The 2024 Busan International Film Festival is kicking off on Oct. 2 with the international premiere of Uprising, director Kim Sang-man’s historical war epic with a script written by an auteur Park Chan-wook (Oldboy) and distributed by Netflix. The 29th edition of the 10-day event closes with Singaporean director Eric Khoo’s Spirit World, starring French screen legend Catherine Deneuve.
“Uprising is a charming historical drama put together by an outstanding team of directors, writers and actors while Khoo’s Spirit World is a co-production that explores the fundamental questions of human existence and the meaning of life through beautiful cinematic expression,” said Park Do-shin, the festival’s acting director, who was previously Busan’s senior programmer. Uprising is also the first streaming title to be invited to screen as the festival’s opening film.
Park Kwang-su, a former director who was appointed as the festival’s chairperson in February,...
“Uprising is a charming historical drama put together by an outstanding team of directors, writers and actors while Khoo’s Spirit World is a co-production that explores the fundamental questions of human existence and the meaning of life through beautiful cinematic expression,” said Park Do-shin, the festival’s acting director, who was previously Busan’s senior programmer. Uprising is also the first streaming title to be invited to screen as the festival’s opening film.
Park Kwang-su, a former director who was appointed as the festival’s chairperson in February,...
- 9/3/2024
- by Soomee Park
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Busan International Film Festival has revealed the full line-up for its 29th edition, which will open with the world premiere of Netflix period drama Uprising, produced and co-written by Park Chan-wook, and close with Eric Khoo’s Spirit World, starring Catherine Deneuve.
At a press conference in Seoul today (September 3), it was also announced that Japanese auteur Kiyoshi Kurosawa will receive the Asian Filmmaker of the Year award, while organisers addressed ongoing funding challenges facing the festival.
Uprising marks the first time a streaming title has been set as the opening feature of Asia’s largest film festival. The South...
At a press conference in Seoul today (September 3), it was also announced that Japanese auteur Kiyoshi Kurosawa will receive the Asian Filmmaker of the Year award, while organisers addressed ongoing funding challenges facing the festival.
Uprising marks the first time a streaming title has been set as the opening feature of Asia’s largest film festival. The South...
- 9/3/2024
- ScreenDaily
The Busan International Film Festival (Biff), one of Asia’s largest film events, will feature a wide variety of 279 films from 63 countries at its upcoming 29th edition from October 2-11, 2024. This year’s festival is embracing streaming platforms and new technologies while highlighting Asian cinema.
For the first time in its history, Biff will open with a Netflix production called “Uprising.” The period drama, directed by Kim Sang-man and co-written by acclaimed director Park Chan-wook, follows the relationship between two childhood friends who become adversaries. Choosing a streaming film for the opening night represents a shift as Biff has traditionally focused on theatrical releases.
The festival will also pay tribute to late actor Lee Sun-kyun, known for his role in the Academy Award-winning film “Parasite.” Festivalgoers can see six of his films and attend a special event honoring his career. Biff is committed to showcasing diverse content, including a documentary...
For the first time in its history, Biff will open with a Netflix production called “Uprising.” The period drama, directed by Kim Sang-man and co-written by acclaimed director Park Chan-wook, follows the relationship between two childhood friends who become adversaries. Choosing a streaming film for the opening night represents a shift as Biff has traditionally focused on theatrical releases.
The festival will also pay tribute to late actor Lee Sun-kyun, known for his role in the Academy Award-winning film “Parasite.” Festivalgoers can see six of his films and attend a special event honoring his career. Biff is committed to showcasing diverse content, including a documentary...
- 9/3/2024
- by Naser Nahandian
- Gazettely
The Busan International Film Festival will expand its screening program by some 8% in what it calls “an effort to maintain a scale befitting Asia’s top film festival.” This is despite a 50% cut in government financial support.
The festival will open on Oct. 2 with “Uprising,” a star-studded period drama from Netflix that was scripted and produced by Park Chan-wook (“Oldboy”) and directed by Kim Sang-man.
It will close on Oct. 11 with the Eric Khoo-directed “Spirit World,” which the Singaporean director shot in Japan with French icon Catherine Deneuve in the lead role.
“Uprising” involves a servant (played by Gang Dong-won) and his master, the som of a noble family with military connections. While they agree that the servant should be free, complications arise. The film also stars Cha Seung-won, Kim Shin-rock, Jin Sun-kyu and Jung Sung-il. “With Park Chan-wook’s signature humor oozing through the well-woven narrative, full of intense conflict and tension,...
The festival will open on Oct. 2 with “Uprising,” a star-studded period drama from Netflix that was scripted and produced by Park Chan-wook (“Oldboy”) and directed by Kim Sang-man.
It will close on Oct. 11 with the Eric Khoo-directed “Spirit World,” which the Singaporean director shot in Japan with French icon Catherine Deneuve in the lead role.
“Uprising” involves a servant (played by Gang Dong-won) and his master, the som of a noble family with military connections. While they agree that the servant should be free, complications arise. The film also stars Cha Seung-won, Kim Shin-rock, Jin Sun-kyu and Jung Sung-il. “With Park Chan-wook’s signature humor oozing through the well-woven narrative, full of intense conflict and tension,...
- 9/3/2024
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
Busan International Film Festival has announced a Special Program in Focus, ‘In Memory of Lee Sun-kyun’, honoring the Korean actor who died in December 2023.
The program will screen six of the actor’s works including Parasite, four other films and an episode of TV series My Mister, as well as feature Special Talk events.
The late actor has also been selected to receive this year’s Korea Cinema Award, given to filmmakers who have contributed to promoting Korean cinema globally.
“Through the program, the festival aims to reflect on and commemorate the achievements of the late actor, whose diversified and profound performances have represented the Korean film scene,” the festival said.
Lee died in December 2023 in an apparent suicide at the age of 48, after which industry figures, including Parasite director Bong Joon Ho, called for an investigation into the circumstances surrounding his death.
Three of the films in the Busan...
The program will screen six of the actor’s works including Parasite, four other films and an episode of TV series My Mister, as well as feature Special Talk events.
The late actor has also been selected to receive this year’s Korea Cinema Award, given to filmmakers who have contributed to promoting Korean cinema globally.
“Through the program, the festival aims to reflect on and commemorate the achievements of the late actor, whose diversified and profound performances have represented the Korean film scene,” the festival said.
Lee died in December 2023 in an apparent suicide at the age of 48, after which industry figures, including Parasite director Bong Joon Ho, called for an investigation into the circumstances surrounding his death.
Three of the films in the Busan...
- 8/23/2024
- by Liz Shackleton
- Deadline Film + TV
Late South Korean actor Lee Sun-kyun will be the subject of a special programme at the upcoming Busan International Film Festival, which will also posthumously honour the Parasite star with the Korean Cinema Award.
The festival will present a special focus titled In Memory of Lee Sun-kyun, which will include six of the actor’s most well-known films and TV series: Park Chan-ok’s Paju; Hong Sangsoo’s Our Sunhi; Kim Seong-hun’s A Hard Day; Kim Wonsuk’s TV series My Mister; Bong Joon-ho’s Parasite; and Choo Chang-min’s Land Of Happiness.
Special talk events will be scheduled alongside the films,...
The festival will present a special focus titled In Memory of Lee Sun-kyun, which will include six of the actor’s most well-known films and TV series: Park Chan-ok’s Paju; Hong Sangsoo’s Our Sunhi; Kim Seong-hun’s A Hard Day; Kim Wonsuk’s TV series My Mister; Bong Joon-ho’s Parasite; and Choo Chang-min’s Land Of Happiness.
Special talk events will be scheduled alongside the films,...
