Lee Byung Hun recently posed for a photo shoot and sat down for an interview for the April edition of the @star1 magazine.
He especially talked about his various experiences in Hollywood. When filming “Red 2,” Lee Byung Hun shared that instead of feeling timid or afraid because of the all-star cast of Bruce Willis, Catherine Zeta-Jones, John Malkovich, Anthony Hopkins and Helen Mirren, he felt excited and almost fan-like as he thought, “I have got to get a picture with them.”
Lee Byung Hun revealed that Bruce Willis especially took good care of him. He said, “Bruce Willis took care of me a lot. Every time we met, he shook my hand and bowed to me. He knew that Korea was big on etiquette and politeness so he was always showed good manners to me. We got close by eating bibimbap together and talking about the film.”
Lee Byung Hun continued, “My final destination isn’t Hollywood. I’m just knocking on the doors right now out of curiosity, taking little steps. I can feel that there is a language barrier here. So for me, Korean movies are still the most fun and most energetic.”
For the photo shoot, Lee Byung Hun shows off his signature boyish and mischievous smile in a handsome, red suit.
Meanwhile, Lee Byung Hun’s “G.I. Joe 2” will be hitting theaters on March 28 in Korea. On the other hand, “Red 2″ will be released in August.
Lee Byung Hun was in London for the G.I. Joe Retaliation UK Premiere on Monday 18th March along with the other cast.
Braving the heavy rain, many fans waited to see the film premiere unfold at the Empire Cinema, hoping for a glimpse of the main cast dazzling the red carpet.
The G.I. Joe crew spent time signing autographs and taking photos with the fans before being interviewed by various media. Lee Byung Hun provided a very interactive reception to the fans and went for a second round of autographs and photos for those who missed their previous opportunity.
Lee Byung Hun revealed why he never chose an English name for his advancement into Hollywood.
He recently held an interview with SBS‘ ‘One Night of TV Entertainment‘. During the interview, they talked about his new movie ‘G.I. Joe 2‘.
He said, “I could have changed my name to English, but I didn’t. I filmed my movie in the United States, but I thought the Korean crowd would be more proud if I used a Korean name. The American staff members call me ‘Byung’. I told them to make it ‘Hyung’ if it was too hard. I feel good when they pronounce my name, even if it’s difficult for them.”
Lee Byung Hun added, “I’m proud that the way the American staff and actors treated me changed. I felt proud because I felt like they were admitting my talents. I hope ‘G.I. Joe 2′ is popular in Korea. Of course, Korean movies should do well, but please give love to the American movie that I starred in as well.“
Korean actor Lee Byung Hun, who stars in G.I. Joe: Retaliation, is brushing up on his English as he takes on Hollywood
South Korean actor Lee Byung Hun wishes he had studied English more when he was younger, because he now has to read movie scripts in both English and Korean.
It is not a bad problem to have, of course. Lee has seen his stock in Hollywood rise in recent years, and as he appears in the new G.I. Joe: Retaliation opposite Dwayne Johnson, Channing Tatum and Bruce Willis, the 42-year-old is getting offers from both the United States and South Korea.
"Yeah, I should've learnt more English, but I was lazy, I guess," he tells Life! in Beverly Hills.
During the entire one-on-one interview, he speaks in English, turning to the interpreter sitting next to him only once. His conversational fluency comes from attending a language centre in Seoul for two years when he was 18, and having English-speaking relatives who live in Los Angeles and Seattle.
But he explains that "speaking in English and acting in English are very different".
"It's much harder acting in English in front of the camera. I need to express a lot of things, but it's their language."
A mega star in Asia, the actor is reprising his role as the assassin Storm Shadow in G.I. Joe: Retaliation, having played the same character in the first instalment in 2009, G.I. Joe: The Rise Of Cobra. Retaliation opens in Singapore today.
With the movie studio hoping to turn G.I. Joe into a franchise, Lee knows his large fan base in Asia is excited about his role in the new film.
