DOJ Charges Three North Korean Military Programmers For Sony Hack, Sweeping Cybercrimes In Expanded Indictment

Matt Donnelly Senior Film WriterSony Pictures Animation is developing a new movie about a pack of female K-Pop stars who slay evil spirits in between gigs.“K-Pop: Demon Hunters” is underway at the Oscar-winning studio behind “Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse,” from directors Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans.Kang, whose credits include “The Lego Ninjago Movie,” is mounting the project as an homage to her Korean pride and the wildly popular K-Pop music she grew up with.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau ChiefNetflix’s bold two-season commission of “Kingdom” and the series’ global success have propelled screenwriter Kim Eun-hee to the front lines. But she is no newcomer to Korean TV drama.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau ChiefA notable launch for “Minari” lifted the South Korea box office to its second highest weekend of 2021. The Korean-language American-made drama performed 80% higher than the weekend’s other significant new release Disney’s “Raya and the Last Dragon.”Opening in first place, “Minari” clocked up $1.68 million over the weekend, according to data from the Korean Film Council’s KOBIS box office tracking service.

Saban Films has picked up the horror-thriller Hide and Seek forNorth America, the U.K. and Ireland.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterApple has ordered a live-action series adaptation of the Korean webtoon “Dr. Brain.” The series will be the first completely Korean-language project at the streamer.Kim Jee-Woon will write and direct, with “Parasite” star Lee Sun-Kyun set to star.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau ChiefTriumph and pain were bedfellows last year for the Korean film industry. But Berlin’s European Film Market and the imminent Hong Kong FilMart see Korean companies putting on a brave face.Korean cinemas were in defensive mode early on in the coronavirus pandemic, as a population familiar with epidemics chose to stay away from crowded places.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau ChiefThe end came quietly with the humdrum announcement of a deal between two state-owned TV groups, China Central Television (CCTV) and South Korean public broadcaster KBS.

Carole Horst Triumph and pain were bedfellows last year for the Korean film industry. But Berlin’s European Film Market and the imminent Hong Kong FilMart see Korean companies putting on a brave face.Korean cinemas were in a defensive mode early on in the coronavirus pandemic, as a population familiar with epidemics chose to stay away from crowded places.

EXCLUSIVE: The Remake Co, FilmSharks’ specialty label handling remake rights, has closed a deal with Korea’s Covenant Pictures for rights to the Argentinian feature Crazy Heart.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau ChiefConsumption of South Korean content now outstrips time watching U.S.-made content on streaming platforms in three key market in South East Asia.

Netflix reaffirmed its commitment to South Korea's globally appealing entertainment industry Thursday, unveiling plans to spend nearly $500 million in 2021 on films and television series produced in the country. The plans were unveiled during Netflix's splashy "See What's Next Korea" event held in Seoul, where Korean directors and stars gathered with Netflix creative executives to promote the company's current and upcoming local-language originals.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau ChiefMultinational streaming giant Netflix is positioning itself to be a dominant force in South Korean entertainment, a country where films, TV shows and K-pop music have become global successes.The company said Thursday that it will spend close to half a billion dollars on Korean content in the current year and expand its production slate.New elements include two stand-alone films: “Moral Sense” and “Carter.” The former, to be directed by Park Hyun-jin (“Like for

previously charged in 2018 with the Sony Hack crime, as well as the February 2016 cyber-enabled heist of $81 million from the Bank of Bangladesh and the May 2017 global Wannacry 2.0 attack. This was the first time the U.S.  made charges against a Pyongyang operative.According to the DOJ, the three defendants worked for the Reconnaissance General Bureau, a wing of the North Korean military intelligence.