Korean film "Bestseller" in talks for Hollywood remake

Official poster for Korean film "Bestseller" starring Uhm Jung-hwa [Daisy Entertainment]

Korean film "Bestseller" is already in discussions for a Hollywood remake prior to its local release on Thursday, according to the film's production company Daisy Entertainment on Monday.

Daisy explained in a press release that they have been contacted by U.S. film production company Vertigo Entertainment, who offered to buy remake copyrights for the thriller pic.

Vertigo is owned by Roy Lee, a Korean-American movie producer who is known for turning Asian hit films into Hollywood remakes.

Some of his successful re-productions include "The Ring" (2002), "The Grudge" (2004), "My Sassy Girl" (2008), "The Uninvited" (2009) and the Oscar-winning "The Departed" (2006), which Martin Scorsese directed based on the hit Hong Kong film "Infernal Affairs".

"Bestseller", which stars Korean singer and actress Uhm Jung-hwa, is about a successful novelist who becomes accused of plagiarism and hears voices in a remote cabin she escapes to.

The film is scheduled for release in Korea on April 15.

Asiae

Check out the trailer below

On the set of film "Into The Fire"

The cast of film "Into The Fire": (from left) Korean actors Cha Seung-won, Kwon Sang-woo, T.O.P. and Kim Seung-woo [photographed by Lee Jin-hyuk/10Asia]

Film "Into The Fire" - Four flowers blooming on ruined grounds

Quite often there are sets which have many sideshows. And sometimes you may even see sets where there are good actors in a flock. But it is truly rare to come across a set which stimulates all five of your senses. The set for film "Into The Fire," which is being shot at Hapcheon Image Theme Park, was one of such cases. What first greeted reporters on the set of a city in ruins was not the fancy cast -- which includes actors Cha Seung-won, T.O.P., Kwon Sang-woo and Kim Seung-woo -- but the smell of smoky gunpowder, sounds of gunfire loud enough to cause tinnitus and the vibrations from on-set explosions which spread through the air and one's entire body. Such things are what is probably needed to reproduce a war setting, however incomplete it may be.

That is why the commanding presence displayed by North Korean major Park Moo-rang (played by Cha Seung-won) and his countless North Korean military officers lined up together serves as more than a mere visual spectacle. The staff members shouting "When you hear a gunshot, bow down first and then fire again!", the slightly tired looks of the many extras who are playing roles as the North Korean army, and the smell of dust from their collective advances and retreats upon the director's cut sign, all come across as a complex and slightly distracting experience.

Hence in such a setting, one cannot hope for such a thing as a fixed photo line. The photographers, like snipers, sneaked into various parts of the building sets in ruins and pushed their shutters to get a shot of T.O.P.'s innocent smile, which one could not see in KBS TV series "IRIS." It was not without reason when one reporter roared, "Are you a war photographer!" to another who got covered with dust from an explosion scene to photograph Cha Seung-won, who looks even more benevolent in a full body shot. The 66 photographs from the set of "Into The Fire", a much larger number 10Asia usually snaps from film sets, are also the war trophies which were recovered by literally jumping 'into the fire.'

Asiae

Lee Byung-hun "The Influence" poster review

The poster and preview for the online mystery film "Influence", starring Lee Byeong-Heon and Han Chae-young, have been revealed.

The film's producer Realize Pictures and Windsor Entertainment released the poster on Friday, showing a relatively large image of a suited up Lee from the bust upward and smaller head-to-toe image of Han donning a red dress.

Lee plays the role of the character W who has to make a choice in order to follow his path to fulfill a promise he made many years ago. Han will play J, W's lover who is stuck in an aquarium. The two share a love that transcends time and space.

The film, based on a time period spanning from 1907 to 2010, will be Lee Jae-gyoo's directorial debut pic. He has created several hit TV series during his career including "Damo" and "Beethoven Virus".

"The Influence" is set for release online in early March.

Reporter : Lucia Hong luciahong@asiae.co.kr
Editor : Jessica Kim jesskim@asiae.co.kr
<ⓒ10Asia All rights reserved>

Filming of "The Slave Hunters" Oh Ji-ho, Lee Da-hae and Jang Hyuk

On a cold winter day in January, director Kwak Jung-hwan of KBS TV series “The
Slave Hunters” was at Unju Temple in the South Jeolla Province. It is the place,
mentioned in the tenth episode, which Dae-gil (played by Jang Hyuk) guessed
correctly right away when told Tae-ha (Oh Ji-ho) went to where a statue of
Buddha lies on its back facing the sky. “There is a statue of Buddha laid on the
ground and facing the sky in the Unju Temple. It is said to contain the
unfulfilled hopes of the commoners. I couldn’t not go to shoot there after
hearing that story,” Kwak explained of his reason in choosing the temple as a
location which would also symbolize Tae-ha’s yet-to-be opened world and the
dream of the slaves.

