"Woochi" set to work its magic - Part 1

Reporter : Lee Ji-Hye | seven@10asia.co.kr
기사입력 2009.11.18 21:45 최종수정 2009.11.18 21:45


Woochi is not as well-known a hero as Hong Kil-dong. While Hong Kil-dong was recorded in Korea's first tale, "Woochi" was an absurd fantasy novel written by an anonymous writer. So director Choi Dong-hoon took the story to create an action fantasy movie about the rascal wizard who frees himself from 500 years ago to fight against goblins in contemporary Seoul. The full cast and Choi showed up at a press conference at a CJ CGV theater on Monday to talk about Korea's first action-hero flick.

The preview shown at the event was enough to fuel the already much-anticipated film which was sold to 12 countries at the recent American Film Market. Below are exceprts from the press conference of the film set for release on December 23.


Q: It seems you went through a complex process for the filming -- from the wire action to car pursuit scenes.

Choi Dong-hoon (Choi): All movies are difficult to make but "Woochi" in particular was physically difficult. I think it's because I became greedy about wanting to shoot in a way that had nobody had attempted at before. But I realized I was in hell by the tenth day of filming. (laugh) In the middle of it, I knew I was filming somehow but I had no idea how it would look in the end. I was shooting in a better mood toward the end.


Q: Gang Dong-won, you're so good at wire action that even martial arts directors say you're the best actor at it in Korea. What's the secret to your skills?

Gang: There is no secret. But it's something that is done by manpower, not by machines so the most important thing is working in harmony with the martial arts team. I think having talked with them a lot was the main reason I did well. And in my case, all I needed to do was put on a great pose and the staff would work the cords. (laugh) I was really scared though. Being at a height where you think you'll probably break an arm or two isn't too bad, but it's really scary when you're at a height that you think you could fall and die.


Q: Kim Yoon-suk, you on the other hand, seemed quite scared of doing wire action.

Kim Yoon-suk (Kim): Kang became one with the wire but I tried to take control of it with my whole body, bending it and trying to fight against it. (laugh) The director was more lenient toward me because I have a family to support. I was at a lower height than Kang and I did most of my Taoist magic through looks in my eyes or expressions. And Kang would fly off almost 50 meters just from a look I would give him. (laugh)

Choi: I too couldn't ignore the fact that he was married since I am too. (laugh)

Q: It happened again in "Woochi" but it seems you're always up against tall actors. How does this feel? (laugh)

Kim: From "The Chaser" to "Running Turtle" to "Woochi", and then my next film "Hwanghae", the actors including Ha Jung-woo, Jung Kyung-ho and Kang Dong-won all stand in the 180-centimeter range. I was never considered small before since I'm 178 myself but I've somehow ended up working with modelesque actors. It's okay though, I can just pull them back behind me. (laugh) I'm young but it's refreshing sucking on their bloods to make myself younger. I also mess up the pretty ones by infecting them with me. The first thing I do is drink with them as long as I can under the excuse that I will give them advice on their lives. Then I mess up their clothes telling them that will be able to act well even if they don't dress well. (laugh) Such processes invigorate me and it's good because I end up developing a friendship with them that surpasses generations.


Q: Lim, this is your first time in an action film but you did wire action too. You also attempted at portraying a femme fatal image. They're a lot of changes. Is there anything you did in particular to change you role?

Lim Soo-jung (Lim): Everyone did wire action in this movie. Thankfully, I didn't have more wire actions scenes than the other actors but it was difficult because I don't have experience. I was able to finish the scenes successfully with the help of the other actors and martial arts team. The wire action I did is nothing compared to what the others did though. (laugh) And the role I took on in "Woochi" is very different from my previous roles but I had a lot of fun developing on a new character. My character didn't have a fixed image but had mysterious sides to her -- to an extent that I myself thought she is a bit weird. But of course, the director seemed to enjoy it the more I became weird. (laugh) I focused more on matching my acting to suit the character rather than on my transformation.


Q: Lim Soo-jung's character's name Seo In-kyung seems to have appeared a lot in director Choi's films including "The War of Flower" or "The Big Swindle".

Choi: That's why my wife keeps asking who she is. (laugh) But she's not someone I've met before. I just like the way it feels pronouncing her name. It's also a hassle to come up with new names.


Reporter : Lee Ji-Hye seven@10asia.co.kr
Photographer : Chae ki-won ten@10asia.co.kr
Editor : Jessica Kim jesskim@asiae.co.kr
<ⓒ10Asia All rights reserved>

"Woochi" set to work its magic - Part 2

Reporter : Lee Ji-Hye | seven@10asia.co.kr
기사입력 2009.11.18 21:34 최종수정 2009.11.18 21:46


Q: Choi Dong-hoon (Choi), you work with the Kim, Baek and Yoo trio so much, in almost every movie you make, that they're often identified as the 'Choi association'. What's so good about working with them?

