Agent 7007

A KBS update on LBH-IRIS and Hungary location-shots highlighted by joynara-IRIS.soompi.com, thanks to the original fan-sharing

September 30, 2009

Lee Byunghun to Return to TV as Spy

Actor Lee Byung-heon is to return to the small screen as a secret agent in the huge-budget drama ‘IRIS’ after he gained global recognition through the Hollywood film ‘G.I.Joe.’

The drama is a spy action thriller dealing with the love and betrayals of South and North Korean secret agents.

Lee plays Kim Hyun-jun, a top sniper at the National Security Service. His character is a man of decisive action with a smart, cool head and charisma who perfectly carries out his missions. Kim Tae-hee plays his opposite as Choi Seung-hee, a fellow agent who becomes the love of his life.

Closer to IRIS

Our thanks to the highlight by joynara at IRIS-soompi.com, captures courtesy of chien0823/daicn

 

IRIS will be airing its first episode on KBS2 this October 14 while KBS World will be showing the action series starting November 11, 2009. Either way don’t miss it!

Facing it Head-On

Here it is, sooner than we thought — a must-read! This article by the Korea Times is truly a great piece on Lee Byunghun-ssi. You can’t help but feel so proud & glad being a LBH fan but at the same time your heart aches for him, the hardship that he undergoes every time and bittersweet moments in his life.. the dream he hopes to achieve and will come true.. one day…

September 28, 2009

Actor Lee Byunghun Expanding Horizons

By Lee Hyo-won
Staff Reporter

Actor Lee Byung-hun

Lee Byung-hun continues to expand his horizons. After his “kimchi Western” flick “The Good, the Bad, the Weird” featured at the Cannes Film Festival last year, he made his Hollywood debut in “G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra.” In the fall he will appear in the U.S.-France joint production “I Come With the Rain,” and his anticipated blockbuster TV soap “IRIS” will hit screens at the end of the year.

All these works were shot overseas. “I Come With the Rain” is particularly drawing much attention: directed by esteemed Vietnamese-French auteur Tran Ahn Hong, the movie stars Lee opposite Hollywood heartthrob Josh Hartnett and Japanese superstar Takuya Kimura. It will be screened at the 14th Pusan (Busan) International Film Festival (PIFF) next month before hitting theaters nationwide Oct. 15.

“I deliberated for a year for this piece,” Lee was quoted as telling Yonhap News, explaining that “choosing this piece was an experiment.” “When I first received the script I thought it was too abstract. I was afraid; I thought ‘Would I be able to pull through when I don’t fully understand the piece?’ But how much would this world-renowned master director know about me? Just my name and maybe a couple of works I starred in. But I was curious about what strengths this director, who has no stereotyped opinion of me, sees in me, and how he would use me,” said the 39-year-old.

Lee plays the role of Hong Kong mafia boss Su Dong-po. Los Angeles cop-turned-private eye Kline (Hartnett) travels to Hong Kong in search of a billionaire’s missing son Shi tao (Kimura). Shi tao turns out to be with Su Dong-po’s girlfriend Lili, and Su Dong-po, infuriated, sets out to catch Shi tao.

Lee said that the movie “has become a turning point” in his career. As someone who tends to wait for works that are “sure to move his heart and even stone bridges” he was able to be more open-hearted. “I was very curious but I couldn’t accept the offer right away because I was afraid. `No, if I’m curious then let’s face it head-on,’ I told myself. I am an actor for life but I was also thinking how much longer I can work in my best condition,” he said.

Lee said he was perplexed by the director, who had the actors direct their own acting. But once he became accustomed to it, he learned to appreciate the novel experience.

“The director was like, ‘Do it as you like. If you move the camera will follow.’ Even though this one scene was edited into just a five-second reel, I was dumbfounded having to act for one to two minutes without any direction. But once I got used to it I liked it,” he said. Lee explained that he even shed tears as he immersed himself in the moment, but that part got cut out.

While Lee deliberated over

Photos .. Byunghun blues..

bh news+photos 28/9

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There have been a lot of Byunghun new pics and articles across his Korean media pages today. Similar to the previous promos of GBW in 2008 and GI Joe last July/Aug — similar features and interviews are being published for the upcoming release of ICWTR in October.

