When director kwak Jae-Yong made his quirky romantic comedy film "My Sassy Girl" in 2001, he had no idea that it would become a huge hit throughout Asia, catapulting Jeon Ji-hyeon and Cha Tae-hyeon into glowing stardom.
Seven years later, it's time for Kwak to see how his romantic blockbuster is received in Japan and the United States. This year, the Japanese drama version of "My Sassy Girl" is scheduled to run from April, while the American film version is also set to be released.
TBS, a major TV network in Japan, started shooting in December for the drama to be screened in April 2008, which is "unusual" by Japanese drama production standards. The long lead time, TBS says on its homepage, is intended to invest enough time in the project so that the Japanese drama will outshine the original film.
The cast and the production staff also highlight the scale and scope of the project. Tsuyoshi Kusanagi, also known as Chonan Gang in Korea and a member of the popular Japanese idol group SMAP, will play the title role. Kusanagi, who is fluent in Korean, is regarded as an ideal actor who can put a new spin on the Kyun-woo character played by Cha Tae-hyun in the original film.
"I instantly loved the film from the very moment when it was released, and actually I met with Cha Tae-hyeon in person", Kusanagi says on the TBS website. "The shooting itself is very interesting, and I think there will be not only funny but also very moving scenes".
Lena Tanaka plays opposite Kusanagi, taking up the role of an unstoppable girl played by Jeon Ji-hyeon. Tanaka makes her drama debut in "My Sassy Girl".
The drama is directed by Nobuhiro Doi, who had helmed a slew of hits such as "Good Luck!!" and written by Yuji Sakamoto, known for such hits as "Tokyo Love Story" and "Crying Out Love, in the Center of the World".
Meanwhile, production of the American film version, directed by Yann Samuell, is finished and the film is gearing up for its debut on the U.S. market soon. The movie stars Jesse Bradford as a Midwestern guy and Elisha Cuthbert as a complicated and elusive girl.
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