Selli

March 16, 2011 at 12:36 AM

Oh, I actually liked "The Lake House" XD Now I feel embarrassed D: It wasn't bad, in my opinion, and had a nice feeling going for it ^^

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SteamyBun

March 17, 2011 at 11:27 AM

lol Don't be embarrassed! You must just be one of those rare people who can enjoy remakes as a separate entity rather than comparing to the original. I for one can never accept the way Hollywood dumbs down their remakes.

Oh, and YAY for JJH in a Korean movie!! I've been chanting "come back to Korea Jeon Ji Hyun" for years! Doesn't even matter that the plot doesn't interest me. I'm still happy.

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5 danna

March 15, 2011 at 1:35 PM

hell yeah!...there's going to be more right?!.....i want ryu duk hwan, yoo ah in, Kim So Eun and maybe Son Joongki too...thank you very much

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6 Serious

March 15, 2011 at 1:45 PM

ohmylasdkfjs!!! JJH & LJJ reuniting?!?!
this makes me so happy.

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7 Jeanie65jh

March 15, 2011 at 2:29 PM

I want to read books with Lee Jung Jae

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gailt

March 16, 2011 at 12:00 AM

girl, me too. Me too.

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8 BOGCHI

March 15, 2011 at 2:41 PM

Il Mare was a great movie! I like both of them!

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9 Alex

March 15, 2011 at 2:49 PM

Kim Hye Soo and Lee Jung Jae!!!!!!!!! I want to watch this so bad!!!!!!

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10 ranie

March 15, 2011 at 3:00 PM

Just here to say:

"I LOVE the subtle, understated Il Mare; it still pains me what Hollywood did to it with The Lake House."

I 1000000% agree. Some things Hollywood should leave well alone, Il Mare should have been one of them.

P.s. Kim Hae-sook & Kim Yoon-seok ... sorry but, I L.O.V.E them, SFM... I don't even care about the main leadfs anymore lol.

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11 snow

March 15, 2011 at 3:25 PM

Il Mare was fantastic! I just pretend The Lake House doesn't exist.

I'm excited for this film, love Lee Jung Jae and Jeon Ji Hyun, and can't wait for them to reunite on screen. Sizzling!

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12 nokcha

March 15, 2011 at 3:57 PM

What an amazing cast! I think the weakest link is JJH. I haven't seen her act well in anything, and I've seen most of what she's been in with the exception of Daisy and Blood.

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13 luraaa

March 15, 2011 at 4:12 PM

Weird, but I actually like The Lake House. I don't know why; probably because I saw it first and then Il Mare. Or maybe it's because of my Sandra and Keanu fantasy. Or Sir Paul's "This never happened before" (I love The Beatles; as embarrassing to say that most people my age don't like them).

I don't know if I was just really tired or sleepy or not in the mood when I saw Il Mare, but it sort of didn't appeal to me after watching it. But I admit though, there's something about the movie that makes me want to watch it again. Il Mare is on my rewatch list because it keeps haunting me, and I don't think it would stop until I watch it again. Actually, I'd rather watch this movie again than Daisy, which was a disappointment despite my Jung Woo Sung ahjusshi who was also in the movie.

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ranie

March 15, 2011 at 4:26 PM

"...Sandra and Keanu fantasy"...
SAY WHAT???! Girl, you must be crazy.

LOL OT but I used to have a major crush on Keanu when I was young-er. o.0 .. IDE...

Never watched 'daisy' ... I'll try to hunt it down somewhere.

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luraaa

March 15, 2011 at 5:15 PM

haha yeah I know I am. It was probably because of Speed. But I'm not really crazy about them, unlike some other couples that I ship. It's weird though, because I never really had a crush on Keanu either.

Haha OT. But yeah, try Daisy, but don't get your hopes up.

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MAN.

March 15, 2011 at 9:32 PM

Sandra-Keanu was my childhood OTP. That was until Sandra got married and.... divorced. Aw man, I feel pity for her. Too bad their chemistry was only existed during Speed.

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gailt

March 16, 2011 at 12:06 AM

I liked The Lake House as well. I was looking forward to it because of Sandra. And when they had that little bit about Persuasion (by Jane Austen), that movie had my little heart in its palm.

I actually have both DVDs, because I *had* to get a copy of Il Mare always at the ready. <3

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14 gingganggolli

March 15, 2011 at 4:14 PM

...oh they are so sweet in those pic....love their pairing, they are perfect! make me want to watch Il Mare again? ....lol i'm living i a crazy world in kdrama...

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15 belleza

March 15, 2011 at 4:32 PM

It would be really cool if the heist were executed in 2 different timelines, while they communicated via teleconference using the new IPad2 while wearing school uniforms. Oh, and vampires would be really cool!!

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anna hae

March 16, 2011 at 3:12 AM

LMAO!

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16 obivia

March 15, 2011 at 4:34 PM

Oh man. I love this cast--especially Kim Yoon-Seok. Super-psyched!

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17 Celexa

March 15, 2011 at 4:59 PM

Il Mare is my all time favorite Korean movie... I first watched it 10 years ago. I was home sick and just watched it again this afternoon for the umpteenth time. JB, I agree The Lake House was a painful disappointment. I wasn't interested in Korea's Ocean Eleven but now I definitely want to watch it, just to see Lee Jung-jae and Jeon Ji-hyun together again.

