Hyeon Bin (현빈)

The activity in the nation's film industry in the first half of the year might best be summed up by the word "collaboration". And with so many filmmakers, producers, actors and actresses from diverse countries teaming up to make films these days, the divisions between them are being blurred on screen and off.

Take for example a new film that will tentatively be titled "Late Autum". Its leading actors are South Korean heartthrob Hyeon Bin and Chinese actress Tang Wei.

The actors are Korean and Chinese, the director is Kim Tae-yong, a Korean, the film "Manchu" is being co-produced by Korean and American production companies and it is being shot in the United States. It is the most recent example of the kinds of cross-cultural collaborations in the film industry today.

"Teaming up could be ...More

Actors Hyeon Bin (left) and Kim Suna in hit TV series "My Name is Kim Sam-soon" [MBC]

Sam-soon and Shin Do-young -- the female characters in Korean dramas "My Name is Kim Sam-soon" and "Women in the Sun" -- are knocking on the doors of Japanese television. Japanese broadcaster Fuji TV has programmed a special "Hallyu Alpha" airtime for Hallyu dramas -- at 2:00 PM, Mondays through Fridays starting January 11. So far, "My Name is Kim Sam-soon" (MBC, 2005) has ended its run and "Women in the Sun" (KBS2, 2008) has started airing in Japan since February 1. Although several Korean dramas -- including "Winter Sonata", "Jewel in the Palace" ("Dae Jang Geum") and "Stairway to Heaven" -- had previously aired in the country, it is unprecedented for a Japanese terrestrial broadcaster to set up an exclusive time slot for Hallyu dramas....More

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....More

Actress Song Hye-kyo (right) and actor Kang Dong-won, who have been cast to star in Korean director Jang Joon-hwan's "Love for Sale". [BAL CON]

Several of South Korea's top actors including actress Song Hye-kyo and actor Kang Dong-won have been cast in a multinational omnibus film by directors from Korea, Japan and Thailand, according to the film's production company on Tuesday.

BAL CON announced in a statement that the film, tentatively titled "Busan Project", will be composed of three episodes each set in the past, present and future of the city of Busan in Korea.

Based in Korea during the 1970s, the first segment, titled "Iron Pussy", will be directed by Thailand's Wisit Sasanatieng and star Korean actor Kim Min-joon and Thai-American actor Michael Shaowanasai. Shawananasai will play the role of a male secret agent from Thailand in disguise of a woman who later falls in love with an unidentifiable Korean man, played by Kim....More

Actor Choi Daniel [Chae Ki-won/10Asia]

He first made himself known to the world in a TV commercial in 2008. As an employee who slacks off while his boss is not looking. Of course, these so-called 'CF stars' come and go with the change of seasons but Choi Daniel made his mark later that winter with TV series "Worlds Within". He played the role of an assistant director in the drama which recorded ratings in the single digit-range, but his realistic acting matched up to the acting of veteran actress Yoon Yeo-jeong and helped him not to go unnoticed amongst superstars Song Hye-kyo and Hyeon Bin. He was not a 'pretty boy' or managed by a large talenthouse but Choi, who had acted on stages since he was in high school, was set to take his victory through acting. And now, he stands at the center of a love triangle in "High Kick Through The Roof" where he is the subject of both affection and admiration for Se-gyeong and the sometimes slow-witted boyfriend of Jung-eum. 10Asia met with the 23-year-old actor to get a closer look into his thoughts about acting.

10: You wrote a posting on your blog on the dawn between Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
Choi Daniel (Choi): Did you see it? That was when I got home after a shoot. I went back out for shoot again on Christmas Day.

10: It seems like you work on a killing schedule.
Choi: This is my first time working on a sitcom and I was surprised at how busy things are. I think we shoot all week. I feel like I'm taking a break on the days I have no nighttime shoot but maybe about two scenes to shoot during the daytime. (laugh)...More