"G.I. Joe is a really big blockbuster worldwide, and they think it's amazing. My part is even bigger in this one, so I guess they're excited about that. Their reaction to the first film was good, maybe they'll like this one, too," he says.
Between the G.I. Joe movies, the star of Korean television series such as All In (2003) and Beautiful Days (2001) returned to the small screen in a leading role in the hit spy show Iris (2009).
The G.I. Joe franchise and his roles in internationally acclaimed Korean films such as the "kimchi" comedy western The Good, The Bad, The Weird (2008) and the noirish A Bittersweet Life (2005) earned him a spot on the Hollywood Walk of Fame last year. He and 61-year-old fellow South Korean Ahn Sung Ki became the first Asian actors to leave their handprints on the famous sidewalk.
Lee says he is trying not to think too much about this and other recent successes he has had in the US because of the burden of expectation that comes whenever it looks like an Asian actor is finally cracking Hollywood.
"If I get more famous, there's definitely more pressure there. A lot of pressure and responsibility," says Lee, who is dating South Korean actress Lee Min Jung, 31. "And if an actor feels that, then he cannot move or think freely. So I try not to think about those things. I live my life and I do my job."
His raised profile is another sign of what some in the US have described as a South Korean "invasion".
Its entertainment products and stars, already well-known across Asia, have also been making inroads into Hollywood and American pop culture recently, with rapper Psy's viral hit "Gangnam Style" being the biggest triumph to date.
Director Kim Ji Woon, who made The Good, The Bad, The Weird, was chosen to direct Arnold Schwarzenegger in his big action comeback this year, The Last Stand. Oldboy auteur Park Chan Wook, who directed Lee in Joint Security Area (2000), helmed the recent psychological thriller Stoker, starring Nicole Kidman, Mia Wasikowska and Matthew Goode.
On the other side of the camera, actress Bae Doo Na had a major role in the blockbuster Cloud Atlas last year, while Lee himself is due to appear in Red 2 alongside Willis, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Helen Mirren, later this year.
Despite the language issue, the actor says he has found things to like about acting in American films.
"The timeline is more reasonable in the States. They start at 6 or 7am, and they don't work for more than 12 hours. That's good because if they know when they finish, they know when they start, and they can make another schedule after that.
"In Korea, they don't know when they will finish, and sometimes they work through the night for a few days."
The downside: He is wary of being pigeonholed the way many other East Asian actors have been - trotted out only for standard-issue martial arts films or other racially stereotypical roles.
"That's a big concern for Asian actors. I like every genre of movie, as long as the story is good. I also don't want to be typecast. Fortunately, I am also getting offered romantic comedies and drama. I think that's a good sign."
No character quite piques the interest of G.I. Joe fans like the ninja Storm Shadow does, especially when it concerns fellow ninja Snake Eyes.
The complicated relationship between Storm Shadow (played in "G.I. Joe Retaliation" by Lee Byung-hun) and Snake Eyes (Ray Park), according to the comics, started as a friendship during the Vietnam War and later led to both men being trained in martial arts -- only one (Snake Eyes) would become a G.I. Joe and the other (Storm Shadow) would join the terrorist group Cobra.
In "G.I. Joe: Retaliation," the story between the two has been updated, but still remains quite complicated, which results in more than one showdown between the former friends. Byung-hun is one of the few actors in the sequel who's reprising his role from the first film. Here, the acclaimed South Korean actor discusses his return to "G.I. Joe," what he tries to bring to Storm Shadow and his role in another sequel (also staring Bruce Willis), "Red 2."
After the first movie, did you always know that there would be a sequel?
Actually, when I first heard they were going to make a sequel, I was so excited. But I didn't expect that.
Did the negative critical reception to the first movie surprise you?
It was kind of an introduction of G.I. Joe. It was the first try at making a movie with the cartoon of G.I. Joe, so it was an introduction movie. Maybe that's why people are disappointed a little bit.