We hope to share an English article soon but for now let’s enjoy our Hunnie’s pics.. that comes in three separate sets of appearances (so far).. but then.. who in the world had dressed our Hunnie this way?!! Seriously Byunghun-ssi, you need a woman’s touch.. to brighten up his life and his wardrobe especially. ^^ Byunghun-ssi.. please take care and take a time to rest.. ok..

BH Entertainment latest addition

Guessed & gisted from Korean articles 1 l 2 l 3 l 4 l 5 l 6 l 7 l 8 l 9 l 10 l 11
September 28, 2009

Actress Kim MinHee signing an exclusive contract with BH Entertainment

On the 28th, it was disclosed to the media that actress Kim Min Hee had signed an exclusive contract with BH Entertainment making her the newest colleague of Lee Byunghun-ssi, actress Han Chae Young as well as actors Jin Goo and Bae Soo Bin to name the talents in the same agency.

Kim Min Hee is popularly known as a model and trendsetter started acting in supporting roles in various Korean drama series whom had braved criticisms over the years on her performance. The actress had been noted to have improved tremendously in the drama “Goodbye Solo” and eventually building up her acting to win the Best Actress Award at the 44th Baeksang

Buzzing the PIFF, ICWTR rules

Report from the THR and captures from GBW-cafe.daum 4878 with streaming courtesy twitchfilm.net

More ICWTR Korean release updates, thanks to the highlight by StarBuck
Beyond Hollywood [X] l Get The Big Picture [X]

September 24, 2009
‘Rain’ builds Korea buzz
Pusan premiere sold out in 38 seconds

By Park Soo-mee

SEOUL — The crime thriller “I Come With the Rain” is building significant buzz among local audiences, with tickets to the local premiere at Pusan International Film Festival selling out online in 38 seconds.

The film, from Tran Anh Hung and locally distributed by CJ Entertainment, stars Josh Hartnett, Kimura Takuya and Lee Byung-hun and centers on a former detective on a mission to search for his client’s missing son in Hong Kong. The film is an ambitious, $18 million production for Vietnamese-French director Tran (“The Scent of Green Papaya”).

Hartnett’s “Pearl Harbor” is reasonably well-known among local moviegoers, as is Takuya, who gained fame as a member of Japanese pop group SMAP, later starring in the Japanese version of the hit TV series “Hero,” following up with a film of the same title.

Tran’s latest film is also the second appearance in a multinational film project for Lee, a hallyu (Korean Wave) star who played Storm Shadow in “G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra” and had a cameo in the film “Hero” with Takuya. Lee plays the boss of a Hong Kong gang in the new film.

The film’s marketing is also appealing to nonmainstream audiences here, stressing stylized details like the film’s soundtrack by the U.K.’s Radiohead.

Ready for More?

Latest Byunghun photos from hankooki.com and article from joongangdaily.joins.com

September 24, 2009
Taking a shot at Hollywood
Korean actors find their place amid the samurai and kung fu fighters

As you watch the latest crop of Hollywood action movie trailers, you may notice something unusual, something some said would never happen: more and more Korean faces in lead roles.

The year 2009 has been an especially fruitful one for Korean actors who have made it in American film, though no one knows how long their luck will last.

“My Sassy Girl” heroine Jun Ji-hyun starred in her first international action movie, “Blood: The Last Vampire,” which was released in June in Korea. In the action flick, Jun plays the role of a human-vampire hybrid named Saya.

Korean wave stalwart Lee Byung-hun also made his Hollywood debut in the big-budget “G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra,” which opened in August. In this theatrical and colorful action movie, Lee plays Storm Shadow, a Korean martial arts fighter and a member of the villainous organization of the title.

And even more big-budget Hollywood movies with Korean actors in the lead roles are coming soon. In “Laundry Warrior,” his first American film, Jang Dong-gun plays an Asian assassin who has been hiding out in a small American town. Pop superstar Rain made his debut in Hollywood in a supporting role in “Speed Racer” in 2008, but now he is ready to come back as the lead character in the new movie “Ninja Assassin.”

This huge list may seem an unqualified success for Korean actors, but bigger problems often crop up after they land on the shores of Los Angeles. As previous attempts by Korean actors to break into the American film industry show, the biggest obstacle to overcome is the language barrier. The ability not only to read lines fluently, but also to communicate with the director and the film crew is crucial.

At an interview in May in Seoul, Jun explained the issues she had to deal with while shooting Blood. “I remember the first shoot very vividly. I could only perform two lines of the script, and I couldn’t understand what the producers wanted from me,” she said.