- 8/23/2024
- ScreenDaily
Blink Twice is a psychological thriller film directed by Zoë Kravitz from a screenplay co-written by Zoë Kravitz and E.T. Feigenbaum. The thrilling new film follows the story of a cocktail waitress Frida as she gets invited for a dream on a private island by tech billionaire Slater King. But soon she finds herself losing her mind and experiences strange things that lead her to investigate the truth behind all of it. Blink Twice stars Channing Tatum, Naomi Ackie, Adria Arjona, Alia Shawkat, Haley Joel Osment, Levon Hawke, Christian Slater, Liz Caribel, Geena Davis, and Kyle MacLachlan. So, if you loved the thrilling mystery, complex characters, and the edge-of-the-seat experience in Blink Twice here are some similar movies you should check out next.
Don’t Worry Darling (Rent on Prime Video) Credit – Warner Bros.
Don’t Worry Darling is a psychological mystery thriller film directed by Olivia Wilde from a screenplay by Katie Silberman.
Don’t Worry Darling (Rent on Prime Video) Credit – Warner Bros.
Don’t Worry Darling is a psychological mystery thriller film directed by Olivia Wilde from a screenplay by Katie Silberman.
- 8/23/2024
- by Kulwant Singh
- Cinema Blind
Pirate Podcast
Lucy Liu and Singer Studios are expanding their “Pirate Queen” media universe into graphic novels and a podcast.
The franchise is built around a retelling of the stories about real life character Cheng Shih, who was a powerful female pirate in the South China Sea at the beginning of the 18th century.
The franchise’s first iteration, a VR experience based on a story by Maja Bodenstein, won the Tribeca Storyscapes Award and the Raindance Discovery Award in 2023. It is currently nominated for an Emmy in the Outstanding Emerging Media category.
The podcast is directed by Eloise Singer and narrated by Liu. Episode one debuts on Sept. 10, on all major podcast platforms, and includes an exclusive interview with Liu.
The upcoming graphic novel series, to be published worldwide by Andrews McMeel Publishing, may eventually expand to cover the history of 17 other women pirates.
In Memoriam
The Busan International...
Lucy Liu and Singer Studios are expanding their “Pirate Queen” media universe into graphic novels and a podcast.
The franchise is built around a retelling of the stories about real life character Cheng Shih, who was a powerful female pirate in the South China Sea at the beginning of the 18th century.
The franchise’s first iteration, a VR experience based on a story by Maja Bodenstein, won the Tribeca Storyscapes Award and the Raindance Discovery Award in 2023. It is currently nominated for an Emmy in the Outstanding Emerging Media category.
The podcast is directed by Eloise Singer and narrated by Liu. Episode one debuts on Sept. 10, on all major podcast platforms, and includes an exclusive interview with Liu.
The upcoming graphic novel series, to be published worldwide by Andrews McMeel Publishing, may eventually expand to cover the history of 17 other women pirates.
In Memoriam
The Busan International...
- 8/23/2024
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
The feature film debut of South Korean filmmaker Jason Yu, Sleep, comes with big praise from Parasite director Bong Joon-Ho, who calls it “the smartest debut I’ve seen in ten years.” It’s even featured in the brand new trailer, along with an eerie new look at the dangers of sleepwalking.
Magnet Releasing will unlesh Sleep in theaters and on Digital on September 27, 2024.
Sleep follows “newlyweds Hyun-su and Soo-jin (Jung Yu-mi), whose domestic bliss is disrupted when Hyun-su begins speaking in his sleep, ominously stating, “Someone’s inside.” From that night on, whenever he falls asleep, Hyun-su transforms into someone else, with no recollection of what happened the night before. Overwhelmed with anxiety that he may hurt himself or their young family, Soo-jin can barely sleep because of this irrational fear. Despite treatment, Hyun-su’s sleepwalking only intensifies, and Soo-jin begins to feel that her unborn child may be in danger.
Magnet Releasing will unlesh Sleep in theaters and on Digital on September 27, 2024.
Sleep follows “newlyweds Hyun-su and Soo-jin (Jung Yu-mi), whose domestic bliss is disrupted when Hyun-su begins speaking in his sleep, ominously stating, “Someone’s inside.” From that night on, whenever he falls asleep, Hyun-su transforms into someone else, with no recollection of what happened the night before. Overwhelmed with anxiety that he may hurt himself or their young family, Soo-jin can barely sleep because of this irrational fear. Despite treatment, Hyun-su’s sleepwalking only intensifies, and Soo-jin begins to feel that her unborn child may be in danger.
- 8/14/2024
- by Meagan Navarro
- bloody-disgusting.com
"Let me live in peace. Just you and I." Magnolia Pictures has debuted their own official US trailer for the Korean horror thriller film titled simply Sleep (or 잠 in Korean), an indie creation from filmmaker Jason Yu. This is his feature directorial debut after working as an assistant director for Bong Joon-ho on Okja and other films. It's finally getting a proper US release in theaters and on VOD this fall after playing on the festival circuit for a year. "When he sleeps, someone awakes..." A pregnant wife who becomes worried about her husband’s sleeping habits. What starts out as some light sleep-talking soon escalates to unexpectedly grotesque behaviour. They consult a sleep clinic without success and as his nightmarish behaviour escalates, they desperately seek help from a shaman. Starring Jung Yu-mi as Soo-jin & Lee Sun-kyun as Hyeon-soo, with Kim Gook-hee. It debuted at last year's Critics Week...
- 8/14/2024
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Stars: Jung Yu-mi, Lee Sun-kyun, Kim Gook-hee | Written and Directed by Jason Yu
Just when you think it’s nigh-on impossible to put an original spin on a possession / exorcism story, along comes Korean chiller Sleep, from writer-director Jason Yu, previously an Assistant Director to Bong Joon-ho. Creepy, darkly funny, and filled with great moments, it’s -ahem- a sleeper hit in the making.
Set in present-day South Korea, the film begins in a high rise apartment, where newly pregnant office worker Soo-jin is awakened by her snoring actor husband Hyun-su. Suddenly, he sits bolt upright and announces, “Someone’s inside”, before promptly going back to sleep again.
Soo-jin investigates but finds nothing other than a nicely timed jump scare involving the cute family dog Pepper. However, Hyun-su continues to act strangely, first by scratching his face in his sleep and drawing blood, and later by sleepwalking and eating the contents of the fridge.
Just when you think it’s nigh-on impossible to put an original spin on a possession / exorcism story, along comes Korean chiller Sleep, from writer-director Jason Yu, previously an Assistant Director to Bong Joon-ho. Creepy, darkly funny, and filled with great moments, it’s -ahem- a sleeper hit in the making.
Set in present-day South Korea, the film begins in a high rise apartment, where newly pregnant office worker Soo-jin is awakened by her snoring actor husband Hyun-su. Suddenly, he sits bolt upright and announces, “Someone’s inside”, before promptly going back to sleep again.
Soo-jin investigates but finds nothing other than a nicely timed jump scare involving the cute family dog Pepper. However, Hyun-su continues to act strangely, first by scratching his face in his sleep and drawing blood, and later by sleepwalking and eating the contents of the fridge.
- 7/15/2024
- by Matthew Turner
- Nerdly
The “disaster movie” is not quite as visible as it used to be in Hollywood, but thankfully for fans, South Korea has more than picked up the slack. In just the last two decades, Koreans have had to deal with a variety of catastrophes on screen, including a tsunami, a collapsed tunnel, an unstable power plant, and multiple zombie outbreaks. The latest offering in this genre, however, stands out from all the rest. Not because the disaster in question is unique; a bridge pile-up is only the beginning in Kim Tae-gon‘s Project Silence.
