Who will be the actors who will stand out in 2012 as the year draws to a close?Among the front runners are Song Joong Ki with ‘Nice Guy’ and Lee Jun Ki with ‘Arang and the Magistrate’.
Song Joong Ki has accumulated some popularity with his 2010 drama ‘Sungkyunkwan Scandal’, and 2011 drama ‘Tree of Deep Roots’. But some felt that he lacked the aura that belonged to a top star. But he is definitely at the top of his game right now, thanks to his sterling performance in his current drama ‘Nice Guy’, with many female viewers captivated by his suave looks and acting ability.
Other than dramas, Song Joong Ki is also actively striking out in the film industry, with his film ‘A Werewolf Boy’ set to hit cinemas from October 31st. ‘A Werewolf Boy’ talks of a young girl (Park Bo Young) who discovers a boy (Song Joong Ki) in a deserted small village. Having been separated from civilization since he was born, the boy behaves like a werewolf in the wild. The girl starts to educate the boy on proper manners like eating, wearing clothes, and also teaches him how to read and write, and become a proper man. The boy discovers love for the first time after interacting with the girl, but his hidden savage behaviour has the villagers on edge, worried about his possible rampage.
Song Joong Ki doesn’t have many lines in the 2 hours long film, and he uses his outstanding acting ability to portray the emotions of the werewolf boy. Many initially felt that Song Joong Ki was ill-equipped to deal with such a role, as it requires innate acting ability. But from the present situation, the viewers can safely lay their fears to rest.
The production company originally wanted to recruit Kim Soo Hyun to star in the film. But he backed out prior to the start of filming due to conflicts in payment. Thereafter, he took on the drama ‘The Moon that Embraces the Sun’ and soon became a breakout star.
Kim Soo Hyun’s swift rise had led the production company to regret their initial decision. If it was over scheduling conflicts or payment, it could be rectified easily and they would have got Kim Soo Hyun ultimately. But they then decided to let Kim Soo Hyun go, and decided to cast their 2nd choice which was Song Joong Ki. Many felt it was a pity that they couldn’t get their first choice and were worried. But the tides have turned, with Song Joong Ki being an extremely hot commodity at the moment, and Kim Soo Hyun must be relieved that all the attention isn’t on him finally.
The above situation isn’t an exception in the entertainment business. Director Park Chan Wook may have won the Grand Prix at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival. But it wasn’t all plain sailing for him as his earlier films like ‘The Moon Is… the Sun’s Dream’, ‘Trio’, and others were panned by critics and bombed at the box office.
But he finally made it with his fifth film ‘Joint Security Area’ (JSA). Although ‘JSA’ had a solid and fast paced storyline, it probably wouldn’t have wound up as a success at the box office if it hadn’t cast Song Kang Ho and Lee Byung Hun in the leading roles. But then again, the two weren’t first choice to be in the film in the first place and were actually going to be Choi Min Sik and Lee Jung Jae. If Choi Min Sik and Lee Jung Jae did star in ‘JSA’ as planned, would the film be successful at the box office as well? This will probably be a question that no one knows the answer to.
It’s the same situation with ‘Friend’ which made Jang Dong Gun into a big star, and also Yu Oh Sung into a household name. But they weren’t the original leading cast that the production company wanted, with Jung Jun Ho and Kim Kyung Jin being their first choice at first.
So with so many examples beforehand, can Song Joong Ki repeat history and go on to become the big star in the industry?
Who will be the actors who will stand out in 2012 as the year draws to a close? Among the front runners are Song Joong Ki with ‘Nice Guy’ and Lee Jun Ki with ‘Arang and the Magistrate’.
Song Joong Ki has accumulated some popularity with his 2010 drama ‘Sungkyunkwan Scandal’, and 2011 drama ‘Tree of Deep Roots’. But some felt that he lacked the aura that belonged to a top star. But he is definitely at the top of his game right now, thanks to his sterling performance in his current drama ‘Nice Guy’, with many female viewers captivated by his suave looks and acting ability.
Other than dramas, Song Joong Ki is also actively striking out in the film industry, with his film ‘A Werewolf Boy’ set to hit cinemas from October 31st. ‘A Werewolf Boy’ talks of a young girl (Park Bo Young) who discovers a boy (Song Joong Ki) in a deserted small village. Having been separated from civilization since he was born, the boy behaves like a werewolf in the wild. The girl starts to educate the boy on proper manners like eating, wearing clothes, and also teaches him how to read and write, and become a proper man. The boy discovers love for the first time after interacting with the girl, but his hidden savage behaviour has the villagers on edge, worried about his possible rampage.
Song Joong Ki doesn’t have many lines in the 2 hours long film, and he uses his outstanding acting ability to portray the emotions of the werewolf boy. Many initially felt that Song Joong Ki was ill-equipped to deal with such a role, as it requires innate acting ability. But from the present situation, the viewers can safely lay their fears to rest.
The production company originally wanted to recruit Kim Soo Hyun to star in the film. But he backed out prior to the start of filming due to conflicts in payment. Thereafter, he took on the drama ‘The Moon that Embraces the Sun’ and soon became a breakout star.
Kim Soo Hyun’s swift rise had led the production company to regret their initial decision. If it was over scheduling conflicts or payment, it could be rectified easily and they would have got Kim Soo Hyun ultimately. But they then decided to let Kim Soo Hyun go, and decided to cast their 2nd choice which was Song Joong Ki. Many felt it was a pity that they couldn’t get their first choice and were worried. But the tides have turned, with Song Joong Ki being an extremely hot commodity at the moment, and Kim Soo Hyun must be relieved that all the attention isn’t on him finally.
The above situation isn’t an exception in the entertainment business. Director Park Chan Wook may have won the Grand Prix at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival. But it wasn’t all plain sailing for him as his earlier films like ‘The Moon Is… the Sun’s Dream’, ‘Trio’, and others were panned by critics and bombed at the box office.
But he finally made it with his fifth film ‘Joint Security Area’ (JSA). Although ‘JSA’ had a solid and fast paced storyline, it probably wouldn’t have wound up as a success at the box office if it hadn’t cast Song Kang Ho and Lee Byung Hun in the leading roles. But then again, the two weren’t first choice to be in the film in the first place and were actually going to be Choi Min Sik and Lee Jung Jae. If Choi Min Sik and Lee Jung Jae did star in ‘JSA’ as planned, would the film be successful at the box office as well? This will probably be a question that no one knows the answer to.
It’s the same situation with ‘Friend’ which made Jang Dong Gun into a big star, and also Yu Oh Sung into a household name. But they weren’t the original leading cast that the production company wanted, with Jung Jun Ho and Kim Kyung Jin being their first choice at first.
So with so many examples beforehand, can Song Joong Ki repeat history and go on to become the big star in the industry?
Credits – Korea Star Daily
Asian Entertainment 