Sol Kyung-gu and Yeo Jin-gu courted for war movie

15 June 30, 2014June 30, 2014

by girlfriday

Yay for more projects on Yeo Jin-gu’s horizon. After the dust-up over Fist Fighting, I get an extra sense of satisfaction every time Yeo Jin-gu gets another movie offer. This isn’t a done deal yet, but Sol Kyung-gu (Cold Eyes) and Yeo Jin-gu (Hwa-yi) are considering a war movie called The Western Front 1953, about soldiers from North and South who meet at the very tail end of the Korean War and band together in order to survive.

The movie will be penned by writer Chun Sung-il, of Chuno, Runaway: Plan B, and Level 7 Civil Servant fame (and also Pirates, starring Kim Nam-gil and Sohn Ye-jin, which is due out this summer). It was originally called There’s Nothing Wrong On the Western Front, but seeing as how that’s pretty much calling your movie All Quiet On the Western Front when it’s not a remake of the famous World War I book/movie, they added 1953 to make it clear that it’s set in the Korean War.

The blockbuster film will be about North and South Korean soldiers who meet on the western front in 1953, near the very end of the war. They find themselves under attack, and in a twist, they join forces in order to make it out alive. It sounds like a wartime version of JSA: Joint Security Area (though of course all war films will forever be compared to Taegeukgi), and already the concept intrigues me and tugs at the heartstrings. Possible friendships made across enemy lines at the end of a war, just as the country’s about to be split down the middle? Everyone get out your hankies.

There’s no word yet on the specific roles, and both actors are considering the offers. Once casting is finalized, The Western Front 1953 starts shooting in September.

Via TV Report, My Daily

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Tags: Sol Kyung-gu, Yeo Jin-gu

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1 Requiem

June 30, 2014 at 9:52 AM

No comments on the age gap?

;)

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pogo

June 30, 2014 at 12:38 PM

I see what you did there ;)

(and besides, YJG is underage)

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2 pogo

June 30, 2014 at 9:53 AM

oh man, war movies, so much potential for tears.

(especially seeing our favourite baby boy likely play a soldier when he's not even old enough to go to the army in real life)

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3 Laden

June 30, 2014 at 10:05 AM

Yeo Jin gu-the boy ahjusshi with the rich deep voice

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Sasaeng

June 30, 2014 at 12:59 PM

hahaha i totally agree... is he legal yet?... jailbait!

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Laden

June 30, 2014 at 1:37 PM

Sadly no

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4 Waiting

June 30, 2014 at 10:20 AM

Looks like a decent offer considering the writer thus far. Hope it continues in this way to a god outcome for all involved including us, the audience.

Wouldn't it be nice if this is the movie that puts this young man on the star radar? That would be a bit of sweet justice and maybe the universe really wanted him in this rather than Fist Fighting. It sounds nice in my head anyway. :)

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5 windsun33

June 30, 2014 at 11:54 AM

This theme seems to be getting a bit overdone. In fact there was even (a REALLY bad) North Korean movie with a similar theme a few years ago, in the 90's I think.

As an aside, anyone ever notice how there are so few movies and dramas done about the 1953 to 1987 period? Endless Love is the only recent one I can recall where there is any focus at all outside the OTP's and any comment on the actual social and government issues of the time.

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Lindy

June 30, 2014 at 3:27 PM

I just watched The President's Barber on DramaFever and found it fascinating. I'm not really as knowledgable as I should be on Korean history (but I'm learning, I'm learning!). The time span is 1960 to 1979, roughly the time span of Park Chung-hee's military dictatorship. It's been described as having a Forest Gump-esque flavour but it's a much darker, more ambiguous film. It shows the vanished and never to return pre-urban development and pre-industrialized Seoul which is interesting in itself.

I also just watched The Front Line. Admittedly this does take place at the very end of the war in 1953 but it discusses the purges of so-called pro-communists in the South where many people purged seemed to be victims of score settling and malicious rumour mongering. It's really atmospheric.

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6 Hwari

June 30, 2014 at 11:59 AM

This boy going places with all his all star co-star. Currently shooting his movie, he even managed to cameo in Tazza 2 movie for his 'dad' Kim Yun Seok in Hwayi.

Go and get this Jin Goo. Build up your resume. I wonder if his character will be like a high school that need to serve his country or already a soldier.

Isn't that Sol Kyung Gu got another movie with Ji Chang Wook. What happened to that?

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cherkell

June 30, 2014 at 12:43 PM

"Two Constables" only got as far as pre-production and location scouting work before it was put on the back burner due to investment problems -- a nasty rumour was going around (but vehemently denied by Director Kang Woo-suk) that if Anh Sung-ki's name was not attached to this project (he starred in the first two "Two Cops" films), the money people were skittish about backing such a project -- and a last-minute script re-write was also thrown into the mix. The production has not been cancelled, so we're all hoping that these issues are resolved quickly and that filming may resume later in the year. *fingers crossed*

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7 fab

June 30, 2014 at 12:11 PM

It's very sad! Pass that hanky please...

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8 LollyPip

June 30, 2014 at 1:33 PM

Oh, this looks great. I love "opposite-side underdogs band together" stories. Count me in!

I have absolutely LOVED Yeo Jin-gu since I first saw him in The Moon Embracing the Sun. He's got so much talent it's not even funny. And every time I see him in something new, I'm impressed even more! I just saw Hwayi last weekend, and WOW is all I can say. We're going to be seeing a lot of this young man in Kdramaland, for a very long time, i think.

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9 Just Sayin'

June 30, 2014 at 3:34 PM

Actually Jingu playing a soldier is historically accurate. There were child-soldiers on both sides. Many under-aged boys on both sides were forced to serve while some South Korean high school kids actually volunteered as paramilitary force. There is a famous bronze statue of two brothers embracing on the battlefield at the National War Memorial in Yongsan, Seoul: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Statue_of_Brothers

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10 redfox

July 1, 2014 at 8:17 AM

*wordless cheek-pinching*
...
*pinch pinch pinch*

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