This movie doesn’t waste any time getting to its main attraction; after their cursory and brief introductions, the core characters all make their way to the ill-fated bridge where multiple dangers loom. When this looks to be another case of rag-tag strangers coming together for their collective survival — and it very much is one — the...
This movie doesn’t waste any time getting to its main attraction; after their cursory and brief introductions, the core characters all make their way to the ill-fated bridge where multiple dangers loom. When this looks to be another case of rag-tag strangers coming together for their collective survival — and it very much is one — the...
- 7/15/2024
- by Paul Lê
- bloody-disgusting.com
Early on in Project Silence, before disaster strikes, we’re introduced to Cha Jung-won and his teenage daughter Kyung-min. Jung-won works as an advisor to a presidential candidate while still grieving the loss of his wife. His relationship with Kyung-min suffers as a result. They argue during the drive to the airport, where she will fly abroad for her studies. Little do they know the harrowing ordeal that awaits on the foggy highway bridge.
When thick smog causes a pileup, their journey is blocked by the wreckage. More pressingly, a military convoy carrying experimental dogs for “Project Silence” is caught up in the crash. Meant for anti-terror operations, these canines have been genetically enhanced and behaviorally conditioned, and now their containment is compromised. As the dogs run amok, Jung-won and other survivors must work together to escape the howling horrors and reach safety through the dissolving mists.
Director Kim Tae-gon...
When thick smog causes a pileup, their journey is blocked by the wreckage. More pressingly, a military convoy carrying experimental dogs for “Project Silence” is caught up in the crash. Meant for anti-terror operations, these canines have been genetically enhanced and behaviorally conditioned, and now their containment is compromised. As the dogs run amok, Jung-won and other survivors must work together to escape the howling horrors and reach safety through the dissolving mists.
Director Kim Tae-gon...
- 7/14/2024
- by Mahan Zahiri
- Gazettely
Jason Yu’s 2023 South Korean psychological thriller Sleep tells the unnerving story of a couple facing mounting troubles as the husband’s dangerous sleepwalking grows out of control. Soo-jin and Hyun-su seem blissfully in love as they prepare for their new baby’s arrival. But Hyun-su’s nighttime behaviors take an alarming turn, leaving Soo-jin terrified for the safety of their family.
Made for little over-quiet intimacy over action splendor, the film immerses viewers in the claustrophobic world of its main characters. We live alongside Jung Yu-mi’s Soo-jin and Lee Sun-kyun’s Hyun-su within the walls of their tiny apartment. At first, their relationship brings humor and affection. However, the strains of Hyun-su’s condition slowly peel back their contentment like paint from aging walls.
Jason Yu directs with subtlety. His camera lingers in tight close-ups of the couple’s worried faces and frightened eyes. Through Jung and Lee’s nuanced performances,...
Made for little over-quiet intimacy over action splendor, the film immerses viewers in the claustrophobic world of its main characters. We live alongside Jung Yu-mi’s Soo-jin and Lee Sun-kyun’s Hyun-su within the walls of their tiny apartment. At first, their relationship brings humor and affection. However, the strains of Hyun-su’s condition slowly peel back their contentment like paint from aging walls.
Jason Yu directs with subtlety. His camera lingers in tight close-ups of the couple’s worried faces and frightened eyes. Through Jung and Lee’s nuanced performances,...
- 7/10/2024
- by Shahrbanoo Golmohamadi
- Gazettely
Lee Sun-kyun appears posthumously in one of his best performances as an actor struggling to control his night-time excursions in this elegant and intimate horror
The sleep of reason is what’s supposed to produce monsters … but not as many as sleep deprivation. That is the awful paradox driving this elegant, intimate, gleefully brash Korean chiller from feature first-timer Jason Yu, a former assistant to the Oscar-winning director Bong Joon-ho. It’s a horror movie about sleepwalking and the unquiet sleep of a fraught marriage, with hints of The Exorcist, Sleeping With the Enemy and Steven Soderbergh’s neglected Hitchcockian thriller Side Effects.
Korean leading man Lee Sun-kyun appears posthumously in this movie – having heartbreakingly taken his own life last December following a tabloid media scandal. Poignantly, he gives one of his best performances as Hyun-su, an up-and-coming actor who has already won some kind of indie award and landed...
The sleep of reason is what’s supposed to produce monsters … but not as many as sleep deprivation. That is the awful paradox driving this elegant, intimate, gleefully brash Korean chiller from feature first-timer Jason Yu, a former assistant to the Oscar-winning director Bong Joon-ho. It’s a horror movie about sleepwalking and the unquiet sleep of a fraught marriage, with hints of The Exorcist, Sleeping With the Enemy and Steven Soderbergh’s neglected Hitchcockian thriller Side Effects.
Korean leading man Lee Sun-kyun appears posthumously in this movie – having heartbreakingly taken his own life last December following a tabloid media scandal. Poignantly, he gives one of his best performances as Hyun-su, an up-and-coming actor who has already won some kind of indie award and landed...
- 7/10/2024
- by Peter Bradshaw
- The Guardian - Film News
"Every survivor is a target." Capelight Pictures has debuted the new official US trailer for a Korean horror thriller film titled Project Silence, from filmmaker Taegon Kim. This premiered at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival last year in their Midnight screenings, and we posted a teaser back then just before it debuted. The film takes place on South Korea’s famously long cable-stayed Incheon Grand Bridge where a thick fog causes a massive chain automobile crash, causing an overnight lockdown where an unknown beast is unleashed. It still seems like there's multiple beasts, some kind of genetically mutated zombies? Or dogs? What are they after? The ensemble cast features Lee Sun Kyun, Ju Ji Hoon, Kim Hie Won, Moon Sung Geun, Ye Su Jeong, Kim Tae Woo, Park Hee Von, Park Ju Hyun, and Kim Su An. This will finally open in US theaters in July this summer - in theaters same date as in Korea.
- 6/28/2024
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Jason Yu’s Sleep and Brant Anderson’s The Strangers’ Case were among the winners at the 32nd Raindance Film Festival, which held its jury awards ceremony today in London.
Korean filmmaker Yu - a former assistant director to Bong Joon Ho - won the Discovery award for best debut feature with Sleep. The black comedy stars the late Lee Sun-kyun and Jung Yu-mi, in the story of an expectant wife who must stop her husband’s sleepwalking habits before he harms himself or his family.
Scroll down for the full list of feature awards
Sleep debuted in Critics’ Week...
Korean filmmaker Yu - a former assistant director to Bong Joon Ho - won the Discovery award for best debut feature with Sleep. The black comedy stars the late Lee Sun-kyun and Jung Yu-mi, in the story of an expectant wife who must stop her husband’s sleepwalking habits before he harms himself or his family.
Scroll down for the full list of feature awards
Sleep debuted in Critics’ Week...
- 6/27/2024
- ScreenDaily
The 32nd Raindance Film Festival (June 19-28) has revealed its jury award winners, reflecting a renewed focus on emerging filmmakers.
Korean thriller “Sleep,” directed by Jason Yu and starring Lee Sun-kyun and Jung Yu-mi, took home the Discovery Award for best debut feature. The film marks Lee’s final role before his passing.
Brandt Anderson’s “The Strangers’ Case,” a multi-perspective drama about Syrian refugees, won best international feature. The documentary category saw “Searching for Amani” emerge victorious. Directed by Debra Aroko and Nicole Gormley, the Kenya/U.S. co-production follows a 13-year-old boy investigating his father’s murder within a Kenyan wildlife conservancy.
Luke Gilford secured best debut director for “National Anthem,” a coming-of-age tale set in the world of queer rodeo. Paula Grimaldo claimed best performance in a debut feature for her turn in “The Quiet Maid,” portraying a young Colombian woman working for a wealthy Spanish family who seeks revenge.
