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This Star Wars: The Acolyte article contains spoilers.

As the first Star Wars television show set during the High Republic, The Acolyte has all of the ingredients needed to make a unique and compelling Star Wars story. The plot centers on an investigation into a mysterious crime spree that uncovers secrets and dangers long thought to be buried. The time period is new and exciting. And, it has an incredibly stacked cast full of performers eager to bring this era of Star Wars to life.

Here are some of the characters you can expect to see in The Acolyte and the talented performers who play them.

Amandla Stenberg is Osha and Mae

Amandla Stenberg is playing twin sisters Osha and Mae who were “separated by tragedy when they were very young,” according to the actor. Osha was once the promising Padawan of the Jedi Sol before leaving the order due...

Actor Lee Jung-jae will attend the Monte-Carlo Television Festival next month for the French press launch of Lucasfilm’s latest live-action series “Star Wars: The Acolyte,” which streams on Disney+. In the show, Lee plays a Jedi Master.

It was his role in the globally successful Netflix series “Squid Game” that first catapulted Lee’s career to an international level. Starring as Seong Gi-hun (No. 456), a financially struggling father who participates in a deadly survival game, his performance earned him the Emmy Award for best actor in a drama series, a first for a non-English speaking actor.

This tremendous success significantly elevated the career of Lee, who is now considered by many as the international standard-bearer for a highly creative and avant-garde Korean culture.

In “Star Wars: The Acolyte,” an investigation into a series of shocking crimes pits a respected Jedi Master (Lee) against a dangerous warrior from his past.

In the scripted drama The 8 Show, eight strangers in dire straits are taken to a mysterious building and locked inside. There, they’re forced to become contestants on a show where time quite literally equals money … but at what cost? And what happens when the playing field is unequal from the start?

Based on webtoons by Bae Jin-soo, the K-drama The 8 Show is a slow-burn series that reveals just how vulnerable humans are to the darkest sides of a hyper-capitalist society. Directed and written by Han Jae-rim, the seriesstars Baeksang Arts Awards winners Ryu Jun-yeol, Chun Woo-hee, and Park Jeong-min.

Stream it now.

Check it out at the top of this page.

Eight down-on-their-luck strangers find themselves locked in a building where the longer they stay, the more money they make. While a massive countdown clock ticks, the contestants are tasked...

“Squid Game” star Lee Jung-Jae has been cast as the male lead in Disney+’s upcoming “Star Wars” show “The Acolyte,” alongside previously announced star Amandla Stenberg.

Going farther back in time than any live-action “Star Wars” project before it, “The Acolyte” will take place in the last days of the High Republic Era, centuries before “The Phantom Menace,” where the thought-to-be eradicated Siths have returned. “Russian Doll” co-creator Leslye Headland will be showrunning.

Also Read:

Amandla Stenberg to Lead ‘Star Wars’ Show ‘The Acolyte’

Speaking to TheWrap last year, Headland — who is the first queer woman to be behind a “Star Wars” title — said “The Phantom Menace” appealed to her upon its release, when she was first discovering her sexuality.

“I actually was very intrigued by why George Lucas had started us at that particular point. I kind of wondered, but what happened to lead up to this? That...

Six years after his last feature “The Show Must Go On”, Han Jae-rim managed to make his overall third work “The Face Reader”, a period drama set during the Joseon dynasty, again starring Song Kang-ho in one of the leading parts. While his previous movies were certainly praised by audiences and critics alike, his third effort was his most successful one, both commercially and critically, winning major awards at the 50th Grand Bell Awards, the 34th Blue Dragon Awards and the 33rd Korean Association of Film Critics Awards, to name just a few. Apart from focusing on the power politics and scheme-making among the rulers of the time, the story is also part of a film project centered around Korean fortune-telling traditions, and was followed by “The Princess and the Matchmaker” as well as “Feng Shui”.

“The Face Reader” is screening at Florence Korea Film Festival

Skilled face reader Nae-gyeong...

Exclusive: Lee Jung-Jae, protagonist of Netflix’s smash series Squid Game, has signed with CAA for representation as a director, producer and actor.

