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| A poster for the film "Broker" / Courtesy of CJ ENM |
By Kwak Yeon-soo
As Korean films and dramas grow in worldwide prominence, English-speaking Korean actors are building parallel careers in Hollywood, as it becomes more common for foreign filmmakers to choose to work with them.
Most recently, actors Yoo Yeon-seok and Ye Ji-won starred in French filmmaker Denis Dercourt's mystery thriller "Vanishing," which was set in Korea.
When asked why he took the role, Yoo said, "I was always curious to know what differences there are between local and foreign film productions. I thought speaking English would bring out something different, and it did. I would happily do a film in other languages again."
Japanese auteur Hirokazu Kore-eda's drama film "Broker" which will hit theaters in June, features high-profile Korean actors Song Kang-ho, Gang Dong-won, Bae Doo-na and IU. Produced by CJ Entertainment, the film has been submitted for consideration at this year's Cannes film festival.
Gang recently signed with CAA and is poised to make a Hollywood debut with Scott Mann's disaster movie "Tsunami LA." Bae already has a number of Hollywood projects under her belt, including "Cloud Atlas" (2012), "Jupiter Ascending" (2015) and the TV series "Sense8."
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| Actor Hyunri, right, in Ryusuke Hamaguchi's "Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy" / Courtesy of Green Narae Media |
Another Japanese director, Ryusuke Hamaguchi, whose film "Drive My Car" won this year's Oscar for Best International Feature Film, has collaborated frequently with Korean actors. "Drive My Car" featured three Korean actors ― Park Yu-rim, Jin Dae-yeon and Ahn Hwi-tae.
His "Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy," which will hit local theaters in June, will also star Korean actor Hyunri. The prominent director, who has scooped multiple honors including Golden Globes and BAFTAs, said he noticed that Korean film is prospering and its influence is getting stronger.
Jung Ho-yeon, the star of Netflix's megahit series "Squid Game," announced recently that she signed with CAA and joined the cast of the Hollywood film "The Governesses," alongside Lily-Ross Depp and Cate Blanchett. Actress Jun Jong-seo starred earlier in "Mona Lisa and the Blood Moon" (2020) after signing with UTA.
This trend is led by the success of "Minari" (2021), starring Youn Yuh-jung and Han Ye-ri. It established a universal cinema language and paved the way for the ambitious non-English-speaking TV series "Pachinko," featuring Youn, Lee Min-ho and Kim Min-ha.
In addition, Korean directors are making inroads into Hollywood films. Filmmaker Kim Jee-woon is set to make the four-part TV series "Klaus 47," while Im Sang-soo will make his Hollywood feature debut with "Soho Sins."