Korean thriller “Sleep,” directed by Jason Yu and starring Lee Sun-kyun and Jung Yu-mi, took home the Discovery Award for best debut feature. The film marks Lee’s final role before his passing.
Brandt Anderson’s “The Strangers’ Case,” a multi-perspective drama about Syrian refugees, won best international feature. The documentary category saw “Searching for Amani” emerge victorious. Directed by Debra Aroko and Nicole Gormley, the Kenya/U.S. co-production follows a 13-year-old boy investigating his father’s murder within a Kenyan wildlife conservancy.
Luke Gilford secured best debut director for “National Anthem,” a coming-of-age tale set in the world of queer rodeo. Paula Grimaldo claimed best performance in a debut feature for her turn in “The Quiet Maid,” portraying a young Colombian woman working for a wealthy Spanish family who seeks revenge.
- 6/27/2024
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
South Korea’s Contents Panda has sold omnibus horror thriller Tarot to a raft of distributors across Asia on the eve of the Cannes market.
The anthology feature has been picked up for Taiwan (Long Shong), Mongolia (Filmbridge), Indonesia (Pt Prima) and Vietnam (Cj Cgv Vietnam)
Parasite star Cho Yeo-jeong is among the cast of the film, in which people have sinister experiences after receiving tarot cards. Comprising seven short stories, it marks the feature directing debut of Choi Byong-gil, who previously worked with actress Cho on TV series High Class. The cast also includes Ko Kyu-pil of box-office hit...
The anthology feature has been picked up for Taiwan (Long Shong), Mongolia (Filmbridge), Indonesia (Pt Prima) and Vietnam (Cj Cgv Vietnam)
Parasite star Cho Yeo-jeong is among the cast of the film, in which people have sinister experiences after receiving tarot cards. Comprising seven short stories, it marks the feature directing debut of Choi Byong-gil, who previously worked with actress Cho on TV series High Class. The cast also includes Ko Kyu-pil of box-office hit...
- 5/14/2024
- ScreenDaily
Chicago – Opening Night at the 2024 Chicago Critics Film Festival (Ccff) on May 3rd will include the last film of popular South Korean (Sk) Actor Lee Sun-kyun, entitled “Sleep” (click here for tickets) The world was rocked on December 27th, 2023, when the report came through that that actor – who had a prominent role in the 2019 Oscar Best Picture “Parasite’ – had died at age 48 from an apparent suicide in Seoul (Sk), months after his appearance in Chicago during the Asian Pop-Up Cinema.
“Sleep” follows newlyweds Hyun-su (Lee Sun-kyun) and Soo-jin (Jung Yu-mi), whose domestic bliss is disrupted when Hyun-su begins speaking in his sleep, ominously stating, “someone’s inside.” From that night on, whenever he falls asleep, Hyun-su transforms into someone else, with no recollection of what happened the night before. Overwhelmed with anxiety that he may hurt himself or their young family, Soo-jin can barely sleep because of this irrational fear.
“Sleep” follows newlyweds Hyun-su (Lee Sun-kyun) and Soo-jin (Jung Yu-mi), whose domestic bliss is disrupted when Hyun-su begins speaking in his sleep, ominously stating, “someone’s inside.” From that night on, whenever he falls asleep, Hyun-su transforms into someone else, with no recollection of what happened the night before. Overwhelmed with anxiety that he may hurt himself or their young family, Soo-jin can barely sleep because of this irrational fear.
- 5/2/2024
- by [email protected] (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
"The ghost haunts your husband, but you brought him in." Curzon Films has revealed an official trailer for the Korean horror thriller film titled Sleep, an indie creation from filmmaker Jason Yu. This is his feature directorial debut after working as an assistant director for Bong Joon-ho on Okja and other films. It first premiered at last year's Critics Week sidebar at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival, where it earned rave reviews. "When he sleeps, someone awakes..." A pregnant wife who becomes worried about her husband’s sleeping habits. What starts out as some light sleep-talking soon escalates to unexpectedly grotesque behaviour. They consult a sleep clinic without success and as his nightmarish behaviour escalates, they desperately seek help from a shaman. Sleep stars Jung Yu-mi as Soo-jin and Lee Sun-kyun as Hyeon-soo, with Kim Gook-hee. This film is super scary! It's quietly unsettling horror that will get under your skin...
- 5/1/2024
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
South Korean cinema continues to be a thriller forerunner in many genres, especially horror, and the new horror thriller, “Sleep,” seems to be continuing the tradition. The film is the feature-length directorial debut of Jason Yu, a second unit director on Bong Joon-Ho’s sci-fi-ish thriller “Okja.” The connections to Joon-Ho don’t end there either, as “Parasite” star Lee Sun-Kyun is among the cast members.
Continue reading ‘Sleep’ Trailer: The Late Lee Sun-Kyun Faces Night Terrors In New Korean Horror at The Playlist.
Continue reading ‘Sleep’ Trailer: The Late Lee Sun-Kyun Faces Night Terrors In New Korean Horror at The Playlist.
- 4/30/2024
- by Caillou Pettis
- The Playlist
It’s no wonder the notion of sleep is such fertile ground for a horror story – the more you think about it, the freakier it gets. What really happens when we drop off for the night? Where does our consciousness take us? And what’s in control of our bodies through that time? Those are all questions at play in Sleep, the upcoming Korean horror from writer-director Jason Yu, longtime collaborator of Bong Joon-Ho, in which a couple experience a different kind of night terror. It’s not exactly that something is wrong in their home – it’s that, whenever husband Hyun-soo falls asleep, he exhibits increasingly strange and dangerous behaviour, causing much consternation for his pregnant wife Soo-jin (Jung Yu-mi). Is Hyun-soo simply unwell? Or possessed? Or something worse? Watch the trailer here:
It’s a great set-up for a film, with plenty of potential to mine for tense,...
It’s a great set-up for a film, with plenty of potential to mine for tense,...
- 4/29/2024
- by Ben Travis
- Empire - Movies
The In Memoriam segment of the 96th Academy Awards on Sunday night paid a moving tribute to several stars and movie industry folk who have died over the last year — but, as ever, social media was quick to point out the more glaring omissions.
During the telecast, the In Memoriam segment featured Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli and his son Matteo performing a moving rendition of “Con te partirò” as pictures of talent who have died flashed on the stage behind them. The segment opened with a tribute to the late Russian political activist Alexei Navalny, who died last month in prison in controversial circumstances.
“You’re not allowed to give up,” Navalny says in a clip from the film Navalny, which won best documentary feature at the 2023 Academy Awards. “If they decide to kill me, it means we are incredibly strong.”
The segment also featured brief photo tributes to the likes of Matthew Perry,...
During the telecast, the In Memoriam segment featured Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli and his son Matteo performing a moving rendition of “Con te partirò” as pictures of talent who have died flashed on the stage behind them. The segment opened with a tribute to the late Russian political activist Alexei Navalny, who died last month in prison in controversial circumstances.
“You’re not allowed to give up,” Navalny says in a clip from the film Navalny, which won best documentary feature at the 2023 Academy Awards. “If they decide to kill me, it means we are incredibly strong.”
The segment also featured brief photo tributes to the likes of Matthew Perry,...
- 3/11/2024
- by Abid Rahman
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Dig out your best tuxedo, or don your finest gown – it’s Oscars night! The 2024 Academy Awards are about to get underway, bringing the best of Hollywood together to celebrate cinema, and hand out all kinds of shiny gold statues in the process. As ever, it’s going to be a long haul and a late night, but Team Empire is here to follow with you every step of the way with our live blog, covering every single award, every single winner, and every single unmissable moment. There will be songs, there will be speeches, there will be snubs – though, there probably won’t be another slap.