Lee played character Seong Gi-Hun in Squid Game, the survival drama series that has garnered four Screen Actors Guild award nominations, including Male Actor in a Drama Series for Lee. This makes Lee the first male TV performer to solely earn SAG Award recognition for a fully non-English language role.

In addition, Lee was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Television Actor – Drama Series and the Critics’ Choice Television Award for Best Actor in a Drama Series, breaking another record for the first male actor from Asia to receive individual nominations across all three award shows in those categories.

For his next project, Lee will make his directorial debut with feature Hunt, which he will also star in alongside Jung Woo-Sung. The film was also...

When the Screen Actors Guild nominations were announced earlier this month, many pundits were surprised to see three “Succession” stars nominated in the drama actor category: Jeremy Strong, Brian Cox and Kieran Culkin. After all, that had never happened before in this race, as the guild forces leads and supportings to compete against each other for only five slots. Is it possible there will now be a “Succession” SAG Award vote-split in this category? Co-nominees Lee Jung-jae (“Squid Game”) and Billy Crudup (“The Morning Show”) certainly hope so, as they’d be the ones to benefit.

June-jae is one of the breakout performers of 2021, thanks to starring in Netflix’s number one show of all time, “Squid Game.” The Korean actor plays down-on-his-luck father Seong Gi-hun, who agrees to enter the deadly games in order to win money to support his family. He is one of the most sought-after stars in South Korea,...

One of the breakout stars of 2021, Lee Jung-jae from Netflix’s “Squid Game,” was recently recognized by the Critics Choice Awards with a nomination for Best Drama Actor. In order to win the trophy, the Korean star will need to take down “Succession’s” one-two punch of Jeremy Strong and Brian Cox, who lead Gold Derby’s predictions in first and second place, respectively. Might there be a vote split scenario that could help Jung-jae claim victory at his very first American award show?

See Critics Choice Awards: Complete list of film and TV nominations

While vote-splitting is sometimes a factor that can affect co-stars’ chances of winning awards, it hasn’t necessarily stopped the “Succession” leads. The two times Strong and Cox have been up against each other (at the 2020 Emmys and the 2020 Satellite Awards), Strong earned enough votes to take out Cox. Elsewhere, Strong prevailed at the 2020 Critics...

How does it feel that “Squid Game” has become a worldwide phenomenon, watched by over 142 million households globally? Although Netflix has picked up the show for a second season, we’re still reeling from how the first season ended.

Gold Derby senior editors Marcus Dixon and Rob Licuria welcome seven “Squid Game” cast members to an all-star roundtable discussion lasting well over one hour (watch above). We were joined by creator, director, writer and showrunner Hwang Dong-hyuk along with stars Lee Jung-jae, Park Hae-soo, Wi Ha-jun, Jung Ho-yeon, Heo Sung-tae, Anupam Tripathi and Kim Joo-ryoung, and key crafts talent Chae Kyoung-sun (production designer), Jung Jae-il (composer) and Jung Jai-hoon (visual effects supervisor).

See How ‘Squid Game’ could pull off SAG Awards upset: It’s ‘Stranger Things’ and ‘Parasite’ rolled into one

Netflix dropped all nine episodes of the show on September 17 and it quickly became a word-of-mouth sensation. The series...

One of the hottest shows worldwide in 2021 is “Squid Game” for Netflix! And now we are reuniting the cast and crew for a one-hour roundtable chat with our senior editors Marcus Dixon and Rob Licuria.

Enjoy creator, director, writer and showrunner Hwang Dong-hyuk along with stars Lee Jung-jae, Park Hae-soo, Wi Ha-jun, Jung Ho-yeon, Heo Sung-tae, Anupam Tripathi and Kim Joo-ryoung. We’ve also got key crafts talent Chae Kyoung-sun (production designer), Jung Jae-il (composer) and Jung Jai-hoon (visual effects supervisor).

RSVP today to this specific event by clicking here to book your free reservation. We’ll send you a reminder a few minutes before the start of the show.

