Lee Chang-dong’s thriller “Burning” joined Alfonso Cuaron’s “Roma” as one of nine contenders for the Academy Awards, becoming the first Korean movie to make the short list for one of cinema’s most prestigious awards.The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences released the list Monday, which also included “Birds of Passage” from Colombia, “The Guilty” from Denmark, “Never Look Away” from Germany, “Shoplifters” from Japan, “Ayka” from Kazakhstan,” “Capernaum” from Lebanon and “Cold War” from P

"Bohemian Rhapsody" reclaimed the top spot on the weekend box office chart in its eighth weekend in South Korean theaters.The Queen biopic, which stars Rami Malek as legendary frontman Freddie Mercury, sold 553,807 tickets from Friday to Sunday, data from the Korean Film Council showed Monday. The film's cumulative audience reached 7.94 million.(20th Century FOX Korea)After debuting at No. 2, the movie first topped the chart in its fourth weekend. It fell to second place after the release of the

“The Drug King” is not a flop by any means. On the contrary, it is probably one of the better South Korean films of the year.But when you have masterful Song Kang-ho as the protagonist, plus the brilliance of Bae Doo-na, Jo Jung-suk, Lee Sung-min and so many other talented actors and let it all go to waste, that just doesn’t cut it.Woo Min-ho’s upcoming crime drama about a 1970s drug lord is funny, visually impressive and well-acted by the always-dependable Song, but it suffers from a weak story

Default(Korea)Opened Nov. 28DramaDirected by Choi Kook-heeAs the 1997 financial crisis hits Korea, Bank of Korea analyst Han Shi-hyeon (Kim Hye-soo) warns senior government officials. But her call for immediate action and the need to alert the public falls on deaf ears, as the high-ranking officials are more focused on covering up everything. Meanwhile, investment consultant Yun Jeong-hak (Yoo Ah-in) looks to make money off the crumbling economy.Door Lock(Korea) Opened Dec. 5Thriller, DramaDirec

It’s apparently a backward day in DC town; its crown jewels, including the iconic fight between Batman and Superman, turned into a snore-fest, while one of its least beloved heroes exceeds expectations and could herald a Warner Bros. comeback after a series of superhero flops.Let me clarify one thing: I do not think James Wan’s “Aquaman” is even remotely close to being a superhero masterpiece, or even on par with “Wonder Woman,” the highest-rated movie on Rotten Tomatoes that is based on charact

When you’ve been told the same story for the umpteenth time, is it possible for it to still feel original? Apparently yes, as yet another take by Sony Pictures’ on the wildly popular Spider-Man character hit it out of the ballpark for a well-animated, witty, dazzling and, most importantly, fun superhero movie in “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.” caption: “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” (Sony Pictures Korea)I’d first like to point out the filmmaking duo of Phil Lord and Christopher Miller,

[Box Office] Movies in theaters this weekDefault (Korea)Opened Nov. 28DramaDirected by Choi Kook-heeAs the 1997 financial crisis hits Korea, Bank of Korea analyst Han Shi-hyeon (Kim Hye-soo) warns senior government officials. But her call for immediate action and the need to alert the public falls on deaf ears, as the high-ranking officials are more focused on covering up everything. Meanwhile, investment consultant Yun Jeong-hak (Yoo Ah-in) looks to make money off the crumbling economy.Door Loc

The American remake of the Korean horror thriller “Hide and Seek” has commenced filming, according to officials at CJ ENM, along with another film by director Drake Doremus. “Hide and Seek,” originally released in 2013, is a flick by director Huh Jung featuring a family who believe strangers are hiding in their home. It was recently reported that actor Jonathan Rhys Meyers was cast as the lead in the film directed by Joel David Moorem, joined by Jacinda Barrett, Joe Pantoliano and Mustafa Shakir

After colonizing Korea, Japanese Empire in 1938 tried to squash out the identity of Korea as a nation, forcing its colonial subjects to pledge allegiance to the Japanese emperor, take up Japanese names and accept Japan’s history as part of its own under the claim that the two countries share the same roots. Perhaps the worst among such attempts is the policy in 1938 to ban education of the Korean language and gradually phase out its use. “Mal-Mo-E: The Secret Mission” depicts 1940s Gyeongseong –

Bohemian Rhapsody (US)Opened Oct. 31Biography, Drama, Music Directed by Bryan Singer Bohemian Rhapsody is a foot-stomping celebration of Queen, its music and extraordinary lead singer Freddie Mercury. The film traces the meteoric rise of Queen and its leader Mercury (Rami Malek) through their iconic songs and revolutionary sound, their near-implosion as Mercury’s lifestyle spirals out of control, and their triumphant reunion on the eve of Live Aid, where Mercury, facing a life-threatening illnes

CJ ENM announced Thursday that the entertainment company is working with Universal Studios and MGM to release US remakes of the Korean movies “Sunny” and “Miss Granny.” (CJ ENM)“Sunny” (2011) attracted over 7 million moviegoers in Korea. The remake will be produced by US comedian Kevin Hart’s production company Hart Beat as “Bye Bye Bye.” Universal Studios will be in charge of investment and distribution.Scriptwriter Amy Aniobi is in charge of the film scenario, according to an announcement Thur

The plot of “No Mercy,” a new action film starring Lee Si-young, naturally draws comparison to another action film featuring a vengeful master hand-to-hand combatant who has a soft spot for a solitary person under protection. The “Taken” series may pop up more frequently for the audience, but the name buzzing among Korean cinephiles is “The Man from Nowhere” (2009). “No Mercy” / Joy N Cinema“Comments about (our film being) a female version of ‘The Man from Nowhere’ is understandable. But we focu

American actor Ezra Miller toured Seoul with Korean actress Claudia Kim on Monday. Both actors starred in the recently released film “Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald.”(Instagram)Kim posted on her Instagram account photos of the two eating Korean food together. In the photos, Miller had a long piece of kimchi hanging out of his mouth. (Instagram) (Instagram)In a separate post, Kim also uploaded photos taken at a Line Friends Store, where Kim and Miller posed playfully with life-sized

T-ara’s Jiyeon signed with Partners Park, the same agency that works with actresses Koo Hye-sun and Han Ye-seul, for her domestic activities. Partners Park said Friday that it will exclusively manage Jiyeon’s domestic singing and acting deals. “We will endeavor to assist Park Ji-yeon in bringing great works to you,” the agency said.  Park Ji-yeon (Partners Park)Jiyeon debuted in 2009 as a singer in the group T-ara. She is known for her hits “Lies,” “Bo Peep Bo Peep” and “I Go Crazy Because of Yo

From James Cameron’s “Avatar” to “Ready Player One,” soldier of fortune characters have made frequent appearances in Hollywood blockbusters. But rarely does one become the subject of a Korean film.The upcoming action thriller “Take Point,” directed by Kim Byung-woo, features a pack of mercenaries operating within an international military corporation, working on an enormous project with potentially catastrophic ramifications.“When we think of combat action, we often think of soldiers. I wanted a