Because language is a major difficulty for foreign actors, it is inevitable that Korean actors not fluent in English will have limited options for possible roles. Most of the time, Korean actors choose action films and play very dynamic characters, expressing themselves with movement rather than verbally through lengthy conversations or monologues.

Although Lee has a quite big role in G.I. Joe, his character is built up through set pieces and visual qualities rather than lines. Of course, the blockbuster is an excellent start for Lee’s career, raising awareness of him worldwide.

However, the question remains:

Countdown to IRIS – new teaser

Our utmost thanks to joynara and mistiq at IRIS-soompi.com for the highlight of latest drama teaser from KBS and Byunghun-IRIS captures

KBS-IRIS drama homepage

Fan-talks at
And now for IRIS’s Lee Byung-heon [X]
A Look At IRIS’s Supporting Cast [X]
Related Byunghun of our Hearts-IRIS entries [X]

ICWTR tops 38-sec for PIFF

Cool update courtesy PIFF official news and thanks to cutiepie at EverythingLBH-soompi.com for the BH-ICWTR media clip
General screening box office opened for the 14th PIFF

September 23, 2009

I Come With The Rain by Tran Anh Hung sold out in 38 seconds
10,000 tickets sold out in 5 minutes, scoring 45,000 in 1 hour


The box office for general screenings for the 14th Pusan International Film Festival (PIFF) opened on September 23rd, 2009 from 9:00 A.M. The tickets for I Come With The Rain (GV screening) was rapidly sold out in only 38 seconds. Tickets allotted for advance purchase went on sales simultaneously through the Internet (http://piff.kr), mobile phones, branches of the Busan Bank and GS 25 convenience stores across Korea. Overall, 10,000 tickets were all gone in 5 minutes, and 45,000 tickets in an hour.

Most notably, pre-sale allocation for I Come With The Rain directed by TRAN Anh Hung was completely sold out in a matter of 38 seconds, proving the hot attention paid to its three actors LEE Byung-hun, Josh HARTNETT and KIMURA Takuya. Two

IRIS poster BTS and news

KBS-IRIS Poster photoshoot BTS, captures and interview clips, thanks to the sharing and cool gist by cutiepie and joynara at IRIS-soompi.com

September 22, 2009

1. There’s going to be yet another IRIS press conference in 2 weeks, this time hosted by KBS (the one last May was given by the production company, Taewon):

Date: October 5 (Mon) at 2pm
Location: Lotte Hotel (Sogong-Dong, Seoul)
Content: Previews, Photo-Ops, Joint Interviews, Up-Close Interviews, etc.
Appearance: LBH, KTH, JJH, KSW, KSY T.O.P*; Directors Kim Gyu-Tae, Yang Joon-Ho (*cast appearance subject to change)

2. Seoul Sports (quoting Sankei Sports Online) reports that a 100 min. long IRIS Behind-The-Scenes DVD is going to be released in Japan on November 27 (priced at 4,935 Yen) to celebrate Lee Byung-Hun’s return to k-dramas in 6 yrs.

ICWTR Trio Together + Korean trailer

Partially gisted, mostly guessed from isplus.joins.com l cbs.co.kr

September 21, 2009

ICWTR – Kimura Takuya, Lee Byunghun and Josh Hartnett confirmed to attend the Pusan International Film Festival

After Josh Hartnett and Lee Byunghun’s sure participation for ‘I Come With The Rain’ (ICWTR) at the upcoming 14th PIFF (8-16 October, 2009), their counterpart from Japan — Takuya Kimura has also confirmed his visit to join them.

It was made known that Takuya Kimura had regretfully unable to attend the annual international filmfest due to a busy schedule but finally giving in to attend the movie premiere after being “pressured” by a very persistant Lee Byunghun who was also the person inviting Josh Hartnett to Pusan.^^

This will be

All Set for IRIS

September 15, 2009
Disclaimer: gist from google-translation only, feel free to correct or add anything ^^ IRIS August 31 Showcase VOD with English subs, thanks to Amaryllis at EverythingLBH-soompi.com

‘IRIS’ the largest cutting-edge spy filming set!

The much-anticipated release of Korea’s first action drama thriller featuring paths of espionage, romance and betrayal (adapted from the big-screen blockbuster SHIRI) between the South-North Korean agents is set to showcase the largest cutting-edge and state-of-the-art spy filming set ever done for a drama production. The Taewon Entertainment production