I feel that you have a lot more to do in this movie then the first one.
Storm Shadow had to show his character: cynical and independent and has some sort of bad past -- and a secret between Snake Eyes and Storm Shadow. But there were only so many ways I could show my emotions and those kind of things. But, in part two, I could show my emotions and could explode in my anger and emotions a lot.
Does this movie feel different to you, compared to the first?
Of course. Basically I had to keep my environment and character so far. But, as I told you, I could express a lot of my emotions in part two. Yeah, those were the differences.
Before you did the first movie, did you know much about Storm Shadow or G.I. Joe?
G.I. Joe is not shown in Korea at all, basically, so a lot of people didn't know about G.I. Joe and I also didn't have the information about G.I. Joe. So when I was first cast, I asked [director of "G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra"] Stephen Sommers and [producer] Lorenzo di Bonaventura if I should watch the cartoons so that I could learn about G.I. Joe. But they didn't want me to do that, because they wanted me to create a character. So I just learned the basic story about G.I. Joe and the characters of Storm Shadow and Snake Eyes and the history between them. I just got that basic type of information, and I tried to make it a creative character.
In the movie, there are so many jokes made at the expense of North Korea. Being from South Korea, how do you perceive those jokes?
Actually, it was kind of uncomfortable for me that the movie involved the North Korean thing. But, you know, the situation is really complicated in North Korea these days.
You're also going to be in the sequel to "Red."
Yes, I already finished it.
What's your character in "Red 2"?
My character is Han -- he's supposed to be Chinese, but I changed it. He used to be an agent, like Bruce Willis, in that movie. But Bruce Willis framed him so he couldn't work as an agent at all, so he changed. And I have a lot of fights with Bruce Willis in that movie.
You've won acting awards in Korea, but in Hollywood films you've been in a lot of action roles. Would you like to do something else?
In Korea, I do different kinds of genres. So, like that, I would like to do a lot of good acting films. But also I'd like to do a lot of various kinds of genres here.
Mike Ryan is senior writer for Huffington Post Entertainment. Last edited by katt on 8-4-2013 02:18 PM
BH Entertainment released photos of actor Lee Byung Hun in front of the huge GI Joe: Retaliation character mural in downtown LA. The Korean star is currently in Los Angeles for the latest Hollywood blockbuster movie premiere and promotional events which will be the last stop for GI Joe: Retaliation world premiere event.
The two poles of the movie’s tone can be seen in the performances of Lee, the lithe, sleekly contoured star of such Korean films as I Saw the Devil and The Good, the Bad, the Weird, and Walton Goggins, formerly of The Shield, as the warden who holds Cobra Commander in a prison so deep “it’s in international jurisdiction.” Lee is all business, Goggins all pleasure. A sort of subterranean Pryce, the warden truly enjoys his work, addressing Storm Shadow’s intrusion by saying, “Welcome to Hell,” and confessing he’s a longtime fan of the Ninja’s work. His appearance is curtailed, but while he’s on screen Goggins radiates a connoisseurship of evil.
Just because we spend most of our waking hours obsessively consuming anime, manga and all manner of Asian pop culture doesn't mean we aren't pretty excited to see The Rock blow things up in GI Joe: Retaliation. But why should the average otaku care about the film? Well, apart from one seriously stunning cliffside ninja fight (worth the price of admission alone), you should know that Korean superstar Byung-Hun Lee is reprising his role as Storm Shadow, Cobra's resident badass ninja. Being that this is one of Lee's first big breakthrough roles in the US market, we wanted to catch up with the abdominal Adonis and, thankfully, he obliged.
TOKYOPOP: We're really excited to see you don the mantle of Storm Shadow once again. What can we expect from our favorite ninja in white this time around?
