Latest news with #DarkNuns
Indian Express
10-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Song Hye Kyo names the K-drama that made her quit love stories for good: ‘I stopped feeling excited ever since…'
Song Hye Kyo ruled the screen as a queen of romance for decades. Her name alone could pull any rom-com or mellow drama, making her one of South Korea's highest-paid female stars. But in recent years, her career trajectory has completely shifted, leaving fans wondering and waiting for her to return to her old groove. Now in her 40s, Song says love stories just don't excite her anymore. In a rare appearance on musician Jung Jae Hyung's YouTube talk show, she opened up about her recent choices and how her transformative role in Netflix's 2022 hit changed her point of view. When Song showed up on the talk show, she was promoting her supernatural thriller Dark Nuns, marking her return to films after 11 years. While she stayed active in K-dramas, her screen time was way less than expected, just two mellow dramas (Encounter and Now, We Are Breaking Up), and a full stop on rom-coms ever since Descendants of the Sun shot her to global fame, back when OTT wasn't even a thing. Dark Nuns comes right after the massive success of Netflix's 2022 hit The Glory, the revenge-driven K-drama that turned out to be another blockbuster in Song's career, and arguably the reason she decided to lean deeper into darker roles. Also read: Song Hye Kyo reveals filmmaker tried to confiscate her passport after sensing she wanted to escape: 'I was stuck for three years' She admitted she might not return to love stories anytime soon. 'Personally, I really love melodramas. It's just that I stopped feeling excited about acting after doing them for so long,' she said. 'After finishing The Glory, I didn't want to go back to a love story again.' These days, she's more drawn to genre-based scripts. After seeing the popularity of The Priests, she considered doing the sequel. 'There was some pressure about that,' Song said, adding that the occult genre already has a loyal fanbase. Still, she wanted to give it a shot. 'It's a type of acting I've never tried before… I feel excited about seeing a new side of myself.' Also read: Park Bo Young wanted to run away on first day of Netflix's Our Unwritten Seoul: 'I was scared viewers wouldn't see…' Song debuted in the acting scene during her teen years with the show Soonpoong Clinic. Ever since, her natural beauty and sea-like eyes had her typecast in romance shows, something she was ready to break out of after a long hiatus from acting, determined to make a proper comeback. In an earlier interview with a Korean media outlet, Song said, 'Honestly, when I was younger, my focus when watching my projects was on how I looked on screen. Whether I appeared pretty or not was my top priority.' She added, 'Of course, I still want to look good, but now my perspective has shifted. What matters most to me now is whether my performance has been captured well and if I've conveyed what I intended. Looking pretty or not just doesn't feel as important to me anymore,' according to Chosun Biz. The actor now single-handedly carries the entire K-drama on her shoulders while taking home some of the biggest paychecks in the industry. On the work front, Song Hye Kyo is gearing up for a business K-drama alongside Goblin star Gong Yoo. The series is penned by Noh Hee-kyung and will revolve around professionals in the entertainment industry, focusing on the ones behind the scenes, set in the 1960s and 1980s
Forbes
04-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Song Hye-Kyo And Jeon Yeo-Been Film 'Dark Nuns' To Debut In U.S.
Song Hye-kyo is a rogue nun who performs exorcisms in 'Dark Nuns.' Sister Giuna is known as a 'dark nun" because of her belief in demonic possession and the means she employs to exorcize demonic spirits. While some in the church support her belief in exorcism, others consider it superstition. Some of the priests who do believe in exorcisms can't imagine a nun would be effective. She's just a nun. They underestimate her skills and resolve. In the Korean film Dark Nuns Sister Giuna is the only one who can vanquish a powerful demon, even if she needs some help with her rituals. Giuna, played by Song Hye-kyo, asks Sister Michaela, played by Jeon Yeo-been, to help her perform the necessary rites. Sister Michaela initially needs some convincing as she works under Father Paolo, played by Lee Jin-uk (Squid Game, Sweet Home, Dear Hyeri). He doesn't believe in exorcism, stressing that faith and psychology are the answers to a patient's problems. However she's had firsthand experience with demons. She knows they exist and how dangerous they can be, so she decides to help Sister Giuna exorcize a boy being tormented by demons. Jeon Yeo-been plays a nun who has some experience seeing demons in 'Dark Nuns.' Dark Nuns is the supernatural sequel to the 2015 film The Priests, starring Kim Yoon-seok (The Frog, Tazza: High Rollers, Noryang The Deadly Sea) Park So-dam (Parasite, Death's Game, Record of Youth) and Kang Dong-won, (Peninsula, Jeon Woo-chee, Uprising). The horror mystery film is about a young girl who is possessed by an evil spirit and the two priests who attempt to save her soul. The 2025 film Dark Nuns was a box office hit in Korea. Part of the appeal in both these exorcism stories is the star cast. Song, well known to international audiences for her roles in The Glory, Encounter and Descendants of the Sun, creates a strong character in Sister Giuna, a woman ready to sacrifice what's left of her life in the battle against evil. Jeon, another accomplished actress, known for her roles in Harbin, Glitch and Vincenzo, also creates a relatable character, one tormented by her own visions of evil. The rituals they perform to save a young victim's soul put them in direct violation of the church's orders. Performing such rituals endangers their lives and also their immortal souls. Director Hyuk Jae-kwon creates a seductively eerie mood with thoughtful visual effects and discordant background noises. Characters operate in mist and shadows. Scenes are set in grimy derelict spaces or feature the ominous sound of agitated bat wings. Still, it's the force of the film's female stars that demand attention as they pursue their deadly mission. The Nuns and its precursor The Priests are distributed by Well Go USA Entertainment. There are a few viewing options. Both films will be released on Blu-Ray and DVD through Amazon on July 15. The films are also available on streaming platform that same day.
