korean action
Gianna Jun To Star In ASSASSINATION
So far, 2014 has tuned out to be another landmark year for Korean action cinema, and Woochi (2009) and The Thieves (2012) writer and director Choi Dong-Hoon is looking to help continue that trend next summer.
Set between China and Korea during the 1930’s, Assassination reunites Choi with actress Gianna Jun whose prior role in the less-than-impressive 2006 live-action adaptation, Blood: The Last Vampire, followed with two big theatrical hits, including The Thieves, and the 2013 flick, The Berlin File. This time, Assassination will have her leading a group of assassins charged by the Korean resistance to target key supporters of the Japanaese occupation.
Joining Jun are her fellow The Thieves co-stars Lee Jung-Jae and Oh Dal-su, along with Kundo (2014) stars Ha Jung-Woo, Cho Jin-woong and Lee Kyoung-young. Choi will produce the film along with partner Ahn Soo-hyun for Caper Films with Showbox financing and distributing the film for its 2015 release.
Stay tuned for more info!
H/T: Modern Korean Cinema
THE DIVINE MOVE Lists The Players In New Comic Book-Style Posters And Character Trailer!
A new character trailer is online for director Jo Bum-Goo‘s upcoming noir revenge thriller, The Divine Move, starring Jung Woo-sung. Not enough can be said about the premise as it invokes something truly original from the world of Korean cinema — a vengeful one-man war against an entire Baduk-playing criminal underworld!
The New Teaser For THE PIRATES Sails Online!
At the onset of Joseon’s founding, envoys bringing the Emperor’s Seal of State to Joseon lose it to a big whale at sea. A bandit Sa-jung goes out to sea to catch the whale with a big reward on its head. But he soon clashes with Yeo-wol, a female captain of pirates, and unexpected adventure unfolds.
The Official Trailer For Action Noir Thriller, THE DIVINE MOVE, Scores Online!
After airing a teaser for his newest revenge thriller, The Divine Move, director Jo Bum-Goo is ready to leave a larger impression for filmgoers with an official trailer below. The film, from a script by You Sung-yong centers on the seething underworld of Baduk gamblers, and one man’s vengeful mission to get even with the organization that wrongfully put him behind bars following the death of his brother.
Releasing on July 3, 2014 in South Korea, The Divine Move is produced by May Park and Hwang Keun-ha and stars Jung Woo-sung (Reign of Assassins), Lee Bum-Soo (The City Of Violence) and Ahn Sung-Ki (Arahan: Urban Martial Arts Action).
SYNOPSIS:
Professional go player Tae-suk loses his brother to infamous underground gambler Salsu after losing a high-stake game. He is framed for the murder of his own brother and is locked up in prison. After serving his 7-year sentence, he gets in touch with his brother’s former associate Kkongsu, hermit and blind master player Jesus, and skillful junkyard owner Moksu and begins formulating a plan to get back at Salsu and his men. Taesuk slowly penetrates into Salsu’s inner circle and his gambling joint, and eliminates Salsu’s men one by one.
No Stone Is Left Unturned In The New Teaser For THE DIVINE MOVE
Some people take board games a little too seriously. Alas, such is the case in the upcoming release of director Jo Bum-Gu‘s new revenge thriller, The Divine Move, with a story centered on a seething underworld of Baduk gamblers, and one man’s vengeful mission to get even with the organization that wrongfully put him behind bars.
The film is making its appearance at Cannes this month, courtesy of international sales agent, Showbox/Mediaplex, so moviegoers can expect some distribution news in due time following the film’s forthcoming South Korean theatrical release in July. The Divine Move is produced by May Park and Hwang Keun-ha with a script by You Sung-Yong, and stars Jung Woo-sung (Reign of Assassins), Lee Bum-Soo (The City Of Violence) and Ahn Sung-Ki (Arahan: Urban Martial Arts Action).