Byung-Hun Lee: In the first GI Joe, there wasn't a chance to show my emotions, no room to act, so most of the scenes were kind of action heavy. I can show a lot of emotions and express a lot of Storm Shadow's inner feelings so the audience can know what the secret was and how his past affects him in this movie.
TP: After years of playing romantic leads, you've been taking on the role of the bad guy in films like The Good, the Bad, The Weird and the GI Joe series. Do you find that your prefer one to the other? Is it more challenging acting-wise?
BHL: I've been doing this more than 20 years and, as you said, The Good, the Bad, the Weird was my first villain role, followed by GI Joe, and it was strange and felt weird. But, as I was shooting those films, I had a lot of fun, even more than I did as the "hero." It was very interesting. No matter if it's a good role or a villainous role, they all have their own charming points.
TP: Do you find yourself attracted to genre pictures like G.I. Joe and RED 2 in particular or is it more of a "which roles do I find engaging" type situation?
BHL: As long as the story is good or the style is good, I usually don't care about what I do. I don't care about the character so much as I do about the style.
TP: What was your favorite memory or experience from filming Retaliation?
BHL: Hmmm - you know, on the set, we had a lot of fun because the director John Chu is such a funny guy. He'd really make us relaxed. He's a really good friend of mine and we had a great time. We shot in New Orleans, so our wrap party was a lot of fun. That was probably my favorite.
TP: Tell us about the training you had to do for this film. Obviously, it's a very physically demanding role.
BHL: I had to do two things - training martial arts and training my body. Every day, I had to spend four hours training, including learning new weapons like the sai. When I'm training martial arts, it's very hard. I brought my personal trainer from LA. It's a very strict procedure.
TP: You're obviously a superstar back in Korea, but we're just now getting a taste of your talents here. How has the experience of entering into the American market been for you?
BHL: I'm still trying to adjust to the Hollywood system and trying to find what I can do and how long I can go. It's very interesting for me. I'm on a journey and I think it's a process to get settled in. I want to challenge myself. I don't know what's next.
TP: Well, we're glad you're on the journey. Shifting gears slightly, last year saw an explosion of K-Pop on the American market. Are you an avid listener? Do you think this is just the first wave of Korean pop culture we can see coming our way?
BHL: As I think they just saw a really little part of Korean popular culture. I'm not talking as a Korean; I just want to tell you from an objective point of view. There's a lot of talent in Korea and some amazing content yet to come. I think you'll see it later on.
TP: Any last words you want to leave our readers with?
BHL: Yes. You will see a lot of great fight scenes in GI Joe: Retaliation and you'll also see great abs. In 3D! [laughs]
Top Korean actor Byung-hun Lee on reprising his iconic role in the comics adventure G.I. Joe and how hard it is to break into Hollywood
SEOUL — I came to this city for the G.I. Joe: Retaliation junket not knowing much about Byung-hun Lee and I went home feeling as if I’ve known him for a long time.
I suppose fans of Korean TV shows and movies know Byung-hun too well. According to the movie’s production notes, Byung-hun is an international star recognized as among those who ushered in the so-called “Korean Boom” (and with it the Korean K-Pop now sweeping the whole world). Known as one of the “Four Kings” in Japan where he completed a 70,000 fan arena tour in 2007, Byung-hun is said to be the only Korean actor to sell out the Tokyo Dome with 45,000 screaming fans.
Born on July 12, 1970, in this city, Byung-hun started his career in 1991 with the Korean TV drama Asphalt, My Hometown, followed by more drama roles in such movies as Tomorrow Love, Police, Son of Wind, Happy Together, Beautiful Days, All In and Iris. One of his recent films, I Saw The Devil, premiered at the Sundance Film Festival (a brainchild of Robert Redford’s) to rave reviews. Although he appeared with Hollywood actor Josh Hartnett in I Come with The Rain, an indie partly filmed in Compostela Valley in Davao Province in 2008, Byung-hun’s actual foray into Hollywood was in 2009 when he was cast in G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra (which grossed $300M worldwide) as Storm Shadow, the same role he reprises in G.I. Joe: Retaliation which is based on Hasbro’s comics serial, also starring Bruce Willis, Dwayne Johnson and Channing Tatum among others. Director Jon Chu (Never Say Never, starring Justin Bieber) is having his debut as action director in amazing 3D.
