News bites: July 6, 2022

by stroopwafel

Lee Jung-jae, Jung Woo-sung

• It’s been 23 years since Lee Jung-jae (Squid Game) and Jung Woo-sung (Beasts Clawing at Straws) last worked together onscreen, so it’s not surprising that their upcoming action film Hunt is generating intense buzz (you can watch a subbed version of the trailer). Set in the ’80s, two high-ranking national intelligence officers must uncover a mole in their ranks in order to prevent an assassination — and no one is above suspicion. After a global premiere at the Cannes Film Festival, the cast — including Jeon Hye-jin (Uncle) and Heo Sung-tae (Insider) — came together for the Korean screening. Hunt also marks Lee Jung-jae’s directorial debut and he spoke about the challenges of being both an actor and director. He stated, “Though there were times when this happened, from the start, I was concerned about losing focus on one aspect over the other. Before filming began, I took care to think deeply about what I could do to not overlook both the directing and acting.” Another challenge came in the form of casting. Lee Jung-jae divulged that his best friend Jung Woo-sung was the hardest person to cast (he only accepted on the fifth ask). On Jung’s part, he explained that he was half-serious, half-joking when he rejected Lee Jung-jae because of his fear at the prospect of reuniting onscreen after so many years. I understand that sense of not wanting to disappoint (my anticipation is sky-high right now), but I can’t wait to watch them together. Hunt will premiere on August 10. [MyDaily, Herald Pop]

• Mystery romance film Decision to Leave is the first film by Park Chang-wook (The Handmaiden) in six years and I am here for it. The film also debuted this year at Cannes, and it earned Park Chan-wook the Best Director award. Starring Park Hae-il (Hansan) and Tang Wei (Late Autumn; Lust, Caution), the film tells the story of a gentlemanly detective who investigates a murder in the mountains. He then finds himself drawn to his prime suspect: the victim’s widow. Decision to Leave hit Korean movie theaters on June 29, and it topped the box office in its first week with word of mouth praise for the film apparently helping to fuel ticket sales. Luckily for us, MUBI is set to stream the film in select global markets beginning this fall. Until then, we’ll have to make do with the trailer. [Hankyoreh, Ilgan Sports, Hollywood Reporter]
• MBC’s drama Wild Boar Hunting has released its first poster and it features Park Ho-san (Monstrous). In what is likely a nod to a central plot arc, the image of Park Ho-san’s face has been peeled away and there’s a lottery ticket underlaid instead. The poster’s ominous text reads: “It wasn’t a wild boar I shot that night.” The mystery-thriller follows the events of a wild boar hunt gone wrong and a man’s desperate search for his missing son. Kim Soo-jin (Anna) joins the cast as Park Ho-san’s wife, and Ye Soo-jung (Link: Eat, Love, Kill) will play Park Ho-san’s mother. The script for this four-episode drama, by writer Jo Beom-ki, won last year’s MBC Drama Script Competition. (I always enjoy watching these mini dramas from competition winners; it’s a great way to learn about new and rising talent.) [Osen]

• Fans of Our Blues will be familiar with the star of the new documentary Please Make Me Look Pretty, Jung Eun-hye (Our Blues). Jung made her acting debut in Our Blues as Han Ji-min’s twin sister and in real life she’s a caricature artist (she drew the artwork featured in the drama). Please Make Me Look Pretty is an intimate and unvarnished portrait of Jung’s daily life. Directed by Seo Dong-il (who’s also Jung’s stepfather), the documentary premiered at the Busan International Film Festival in 2020 but wasn’t released in theaters until this past June when her performance in Our Blues brought renewed interest in her career as an artist with Down syndrome. Han Ji-min attended a recent screening alongside Jung Eun-hye, and she and Kim Woo-bin have both recorded promotional videos for the documentary. I saw the documentary when it was first released, and it’s a delight to see the joy that emanates from Jung Eun-hye’s art. The documentary doesn’t hesitate to talk about the challenges she and the family have faced, but there’s also so much warmth and love that comes through the screen. [Maeil Kyungje, Daum, Newsis]
• Yoo Young-jae (Police University) is taking a turn as leading man in the upcoming web drama Mimicus. Set at a cutthroat performing arts school, the plot focuses on two students and the fallout that occurs when one boy becomes the focus of rumors that everything he does is mimicry of a famous trainee at the school. Yoo Young-jae will be joined by a cast full of fresh faces, with rookie actor Kim Yoon-woo as his co-star. Mimicus is being produced by a smaller Korean platform, Playlist, and the show will premiere on July 22. I’m expecting (and hoping) for a “theater kids gone wild” vibe and really, who does drama better than high schoolers? [Osen, Xports News]

• The first character stills of Kim Min-jae (Dal-li and Gamjatang) are out for tvN’s Joseon Psychiatrist Yoo Se-poong. Playing the titular character Yoo Se-poong, the stills show him at different points in his life. It looks like there are lots of highs and lows in store, with one image seemingly showing Yoo Se-poong in prison, and the others showing him in physician mode. Though he was once a talented physician in the royal court, his life changes when he suddenly finds himself unable to administer acupuncture to his patients. This may be the origin of his beginnings as a psychiatrist (after all, when would a psychiatrist need to mess with needles?), but we’ll have to wait to learn more. Joseon Psychiatrist will air Mondays and Tuesdays on tvN, beginning August 1. [Sports Donga]

 
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