Netflix dropped all nine episodes of the show on September 17 and it quickly became a word-of-mouth sensation. The series tells the story of down-on-their-luck people in dire need of money who receive mysterious invitations to join a dangerous life-or-death version...

Well Go USA has snapped up all North American rights to the anticipated South Korean disaster film Emergency Declaration, which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival last summer. The distributor will open the film theatrically in U.S. and Canadian theaters in 2022 following its domestic release in Korea.

Directed by Han Jae-rim (The Show Must Go On, The Face Reader), stars a trio of Korea’s biggest name stars: local legend Song Kang-ho in his first role since Parasite; leading man Lee Byung-hun following some recent global exposure in Squid Game; and Cannes best actress winner Jeon Do-yeon (Secret Sunshine, The Housemaid). The ...

Well Go USA has snapped up all North American rights to the anticipated South Korean disaster film Emergency Declaration, which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival last summer. The distributor will open the film theatrically in U.S. and Canadian theaters in 2022 following its domestic release in Korea.

Directed by Han Jae-rim (The Show Must Go On, The Face Reader), stars a trio of Korea’s biggest name stars: local legend Song Kang-ho in his first role since Parasite; leading man Lee Byung-hun following some recent global exposure in Squid Game; and Cannes best actress winner Jeon Do-yeon (Secret Sunshine, The Housemaid). The ...

Korean cinema’s recent obsession with disaster movies continues and the latest to join the already released productions in the genre is probably the most high profile of them all. Featuring a blinding superstar-cast, “Emergency Declaration” also features a terrorist angle and is all set to premiere Out of Competition at Cannes Film Festival this month.

Synopsis

‘Emergency Declaration’: If an aircraft faces a potential disaster, and normal flight can no longer be maintained, the pilot calls for an unconditional landing.

Veteran chief police detective In-ho receives a tip about a man threatening a terrorist attack against a plane. While investigating, he discovers that the sus- pect has actually boarded flight no. KI501.

Despite his phobia of flying, Jae-hyuk decides to go to Hawaii for the sake of his daughter’s health. At the airport, he is distracted by a strange man who hangs around, speaking to them in a menacing way.

“Parasite” star Song Kang-ho, who will be part of the main competition jury at Cannes Film Festival this year, will do double duty as the representative of Emergency Declaration, the Korean action drama film which plays out of competition. Song is joined in the cast of the film by two of Korea’s best actors Lee Byung-hun and Jeon Do-yeon, who previously won the acting palme at Cannes for her role in “Secret Sunshine.”

The film involves a terror plot on board a plane from Seoul to Hawaii, but where the supposed terrorist is himself on board, puzzling a veteran detective who is investigating. When a man dies on board shortly after take off, the transport ministry tries to find a way to land the plane.

The film, directed by Han Jae-rim, heads the Cannes Market slate of producer-distributor Showbox. Pre-sales have secured the film distributors throughout Asia, and also...

“Parasite” star Song Kang-ho will head the cast of airborne disaster action move “Emergency Declaration.” Jeon Do-yeon and Lee Byung-hun co-star, making “Declaration” one of the powerful casts ever assembled in a Korean movie.

The film is in pre-production and aiming for an end-of-year release. Leading studio Showbox will begin pre-sales during this week’s European Film Market.

Showbox pitches it as ”an airborne blockbuster about an aircraft forced to declare an emergency when an unprecedented terror incident occurs in-flight.” It is to be directed by Han Jae-rim, who previously enjoyed success with “The King” and the Song-starring 2013 drama “The Face Reader.”

Jeon won a best actor award at Cannes in 2007 for “Secret Sunshine,” and has other credits that include “Untold Scandal” and “The Housemaid.” Lee is one of Korea’s finest thespians and a rarity who has managed to build a career on both sides of the Pacific. His...

Two of South Korea’s most beloved actors, Song Kang-ho and Lee Byung-hun, are set to team up for the fourth time for “The King” director Han Jae-rim’s latest film titled “Emergency Declaration” (literal translated title).