Read below for the latest updates, be sure to stock up on caffeine and snacks, and we’ll be with you to the end of the line.
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2.30am That’s it! Thanks for following along with us. A strong Oscars year in all,...
Read below for the latest updates, be sure to stock up on caffeine and snacks, and we’ll be with you to the end of the line.
––––
2.30am That’s it! Thanks for following along with us. A strong Oscars year in all,...
- 3/11/2024
- by Ben Travis
- Empire - Movies
Andrea Bocelli performed a rendition of the song “Time to Say Goodbye” with his son Matteo Bocelli to accompany the Academy’s annual obituary section. Perhaps mindful of previous years, in which eagle-eyed viewers have jumped on omissions, this year’s “In Memoriam” — which began with footage of the recently deceased Russian opposition leader and subject of last year’s winning documentary Navalny — seemed comprehensive but at the same time not enough.
Related: ‘Oppenheimer’ Wins Best Picture Oscar & Six Others; Emma Stone & Cillian Murphy Take Lead Acting Prizes – Full List
Beloved actors Lance Reddick, Treat Williams, Apocalypse Now’s Frederic Forrest, Rocky’s Burt Young all relegated to a fine print reference at the end, along with such writers as Norman Lear and No Country for Old Men’s Cormac McCarthy. Also given afterthought treatment were Kenneth Anger, Terence Davies, Carl Davis, David McCallum, Sinead O’Connor and Paolo Taviani in...
Related: ‘Oppenheimer’ Wins Best Picture Oscar & Six Others; Emma Stone & Cillian Murphy Take Lead Acting Prizes – Full List
Beloved actors Lance Reddick, Treat Williams, Apocalypse Now’s Frederic Forrest, Rocky’s Burt Young all relegated to a fine print reference at the end, along with such writers as Norman Lear and No Country for Old Men’s Cormac McCarthy. Also given afterthought treatment were Kenneth Anger, Terence Davies, Carl Davis, David McCallum, Sinead O’Connor and Paolo Taviani in...
- 3/11/2024
- by Damon Wise
- Deadline Film + TV
Part of every awards show is the In Memoriam segment, which honors those who have died in the past year. And that also means that part of every awards show is taking note of who didn’t make the cut (as happens every time). The 2024 Oscars are no exception. Andrea Bocelli and his son Matteo performed “Time to Say Goodbye” for the 2024 Oscars In Memoriam segment. Among the names part of the segment—at the end, the broadcast directed viewers to a website for the “many other legends we lost”—were: Michael Gambon, Harry Belafonte, Alan Arkin, Julian Sands, Andre Braugher, Chita Rivera, Tom Wilkinson, Glynis Johns, Jane Birkin, Paul Reubens, Piper Laurie, Richard Roundtree, Ryan O’Neal, Matthew Perry, Richard Lewis, Lee Sun-Kyun, Carl Weathers, William Friedkin, Glenda Jackson, and Tina Turner. The In Memoriam segment, which you can watch above, did end with a long list of names on...
- 3/11/2024
- TV Insider
The Academy Awards paid tribute to Alan Arkin, Paul Reubens, Harry Belafonte, and directors William Friedkin and Norman Jewison during the In Memoriam portion of the 2024 Oscars.
Andrea Bocelli and his son Mateo Bocelli led the tribute with a moving delivery of “Time to Say Goodbye.” During the segment, dozens of dancers took the stage for a performance art piece, embracing and twirling around each other.
The 2024 #Oscars show their In Memoriam tribute pic.twitter.com/NmGBnrhxt3
— The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) March 11, 2024
The past year since the 2023 Academy Awards also...
Andrea Bocelli and his son Mateo Bocelli led the tribute with a moving delivery of “Time to Say Goodbye.” During the segment, dozens of dancers took the stage for a performance art piece, embracing and twirling around each other.
The 2024 #Oscars show their In Memoriam tribute pic.twitter.com/NmGBnrhxt3
— The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) March 11, 2024
The past year since the 2023 Academy Awards also...
- 3/11/2024
- by Daniel Kreps
- Rollingstone.com
Oppenheimer won the marquee Cast in a Motion Picture prize as the 30th annual SAG Awards were presented Saturday, and its star Cillian Murphy might have wrestled Oscar front-runner status away from Paul Giamatti by taking the trophy for Male Actor in a Leading Role.
Lily Gladstone was cemented as the favorite for the Best Actress Oscar, winning Female Actor in a Leading Role for Killers of the Flower Moon at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles in a ceremony streaming live on Netflix for the first time.
Related: Lily Gladstone Calls For Compassion In Emotional Speech After Historic SAG Awards Win
Robert Downey Jr won the Male Actor in a Supporting Role for Oppenheimer in a mini-upset. But the evening’s first film award wasn’t much of a surprise as Da’vine Joy Randolph continued her awards-season dominance with a Supporting win for The Holdovers.
Related: “Your Solidarity Ignited Workers Around The World,...
Lily Gladstone was cemented as the favorite for the Best Actress Oscar, winning Female Actor in a Leading Role for Killers of the Flower Moon at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles in a ceremony streaming live on Netflix for the first time.
Related: Lily Gladstone Calls For Compassion In Emotional Speech After Historic SAG Awards Win
Robert Downey Jr won the Male Actor in a Supporting Role for Oppenheimer in a mini-upset. But the evening’s first film award wasn’t much of a surprise as Da’vine Joy Randolph continued her awards-season dominance with a Supporting win for The Holdovers.
Related: “Your Solidarity Ignited Workers Around The World,...
- 2/25/2024
- by Erik Pedersen
- Deadline Film + TV
After Parasite took the world by storm, news emerged that Bong Joon Ho would embark on a Korean animation with the production company 4th Creative Party, who have worked on visual effects for The Host, Snowpiercer, Okja, Oldboy, Stoker, and The Handmaiden. The fully CGI animation was reported to be a deep-sea adventure, featuring creatures and humans, specifically following an invertebrate deep-sea fish who believes he’s suffering from spinal disk herniation. However, with the director jumping to Mickey 17 it’s been radio silence on the project––until now.
Korean news outlets are reporting the film is continuing production and will be the most expensive Korean film ever made, with a budget of 70 billion won, roughly $52.6 million in Usd. Backed and distributed by Cj Enm in Korea, they are reportedly in discussions with Sony Pictures to release the film worldwide.
In another intriguing update, the outlet is reporting Mickey...
Korean news outlets are reporting the film is continuing production and will be the most expensive Korean film ever made, with a budget of 70 billion won, roughly $52.6 million in Usd. Backed and distributed by Cj Enm in Korea, they are reportedly in discussions with Sony Pictures to release the film worldwide.
In another intriguing update, the outlet is reporting Mickey...
- 2/13/2024
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
On the morning of December 27th, 2023, the world woke up to the shocking news that top star actor Lee Sun-kyun, known the world over for his performance in the Academy Award-winning “Parasite” among many other great films”, was found dead in his car, reportedly from carbon monoxide poisoning. The much-loved actor, who was the subject of a police investigation for drugs related allegations at the time, had decided to take his own life at a time when he was quite possibly at the height of success in his career.
While it is not our aim to discuss the details surrounding the case or the role that the media and the police had to play in pushing the actor to the brink, we would like a lot of his fans celebrate the fantastic legacy of work that the actor, known for his unconventional good looks, inherent charm and a unique voice,...
While it is not our aim to discuss the details surrounding the case or the role that the media and the police had to play in pushing the actor to the brink, we would like a lot of his fans celebrate the fantastic legacy of work that the actor, known for his unconventional good looks, inherent charm and a unique voice,...