Choi: That it's guaranteed you get to go out and drink afterwards? (laugh) Lines that had originally seemed bland in scenarios will come to life when Baek says them. He knows how to turn them into these amazingly great lines so I think I've become attracted to his way of speech. I also think the movies where I have him disappear do well. (laugh) He's a mentor in this movie, like he was in "The War of Flower", and it seems he is good at playing characters who provide important links to the story. He's also almost my dad's age but he is so unreserved that we can see each other as director versus actor. He's like my life mentor, friend and dad all at the same time.

Baek Yoon-shik (Baek): On unofficial occasions, mostly when we're out to drink, I complain to the director a lot. It's because I keep dying in his films. (laugh)


Q: Yoo Hae-jin, it seems that you would complain a lot too because you always play roles which are far from cool and this time in particular, you play a 'human dog' -- a character that has been unheard of.

Yoo Hae-jin (Yoo): I thought it would be worth trying and that it would be fun. And I really did have fun playing a character where a human being and dog coexists within the body. I take on the appearance of a human being but I'm actually a dog that has been transformed by Woochi so I had to have the traits of a dog. I started payed more attention to dogs than usual. (laugh) My character also constantly stays besides Woochi, as if they are traveling companions, so although it was my first time working with Gang Dong-won, I was able to find a lot of sincere aspects to him that I hadn't noticed before.


Q: You're recognized as a director who makes the best of the actresses, like you did with Yum Jung-ah and Kim Hye-soo in your previous works by discovering new sides to them. How was it working with Lim Soo-jung?

Choi: I'm very flattered but it's only because they worked hard. I thought I could only be ranked within the top directors by working with Lim. (laugh) My fellow directors all want to work with her too. She's such a delicate actress. And there were many times while editing that I found details she had expressed on set but had missed. There's a unique sense about Lim but I haven't been able to find out what it is yet so I want to put myself up to the challenge again by working with her.

Lim: First of all, I had a lot of fun on set and all the characters in the movie are funny and are attractive in their own way to an extent it may seem weird. I think that's the characteristic of Choi's movies -- being a collection of such characters. I myself had played nice, innocent characters but I felt better this time because my character swears slightly and expresses her inner desires and reveals her soft heart very honestly. I think "Woochi" will be the film that changes the characters I play or movies I choose to take on in the future.

: There are a lot of characters in this movie. How was it working with everyone?

Lim: They are definitely forces to be reckoned with. (laugh) To start with Kang, the best to talk about to make news, I thought he was very pretty but that he would be cold-hearted. I thought he would be very quiet and have few friends but he opened up a lot while working on this film. He's a very cheerful and smart actor. I actually learned a lot watching him. I personally like actor Yoo Hae-jin the best. He's a funny and honest speaker but his acting is exquisite. I thought he was born with the talent to act but I realized that he really puts in an enormous amount of effort. I was moved by how much he prepares for a single scene and how he continuously communicated with the director.


Q: Gang, you've been recognized with the superlative 'pretty boy' for a while now. Don't you feel competition against other pretty boys such as Hyun Bin and Kim Bum also set to release films near the years end?

Gang: I don't feel much pressure by the word itself because good-looking, pretty boy, whatever it is, they're all compliments. If people think I won't be able to focus on my acting because of such words, then breaking that stereotype is also part of the fun. I'm also confident about our movie doing well so I'm not pressured about other films which are awaiting release. (laugh) And I feel that every actor is my competitor but if I had to pick appearance-wise, there's also [Won] Bin, [Jo] In-sung... Not that I really consider them competition. Oh no, I can't take that back since I already said it. I bet it's already in the news. (laugh) I'm not confident about my looks but I will utilize my strengths as best I can.

Q: What sort of film is "Woochi"?

Choi: I hope it'll be considered a cheerful movie which will stir up people's imagination and memories that they have not been able to see with their eyes.


Reporter : Lee Ji-Hye seven@10asia.co.kr
Photographer : Chae ki-won ten@10asia.co.kr
Editor : Jessica Kim jesskim@asiae.co.kr
<ⓒ10Asia All rights reserved>

Kang Dong Won’s movie Jeon Woo Chi The Taoist Wizard goes small scree

Following the success of the big screen fantasy action blockbuster “Jeon Woo Chi : The Taoist Wizard” which attracted 6 million cinemagoers in the early 2010, Chorokbaem Media is planning to bring the story to the small screen as a drama series.

Chorokbaem Media is a notable production company who behind several success dramas such as Jumong, Chuno and Iljimae.

Jeon Woo Chi : The Taoist Wizard movie is starred by cutie Kang Dong Won, Im So Jung (MISA, I am A Cyborg) and award winning actor Kim Yoon Seok (The Chaser).

The movie tells story of a magician in the Josoen Era named Jeon Woo Chi who framed as his master’s murderer.
Then he and his dog are sealed inside an ancient scroll by three evil Taoist wizards until 2009, when he is freed by the trio wizards to battle evil goblins in the big city.
The trouble is that Jeon Woo Chi is more enthusiastic about sight seeing and womanizing than his appointed assignment.
Jeon Woo Chi : The Taoist Wizard as a drama series is planned for next year release.

source

Kang Dong-won joins the 10 million club

Seems like the all-time box office rankings are being topped and shuffled around every other day, doesn’t it? Kang Dong-won is the newest actor to join the 10 million club — i.e., actors whose movies have sold 10 million tickets — although with the small caveat that this distinction comes from two films, not a single one. His action-fantasy film Jeon Woo Chil, which released just before Christmas 2009, has surpassed the 6,000,000 mark, while his more recent release of Secret Reunion (Korean title Sworn Brothers) was released on February 4 and has now surpassed 4,000,000 viewers.

