Random Asian Horror News
I wasn’t going to do a post today, but last night a good amount of news dropped in dramaland that I wanted to comment on, and with other news that came out earlier in the month I figured it was time to talk about it all in one post. I used to do a weekly wrapup where I talked about news, and since I don’t do that anymore (sans what we do on the podcast) I kind of miss it. I don’t miss having to find news to talk about when there isn’t a lot dropping or nothing that interests me, but I do find some stories that I want to talk about from time to time and it’s fun to do a roundup of specifically crime/thriller/horror content. Maybe I’ll make this a sporadic regular thing every time I feel like it? Sort of monthly? Or at least when I have enough to talk about. Let me know in the comments if that’s something you’re interested in. Most, if not all, of this list I’ve mentioned on Twitter so some of it might not be so new to you, but at the very least maybe you’ll find something that interests you that you didn’t catch when the news was first released.
MOVIES
Several movies will be dropping in July, all perfect for the summertime. There’s an upswing on the resurgence of movies getting back onto theater screens, and a lot of the movies that had been held for release from last year are all starting to appear.
Airing in both theaters and on TVing June 30th starring Jin Ki Joo. Kyung Mi (Jin Ki Joo) is hard of hearing. One night after leaving work she meets Do Sik, a serial killer (played by Wi Ha Joon), and tries to escape. The movie was filmed back in 2019, and was set to release in the beginning of 2020 but was pushed back due to Covid. I don’t know yet about the availability of this one, but hoping I’ll be able to catch it somewhere when it is released. It looks like it’s going to be a fun thriller, and I’ve loved Jin Ki Joo since she was in Come and Hug Me.
There are a lot of movies tied to exorcisms that will be coming out next month, and while exorcism movies aren’t necessarily my go-to in the genre, it doesn’t necessarily mean that I don’t like them. Especially when they are super easy to watch, as this one will be coming to Netflix. Former exorcist Park Jin Soo (Lee Sung Min) is plagued by dreams when he realizes he needs to face a demon that has been freed. Another movie that was shot in 2019 and scheduled for 2020, it drops July 3rd.
The Cursed: Dead Man’s Prey - 방법: 재차의
Starring Uhm Ji Won, Jeong Ji So, and Sung Dong Il, The Cursed: Dead Man’s Prey is a sequel to the 2020 kdrama The Cursed. I haven’t seen the drama yet, but it had been on my list. It came out at a really bad time, I was in the middle of my busiest part of the season at work when it premiered, and it ended mid-March - right when the world was imploding and it’s just stayed in the back of my mind as a drama to pick up one day. In the original drama, a reporter (Uhm Ji Won) uncovers a violent case affiliated with an IT company and a spiritual consulting company. While investigating she meets someone who has been possessed by a spirit. The director, Kim Yong Wan, states that the movie will tell the after story of the drama.
This movie has a solid lineup of people working on it. Well-known for the horror movie Shutter and the successful romcom Hello Stranger , Banjong Pisanthanakun directs this Thai-Korean joint project. The screenwriter is Ter Chantavit Dhanasevi, who directed the horror anthology ThirTEEN Terrors and previously worked with Pisanthanakun as the main role in Hello Stranger. Korean director/screenwriter, Na Hong Jin (The Wailing), is also attached to the movie as producer. A horrifying story of a shaman's inheritance in the Isan region of Thailand, where the spirit that appears to be possessing a family member might not be the benevolent goddess they believe it to be. The teaser for this looks phenomenal, and I suspect that out of all the movies I’ve listed this is already in the works for a US release soon, as it’s already been picked up for a French release. It is scheduled to be released in the theaters sometime in July. Out of all the movies I’ve listed, this is my top priority.
Kingdom: Ahsin of the North - 킹덤 외전: 아신
Not necessarily a movie, but it is a special and not a full season. If you haven’t seen the series, this will be a side sequel to season two, on the backstory of Ashin. The series is set in the Joseon period when a mysterious virus outbreaks (aka it’s a zombie period piece). Out on Netflix on July 23rd.
NEWS
Takashi Miike and Studio Dragon
Japanese director, Takashi Miike, will be teaming with production company Studio Dragon on what will be the first time a Japanese director has worked on a Korean drama. I can’t find anything on the drama, currently titled Connect, though I’m sure more will be coming out soon and is in the very early stages of production. Takashi Miike has worked on numerous films, but he’s most known (at least to me) for the horror movies Audition and Ichi the Killer, which makes me hope that this project will be a horror project. Because I need a good horror drama.
Originally when I saw the news for this, it piqued my interest because of the announcement of Kim Jaehyun’s (N.Flying drummer) casting, and I had not known much about the production. Now that I’ve read more into it, it’s moved up in my interests. The horror movie is based on the webcomic of the same name and will be directed by Jung Yong Gi who previously directed the 2004 horror The Doll Master. He will be joined by Japanese screenwriter Hiroshi Takahashi, known for his work on the Ring series. The story of the film revolves around the mysterious incidents that occur at the Oksu Station. Filming has just started for a 2022 release.
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