- 2/5/2024
- by Rhythm Zaveri
- AsianMoviePulse
“Nobody's Daughter Haewon” had its world premiere at the 63rd Berlin International Film Festival, and was chosen to be part of the line-up for the 37th Hong Kong International Film Festival. Additionally, it was honored with awards and nominations at the Buil Film Awards and Korean Association of Film Critics Awards, among others.
on Amazon by clicking on the image below
The movie presents the experiences of a young woman named Haewon (Jung Eun-chae) over a span of a few days. The starting point of the story is the information that her mother (Kim Ja-ok) is moving to Canada, which causes Haewon's descent into sorrow. During this challenging time, she gets in touch with her former lover, Lee Seong-joon (Lee Sun-kyun), a married man who is a professor at her university.
Hong Sang-soo decides to raise subjects not only typical for him, such as loneliness, disconnection, and romantic turmoil,...
on Amazon by clicking on the image below
The movie presents the experiences of a young woman named Haewon (Jung Eun-chae) over a span of a few days. The starting point of the story is the information that her mother (Kim Ja-ok) is moving to Canada, which causes Haewon's descent into sorrow. During this challenging time, she gets in touch with her former lover, Lee Seong-joon (Lee Sun-kyun), a married man who is a professor at her university.
Hong Sang-soo decides to raise subjects not only typical for him, such as loneliness, disconnection, and romantic turmoil,...
- 1/24/2024
- by Tobiasz Dunin
- AsianMoviePulse
Starring Lee Sun-bin, the horror thriller is former Cinéfondation director Kim Soo-jin’s feature debut.
South Korean film sales agency Finecut has picked up international sales rights to horror-thriller Noise ahead of the European Film Market (EFM).
The feature directing debut of Kim Soo-jin, whose short film The Line was in Cannes’ Cinéfondation in 2013, deals with the prevalent urban issue of floor-to-ceiling noise in apartments – the recent rise of which has led to legal disputes and even murder in South Korea.
Starring Lee Sun-bin (Mission: Possible), the film follows a deaf woman with a hearing aid trying to find her...
South Korean film sales agency Finecut has picked up international sales rights to horror-thriller Noise ahead of the European Film Market (EFM).
The feature directing debut of Kim Soo-jin, whose short film The Line was in Cannes’ Cinéfondation in 2013, deals with the prevalent urban issue of floor-to-ceiling noise in apartments – the recent rise of which has led to legal disputes and even murder in South Korea.
Starring Lee Sun-bin (Mission: Possible), the film follows a deaf woman with a hearing aid trying to find her...
- 1/15/2024
- by Jean Noh
- ScreenDaily
Starring Lee Sun-bin, the horror thriller is former Cinéfondation director Kim Soo-jin’s feature debut.
South Korean film sales agency Finecut has picked up international sales rights to horror-thriller Noise ahead of the European Film Market (EFM).
The feature directing debut of Kim Soo-jin, whose short film The Line was in Cannes’ Cinéfondation in 2013, deals with the prevalent urban issue of floor-to-ceiling noise in apartments – the recent rise of which has led to legal disputes and even murder in South Korea.
Starring Lee Sun-bin (Mission: Possible), the film follows a deaf woman with a hearing aid trying to find her...
South Korean film sales agency Finecut has picked up international sales rights to horror-thriller Noise ahead of the European Film Market (EFM).
The feature directing debut of Kim Soo-jin, whose short film The Line was in Cannes’ Cinéfondation in 2013, deals with the prevalent urban issue of floor-to-ceiling noise in apartments – the recent rise of which has led to legal disputes and even murder in South Korea.
Starring Lee Sun-bin (Mission: Possible), the film follows a deaf woman with a hearing aid trying to find her...
- 1/15/2024
- by Jean Noh
- ScreenDaily
35th Annual Producers Guild Awards takes place on February 25.
The Producers Guild Of America (PGA) has unveiled its feature and TV nominations, with non-us contenders The Zone Of Interest and Anatomy Of A Fall in contention alongside the likes of Oppenheimer, Killers Of The Flower Moon, and Past Lives.
The full list of nominees for the Darryl F. Zanuck Award for Outstanding Producer of Theatrical Motion Pictures includes Barbie, American Fiction, The Holdovers, Maestro, and Poor Things.
The PGA picks are often a strong indicator of the titles likely to experience Academy Awards glory. Last year’s nominees fielded seven eventual Oscar nominees.
The Producers Guild Of America (PGA) has unveiled its feature and TV nominations, with non-us contenders The Zone Of Interest and Anatomy Of A Fall in contention alongside the likes of Oppenheimer, Killers Of The Flower Moon, and Past Lives.
The full list of nominees for the Darryl F. Zanuck Award for Outstanding Producer of Theatrical Motion Pictures includes Barbie, American Fiction, The Holdovers, Maestro, and Poor Things.
The PGA picks are often a strong indicator of the titles likely to experience Academy Awards glory. Last year’s nominees fielded seven eventual Oscar nominees.
- 1/12/2024
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
35th Annual Producers Guild Awards takes place on February 25.
The Producers Guild Of America (PGA) has unveiled its feature and TV nominations, with awards season heavyweight Oppenheimer in the mix alongside Killers Of The Flower Moon, Anatomy Of A Fall, The Zone Of Interest, and Past Lives.
Recognition for Anatomy Of A Fall and The Zone Of Interest marks the first time the Guild has nominated international films.
The full list of nominees for the Darryl F. Zanuck Award for Outstanding Producer of Theatrical Motion Pictures includes Barbie, American Fiction, The Holdovers, Maestro, and Poor Things.
The PGA picks are...
The Producers Guild Of America (PGA) has unveiled its feature and TV nominations, with awards season heavyweight Oppenheimer in the mix alongside Killers Of The Flower Moon, Anatomy Of A Fall, The Zone Of Interest, and Past Lives.
Recognition for Anatomy Of A Fall and The Zone Of Interest marks the first time the Guild has nominated international films.
The full list of nominees for the Darryl F. Zanuck Award for Outstanding Producer of Theatrical Motion Pictures includes Barbie, American Fiction, The Holdovers, Maestro, and Poor Things.
The PGA picks are...
- 1/12/2024
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
‘Parasite’ star Lee died in December of an apparent suicide.
Bong Joon-ho, director of Oscar-winning film Parasite, stood with a group of South Korean culture and entertainment industry leaders today in Seoul, calling for a probe into police authorities’ handling of an investigation into Lee Sun-kyun, following the actor’s death last month.
They also questioned media practices in reporting on such cases and asked the government and legislators to examine and revise laws to protect the civil rights of those under investigation.
Best known for his role as the father of the affluent family in Parasite, Lee was found...
Bong Joon-ho, director of Oscar-winning film Parasite, stood with a group of South Korean culture and entertainment industry leaders today in Seoul, calling for a probe into police authorities’ handling of an investigation into Lee Sun-kyun, following the actor’s death last month.
They also questioned media practices in reporting on such cases and asked the government and legislators to examine and revise laws to protect the civil rights of those under investigation.
Best known for his role as the father of the affluent family in Parasite, Lee was found...
- 1/12/2024
- by Jean Noh
- ScreenDaily
A group of South Korean artists, led by Parasite filmmaker Bong Joon-ho, gathered at a press conference in Seoul on Friday to urge authorities to investigate the circumstances surrounding the death of prolific actor Lee Sun-kyun.
Lee, who played a lead role in Bong’s multi-Oscar-winning Parasite, died last month in an apparent suicide. He was 48. At the time, he was under investigation for alleged drug use at the home of a hostess working at a high-end bar in Seoul’s Gangnam district. Yonhap reported that Lee had been questioned multiple times by authorities, including for 19 hours the weekend before his death. The actor had said he was tricked into taking drugs.