But Unju Temple does not just have symbolic meaning
for “Hunters.” It is also where many of the main characters gather after a large
number of supporting actors are killed off the show in the ninth and tenth
episodes. Tae-ha holds the baby king in one hand as he meets his old friends and
Dae-gil’s clan gathers at Unju too. About five scenes were shot at the Unju
Temple this day. And each scene focused more on the meeting and the parting of
the characters rather than its usual spectacular action. But the atmosphere on
set was as somber and sincere as the emotions involved in the meeting and
parting.

“Turn around as soon as you take a step forward,” Kwak
instructs Tae-ha, played by Oh Ji-ho. He then explained, “We didn’t rush in the
beginning because we started shooting the first few episodes several months ago
but these days, it’s all about time management.” But once he goes into shoot, he
digs into the details so insistently that it seems as if he forgets all about
time. He does not miss a single thing, down to the smallest movement a character
makes to the most trivial historical fact. To Kim Ha-eun playing the role of
Sul-hwa, he will direct her to “breathe harder after running here.” And after
receiving confirmation that “in the past, nobody entered the main temple
building through the central door other than the chief monk,” Kwak reflected
this fact into the scene where a boy monk greets Dae-gil who is chasing Tae-ha.
Add just a little exaggeration, it could be said that the amount of Kwak’s
exercise almost equalled that of Dae-gil and Tae-ha got from shooting their
actions scenes. He endlessly checked the monitor, went back onto the set,
checked everything, made orders, and then monitored again.

Not a single loud noise comes from the set of “Hunters” but that atmosphere on set is also the atmosphere amongst the actors. The Chuno clan, composed of Jang Hyuk, Kim Ji-suk and Han Jung-soo, sat around ahead of going into shoot to quietly discuss
their scene while Oh Ji-ho and Lee Da-hae focused on their own acting and did
not speak a single word to each other. The moment they finally smiled and talked
to each other was when Oh Ji-ho finished shooting his scene. “You’re leaving
before I am because you’re done? That’s an offense!” Lee jokingly said to Oh.

Shooting began at 8 a.m. in the morning but the clock was heading toward
8 p.m. But the crew of “Hunters” had been shooting a single scene since later
afternoon — the moment when Dae-gil breaks down. It will be a scene in the 12th
episode where Dae-gil’s emotions explode like they have never done before during
the show’s run so far. And hence it was when director Kwak and Jang Hyuk’s
energy also collided at its highest point. Ahead of going into shoot, Jang Hyuk
watched scenes him and Hae-won’s romantic scenes to focus on his emotions. And
Kwak continued to repeatedly shoot the scene from various angles — a full shot,
close-up shot, with the Jimmy Jib, then on-the-move. The staff moved swiftly,
operating every piece of equipment in time with Kwak’s orders. Jang Hyuk repeats
crying, laughing, shouting and gazing up into the sky. Only a few minutes of
this hours-long shoot will go on air. But Kwa, Jang Hyuk and the staff continue
to concentrate, knowing the importance of this scene. Like the slave being
chased by a slave hunter, the set of “Hunters” is short on time. But everyone
was trying everything they could do produce the best result.

Senior Reporter : Kang Myoung-Seok two@10asia.co.kr
Photographer : Lee Jin-hyuk eleven@10asia.co.kr
Editor : Jessica Kim jesskim@asiae.co.kr, Jang Kyung-Jin
three@10asia.co.kr

Sung Yuri debut movie "Maybe" to hit screen Oct 22

This is Sung Yu-ri first attempt in a movie role. "Maybe", a film features Sung as May, a Korean-American adoptee who returns to her native country to find her birth parents. During her trip, she meets taxi driver Eun-seol (Jang), who has a rare heart disease that could cause him to die any second. (Sounds like a typical Kdrama plot). The two build a friendship and help each other out along the way.

The singer-turned-actress has appeared on numerous TV dramas (her latest drama "Swallow the Sun") said “It’s still strange to see myself on a movie screen, but I’m happy that I was able to be a part of this project”.

The film opens nationwide on Oct. 22.