Song Hye-kyo to star in John Woo's film

Korean actress Song Hye-kyo will appear as the heroine of the popular Chinese director John Woo's new movie "1949".

The 26-year-old will play a war widow in the movie about a tragic love story set in 1949, when China was in the middle of a civil war between the Nationalist and Communist parties.

Song, who is very popular in China riding on the back of the Korean Wave (or Hallyu, referring to the popularity of Korean pop culture especially in Asia), will play a woman whose husband dies in the war and who then becomes involved with a man played by the popular Taiwanese actor Chang Chen.

John Woo, the director of hit movies "Face Off" (1997) and "Mission Impossible II" (2000), said that after he saw Song's performance in"Hwang Jin-Yi" he decided then to cast her in "1949".

After she was cast, Song said, "I was offered the role early this year, and the script was very tempting. I am very pleased to be working with Woo".

Based on true events at the end of WWII and the final years of the Chinese Civil War The screenplay for 1949 was written by Wang Hui-Ling of the much-lauded "Lust, Caution" (2007) and "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" (2000).

Filming will start at the end of this year and the movie is slated to be released sometime in 2009.
Song Hye-kyo has appeared in numerous dramas, commercials and films, including the hit drama "Full House" (2004). She has recently been busy with other overseas productions as well, having performed in the upcoming American supernatural indie thriller titled "Fetish".

Meanwhile, John Woo's epic film "Red Cliff" will be released this summer just before the Summer Olympics, starring Chang Chen, Tony Leung and Takeshi Kaneshiro.

By Han Aran
Korea.net Staff Writer