On screen as Storm Shadow, Byung-hun is so bulked-up (all impressive muscles) that it was a big surprise to see him so “unhunk-like” and so self-effacing during this Conversation at the function room of Conrad Hotel.
You look so big on the screen, so impressive…
(Joking) “…only my body is impressive, not my acting?”
Yes, of course, also your acting.
“Thank you.”
But how did you get that kind of body?
“I tried to make my muscles bigger. You know…”(he continues, still joking) “in my scenes with Dwayne, I told him, ‘Please don’t take your shirt off.’ Dwayne said, ‘It’s up to Jon.’ And Jon said, ‘Dwayne, don’t take your shirt off.’”
Why did you do that?
“Because if Dwayne took his shirt off, I would appear very small beside him.” (Laughs!) “You know, Jon said that he wanted the movie to be more real, so I really trained hard. Jon said he wanted to show the brutality of the fights and steer away from the uptight ninjas we’ve all seen before. He said, ‘When Storm Shadow gets hit in the face, I want to see the blood seeping through his white mask.’”
Did your costume in the first G.I. Joe movie still fit?
“We had to change it. Too small already. But I was really glad to to be back in the role; I was so excited to show more of Storm Shadow and his different sides.”
Did you and Dwayne train together?
“No, he has his own trainer and I have mine. He’s got six packs and I’ve got one pack, hahahaha! You know, Dwayne is so macho but his character is really very tender.”
Any difference between working in Asia and working in Hollywood as far as discipline and working ethic are concerned?
“Of course, very different. First, the language is different. Second, the culture and environment are different. Acting in English is much harder than speaking in English. I thought I understood everything, especially the culture. Sometimes, I got culture shock.”
Really? How come?
“There are still some racists.”
Did you encounter some?
“Yeah, there’s one guy…I cannot name him. Every time I saw him, I tried to shake hands with him or just say ‘Hello!’ to him but he never seemed to see me or tried to shake hands with me. Eventually, I stopped trying to shake hands or say ‘Hello!’ to him until the end of the shoot.”
Any advice to Asian actors who would like to follow in your footsteps to Hollywood?
“Of course, first, learn to speak English. Then, learn to have an open mind to accept everything. You know, knowing the cultural differences is very important for an Asian actor who wants to make it in Hollywood. If you don’t open your mind, it will be too hard for you to adjust to the environment.”
You have several difficult scenes in the movie. Which was the hardest to do?
“The fight scene with Snake Eyes (played by martial artist Ray Park). It was very dangerous. The second-unit director was perfectionist so he kept on saying, ‘One more time, one more time!’ until I did the whole scene for more than 20 times. My suit was soaked in my sweat; it became so heavy. I was so exhausted that I nearly passed out. Then, he asked me to do it one more time.”
Does the size of the role matter to you?
“Well, you know, for an actor what’s important is not whether or not your role is big or small; what counts is great presence on screen or that you add a great weight to the whole movie. I’m happy when people tell me that I have a strong presence in this movie. Of course, besides having more action scenes, Storm Shadow’s personal story is also being told and that’s very interesting. Instead of just having the mask on and having the action sequences, I think I was able to show Storm Shadow’s inner feelings. In the first G.I. Joe, Storm Shadow had this villain-kind of look while in the second one, there’s a cynical side of Storm Shadow. However, he’s able to show his emotions and the frustrations that he has to contain inside him because he was framed for things that he didn’t do. In the second movie, Storm Shadow’s character has been enriched in every respect and I’m very pleased about that.”