At the presser, the newly formed Korean Association of Solidarity of Cultural Artists specially called for authorities to investigate the behavior of police during the probe into Lee and the subsequent media fallout, which included the publication of...
Lee, who played a lead role in Bong’s multi-Oscar-winning Parasite, died last month in an apparent suicide. He was 48. At the time, he was under investigation for alleged drug use at the home of a hostess working at a high-end bar in Seoul’s Gangnam district. Yonhap reported that Lee had been questioned multiple times by authorities, including for 19 hours the weekend before his death. The actor had said he was tricked into taking drugs.
At the presser, the newly formed Korean Association of Solidarity of Cultural Artists specially called for authorities to investigate the behavior of police during the probe into Lee and the subsequent media fallout, which included the publication of...
- 1/12/2024
- by Nancy Tartaglione, Bruce Haring and Zac Ntim
- Deadline Film + TV
Clad in black suits as a mark of respect for the late Parasite actor Lee Sun-kyun, Oscar-winning director Bong Joon Ho and other prominent Korean film figures gathered for a solemn press conference in central Seoul on Friday, where they sternly called for an investigation into the police handling of Lee’s case that would tragically end in the actor’s death by apparent suicide.
“Throughout the two months, from the initial leak of internal information regarding the deceased’s investigation to the time of his death, we urge a thorough investigation by the authorities to ascertain whether there were any lapses in police investigative security,” Bong said, reading from an official statement prepared by 29 prominent arts and culture groups, including the Busan International Film Festival and the Korea Entertainment Producer’s Association. “We request a thorough investigation to determine if there were any unlawful media responses during the investigation.
“Throughout the two months, from the initial leak of internal information regarding the deceased’s investigation to the time of his death, we urge a thorough investigation by the authorities to ascertain whether there were any lapses in police investigative security,” Bong said, reading from an official statement prepared by 29 prominent arts and culture groups, including the Busan International Film Festival and the Korea Entertainment Producer’s Association. “We request a thorough investigation to determine if there were any unlawful media responses during the investigation.
- 1/12/2024
- by Soo-mee Park
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
“Parasite” director Boon Joon-ho led a press conference in Seoul on Friday, following the death by suicide of actor Lee Sun-kyun at the end of December.
Lee, who starred in “Parasite,” had been investigated by police in Incheon for possible recreational use of drugs and was at the center of a maelstrom of media and social media commentary for the two months prior to his death.
Backed by a formidable collection of artists, cultural organizations and trade associations, Bong called for an investigation into the police methods and for established media to reflect on the sensationalist coverage which may have contributed to Lee’s decision to take his own life. Public broadcaster Kbs was singled out for particular criticism.
“Clear legislative improvements are needed to ensure that principles and exceptions are not reversed between the human rights of suspects and the public’s right to know, and that investigative authorities...
Lee, who starred in “Parasite,” had been investigated by police in Incheon for possible recreational use of drugs and was at the center of a maelstrom of media and social media commentary for the two months prior to his death.
Backed by a formidable collection of artists, cultural organizations and trade associations, Bong called for an investigation into the police methods and for established media to reflect on the sensationalist coverage which may have contributed to Lee’s decision to take his own life. Public broadcaster Kbs was singled out for particular criticism.
“Clear legislative improvements are needed to ensure that principles and exceptions are not reversed between the human rights of suspects and the public’s right to know, and that investigative authorities...
- 1/12/2024
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
“Parasite” Oscar winner Bong Joon Ho is part of a campaign calling for an investigation into actor Lee Sun-kyun’s death.
Lee died of apparent suicide in December 2023. Bong, along with fellow Korean filmmakers, is set to hold a media event in Seoul on January 12 to campaign for authorities to investigate the circumstances behind Lee’s death. As IndieWire previously reported, Lee’s cause of death wasn’t officially ruled upon on December 27, but Lee allegedly left a message similar to a suicide note before his disappearance, and a charcoal briquette was found in his car, a device commonly used in South Korea to induce suicide by carbon monoxide poisoning. To note, the suicide rate in South Korea is one of the highest in the world.
At the time of his death, Lee had been under police investigation for weeks over suspected illegal drug use, including cannabis and other undisclosed psychoactive drugs.
Lee died of apparent suicide in December 2023. Bong, along with fellow Korean filmmakers, is set to hold a media event in Seoul on January 12 to campaign for authorities to investigate the circumstances behind Lee’s death. As IndieWire previously reported, Lee’s cause of death wasn’t officially ruled upon on December 27, but Lee allegedly left a message similar to a suicide note before his disappearance, and a charcoal briquette was found in his car, a device commonly used in South Korea to induce suicide by carbon monoxide poisoning. To note, the suicide rate in South Korea is one of the highest in the world.
At the time of his death, Lee had been under police investigation for weeks over suspected illegal drug use, including cannabis and other undisclosed psychoactive drugs.
- 1/11/2024
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
The actor’s is the latest in a string of celebrity deaths in South Korea and artists have called for a push to prevent further such tragedies
Parasite director Bong Joon-ho is among a number of artists and arts organisations in South Korea who have called for an investigation into the circumstances of the death last month of actor Lee Sun-kyun.
Lee, who played the wealthy father in Bong’s Oscar-winning film, died last month in an apparent suicide, at the age of 48.
Parasite director Bong Joon-ho is among a number of artists and arts organisations in South Korea who have called for an investigation into the circumstances of the death last month of actor Lee Sun-kyun.
Lee, who played the wealthy father in Bong’s Oscar-winning film, died last month in an apparent suicide, at the age of 48.
- 1/11/2024
- by Catherine Shoard
- The Guardian - Film News
A group of South Korean filmmakers, artists, and entertainment companies have banded in the aftermath of actor Lee Sun-Kyun’s death, calling for an investigation into the circumstances that drove the Parasite star to suicide in late December.
The Association of Solidarity Among Cultural Artists — which includes Parasite director Bong Joon-ho, filmmaker Lee Won-tae, actor Choi Deok-moon, singer Yoon Jong-shin, and dozens more — issued a statement prior to a planned Friday press conference in Seoul, where they would ask authorities to look into what happened in Lee’s death in order to avoid future incidents.
The Association of Solidarity Among Cultural Artists — which includes Parasite director Bong Joon-ho, filmmaker Lee Won-tae, actor Choi Deok-moon, singer Yoon Jong-shin, and dozens more — issued a statement prior to a planned Friday press conference in Seoul, where they would ask authorities to look into what happened in Lee’s death in order to avoid future incidents.
- 1/11/2024
- by Daniel Kreps
- Rollingstone.com
Prominent Korean filmmakers and arts organizers will hold a media event in Seoul on Friday calling for an investigation by authorities into the circumstances that led to the passing of Parasite star Lee Sun-kyun, who died last month at age 48 of an apparent suicide.
Before his death, Lee had been under police investigation for several weeks over suspected illegal drug use, accusations he strenuously denied. The actor claimed that he was the victim of a blackmail plot and that if he had consumed drugs, it was because he had been tricked into doing so. South Korean police have said that Lee passed several drug tests and sat for lengthy sessions of questioning, including one marathon meeting days before his death that lasted 19 hours. His lawyers have told local media outlets that the actor was upset by the way police were handling the investigation and how details were being leaked to the press,...
Before his death, Lee had been under police investigation for several weeks over suspected illegal drug use, accusations he strenuously denied. The actor claimed that he was the victim of a blackmail plot and that if he had consumed drugs, it was because he had been tricked into doing so. South Korean police have said that Lee passed several drug tests and sat for lengthy sessions of questioning, including one marathon meeting days before his death that lasted 19 hours. His lawyers have told local media outlets that the actor was upset by the way police were handling the investigation and how details were being leaked to the press,...