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18 absothe

March 15, 2011 at 5:30 PM

So far the the cast looks great, but there seem to be more women here. And if Lee Jung-jae is George Cloony, then where is Brad Pitt? And the Beavis and Butthead guys, and Matt Damon! Why is there no Matt Damon? These characters really made it one of my favourite movies. I was really looking forward to their korean counterparts.
Guess it's just another heist movie then...

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Biscuit

March 15, 2011 at 6:25 PM

If I'm correct, I don't think this film is an official "Korean version" of the movie. More "inspired", and due to the likeness, was hyped as the "Korean Ocean's Eleven".

Like how in Korean, there's always the "Korean so-and-so!".

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absothe

March 16, 2011 at 2:37 AM

Yeah I kinda figured that one out already :p. But still I was hoping for some more similarities in the hot men's department. Still looking forward to the movie though.

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19 QD

March 15, 2011 at 5:35 PM

I love Il Mare so no surprise that I am looking forward to this movie! I didnt know its by the same director of Jeon Woo Chi Too! Cant Wait!!!!! Thanks JB!

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20 rainey

March 15, 2011 at 6:10 PM

I like the cast, a lot.

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21 Porcelain

March 15, 2011 at 6:23 PM

So freakin excited!!! Really seems like a dream cast!!! Can't wait... but oh man... Kim Yoon Seok... The Chaser... I love that movie!!!

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22 DanDan

March 15, 2011 at 6:36 PM

I love LJJ! It is a real dream / diamond casts ever.

Can't wait to see LJJ, YYH reunited. It will be the most exciting Korean movie in 2011!!!

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23 Shin mi rAe

March 15, 2011 at 7:26 PM

Jb mentions lee jung jae and a vision of him spread eagle in his bday suit in the housemaid came to mind. Someone pass me a tissue coz im drooling all over the place. Too much hotness for a wednesday morning. Cant wait to watch this movie.

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24 djrsb

March 15, 2011 at 7:37 PM

Can't wait!!!

"I LOVE the subtle, understated Il Mare; it still pains me what Hollywood did to it with The Lake House." <---- TOTALLY agree with you JB! I absolutely love this movie!

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25 Bluefyre

March 15, 2011 at 8:05 PM

Wahhh! So awesome! Can't wait to watch this one!
Along with My Black Mini Dress (or whatever the title is, you know what I'm talking about) ^^

Thanks, JB!

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26 DB5K

March 15, 2011 at 8:11 PM

I LOVE the cast!!!! The casting team did an amazing job of finding actors that would match the roles of the characters in this movie. I wish this were a drama instead so I could watch more episodes!!! I can't WAIT to watch this movie!!! This movie is bound to be a smash hit, unless, of course, the production team somehow manages to over-inflate things and make this movie camp and overtly Hollywood-esque, but I don't think it will turn out that way. The production team has already shown its savvy-ness it's casting!!!!

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27 lalala

March 15, 2011 at 9:59 PM

WOWS. big blockbuster movieeee ehhh? :]

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28 merriwether

March 16, 2011 at 12:46 AM

Oh Il Mare, I've yet to find many Korean films which come close to how beautifully well done it was. I still play the soundtrack occasionally to reminisce about it.

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29 Ani

March 16, 2011 at 12:48 AM

Can't wait. X) *tries to calms her heart or else explode from excitement*

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30 pohonphee

March 16, 2011 at 1:21 AM

I don't know it was Lee Jung-jae in Il mare :D

Should I watch it again? *grin*

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31 y

March 16, 2011 at 5:53 AM

omg..I love Il Mare!!

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32 Brandi

March 16, 2011 at 6:54 AM

This. Will. Be. AWESOME.

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Diana Hansen

March 16, 2011 at 8:16 AM

totally agree with jb on the il mare. i loved that show so much and the lake house was so not! no subtlety at all.
this is going to be so awesome!
i just have to say thank you to jb and your crew for helping me keep up on what to watch for and what to maybe avoid. i cannot keep track of all the things i want to watch anymore without your help! i love reading your comments. so what was up with YAY? jkjkjk hahaha short and sweet works too!

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33 phjfever

March 16, 2011 at 8:36 AM

I luvd them both in Il Mare though i didn't quite like the rest of the story but i also wondered why JJH doesn't do dramas, i think her last one was Happy Together? she's a gorgeous gorgeous K actress, but too bad we only see her in movies!

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34 Selcaqueen

March 16, 2011 at 8:47 AM

I am sooo anticipating this just because of Jeon Ji Hyun! She has been my most favorite actress ever since I saw My Sassy Girl. That was probably back in 2003 or 2004. No Korean actresses have captivated me the way JJH did. She's my ultimate girl crush! <3

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35 Soua

March 17, 2011 at 11:20 PM

Jeon Ji-hyun is so beautiful... I loved the movie Daisy so much! She looks like a goddess... without even trying. :)

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36 mellowyel

March 20, 2011 at 9:00 PM

Kim Soo-hyun has been added to the cast!! I was excited before, but i am THAT much more excited for this now :D

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hapacalgirl

March 20, 2011 at 10:16 PM

I was just going to post the same thing! I am so excited for this and for him. I am so happy he gets to work with these strong veteran actors because I see him having a similar career to them.