Wanted dramas

Please click HERE to vote (registration to log in needed)

8 September

HERO 9.8

HERO OFFICIAL WEBSITE http://www.hero-movie.net/index.html

HERO wallpapers http://www.hero-movie.net/wallpaper/index.html

 

LBH in a scene from Hero, filmed in Pusan – April 2007

The upcoming film is set to open in 461 theaters around the whole country on September 8th which will be the most movie showing for any film in Japan.

Credits: www.nt2099.com/J-ENT/whitedove-cari.com; BH captures from chie & ylin-EverythingLBH

Set for the world

Korean talent wows export market

Actors, their management are rapidly globalizing

By DARCY PAQUET

If the Korean Wave has peaked, what of the stars whom auds across Asia associate with the Wave’s hits?
There’s Bae Yong-joon, who became a phenomenon in Japan through the TV drama “Winter Sonata”; Lee Young-ae, made famous by period-set TV drama “Jewel in the Palace”; or pop singer Rain, who made his film debut in Park Chan-wook’s “I’m a Cyborg, but That’s OK.”

They’re making plans to conquer the rest of the world.

Korea’s actors and their management companies are rapidly globalizing, in step with the rest of the film industry. Contacts and partnerships with Hollywood are at an all-time high, more and more stars are appearing in high-profile international projects, and management companies are starting to expand outside of Korea.

Some companies are even creating their own projects targeted at the international market: Last year, iHQ (parent company of leading management firm SidusHQ) formed a partnership with Cinetic Media for advice on all aspects of English-language feature film production.

To date, there have been only isolated cases of Korean actors appearing in Hollywood films (Park Joong-hoon in Jonathan Demme’s “The Truth About Charlie”), and Korea has yet to produce a crossover star like Ziyi Zhang or Ken Watanabe. Nonetheless, the next 12 months will see a string of debutantes on the international stage.

First in line is Jun Ji-hyun (“My Sassy Girl”), who takes the lead in Chris Nahon’s “Blood: The Last Vampire.” Based on a Japanese anime, the English-language live-action pic will see Jun — who’s adopting the Westernized moniker Gianna Jun for her rapidly globalizing career — play a vampire slayer in post-WWII Japan.

Lee Byung-heon, another well-known Korean Wave star who has found success in films (“A Bittersweet Life”) and TV dramas (“All-in”), will take a role opposite Josh Hartnett in U.S.-French co-production “I Come With the Rain.” A mystery-thriller set mostly in Hong Kong, pic is directed by Anh Hung Tran of “The Scent of Green Papaya” fame.

Lee, who moved with his agent from CAA to Endeavor last year, also stars with Japan’s Kimura Takuya (“2046″) in the Japanese film “Hero,” to be released in Korea Sept. 8.

Another actor stepping out is Jang Hyuk, playing a Korean who comes to Singapore to learn ballroom dancing in Max Mannix’s “Dance of the Dragon.”

Singing phenomenon Rain will make his second film appearance in the Wachowskis’ “Speed Racer.”

Success overseas would provide a boost to Korean actors and their management companies, particularly because the local market is not looking as strong as it used to.

With film industry profits plunging in 2006 and 2007, many stars have been persuaded to plow a portion of their fees back into a film’s budget in return for possibly profiting as an investor. Actors’ fees have plateaued after rising sharply over the past few years – a star like Lee Byung-heon can expect something in the neighborhood of $600,000 per role.

Yet the B.O. failure of recent star-centered projects such as “The Restless” or “Hwang Jin Yi” have left some in the industry questioning the need to cast major stars.

“I don’t think the star system holds any meaning anymore,” says one producer. “The success of ‘D-War’ (with no local stars) is a perfect example. Today’s audiences are drawn in by a film’s concept or theme; they’re not just going to turn out for any particular star.”

Meanwhile, SidusHQ has announced the opening of a Beijing branch. The venture’s aim is to promote Korean stars in China and also add Chinese talent to its roster.

“In the case of star management, the local market is already saturated, and competition continues to grow stronger,” says an iHQ rep. “We hope to open a new market and provide an opportunity for our agency’s stars to enter into the global market.”

With Asia’s entertainment sector continuing to grow, such contacts could become useful if and when the Chinese Wave hits.

Source: Variety.com, image from daum

Mix and match

Japan, France, Korea team up

Yu Aoi, a top Japanese actress, has recently been asked to appear on an episode of a joint film project titled “Tokyo!” It is a production of three movie companies from Korea, France and Japan. The directors are Bong Joon-ho of Korea and Leos Carax and Michel Gondry of France.