You just got a Star in Hollywood’s Walk of Fame. It’s a recognition of your being one of those who led the Korean actors’ invasion of Hollywood. How do you feel about that? Was it hard breaking into Hollywood?
“I still can’t believe it. It just happened. Hmmmm, I still have a picture of myself when I was in Hollywood years ago when I was a teenager. Twenty years later, I have this picture of myself on the Walk of Fame. It feels weird! When I was shooting Red 2 (a sequel to the 2010 action hit) in London, Helen (Mirren) told me, ‘I did hand-and-foot printing in Chinese Theater,’ and I said, ‘I did it, too!’ My Star is right before that of James Cameron and Helen’s is right after him.”
The muscular $132 million global bow for “G.I. Joe: Retaliation” has spurred Paramount to move forward with plans for a third installment in the Hasbro franchise, sources confirmed Sunday morning.
The seemingly snappy decision to make a third “Joe” isn’t surprising considering Par has had ample time to think it over; the first film, “Rise of the Cobra,” bowed in 2009. “Retaliation” also was delayed nine months for re-shoots and the 3D conversion.
“Retaliation,” which is an MGM-Skydance co-production, cost less ($130 million) than “Cobra,” which rang in at $175 million.
“Retaliation” outdid its predecessor by 35% globally, thanks in no small part to the 3D upcharge. If “Retaliation” continues to keep that same lead (and it could), the film will land in the ballpark of $410 million worldwide. “Cobra” grossed $303 million globally.
One thing is for certain, however: “G.I. Joe 3″ will most definitely be in 3D.
G.I. Joe: Retaliation, a Hollywood action blockbuster starring Lee Byung-hun, recorded 119,475 admissions on March 25th, its opening day in Korea. This figure is an all-time high among films that premiered in March. G.I. Joe: Retaliation topped the Korean box office with an accumulated 121,790 admissions after sweeping various internet sites for ticket reservations. This result is higher than 118,398, the previous March all-time high, recorded by 300, released in Korea on March 14th 2007.
G.I. Joe: Retaliation recorded a figure that doubled the score of Very Ordinary Couple and defeated its competitors such as New World which chalked up 4.4 million admissions and Warm Bodies, another Hollywood film. The action sequel was triumphant at the Korean box office despite the fact that March is a low season in terms of the film business in Korea, G.I. Joe: Retaliation. G.I. Joe: Retaliation is enjoying great popularity thanks to Lee's excellent performances as a world star and powerful action sequences.
Lee Min-Jeong mentioned her relationship with Lee Byung-Hun.
Lee Min-Jeong participated at the production report conference for new SBS Wednesday-Thursday drama 'Everything About My Romance.' At the question of asking whether Lee Byung-Hun gave her any advice, Lee Min-Jeong said, "I was wondering why there were no such questions. He didn't say anything special because he has been in foreign countries for promotion."
Han Chae-Ah also said, "In the drama, I don't think I can deal with doctor No Min-Young, but in the real life, I don't know. I am actually solo in the real life."
'Everything About My Romance,' directed by PD Son Jeong-Hyeon and script written by Kwon Gi-Young, will be first aired on April 4th on SBS.
Jon M Chu has revealed that he would go "crazier and louder" for GI Joe 3.
Following the box office success of the second film, GI Joe: Retaliation, Variety reported that Paramount has already given the green light to a third film, and the director already has some ideas of what he would like to do if he returned to take the reins.
Jon, a huge fan of the franchise himself, teased: "We built a lot of foundation into this movie that we could build off of. We could go crazier and louder in the grand tradition of GI Joe.
"All the characters here would be really fun to take to the next level. I'd love to see Cobra be the ultimate villain and go crazy, and I'd love to see some other villains come into this as well and continue to build the giant world that is Joe," he added.
Adrianne Palicki (Lady Jaye) and DJ Cotrona (Flint) admitted they would like to develop their screen romance.