Korea Herald
19-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Korea Herald
Korean box office slumps in Feb. amid lack of hit films
South Korea's box office saw sluggish performance last month, with ticket sales and attendance declining sharply year-on-year, data showed Wednesday. According to the Korean Film Council, total cinema attendance dropped 52.2 percent on-year to 5.47 million, while sales plummeted more than 60 percent to 26.3 billion won ($18.1 million), largely due to the absence of major hit movies. The comedy-action "Hitman 2" and the supernatural thriller "Dark Nuns," which were released around the Lunar New Year holiday in January, continued to attract local moviegoers. But their performances lagged far behind the mega success achieved by last year's supernatural thriller "Exhuma." The Hollywood blockbuster "Captain America: Brave New World," which hit local theaters on Feb. 12, was the biggest hit of the month, generating 14.6 billion won in sales and drawing over 1.4 million moviegoers. (Yonhap)
Gulf News
27-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Gulf News
Song Hye-kyo on life in her 40s, inner strength and ambition: 'I have no fear of aging'
The South Korean star says she now puts herself first, as compared to earlier Last updated: February 27, 2025 | 11:27 1 MIN READ Song Hye-kyo said that she values the present, more than the past or the future. Instagram/ Song Hye-kyo From the breezy charm of Full House in 2004 to the haunting intensity of Dark Nuns, Song Hye-kyo's career has been a captivating rollercoaster of diverse roles. A director, a lonely heiress, a cheerful surgeon—she's done it all. In a recent interview with Vogue Hong Kong, the South Korean star shared how she constantly challenges herself and how she would love the chance to work in the light romantic comedy genre. 'If there's a realistic and witty comedy that suits someone in their 40s, I would love to try it,' she says. When asked if her 40s have been better than her 20s, Hye-kyo shared, 'I've gone through my 20s and 30s to become who I am today. We all grow old together, so I have no fear of aging.' She adds, 'Of course, since I have such a visible profession, I try hard to manage it.' "To be honest, I don't really have any ambition. I value the present more than the past or future. I want to work hard on everything I've been given and live wisely,' says Hye-kyo. Her perspective on strength has evolved over time. Hye-kyo explains, "I used to live under the gaze of others; my friends and family always came first. As long as they were happy, I'd be happy too. But at some point, I realized I had never put myself first. I thought, 'Let's put me first, no matter what.' After that, I felt more centered in everything I do.' As she says, embracing 'herself' has brought a sense of calm, and she can approach others in a far more relaxed way. 'I've become stronger on the inside,' she says. Sign up for the Daily Briefing Get the latest news and updates straight to your inbox
Korea Herald
27-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Korea Herald
Korean box office surges in Jan. driven by holiday hits
The number of moviegoers surged in January, driven by the release of several hit films and an extended Lunar New Year holiday, data showed Thursday. According to the Korea Film Council, total cinema attendance rose 46.8 percent on-year to 6.8 million, while sales increased 45.1 percent to 65.3 billion won ($45.5 million). KOFIC partly credited the growth to the success of the historical epic "Harbin," which drew 2.07 million moviegoers in January. Other Korean films, including the comedy-action "Hitman 2" and the supernatural thriller "Dark Nuns," also performed well, surpassing their break-even points. The films drew 1.65 million and 1.27 million, respectively, last month. Meanwhile, foreign movies struggled, attracting just 2.11 million viewers and generating 20 billion won in sales, accounting for 23.4 percent of total seat occupancy. These figures marked declines of 32.5 percent and 32.6 percent, respectively, compared with the previous year. "Sonic the Hedgehog 3," which premiered on Jan. 1, attracted only 300,000 viewers throughout the month. (Yonhap)