The episode, titled “Shaking Tokyo,” is receiving attention from the Korean public because of Bong and Aoi’s collaboration. Bong is the renowned director of the highly successful film “The Host.” Aoi appears as a pizza delivery girl who captures the heart of a man who has been a hikikomori, or recluse, for 10 years. Other cast actors are Teruyuki Kagawa and Naoto Takenaka. Shooting began this month. All episodes of “Tokyo!” are scheduled to screen next year.

With Aoi, another prominent Korean actor Lee Byung-hun is starring in an American-French joint production, “I Come with the Rain,” as a gang leader. The film’s director, Tran Anh Hung, is Vietnamese. Other actors are Hollywood star Josh Hartnett and Takuya Kimura.

Credits: Lee Seung-eun & English JoongAng Daily

Cool BH, paparazzi who?

Better-late-than-never movie update reported by non-HK media

Thanks to ylin-EverythingLBH for copying this article from Singapore’s New Paper, images from orientaldaily

Paparazzi? This Korean star does not mind them

 

KOREAN actor Lee Byung Hun has become a paparazzi target in Hong Kong last week, after arriving to film his new French-American film “I Come With The Rain”.

But the dressed-down star didn’t seem to mind being followed to and from his hotel. He even smiled and waved for the cameras.

While filming outdoors, Byung Hun, 37, was seen chatting with his international co-star – Pearl Harbour hero Josh Hartnett and Internal Affair’s Shawn Yue.

Shawn replaced Daniel Wu, who has to back out due to a leg injury. But it did not stop the latter from visiting the crew last week with fruit juice and herbal tea.

The only guy in the cast still missing in action is Japan’s Takuya Kimura, who will guest-star as a billionaire’s missing son.

He is the reason why Hartnett’s retired US cop goes to Hong Kong, and meets a triad boss (Byung Hun) amd a local detective (Shawn).

Takuya’s involvement was announced last week – making this his second collaboration with Byung Hun after the upcoming Japanese film Hero.

The action-thriller is helmed by Vietnamese-French director Tran Anh Hung, and his wife, Tran Nu Yen Khe co-stars as Byung Hun’s screen wife.

Source The Electric New Paper

ICWTR update

Thanks to roger at bhjwlove.com for news gist, translated & posted by Hyc and ylin  at EverythingLBH

Brief update of ‘I Come With The Rain’ shooting in HK

Takuya Kimura didn’t attend the dinner given by the boss for the 4 actors of “I Come With The Rain”. He went to a Japanese restaurant with his staff and was seen leaving the place via a side entrance after the meal. Lee Byung Hun was absent too because he went to a karaoke with Jackie Chan. The other 2 actors Josh Harnett and Shawn Yue stayed till after 11pm before leaving the dining place. Josh Harnett was seen leaving with 2 pretty gals in a 7-seater.

Yesterday the 4 actors gathered in a shopping mall in Kowloon Mong Kok for filming. In order to avoid the media, Takuya Kimura only left his vehicle after the staff there got rid of the reporters.

Latest addition to the update, it has been relayed through an info from his official Hong Kong Fan Club that Lee Byunghun has finished his part of ICWTR filming and is scheduled to leave HK to resume the ongoing filming of his other movie, ‘The Good, The Bad & The Weird’, currently shooting on location in China.

Reel ICWTR news

News gist provided by Hyc-EverythingLBH, soompi.com.
Sourced from AppleDaily HK, thanks to roger at bhjwlove.com

Brief update of ‘I Come With The Rain’ shooting in Hong Kong

 LBH waiting in an air-con room nearby

   TK (arrow) waited for 2 hours before shooting the 1st scene

Takuya Kimura arrived in Hong Kong last Thursday (Aug. 23) for the shooting of ‘I Come With The Rain.’ He and Lee Byung Hun had a scene together at Kaitak Airport on the night before.

Around 9 pm, TK arrived at the old airport, waited for about 2 hours to shoot his 1st scene. While waiting, he was seen discussing the script with the translator. His co-actor, Lee was resting in an air-conditioned room.

From what can be seen at the location, although the scene TK was shooting did not involved much action, he was paying full attention to the director’s instruction.