- 1/11/2024
- by Etan Vlessing and Patrick Brzeski
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
So many exceptionally talented people passed away in 2023. Most recently, we lost the superb British actor Tom Wilkinson just one day before the end of the year. Our favorite movie website Letterboxd has created their own special In Memoriam 2023 video this year to celebrate and remember all of these individuals that died. As everyone knows, the Academy Awards also plays their own "In Memoriam" video during the ceremony every year, though they always seem to leave out a few important names. Letterboxd took it upon themselves to make sure most of the important names were included in their video. The movie channel TCM (Turner Classic Movies) also posted a "Remembrance 2023" video as well - which we've embedded below to watch in addition to this one from Letterboxd. I'm still really heartbroken about Tom Wilkinson, as well as Lance Reddick, Alan Arkin, Lee Sun-Kyun, Matthew Perry, and William Freidkin. They'll all be missed.
- 1/9/2024
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Astro Star Cha Eun-woo To Release His Solo Album ( Photo Credit – Instagram )
Astro’s Cha Eun-woo is all set to launch his solo debut album very soon, and his agency, Fantagio, has confirmed this magnificent news. The fans are delighted by the news and can’t wait for further details. The band had been going through a tough time with Moonbin’s death and Rocky’s exit from it last year. This decision of Eun-woo’s might help them steer the situation and bring out some fantastic music for their fans.
Eun-woo is not just a K-pop idol and part of a famous band but also a successful actor. His shows like True Beauty, My ID is Gangnam Beauty, Island, and more are immensely popular among K-Drama fans because of his charming looks. Cha enjoys a massive fan following of 41.3 million on his official Instagram handle.
According to AllKPop’s Tuesday,...
Astro’s Cha Eun-woo is all set to launch his solo debut album very soon, and his agency, Fantagio, has confirmed this magnificent news. The fans are delighted by the news and can’t wait for further details. The band had been going through a tough time with Moonbin’s death and Rocky’s exit from it last year. This decision of Eun-woo’s might help them steer the situation and bring out some fantastic music for their fans.
Eun-woo is not just a K-pop idol and part of a famous band but also a successful actor. His shows like True Beauty, My ID is Gangnam Beauty, Island, and more are immensely popular among K-Drama fans because of his charming looks. Cha enjoys a massive fan following of 41.3 million on his official Instagram handle.
According to AllKPop’s Tuesday,...
- 1/9/2024
- by Esita Mallik
- KoiMoi
Kang Kyung-joon Deletes His Social Media & His Former Agency Scraps Plans Of Contract Renewal(Photo Credit –Instagram)
South Korean actor Kang Kyung-joon leaves social media after landing in trouble for allegedly having an affair with a married woman. The actor is married to the star of his popular show Flowers of Revenge, co-star Jang Shin-young, who got sued for millions of dollars around two weeks back by the woman’s husband. Meanwhile, his former agency, K-Star Global Entertainment, decided to address the controversy, which has also impacted the future of Kyung-joon in the company. Scroll below for more.
For the unversed, the Welcome to Waikiki actor’s private messages with the married woman were released publicly, leading to the entire fiasco. He and Shin-young have been married since 2018, and amid the adultery allegations, they both reportedly took a break from social media and stopped posting on them. Still, the actor...
South Korean actor Kang Kyung-joon leaves social media after landing in trouble for allegedly having an affair with a married woman. The actor is married to the star of his popular show Flowers of Revenge, co-star Jang Shin-young, who got sued for millions of dollars around two weeks back by the woman’s husband. Meanwhile, his former agency, K-Star Global Entertainment, decided to address the controversy, which has also impacted the future of Kyung-joon in the company. Scroll below for more.
For the unversed, the Welcome to Waikiki actor’s private messages with the married woman were released publicly, leading to the entire fiasco. He and Shin-young have been married since 2018, and amid the adultery allegations, they both reportedly took a break from social media and stopped posting on them. Still, the actor...
- 1/9/2024
- by Esita Mallik
- KoiMoi
A light comedy with a touch of social commentary and a stellar cast, “Familyhood” is a work by the young South Korean director Kim Tae-gon who has a background in indie and horror films. It was very well received in South Korea and it probably marked a turning point in his career. In fact, his latest work “Project Silence”, starring the late Lee Sun-Kyun, premiered at Cannes Film Festival in 2023 and is one of the most anticipated films of 2024.
The story focuses on the character of Go Joo-yeon (Kim Hye-soo), a beautiful and rich actress/diva who is reaching what in show business is considered a critical age, close to the career “sunset”, i.e. her forties. Go continues to work, having not yet faced any blatant failure to secure parts in films and advertisings; however, her fame as an actress is gradually being concealed by her reputation as a...
The story focuses on the character of Go Joo-yeon (Kim Hye-soo), a beautiful and rich actress/diva who is reaching what in show business is considered a critical age, close to the career “sunset”, i.e. her forties. Go continues to work, having not yet faced any blatant failure to secure parts in films and advertisings; however, her fame as an actress is gradually being concealed by her reputation as a...
- 1/5/2024
- by Adriana Rosati
- AsianMoviePulse
In the 2018 Korean drama My Mister, Lee Sun-kyun stars as a man who seems to have it all — a stable career, the respect of his colleagues and a loving family — but is in actuality burdened by the pressures of providing for his loved ones and employees while navigating an extortion scheme and suspicions of a workplace affair. Beset with a melancholic disposition, at one point he stumbles on some train tracks and contemplates remaining there. It’s a fleeting thought but a poignant moment in the critically acclaimed series, which won best drama at the Baeksang Arts Awards and was a highlight in Lee’s notable career.
That Lee — one of Korea’s most popular actors who earned worldwide mainstream recognition through Parasite — would be involved in any sort of real-life scandal was nearly unthinkable. He had been married (to actress Jeon Hye-jin) almost as long as he’d been famous,...
That Lee — one of Korea’s most popular actors who earned worldwide mainstream recognition through Parasite — would be involved in any sort of real-life scandal was nearly unthinkable. He had been married (to actress Jeon Hye-jin) almost as long as he’d been famous,...
- 1/3/2024
- by Rebecca Sun
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
When Heroes Fly is leaving Netflix – Picture: Netflix
A New Year is just around the corner. Once again, we can make a feature from all the Netflix Originals currently set to depart the service globally or in select regions throughout January 2024.
If you’re wondering why some Netflix Originals are leaving Netflix – you wouldn’t be alone. In recent years, we’ve seen a slew of Netflix Originals depart the service and this mostly comes down to how Netflix licenses titles (particularly a lot of its earlier Originals). In some cases, Netflix simply picked up the international rights for certain series and movies for a fixed period. In these cases, calling them Netflix Exclusives is probably more appropriate, but it is what it is.
All of these movies, series and specials will soon be listed on our master list of every Netflix Original that has departed the service.
Did you...
A New Year is just around the corner. Once again, we can make a feature from all the Netflix Originals currently set to depart the service globally or in select regions throughout January 2024.
If you’re wondering why some Netflix Originals are leaving Netflix – you wouldn’t be alone. In recent years, we’ve seen a slew of Netflix Originals depart the service and this mostly comes down to how Netflix licenses titles (particularly a lot of its earlier Originals). In some cases, Netflix simply picked up the international rights for certain series and movies for a fixed period. In these cases, calling them Netflix Exclusives is probably more appropriate, but it is what it is.
All of these movies, series and specials will soon be listed on our master list of every Netflix Original that has departed the service.
Did you...
- 12/30/2023
- by Kasey Moore
- Whats-on-Netflix
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