SYNOPSIS:
Professional go player Tae-suk loses his brother to infamous underground gambler Salsu after losing a high-stake game. He is framed for the murder of his own brother and is locked up in prison. After serving his 7-year sentence, he gets in touch with his brother’s former associate Kkongsu, hermit and blind master player Jesus, and skillful junkyard owner Moksu and begins formulating a plan to get back at Salsu and his men. Taesuk slowly penetrates into Salsu’s inner circle and his gambling joint, and eliminates Salsu’s men one by one.
Lee And Park Take A Seat In Two New Posters For Upcoming Crime Pic, FOR THE EMPEROR
It looks like things are getting heavily underway for director Park Sang-jun and his latest cinematic gangster crime flick, For The Emperor. Stills of the film have already gone viral with recent airing of a photoshoot BTS video and the official first teaser for the film featuring actors Lee Min-Ki and Park Sung-Woong, and actress Lee Tae-Im, in a story about a down-and-out former pro-baseballer and game fixer who gets taken under the wing of an organized crimeboss.
The film is set to hit this June with a date still pending, but we now also have a proper synopsis that offers what appears to be a tasty dramatic action thriller that pitting a tough thug against a notorious gangster and his small army. In addition, we now have two new character posters for our male leads, Lee and Park, which you can observe toward the bottom of the page. Check those out in addition to the teaser in case you missed it, and stick around for more information.
SYNOPSIS:
Hwan (LEE Min-ki), former professional baseball player. He was involved in fixing games and left the mound after losing everything. Natural born athlete gets recruited by the private loan ring, and the young naïve man gets fascinated by their money and power. He has nothing on him but expands his territory with confidence and malice.
Sang-ha (PARK Sung-woong) is the cold-blooded illegal organization’s boss who leads his members with loyalty and trust. He takes Hwan under his wing when is struggling and weak by bringing him into his circle of crime. And with Sang-ha’s trust he climbs up the ladder in an illegal private loan ring, Hwang-jae Capital.
Meanwhile, he falls in love with Yun-su (LEE Tae-im) who is only worth as a business tool. Suddenly Yun-su disappears, and Hwan thinks that Sang-ha is deeply involved with her leaving. Hwan is going to start rebel against his boss Sang-ha to win his love and authority.
H/T: Filmsmash
Emotions Run High In This Explosive New Trailer For THE CRYING MAN!
Korean action cinema continues its reign on the niche of action cinema genre fans around the world with rich, meaty and captivating film work. And what better way right now to prove this than the dazzling new trailer for director Lee Jeong-Beom‘s upcoming assassin thriller, The Crying Man?
Not much is known about this particular film except that it centers on a love story between a professional hitman and his next target, which sounds like a variant of what many of us may have seen in previous assassin films like it. But based on what we are seeing in this latest trailer, fans who enjoyed Lee‘s previous work on the 2010 hit thriller, The Man From Nowhere could very well enjoy what his latest offering has put together, with lead The Warrior’s Way star, actor Jang Dong-gun starring. Also joining in is The Fast And The Furious: Tokyo Drift and Mortal Kombat Legacy: Season 2 co-star, actor Brian Tee etching in his first-ever Korean film.
Actresses Kim Min-hee and Kang Han-na round out much of the main cast, with the film’s forthcoming release set for this June.
Stay tuned for more updates!
Check Out A New Banner, Two Posters And A Full Trailer For THE KING'S WRATH
Following a teaser released back in January, we now have a new trailer for director Lee Jae Kyu‘s new saeguk drama, The King’s Wrath, featuring actor Hyun Bin in his first film role after finishing his mandated tour in the military in late 2012. Bin stars as an eighteenth century ruler caught at the center of an internal conspiracy to kill him following the death of his father, and the further political upheaval and turmoil that ensues.
Several posters and pictures are floating around the internet as we speak, but we also have a few new posters to check out in addition to the official trailer which you can catch a glimpse of below, courtesy of HanCinema. The King’s Wrath bows domestically on April 30, 2014.