Takuya Kimura didn’t stay in the Grand Hyatt hotel as arranged by the production side. He and his staff had checked into The Mandarin Oriental Hotel instead, in Central district Hong Kong.

Stars shine

Asian stars are drawn to the “Rain”

Written by Vicki Rothrock & Mark Schilling

HONG KONG—Thriller “I Come With the Rain” has a cast that packs a major punch across Asia.

In addition to Josh Hartnett, who stars as a private investigator in Tran Anh Hung’s English-lingo psychothriller, pic also has Japanese megastar Takuya Kimura (“2046”), Korean superstar Lee Byung-hun (“A Bittersweet Life”) and local star Shawn Yue Man-lok (“Infernal Affairs”) on its roster.

The US$18 million high-definition pic is about a private detective who, haunted by a past encounter with a serial killer, heads to Asia in search of a missing heir who has the power to heal with his touch.

Pic started shooting in Hong Kong two weeks ago and should be done by the first week of October, said Chu Chen On, producer at October Pictures who is handling the Hong Kong portion of the film’s shoot. Cast will spend most of that time on location, but also do two to three weeks of interior work at the Shaw Studios.

About 80 percent of the pic will be shot in Hong Kong. Thus far, pic has been battling summer rainstorms and typhoons while shooting here. “The weather has been unpredictable…it’s been hard to plan,” Chu said, but added that the cast has been in good spirits.

Cast was previously shooting in the Philippines for a week and will return to LA after their Hong Kong stint to wrap up filming, which is expected to be in November with a summer 2008 preem.

Pic is fully financed through French paybox Canal Plus, the British fund Aramid and several French Sofica funds. It’s produced by Fernando Sulichin’s Paris-based Central Films and Jean Cazes with John Kilik executive producing. International sales are being handled by TF1 Intl.

Kimura appeared in Wong Kar-wai’s mood romance “2046,” but “I Come with the Rain” will be his first English-language pic. He also starred in Yoji Yamada’s period drama “Love and Honor,” a major hit for Shochiku in 2006.

Source: varietyasiaonline.com, image from empas.com

A good time in HK

Thanks to ylin-EverythingLBH for translated update via various Chinese & Korea media reports; photos from orientaldaily

Lee Byung Hun arrived in Hong Kong secretly for a new movie

At around 8.00pm on 20 Aug, Lee Byung Hun left the hotel, wearing a three-quarter pants and slippers for dinner at a Korean restaurant in Causeway Bay with his assistant and others. He had arrived in Hong Kong a few days earlier.

As it was the prime time for dinner, BH had to join the long queue outside the restaurant just like any other ordinary people although his is a top actor in Korea. He kept his head down all the time while in the queue and was not even noticed by people around him when reporters went up to take photos of him.

  

At 9.30pm, he waved to reporters after having his meal with a contended smile on his face. He later headed back to the hotel with some take-away from the restaurant and two bags of goodies after shopping at Gucci.

Reporters tracked Lee Byung Hun at the Old Kai Tak airport filming him new movie yesterday (21 Aug), although he managed to successfully arrived in Hong Kong secretly earlier on.

Lee is here to film French-Vietnamese director, Tran Anh Hung’s new movie, “I Come with the Rain”. It was said that Lee is not the lead actor, but plays the role of chief in the Hong Kong underground society.

At around 4pm, Daniel Wu visited the filming site with fruit juices and Chinese herbal tea for the whole team. Daniel, Shawn Yue and Josh Hartnett got together to chat in English during a break and when Lee saw Daniel, he immediately went up to offer a friendly handshake and said hello. Filming stopped at 6.15pm as it started to rain at 6.00pm.

Lee’s assistant stopped at a convenience store at Wan Chai to buy some things when Lee was on his way back to Grand Hyatt Hotel. During which, Lee noticed there were reporters around, he smiled and waved at them, showing a very friendly attitude. No wonder he is the idol of many female fans.

Let the fun roll!

Confirmed: Lee Byung-Heon in Rain film

Oriental Daily is full of wisdom, confirming that Korean actor Lee Byung-Heon (A BITTERSWEET LIFE) is indeed in I COME WITH THE RAIN , the new serial killer/private detective/faith healer film from French-Vietnamese director Tran Anh Hung. Takuya Kimura (2046) is also in Hong Kong right now shooting scenes for the film, although several of his scenes were already shot in the Philippines.

Source www.varietyasiaonline.com

Source of photos & article in Chinese at orientaldaily.on.cc and sports.chosun.com