Edited by Hong Hyun Jung
Translated by Kim Yoo Hyang
All three Korean films which were preparing to be released last December were postponed. As the COVID-19 situation worsened, Seobok, Life is Beautiful, and New Year Blues placed a halt in their promotional activities and yet again decided to wait without a solid plan for the future. This is not only relevant to the three. As COVID-19 hit the world last year, multiple works began to adjust their schedules and hence, freezing the culture of watching movies in theatres. Will the situation improve this year so that we can watch the works we’ve been waiting and anticipating for? Let’s have a look at some of the movies we could have greeted on big screens in 2020 if it wasn’t for COVID-19, as we hope to get to watch them this year.
Director: Byung Sung Hyun
Cast: Sol Kyung Gu, Lee Sun Kyun, Yoo Jae Myung, Jo Woo Jin, Park In Hwan, and Kim Sung Oh
Crank In Date: March 25th, 2019
Crank Up Date: July 30th, 2019
The movie illustrates a fierce election war between Kim Woon Beom, a politician who dreams of becoming a president, and Seo Chang Dae, who has carried out an outstanding election strategy behind him. Sol Kyung Gu has reunited with Byung Sung Hyun of The Merciless, as a politician who dreams of the presidency and Lee Sun Kyun plays an outstanding strategist who controls the election scene. Yoo Jae Myung starred as Kim Woon Beom’s lifelong rival and running mate Kim Young Ho, while Jo Woo Jin as the ruling party’s campaign strategist Director Lee, and Park In Hwan as the opposing party’s leader Kang IN San. Bae Jong Ok appears as Kim Woon Beom’s wife and political supporter Hee Ran, and Kim Sung Oh will be his closest acquaintance secretary Park.
Heaven: To the Land of Happiness �(working title)
Director: Im Sang Soo
Cast: Choi Min Sik, Park Hae Il, Jo Han Chul, Youn Yuh Jung, Im Sung Jae, and Lee El
Crank In Date: July 11th, 2019
Crank Up Date: October 19th, 2019
This is director Im Sang Soo’s fourth film to be invited to Cannes after The President’s Last Bang, The Housemaid and The Taste Of Money, as a piece officially invited by the 2020 Cannes Film Festival. The movie draws on the story of two men who happened to meet on a special trip to find the last happiness of their lives. Choi Min Sik plays the role of prisoner number 203 who runs away in midst of serving prison time to find his last happiness, and Park Hae Il plays Nam Sik, who unexpectedly got to join in the special journey of 203.
Director: Park Dae Min (Seondal: The Man who Sells the River, �Private Eye)
Cast: Park So Dam, Song Sae Byuk, Kim Eui Sung, Jung Hyun Joon, Yeon Woo Jin, and Yeom Hye Ran
Crank In Date: May 29th, 2019
Crank Up Date: October 26th, 2019
This movie is about Eun Ha, who delivers anything for money, getting caught up in an unexpected incident as she is left with a child. Park So Dam attempts at her first action acting as she plays the role of Eun Ha, a driver who delivers anything on time. Son Sa Byuk becomes Cho Kyung Pil who chases Eun Ha and Seo Won for his benefit, while Kim Eui Sung is Boss Baek who orders Eun Ha a special delivery job and Parasite‘s Jung Hyun Joon will be Seo Won who persists to stay beside Eun Ha as she saves him.
Director: Yoon Je Kyun
Cast: Jung Sung Hwa, Na Moon Hee, Jo Jae Yoon, and Bae Jeong Nam
Crank In Date: September 10th, 2019
Crank Up Date: December 25th, 2019
After hitting 10 million sales in the box office with both Haeundae and Ode to My Father, Yoon Je Kyun has recreated the musical � Hero into a film. It draws the one last year of An Jung Geun who has passed away as he was sentenced to death by the Japanese court after assassinating Ito Hirobumi at Harbin in October of 1909. Jung Sung Hwa, the original cast of the musical, transformed as An Jung Geun in the movie as he gave a resolute and determined performance. The movie was originally planned to be released in the summer of 2020 to mark the 110th Anniversary of An Jung Geun’s death, but it was unfortunately postponed due to the COVID-10 situation.
Director: Yoon Jong Seok (director of �Marine Boy)
Cast: So Ji Sub, Kim Yoon Jin, Nana, and Choi Kwang Il
Crank In Date: December 16th, 2019
Crank Up Date: February 29th, 2020
This thriller movie consists of an aspiring businessman who is suspected of a secret murder case and his lawyer trying to prove his innocence as they solve the case. So Ji Sub transforms as Yoo Min Ho, who is accused of murder, and Kim Yoon Jin is his lawyer who has never lost a case before and tries to prove him innocent, Yang Sin Hye. Nana is the key to the case, Kim Sae Hee while Choi Kwang Il plays Han Young Seok, who tries to seek the truth of another case. Though the movie was planned to be released in the second half of last year, its production briefing session was canceled and postponed due to the pandemic.
Three Days �(working title)
Director: Hyun Moon Sub
Cast: Park Shin Yang, Lee Min Ki, and Lee Re
Crank In Date: February 10th, 2020
Crank Up Date: May 2nd, 2020
This is an occult film that takes place as the devil wakes up within the heart of a dead daughter during her three-day-funeral. Park Shin Yang makes a comeback to the big screen after seven years as he plays Cha Seung Do, who suddenly loses his daughter. Lee Re from Peninsula plays the daughter who is possessed by the evil forces, So Mi, while Lee Min Ki turns into Priest Ban who has trained in exorcism in the Vatican.
Voice �(working title)
Director: Kim Sun, Kim Gok (directors of �White)
Cast: Byun Yo Han, Kim Mu Yeol, Kim Hee Won, Park Myung Hoon, Won Jin Ah, Lee Joo Young
Crank In Date: February 10th, 2020
Crank Up Date: May 12th, 2020
This crime movie is about a man who lost everything due to voice phishing, infiltrating through the headquarters in China, meeting the creator behind the voice phishing business. Byun Yo Han plays the role of Seo Jun, the victim who infiltrates the command post for the sake of his family, as Kim Mu Yeol is Professional Kwak, who works against him as the architect behind the voice phishing industry. Kim Hee Won transforms as Lee Kyu Ho, the head of the intellectual crime investigation unit, and Park Myung Hoon as director Chun, the head of China’s largest voice phishing organization. Lee Joo Young and Won JIn Ah each appear as hackers who help Seo Jun and his wife, respectively.
Director: Na Hyun (director of �The Prison)
Cast: Sol Kyung Gu, Park Hae Soo, Yang Dong Geun, and Lee El
Crank In Date: December 31st, 2019
Crank Up Date: May 27th, 2020
This is a spy action film that unravels as a person named Yacha and a prosecutor on a special inspection meets at Shenyang, China, a warzone for spies. Sol Kyung Gu was cast as Kang In, National Intelligence Service’s branch director of Shenyang, who is called “Yacha” for getting what he wants by all means. Park Hae Soo is a prosecutor from the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office, who has been demoted to Shenyang after living by the law. Together, the two face an intense confrontation within the movie.
Edited Hong Hyun Jung: K-content guide who publishes various articles for people to enjoy Korean movies and dramas deeper and richer. I’ll introduce you to the works that you can laugh, cry and sympathize with.