SYNOPSIS:
King Jeongjo (1752-1800) was the 22nd ruler of the Joseon Dynasty. Nicknamed the “King of Misfortune,” he witnessed the death of his father Crown Prince Sado, who was executed by a royal decree ordered by his grandfather, then-King Yeongjo, and was subsequently caught in the midst of fierce party strife between the Noron and Soron factions during his reign.
Korean Action Cinema Echoes A French Modern Classic In The Latest Hard-Hitting Trailer For THE TARGET
Prior to previously announced plans for an American reboot to French director Fred Cavaye’s 2010 hostage thriller, Point Blank, it appears CJ Entertainment and Gaumont have beaten Mark Wahlberg’s Leverage banner to the punch with a Korean remake in the form of Yong Film’s latest The Target, produced by Syd Lim and directed by Death Bell helmer, Yoon Hong-seung (a.k.a. Chang). And this week, we now have a brand new trailer to accompany the film’s promotional campaign ahead of its TBA April/May release date.
The Target stars Ryoo Seung-Ryong, Lee Jin-Wook, Yu Jun-Sang, Jo Yeo-Jeong, Kim Sung-Ryoung, Jo Eun-Ji and Jin Goo.
SYNOPSIS:
Once a skilled mercenary, Yeo-hoon now leads a normal life. One day he goes on an errand and enters an office to discover a man murdered. The killers also attack and chase Yeo-hoon who is shot and wheeled off to a hospital. The murdered man is identified as a corporate leader and Yeo-hoon becomes the prime suspect. Yeo-hoon is admitted to the hospital where Tae-jun, who leads a happy life with his pregnant wife Hee-joo, works. While on night duty, Tae-jun saves Yeo-hoon from the killers. The next day, Hee-joo is kidnapped and Tae-jun receives a phone call demanding Yeo-hoon to be released from the hospital for Hee-joo’s life. To save his wife, Tae-jun helps Yeo-hoon escape from the hospital and together they embark on a dangerous 36-hour pursuit.
H/T: Filmsmash
THE HUNTRESSES Gets A New Trailer And Release Date!
Releasing in South Korea on January 29, 2014 is the long-awaited Joseon period sageuk action adventure, The Huntresses. And this week, the film is back with a brand new character trailer which delivers more of what filmgoers can expect, including its fair of high-flying swordplay, quirky dialogue, silly comedy and…bellydancing! The new release date and trailer come just as a new poster and trailer were also unveiled last year, breathing a sign of life back into the film since its delay last year, protracted lengthy post-production process.
See Misia Ff's Fitting Tribute To Korean Cinema In Her Music Video, KARTONEM
Director Spike Lee’s reprisal of Park Chan-Wook’s cinematic revenge classic, Oldboy, didn’t exactly hammer in some good box office ratings, but that hasn’t dimmed the adamant love and appreiciation that fans share for the story that Park inspired in 2003. With that in mind, the folks over at Polish martial arts action and performance troupe, Stunt Forces created the destructive visuals emulated in the iconic hallway fight scene set to the tone of writing and directing duo Natalia Jakubowska and Luke Gronowski‘s newest music video featuring Lemko-Polish rock singer and musician Misia Ff performing Kartonem, which centers its entire theme of romance and heartbreak in the first verse: “Ja za tobą murem ty za mną kartonem” which basically translates to “My love is like a rock, yet yours is like cardboard.”
Stunt Forces has been around for about eight years now and their work, which you can view at their YouTube channel has become qualitatively bigger and ambitious with each video. Their latest labor of love, a Chuck Norris tribute titled Old Wolf which pits the best of the actor’s most memorable roles in one fan trailer shows a continual, inherent dedication these folks have to the action genre, and I look forward to hearing more from these folks in the coming year.
In the meantime, check out Misia Ff‘s new video in the embed below and feel free to purchase her album wherever digital downloads are sold. And remember to subscribe to Stunt Forces’ offical YouTube channel and Facebook page — They’re not done blowing minds just yet!
Special thanks to Stunt Forces member Tomasz Lewandowski for his contribution to this article as well as the video!