News bites: September 20, 2015

by awcoconuts

Yoo Yeon-seok

• Aww, I envy those who are going to be able to see this. Yoo Yeon-seok (Warm and Cozy) is fulfilling a long-time goal for himself by performing in a musical, his first since his college days and his professional debut. He’s been cast as the lead in The Man Who Walks Through Walls, which is based on the 1943 French short story Le Passe-muraille by Marcel Ayme, and which was previously adapted for Broadway and scored by Michel Legrand. It was adapted for the Korean stage in 2006, and since then has starred such notable names as Park Sang-won, Eom Ki-joon, Jo Jung-seok, Im Chang-jung and Lee Jong-hyuk. Yoo will share the role with Lee Ji-hoon, and Go Chang-seok (Kill Me, Heal Me) and Jo Jae-yoon (Last) have been double-cast in a supporting role. The musical will run from November 21 to February 16 for 99 performances at Hongik Daehangno Art Center, and tickets will be available beginning September 22. [Xports News]


Go So-young

• Timeless beauty Go So-young (wife to Jang Dong-gun and a huge star in her own right in the ‘90s and early 2000s) is being wooed to make her comeback in Freedom Wife, a film to be based on a 1954 novel written by Jung Bi-seok (previously turned into a film in 1956, the content made waves at the time). The remake will be a present-day look at the wives of Cheongdam-dong, and director Byun Hyuk (The Scarlet Letter) hopes to begin filming before the end of the year. If Go accepts, this would mark her return after an 8-year hiatus from acting. [Star News]
• Her movie Our Dating History (formerly titled Office Romance) will be released soon, and Jeon Hye-bin (Joseon Gunman) isn’t stopping to rest; she’s already begun filming for her next leading role. In Mermaid Legend, she’ll play a former national synchronized swimmer who moves to Jeju Island to begin a new life. She’ll become close to diver woman Moon Hee-kyung (Twinkle Twinkle My Heart), and Jeon will put on a synchronized swimming performance with all of her diver friends. The human drama film will be directed by Oh Myul (Golden Chariot in the Sky, Jiseul). [Sports Chosun]


Jeon Hye-bin, Choi Woo-shik

• In The Room is in hot demand on the international film festival circuit. We wrote about it when Choi Woo-shik’s casting news was confirmed last year, and the Eric Khoo-directed omnibus movie is complete and has just screened/will screen at the San Sebastian, Toronto and Busan International Film Festivals. The Singaporean director’s latest work takes place entirely in a single hotel room and is set between the 1940s and the 1990s. Each of the six shorts depicts a different decade, and Choi (Ho-gu’s Love) stars in the ‘90s segment, which is suggestively titled The First Time. Together the anthology demonstrates the changing views of love and sex over time. [Dong A]


Kim So-hyun, Eom Ki-joon

• The web drama Nightmare Teacher is doing an amazing job of securing talent. Kim So-hyun (Who Are You–School 2015) has signed on as a good student and leader of her class at a school where peculiar things are happening. She’ll set out to uncover the school’s mysteries, but she’ll need to beware of Eom Ki-joon (Masked Prosecutor), who will play the titular teacher (a sharp departure from his character in Dream High). He has the frightening ability to make students’ dreams come true, but at a price. He’ll force the students to sign a contract selling their souls, and he’ll prey on the young adults who are unable to resist the sweet temptation of having their hopes realized (but ack no, not at the expense of your soul!). Once casting is complete, scenes for the chilling web drama will be shot entirely in Daegu. [Joy News 24, Dong A]


Kim Jung-hoon, Sandara Park

• This web drama sounds cute: Kim Jung-hoon (Her Legend) and Sandara Park (of 2NE1) have been cast as the leads in Missing Korea, a rom-com set in 2020 in a time when tensions between the two Koreas have thawed and the countries appear to be heading towards unification. To signify unity, the first-ever pageant crowning the beauty of both countries will be held, and Kim will play the head of the pageant’s induction committee while Park will play a factory worker-turned-delegate from Nampo, a North Korean city. They’ll become acquainted with each other as they prepare for the pageant and eventually fall in love. Missing Korea will be directed by Min Doo-shik (In Between) and will run for six ten-minute episodes on KBS World, Daum, YouTube and other sites in October. [MBN, EDaily]

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