Korea’s Barunson E&A Teases Bong Joon Ho Projects, Expanded Film and TV Slate

Squid Game breakout star Wi Ha-joon is currently in talks to star in the upcoming drama Little Women.Earlier today (October 19), South Korean news outlet JoyNew24 reported that the Squid Game actor had been cast as the lead in the forthcoming series. His agency MSteam Entertainment has since clarified that Wi has received an offer for said role, but that he is still in the process of reviewing it.If cast, Wi will be starring alongside actresses Nam Ji-hyun and Kim Go-eun.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief“Venom: Let There Be Carnage” gave a much-needed jolt to the South Korean box office with a $6.66 million opening weekend.

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor“Squid Game,” the hyper-buzzy Korean drama that has become Netflix’s biggest-ever TV show, is on track to deliver an astounding payback for the streaming service, according to the company’s internal estimates.Netflix paid $21.4 million for the nine-episode series, which premiered four weeks ago, and the company estimates “Squid Game” will deliver more than 40 times that — an estimated $891 million — in what the company calls “impact value,” Bloomberg reported

Exception: Unless the subject is South Korea’s smash hit show Squid Game.

111 million globally since its Sept. 17 release, the Korean dystopian drama has, as to be expected, exploded into a real-life phenomenon — with weird and wacky, sometimes disappointing or occasionally dangerous results.St.

Todd Spangler NY Digital EditorThe buzz about “Squid Game” hit the radar of North Korea’s repressive socialist dictatorship, which slammed the Netflix breakout hit as proof that South Korea’s capitalist culture is a “beastly” failure.North Korean propaganda site Arirang Meari, in a report about “Squid Game,” excoriated the high-concept survival drama as depicting the “sad reality of a beastly South Korean society.”“‘Squid Game’ gained popularity because it exposes the reality of South Korean

Warning: This post contains spoilers for “Squid Game.”The world is officially obsessed with “Squid Game,” but there could be more to come in a potential Season 2. The South Korean survival drama series just became the most popular show in Netflix’s history, exploding in popularity after its Sept.

Squid Game as criticism against “beastly” South Korean society.According to Reuters, North Korean website Arirang Meari published an article on October 12 where it reportedly said that hit series Squid Game is a reflection of South Korean society, where “corruption and immoral scoundrels are commonplace”.The article has also allegedly cited unnamed South Korean film critics, saying that they lauded Squid Game for reportedly exposing the “unequal” South Korean society, where “moneyless people

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Manori Ravindran International EditorGlobal markets can’t seem to get enough of lego.South Korea is the latest country to sign up for a local adaptation of Fox reality competition series “Lego Masters.” Distributor Banijay Rights has sold the format into leading broadcaster MBC, which will air and co-produce the hit show’s Korean debut with Los Angeles- and Seoul-based production company B&C Content.The deal will see “Lego Masters” become the only non-Korean unscripted format to air on

Stray Kids, have opened up about their initial move to South Korea.In a recent interview with Rolling Stone Australia, Bang Chan and Felix spoke about their Australian upbringing and journey to debuting as K-pop idols. The latter, who had only trained for a year before his debut, revealed that his lifestyle had to change completely.“When I was in Australia, I’d go to school, come back home, do my homework, and that was it for the day,” said Felix, who was born in Sydney.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief“No Time To Die” kept its place at the top of the South Korean box office for the second weekend. But, with no significant new releases competing against the James Bond title, it was a hollow victory.The Universal-released “No Time To Die” earned $1.83 million in Korea on its second weekend of release, according to data from Kobis, the Korean Film Council-backed tracking service.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau ChiefCOVID-related travel restrictions have made Busan’s film market a more Korean affair. But, having gone virtual, that does not have to be the case.Some 22 European sales companies, more than in 2020, will wake part at the Asian Contents & Film Market which kicks off Monday.

Rebecca Souw Busan’s Asian Contents & Film Market kicks off Monday in virtual format for the second year. But that COVID-enforced constraint may not be an impediment.Market stalls operated on behalf of sales companies are virtual, and many Korean sellers will stay in place in Seoul, rather than making the trip to Busan.

Rebecca Souw Thursday saw the world premiere of the French-made, Korea-set romantic thriller, “Vanishing” at the Busan International Film Festival. Its director Denis Dercourt said that the movie attempts to straddle both cultures.Adapted from the Peter May novel, “The Killing Room,” the script was in the works for eleven years, according to Alexis Dantec, the film’s producer.

Wife of a Spy” was the biggest winner at the 15th edition of the Asian Film Awards. It collected three major prizes including the best film award.The 18 prizes were handed out Friday evening at a hybrid ceremony with the in-person component held at Busan’s Paradise Hotel.

It’s the next big thing on Netflix, and now the rest of the world is catching up to the phenomenon of Squid Game. That includes an appearance with Jimmy Fallon on The Tonight Show on Wednesday night.

IZ*ONE member Kim Min-ju has reportedly rejected an offer by BTS agency HYBE to join its upcoming girl group.This is according to a new report by YTN News, which claims that the South Korean singer-actress has decided to turn down HYBE’s offer after discussing it with her agency Urban Works Media.Instead of joining the upcoming HYBE girl group, which will reportedly be managed by former GFRIEND agency Source Music, Kim will continue to pursue her burgeoning acting career.