| "Avatar" becomes biggest blockbuster in Korea (Source) |
2010/03/02 |
Korean official movie poster of "Avatar" [20th Century Fox]
James Cameron's Hollywood blockbuster "Avatar" has become the most-watched film in Korean box office history, according to estimates by the official Korean Film Council over the weekend.
Statistics showed that the animated picture, which opened in theaters mid-December, had garnered over a total 13.04 million admissions by Saturday to rise above former record holder "The Host" with around 13.02 million viewers.##
"The Host", a Korean thriller pic by top director Bong Joon-ho, had taken the domestic box office by storm during its run in 2006 and won rave reviews from both local and foreign film crit... |More
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| [Movie] Avatar Breaks 10-Million Barrier and Paradigm is Shifted in Film Industry (Source) |
2010/02/24 |
Avatar (directed by James Cameron), a 3D SF blockbuster, has become Korea's first foreign film to attract more than ten million viewers. The film has sent the domestic film industry into shock by attracting 10,069,047 viewers (provided by distributor) in just 38 days as of January 23.
Avatar is creating a paradigm shift in the film industry with its commercial success as a 3D film. Some Korean filmmakers are beginning to take an interest in 3D film production, but they have barely caught up with computer graphics in 2D Hollywood films. James Cameron's hit movie Avatar has left Korean filmmakers in a despondent state as they realize that there is still a long way to go.
- 3D is the Key to Box Office Hits!
Before its release, certain commentators predicted that the 3D film Avatar was not likely to become a box office success. This was mainly because there were only 120 3D venues in Korea, according to the industry sources. Korean viewers, who are known for keeping up with techno... |More
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| Hyeon Bin chosen as top Hallyu star in Thailand (Source) |
2010/02/03 |
Hallyu star Hyeon Bin [AM Entertainment]
A recent poll has shown Korean actor Hyeon Bin is the No. 1 Hallyu star Thailand.
In a survey conducted on Thailand's largest Hallyu portal site Pantip.com, Hyeon Bin topped a survey asking respondents to cast a vote for their favorite actor. The 28-year-old actor beat out some of Korea's top celebrities including 'Rain', So Ji-sub and Jang Geun-seok.
Three dramas that Hyeon Bin starred in also ranked within the top 20 of voters' favorite dramas -- "My Name is Kim Sam-soon" in fourth place, "The Snow Queen" in 14th and "Worlds Within" in 20th.##
Both "My Name is Kim Sam-soon" and "Friend" have been showing i... |More
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| [TV Program] War Will Dominate TV and Movie Honoring the 60th Anniversary of the Korean War in 2010 (Source) |
2010/01/29 |
In 2010, the clock of the Korean pop culture is set for June 1950. TV and movies will be flooded with war stories as this year marks the 60th anniversary of the Korean War. TV stations are raising their stakes in war-themed mega dramas and Chungmuro, the Korean counterpart of Hollywood, is also betting high on block-buster war movies.
Ammunition (casting of top stars) is loaded and the war chest (massive budget) is huge.
The battle between two major networks KBS and MBC first grabs attention. One turns the clock back and remakes "Comrades", a hit TV series of the 1970s into a modern war drama while the other meets the challenge head-on with a block buster costing 10 billion won in budget. KBS' 20-episode series "Comrades" is the remake of a weekday TV series of the same title that was aired from 1975 to 1977. Both series are scheduled to start airing in June.
The 2010 version of "Comrades" centers on the battlefields during the Korean War, focusing on comradeship among soldiers... |More
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| 2010 Korean Cinema Lineup (Source) |
2009/12/27 |
By Lee Hyo-won
Staff Reporter
The past year represented hope and revitalization for Korean cinema. While problems such as piracy linger on, the forecast for 2010 cinema appears promising with diverse projects in the making.
Cineastes are finding inspiration from the past and are bringing remakes of Korean classics as well as unique period movies. Big action flicks are gearing up for the 60th anniversary of the Korean War (1950-53) while much-anticipated sequels will cater to fans. Furthermore, a couple of Hollywood projects will head here for shoots.
2009 in Review
Both commercial blockbusters and unique indie films pulled the industry out of a three-year slump and cineastes made their mark near and far.
Kim Choung-ryoul's documentary "Old Partner" rewrote box-office history for the genre, while Yang Ik-joon's "Breathless" made waves by sweeping almost two dozen prizes at international festivals. Park Chan-ok's low-budget drama "Paju" was well-received among critics an... |More
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