Friday, March 20, 2009

U.S. Acts Quickly to Grab the Rights of Another Korean Comedy



Kang Hyeong-cheol's "Scandal Makers" ("Speedy Scandal") barely three months after its Korean release is set to be remade in the U.S. The William Morris Talent Agency, one of the biggest above the line talent agencies in the U.S snapped the film up after seeing a screener. The Agency represents and has represented some of the biggest in Hollywood including actors Denzel Washington, Russell Crowe and Richard Gere and directors Quentin Tarantino Ridley Scott and Clint Eastwood. Barry Sonenfeld director of Men in Black, TV drama Pushing up Daisies and producer of many other U.S TV dramas is set to direct and produce.

The Korean release stars Cha Tae-hyeon, who also appeared in "My Sassy Girl" (2001), another major comedy to be bought up by the U.S. Cha plays a popular radio host in his thirties who used to be a star in his teens. One of his young female listeners turns up on the scene claiming to be his daughter and her son - his grandson.

In Korea, "Scandal Makers" ("Speedy Scandal") overturned "200 Pounds of Beauty" as the biggest selling comedy in Korean history with 8.2 admissions. Despite its box office pull in Korea, it remains to be seen how Hollywood can rework it into U.S cinema gold as was not the case with the remake of "My Sassy Girl".

Source: www.koreanfilm.or.kr

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