Song Joong Ki starring in Wolf Boy, is an up-and-coming Korean film star with potential to be a Hallyu superstar.
With Korean Film and Drama’s popularity on a rocket-like trajectory, many new actors are breaking through to become the prospective future Hallyu Film Superstars. This unprecedented popularity is largely due to Korea’s growing list of Hallyu-status actors—those popular outside of Korea—mostly attributable to heart-wrenching characters, superb acting (for the most part) and painfully cute personas. At the same time Bollywood fans are the among the largest dedicated audiences in the world. Films and Books picks the best stars and films from both.
The movies, too, are known for art direction, original musical scoring, and very deep character development. Actors such as Jang Keun Suk, Lee Min Ho, Rain, Song Hye Kyo and Lee Byung Hun are the Hallyu film stars of today. Who will it be in the next couple of years?
Through these film stars, people around the world have come to fall in love with Korea’s actors. Some of these actors will not fade easily in popularity, but there is still room for prospective future superstars. Here, are our picks for future possible superstars of film. Here, we are not picking top stars in drama or music who might be Hallyu stars such as Big Bang and Psy, but future film stars who have a good shot at being Hallyu status in the next two or three years. We’re also not including drama-only actors for this list. Do you have different picks?
Song Joon Ki has the potential to be a future Hallyu Star
Song Joong Ki
The Korean actor is known for a youthful, charming face, but equally for versatile acting ability. The diversity of roles—from illiterate “wolf boy” to flamboyant scholar who openly pursues other men—proves his skills. His star rose higher with his role in “Sungkyunkwan Scandal”. Parts in other dramas, “Obstetrics and Gynaecology Doctors” and “Tree with Deep Roots”, solidified his reputation as more than a pretty face. Song Joong Ki showed versatility in various film roles, acting in “Five Senses of Eros”, “The Grand Heist”, and “Hearty Paws 2”. He received acclaim as the lead role for the film “A Werewolf Boy”, which makes him an actor to watch as a future Hallyu prospect.
Lee Je Hoon in The Fortune Tellers (Ghost Sweepers) (2012) is a strong contender for future Hallyu prospect in Korean Film.
Lee Je Hoon
This Korean actor received more Korean film than drama, the opposite of most Korean actor careers. With thirteen films, but only 2 dramas, his fame is solid in the cinema big screen with roles in The Fortune Tellers (2012), Architecture 101 (2012), The Front Line (2011), Bleak Night (2010), Finding Kim Jong Wook (2010) and six other big screen films. His superb acting talent and looks have reminded many fans of a younger version of Uhm Tae Woong (himself not too old!), a celebrated actor in the same industry, notably for hits role in Introduction to Architecture in 2012. Having an innocent, yet versatile face, as natural in a teary scene as in a romantic one, makes him an actor to watch as a future Korean Hallyu prospect.
Kim Yoo Jung is a familiar face, a strong presence in Korean Dramas such as The Sun Embraces The Moon, and with the move to film will be a big star.
Kim Yoo Jung
Kim Hoo Jung first became famous for her young roles asa child actor, and has acted in almost as many movies as dramas. She has had roles in some of the most famous dramas—known for her role as young Wol in the highest-rated drama in 2012, The Moon that Embracing the Sun. She has acted in 20 dramas and 14 movies, showing a diversity, despite her young age in some roles. Famously, she acted in Quen Seon Deok, Gye Baek and Iljamae, and other hits. Kim Yoo Jung’s later film role was 2012’s, Alumni. She portrayed her tear-jerker role so well, that—with great acting talent plus her cute face—she is definitely one to watch out for big screen Korean cinema.
Song Jae Rim, like Kim Yoo Jung, played a strong role in The Moon Embraces the Sun. Although he’s new, with only a few movies, he is considered a breakout prospect.
Song Jae Rim
Song Jae Rim started to work in the industry in 2009, a relative newbie, but many viewers became instant fans, appreciating his acting skills after he planed Woon in The Moon That Embraces the Sun, a hit drama on Korean television. He displayed unique dramatic timing and acting ability in the series. He has also acted in three movies, latest Give Me Back My Cat (2012), the same year as he stared in The Moon That Embraces the Sun. This may be a long-shot call, with a short history of three dramas and three movies, but with his looks, and fan support, we think he’s a prospect for future Hallyu star.
Park Bo Young is a perennial favorite, and made a move to films with If You Were Me 4, Speedy Scandal, The ESP Couple and Our School E.T. In 2012 she starred in Wolf Boy, alongside Song Joong Ki.
Park Bo Young
From 2006-2008, Park Bo Young starred in seven Korean Dramas, but left the drama scene for film in 2008. She acted in four movies in 2008, including If You Were Me 4, Speedy Scandal, The ESP Couple and Our School E.T. In 2012, she jumped into two roles, Don’t Click and Wolf Boy along side our other pick Song Joong Ki. Her sudden popularity, her unique looks, solid acting ability makes her a prospect for the future.
Although Korean drama is, perhaps, arguably more popular than Korean film internationally — the big stars break into film, after hot careers in drama. Although there’s no way to predict Korea’s future Hallyu superstars, these five are prospects if all goes well in the unpredictable industry.
Indie Films & Books Magazine 