Edited by Hong Hyun Jung
Translated by Kim Hoyeun
The film industry is facing an unprecedented crisis with the COVID-19 pandemic. Still, actors and crew went back to the scene, and though things might not be the same as before, the film industry started to recommence in a variety of socially-distanced ways. Several films, including Bargaining (literal title), in which staff and actors safely returned home after finishing filming in Jordan, were given the go-ahead and are speeding up the production. And of them, this article will introduce nine movies that recently announced the cast and the start/re-start of filming.
Concrete Utopia (working title)
Vanishing Time: A Boy Who Returned (2015) director Uhm Tae Hwa will return with the webtoon-based film. Concrete Utopia is about those who survived in a city that went to ruins after a massive earthquake destroyed all the concrete. Based on a webtoon that gained popularity by explicitly portraying the true natures of human beings in the face of an unexpected disaster, it depicts the struggles of those who survived inside and outside the Hwang Goong Apartment. Lee Byung Hun, Park Seo Joon, and Park Bo Young confirmed their appearances.
The Pirates: Goblin Flag (literal title)
The Pirates (2014) will return with a sequel that boasts a colorful cast. It is written by Chun Sung Il, a screenwriter of The Pirates, and directed by The Accidental Detective (2015) director Kim Jung Hoon. The film depicts the sea battle between pirates, bandits, and pioneers who search for the last treasure of the Goryeo royal family that disappeared in a whale attack before the founding of the Joseon Dynasty. Kang Ha Neul, Han Hyo Joo, Lee Kwang Soo, Kwon Sang Woo, Chae Soo Bin, EXO’s Sehun, and Kim Sung Oh have been cast, and started filming in July.
Soul Mate (working title)
The Witch: Part 1. The Subversion star Kim Dami and Jo Pil-ho: the dawning rage star Jeon So Nee met in the remake film Soul Mate. The original film Soul Mate (2017) instantly became a major hit in China at the time of the release, and the two leading actors, Zhou Dong Yu and Sandra Ma, won the Best Leading Actress Awards together in Golden Horse Award for the first time in its history. The movie tells of the longing-jealousy and love-hate relationship of two childhood friends after they fell for the same man. Re-encounter (2010) director Min Yong Geun will direct the Korean version.
Hunt (working title)
Lee Jung Jae and Jung Woo Sung, the dynamic duo in the film industry, will meet once again on the same project in 21 years since the 1999 film City Of The Rising Sun. Lee Jung Jae’s directorial debut film Hunt is the one. Hunt, which Lee Jung Jae worked on for four years in writing the script, is a spy action film about ace National Intelligence Service (NIS) agents Park Pyung Ho and Kim Jung Do who come to face a massive discovery while chasing after the person in charge of North Korean spies. It will start filming sometime next year.
Apgujeong Report (working title)
Ordinary People (2017) director Im Jin Soon and actor Ma Dong Seok have joined forces once again. Apgujeong Report is a story about Dae Guk, a nosy man from Apgujeong, and Ji Woo, a grumpy but skillful plastic surgeon, opening the heyday of the plastic surgery business in Gangnam. Ma Dong Seok and Jung Kyung Ho each took the lead roles as a native of Apgujeong and a plastic surgeon, and Oh Na Ra, Oh Yeon Seo, and Jung Ji So also confirmed their appearances.
Citizen Deok Hee (working title)
Ra Mi Ran will take the lead role once again, following Miss & Mrs. Cops and Honest Candidate. Inspired by the true story, Citizen Deok Hee depicts a cheerful story of a housewife in her 40s pursuing the voice phishing group after falling victim to the scam. It is the first commercial film of director Pak Young Ju, who made two independent works 1 Kilogram and Second Life. Besides Ra Mi Ran, Gong Myung, Yeon Hye Ran, Jang Yoon Ju, Park Byung Eun, and Ahn Eun Jin will star in the movie.
Woo Ri and Ja Young (working title)
Director Jeong Ga Young, who produced Bitch On the Beach(2016), Hit the Night (2017), HEART (2019), will make her commercial movie debut. Woo Ri and Ja Young, starring Son Seok Koo and Jeon Jong Seo, depicts the story of 33-year-old Woo-Ri, who hates being lonely but is never good with romance, and 29-year-old Ja Young, who has bad memories in dating, meeting through a dating app. Attention is focusing on how director Jeong Ga Young, who has been outspoken in expressing women’s love and desire, will capture the love story between a man and a woman.
Limit
Limit is a suspenseful thriller about a cop who goes undercover to hunt down the criminal behind a worst kidnapping case. Lee Jung Hyun will be starring as So Eun, a police officer who finds herself caught up in high-stakes mind games with the kidnapper after taking the place of the kidnapping victim’s parents. Moon Jung Hee, Jin Seo Yeon, and Park Myung Hoon have been included in the cast lineup, and The Spy: Undercover Operation (2013) director Lee Seung Joon will direct the film. It started filming in July.
Broker (working title)
Hirokazu Koreeda, who performed the first global project The Truth with Catherine Deneuve, Juliette Binoche, and Ethan Hawke, will work with Korean actors this time. It’s Broker, starring Song Kang Ho, Bae Doo Na, and Kang Dong Won. It is a movie about people who come into contact with each other with the “Baby Box,” designed to allow people who cannot raise children to leave their babies anonymously, in the center. They are currently working on the script, and will start filming next year.