The actress said: "I loved playing Lady Jaye, so I hope the third film would continue down her path. Lady Jaye and Flint are the two that stuck it out and get married so that would be nice to see that."
DJ added: "I'd like to see Flint grow into the character he was in the franchise - more of a leader, stronger and more mature. And I'd also like to flesh out the relationship with Lady Jaye, which is a big part of GI Joe. I would like that very much."
Lee Byung-hun (Storm Shadow) said: "I have a lot to prove yet. I want to have some big action scenes with Snake Eyes - so we can work out who's the best fighter."
The blockbuster film “G.I. Joe 2” which features Lee Byung Hun is currently #1 on the Korean box office. Up to March 31, the film has attracted a total of 830,048. (According to the KOFIC: Korean Film Council)
During the first weekend the film opened, the film had a total of 570,000 viewers. In the U.S. as well, the film did very well. “G.I. Joe2” opened in the U.S. on March 28 and was #1 in the U.S. box office. According to “Box Office Mojo,” “G.I. Joe 2” in the U.S. has made $51 million. Worldwide, the film “G.I. Joe 2” has made a total of approximately $131 million.
The basic synopsis of “G.I. Joe 2,” is that nearly the whole G.I. Joe team is wiped out by an attack and they are getting their retaliation against the evil Cobra.
Actor Lee Byung Hun 'G.I. Joe: Retaliation' No. 1 At The Box Office In US And Korea
HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE FLOCKED TO THE THEATERS THIS WEEKEND TO SEE 'G.I. JOE: RETALIATION.' WAS IT FOR THE ACTION OR WAS IT TO SEE ACTOR LEE BYUNG HUN?
'Spring fever' takes on a whole new meaning this week as hundreds of thousands of people flocked to the theaters to see G.I. Joe: Retaliation. Was it for the action or was it to see actor Lee Byung Hun?
The second movie in the G.I. Joe series topped weekend box office sales in both the US and South Korea which is not altogether very surprising. But what was a bit more shocking was the impressive abs on the Korean actor. G.I. Joe drew in thousands of women adding to the total of $41.3 million in sales over the opening weekend.
The American action flick lead the market share in Korean theaters where it was shown on 761 across the country. Approximately 43% of total revenue was from movie sequel, vastly outselling any domestic films.
Korea has a thriving film industry in its own right, but generally speaking, foreign movies tend to do alright in the Korean theaters. Especially as the popularity of the Busan International Film Festival grows, ticket sales for non-Korean movies have seen a steady increase, with more people willing to get in the theaters and read subtitles.
But there are definitely certain types of major foreign movie releases that do better in South Korea than others - with action flicks being at the top of that list. It is far more common in the US for film makers to have the huge budgets, time, and space required to shoot outrageously over-the-top blockbusters - and worldwide, they seems to have cornered that market.
Another reason for the immense popularity of a foreign film in Korea is, as with G.I. Joe: Retaliation, the presence of a Korean actor.
While Lee Byung Hun had a fairly short time on screen, support for a fellow countryman was certainly reflected in the ticket sales over the weekend. The same was true of the first G.I. Joe movie (also featuring Lee in the same role) and the 2009 American-made martial arts film, Ninja Assassin, which starred singer-actor Rain (Jung Ji Hoon).
There is no doubt that Hollywood films are easy to market the world over, but it is nice to see the addition of some Korean touches. And this counts for both on and off the screen. Not just the actors, but Korean writers and directors are getting a lot of attention in the US nowadays, probably most famously director Park Chan-wook.
Oldboy, Park's most internationally popular film, found an immense cult following in the United States after its release in 2003 and has now been remade for American audiences by the talented director Spike Lee. Chan-wook Park also made his American directorial debut last month with the thriller Stoker, starring Nicole Kidman.
As the film industry continues to globalize, we can expect to see more and more Korean-American crossovers, as the popularity of hallyu stars continues to rise around the world. Last edited by katt on 10-4-2013 11:26 PM
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