News bites: July 1, 2017

by awcoconuts

Song Seung-heon, Go Ara

• Song Seung-heon (Saimdang, Light’s Diary) and Go Ara (Hwarang) are confirmed for Black, which will air before the end of the year on OCN. Song will play a cold reaper in the dark thriller, while (it’s assumed) Go will play the human woman he falls for. They make a handsome pair, but I wonder how they’ll hold up to the inevitable comparisons to the Reaper-Sunny couple in The Lonely Shining Goblin. Writing for Black is Choi Ran of God’s Gift–14 Days and directing is Kim Hong-sun of Liar Game and Voice. [FN News]
• Finally, a premiere date for period film Taxi Driver: Set during the Gwangju Massacre and starring Song Kang-ho, the movie will be released in theaters August 2. Song and Yoo Hae-jin play taxi drivers, while Ryu Joon-yeol (Lucky Romance) plays a university student in Gwangju (his smile in this poster is killing me!). [Star Today]


Im Shi-wan, Jeon Ji-hyun

• Waah, he recently completed filming The King Loves, and Im Shi-wan will begin military service on July 11, just before the show premieres. At least the drama will run until late September, and I can rewatch Misaeng to tide me through until his return. [Star Today]
• Congratulations to Jeon Ji-hyun (Legend of the Blue Sea), who is ten weeks along and expecting her second child. [Joongang]
• One of director Hong Sang-soo’s two films selected for this year’s Cannes Film Festival becomes widely available this week. The Day After, starring Kwon Hae-hyo (Radiant Office) as a philandering owner of a publishing company, hits theaters July 6. [Xports News]


Youth Cop

• Awww, character posters are out for Youth Cop, and I can’t wait for this movie. Park Seo-joon (Fight My Way) and Kang Haneul (Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo) star as a pair of police academy students with polar opposite personalities, and the green and overeager duo will work together to solve a kidnapping case that occurred before their very eyes. The youth investigative action film premieres in August. [Xports News]
• Hooray for Jo Soo-hyang (Romance Full of Life). Her indie film Coffee Noir: Black Brown has been selected for the Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival (their descriptor, not mine). In a world where coffee has been prohibited, she plays a cafe owner fighting for the people’s right to enjoy a cup of coffee (I’m with her!). [Xports News]


Yoo Yeon-seok, Answer Me 1994

• Yoo Yeon-seok (Romantic Teacher Doctor Kim) has been tapped to play genderqueer Hedwig in the rock musical Hedwig and the Angry Inch. He’ll share the role with Oh Man-seok (who has played the role previously to much acclaim), and three others. The show will run from August 18 to November 5 at Hongik Daehangno Art Center’s Grand Theater, and tickets go on sale July 6. [Star Today]
• But wait, would it be too much to ask Yoo to reprise his role as Chilbongie in the Answer Me 1994 musical as well? There is indeed a musical rendition of Answer Me 1994 forthcoming—auditions are being held now for the show, which will open in March of 2018 at Chungmu Art Center’s Grand Theater. [Xports News]


Jaejoong, UEE, Baro, Jung Hye-sung

• It’s confirmed: Cast as the friends of lead couple Jaejoong and UEE in comic time-slip drama Manhole are Baro (Master–God of Noodles) and Jung Hye-sung (Chief Kim). Joining the foursome are Kim Min-ji (Woman With a Suitcase), who will play the bestie of the two leads, and Seoyoung (Romantic Teacher Doctor Kim), who’s landed a sexycoolfun character. Production is gearing up in earnest, and the cast just held their first script read a few days ago. Manhole will take over the timeslot vacated by Seven Day Queen in August on KBS. [Osen 1, 2, 3]
• Director Kim Ki-duk (The Net, One on One, Moebius) has been inducted into the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and he joins esteemed peers Im Kwon-taek, Bong Joon-ho and Park Chan-wook, as well as actors Song Kang-ho, Choi Min-shik, and Lee Byung-heon. [Xports News]
• The latest from one of Kim Ki-duk’s protégés, director Lee Joo-hyung, will be hitting theaters soon. In Fork Crane, Uhm Tae-woong (in his first project post scandal) stars as a man who was a member of the air force during the Gwangju Massacre. He subsequently lives a quiet life as a forklift/crane operator, until he unearths findings that will reveal the uncomfortable truth from twenty years prior. Fork Crane opens July 27. [Osen]


Park Joong-hoon, Kang Haneul, Joo Jin-mo, Uhm Tae-gu

• I hope these confirmations help lessen the sting that the second season will be a spinoff versus a continuation. Movie vet Park Joong-hoon, Kang Haneul, Joo Jin-mo (Woman With a Suitcase) and Uhm Tae-gu (Maids) will make up the impressive cast of Bad Guys: City of Evil (formerly Bad Guys: Age of Evil). The show will air after Duel, Rescue Me, and Black on OCN. [Osen]
• Filming has begun on a new JTBC variety program hosted by variety vets Jung Hyung-don (Infinite Challenge), Lee Su-geun (1 Night 2 Days) and Park Sung-kwang (Gag Concert). While the show has no official title or format yet, Seventeen’s Seungkwan will guest star for its pilot episode. [Osen]
• Adorable child actress Shin Rin-ah (she played Chung’s little buddy in Legend of the Blue Sea) has been added to Kim Nam-gil and Kim Ah-joong‘s tvN drama Live Up to Your Name. She’ll play the daughter of mountainfolk, and an important character who is the reason why Kim Nam-gil jumps 400 years into the future. [Osen]


Park Jung-min, Kim Go-eun, Park Jung-ah

• Director Lee Joon-ik and Park Jung-min are collaborating on a new film (they last worked together on Dongju: Portrait of a Poet), and Kim Go-eun (The Lonely Shining Goblin) is being courted to join them. In Byeonsan, Park’s been cast as an aspiring rapper who hears sad news regarding his father immediately upon entering an audition program, and he’ll put his aspirations aside to return home. Kim is positively considering the role of his first love, and cameras for the movie will begin rolling before the end of the year. [Osen]
• Glamorous Temptation’s Park Jung-ah has been cast as the lead in a new evening daily on KBS titled My Man’s Secret. She’ll take on one corner of a love square in the story, which sounds like typical daily drama fare. My Man’s Secret will debut in September. [Xports News]

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