In the former, Kang plays an errant Taoist wizard who is released into modern-day Korea after being trapped for 500 years in an enchanted scroll. In the latter, he shows a completely different side to himself as a former North Korean spy who acts alongside Song Kang-ho as his South Korean counterpart.

This is a great way for the actor to go out before his mandatory military service. He is planning to act in one last project before he goes, and is reportedly deciding between two possibilities: Busan Project and Supernatural Powers. Both are films, but Kang has not yet made his final decision.

Via OSEN and Javabeans

[Movie] JEON WOO CHI : The Taoist Wizard Becomes the First Korean Film to Break the 5 Million Mark in 2010

The movie "JEON WOO CHI : The Taoist Wizard", directed by Choi Dong-hoon and produced by Zip Cinema, has broken the 5-million mark in just 26 days after its release.

According to Zip Cinema, the cumulative number of people who have seen the film stood at around 4.93 million as of January 16.

Although "JEON WOO CHI : The Taoist Wizard" premiered on December 23, 2009, one week after the Hollywood blockbuster Avatar, which is poised to become the first imported film to draw over 10 million viewers, it has been trailing close behind the smash hit sci-fi film and is now is on the brink of breaching the 5-million threshold.

"JEON WOO CHI : The Taoist Wizard" is about to be listed as the first Korean film to attract over 5 million viewers in 2010. Even though the action flick is now showing on a reduced number of screens due to the massive releases of new movies, it brought in nearly 200,000 people on January 16 alone, which is a relatively small decline from the 230,000 recorded on the previous Saturday (January 9), raising hopes of a long-lasting success.

Zip Cinema stated, "The unique storyline and heroic characters - borrowed from a tale of the same name written during the Joseon Dynasty - lend originality and freshness to the movie.

It is considered a highly entertaining film that college students and school kids can spend their winter vacations watching. And it is steadily drawing people to the cinema by word of mouth".

The movie follows the adventures of Jeon Woo-chi, a wayward magician from the Joseon Dynasty who gets sealed for 500 years inside an ancient scroll for a crime he didn't commit, but who is later released from his entrapment and is resurrected in modern-day Korea to fight with goblins and save the day.

The cast includes Kang Dong-won, Kim Yoon-seok, Im Soo-jeong and Yoo Hae-jin.

Source: edaily
Source : www.koreacontent.org... ( English Korean )

Kang Dong-won Makes Comeback

Actor Kang Dong-won has made a comeback after a two-year absence, wearing an outfit that perfectly suits him. He plays a malicious taoist in the movie "The Taoist Wizard," fabulously portraying the classical-novel character and even reinterpreting him in a fresh and mischievous way. He looks nothing like his confused character in "M" (2007) or the sad death-row convict he portrayed in "Our Happy Time."

When we met with Kang on December 16 prior to the movie's opening, he said that he wanted to gain popularity with more people. He said, "It's an entertaining movie. I tried hard to become closer to viewers. But unfortunately the rhythm of my acting was too slow." Throughout the interview, Kang kept saying that he wanted to be more popular. He seemed upset about his previous movie, "M," which performed poorly at the box office. He deliberately chose an entertaining role this time and worked hard to make his character lovable. Kang's character is a skilled taoist and overflows with confidence. He easily makes fun of the king and loves women.

Kang used his own mischievousness to make his character all the more playful. It was his idea to create 10 one-of-a-kind copies of his character when fighting with ghosts. He said, "The script said that I just had 10 other copies of myself, but that sounded boring, so I gave each copy its own unique personality. If you watch closely, you will recognize their personalities. Each of them represents a certain trait of my character: one is brave, one is wayward, one is righteous, and so on. The last one of them is one who spits."

Kang also changed the originally haughty tone of his character into a flawed one, because he thought that a character with flaws was easier to approach for the public. Kang realizes that he has a hard-to-approach image because he rarely appears in public and is far from talkative. He said, "That's what people think about me. But once they get a chance to talk to me, their opinion changes. I can be playful, like my character, when I'm around my friends. After shooting this movie, I've become more talkative."

Director Choi Dong-hoon and martial arts director Chung Doo-hong lauded Kang for perfectly performing difficult wire actions, which he pulled off thanks to the training that he had received when shooting the movie "Duelist." He also learned how to dance for five months, which explains why his long legs and arms move so gracefully in action scenes.

The expression on Kang's face changed from playful to serious when he began talking about action scenes. He said, "I hate amusement park rides. When I happened to visit a famous bungee jumping place, people tried to make me bungee-jump, but I couldn't do it."

Though playing his character in "The Taoist Wizard" has taught him how to have fun with colleagues, Kang says the production was a difficult one for him. He said, "I had to jump off a six-story building 20 times and I still vividly remember that feeling of horror."

source: KBS Global