The film is billed as a disaster drama set in a plane and will boast of a suspenseful plot and colorful characters. The title comes from the aviation term that describes the action of declaring an emergency to perform an unconditional landing when faced with a disaster and normal operation is no longer an option due to the captain’s judgement.

This will also be the third time Han Jae-rim and Song Kang-ho collaborate, having previously worked together on “The Show must Go On” and “The Face Reader”. Both Song Kang-ho and Lee Byung-hun have previously worked together on Park Chan-wook’s “Jsa: Joint Security Area” and Kim Jee-woon’s “The Good, The Bad,...

South Korea’s two top actors, Song Kang-ho (“Parasite”) and Lee Byung-hun (“The Magnificent Seven”) have confirmed that they are joining new project “Emergency Declaration.” C-Jes Entertainment, one of the film’s co-production houses, announced on Thursday (Aug. 29).

Han Jae-rim, who previously directed “The Show Must Go On,” “The Face Reader” and “The King” will direct the film. According to C-Jes’ statement, “Emergency Declaration” is a disaster drama set in a plane and will boast suspenseful plot and colorful characteristics. Production budget and distributor have not yet been confirmed.

Song and Lee starred together in three previous films: Park Chan-wook’s “Joint Security Area,” Kim Jee-woon’s “The Good, the Bad, the Weird,” and “The Age of Shadows,” which is also directed by Kim.

“Emergency Declaration” aims to wrap pre-production in 2019, and start production in the first half of 2020.

Join the London East Asian Film Festival (Leaff) Team at the National Portrait Gallery on the 21st June for a #KCinema100 screening of director Han Jae-rim’s “The Face Reader“! One of the most popular Korean films of 2013, it stars “Parasite”‘s Song Kang-ho as a Joseon Dynasty’s skillful face reader who is asked to use his abilities to help track down a murderer.

Synopsis:

“The Face Reader” tells the story of Nae-gyeong, a master face reader with a sketchy family history. The burden of his family’s past drives him, his son and his brother-in-law to take drastic actions. As expected, Nae-gyeong uses his exceptional skills to earn money and status. Accompanied by his brother-in-law, they soon find themselves entrenched in palace politics and very real danger. Nae-gyeong is played by veteran actor Song Kang Ho and Lee Jong Suk plays his highly intelligent and righteous son.

This screening is completely free,...

A new Song Kang-ho film is quite the event in South Korean cinema. Possibly the country’s biggest superstar, and one of the best known South Korean actors around the world, Song Kang-ho is known to star in massive hits and his films are often South Korea’s official entries to the Academy Awards for the Best Foreign Language category. So when he teams up with “Inside Men” director Woo Min-ho and Bae Doona, one of South Korea’s best actresses and Song Kang-ho’s co-star from “The Host”, big things are expected from the resulting collaboration “The Drug King”.

Synopsis

Set in Busan, South Korea during the 1970’s, Lee Doo-Sam builds an empire as a drug smuggler in the Busan underworld, while public prosecutor Kim In-goo attempts to take down Lee Doo-Sam.

Joining Song Kang-ho and Bae Donna is a strong supporting cast of Jo Jung-suk, who also starred...

The outlook for South Korea’s film box office business is decidedly guarded. Over Chuseok holiday period, overall sales increased but business ended up being a zero-sum game.

According to the Korean Film Council’s report, box office managed to sell almost 32% more tickets in September, compared to the same month a year ago. That’s partly because of the holiday, which fell in October in 2017.

Kofic’s box office tracking service Kobis showed that the number of admissions in local theaters was up about 4 million to 16.81 million in September, with revenues up by 42% to $127 million. The number of admissions for homegrown titles grew by 5.78 million to 11.76 million, with revenues increased by 113.6% to $88.23 million.

Big homegrown films release during the holiday week in all likelihood contributed to the hike. Over the past few years, the Chuseok holiday season has grown to one of the peak seasons for the South Korean box office,...

“The Princess and the Matchmaker” is a romantic historical comedy set in the Joseon period and the second entry in a loose projected trilogy from Jupiter Films concerned with Korea’s traditions of fortune-telling, following Han Jae-rim’s “The Face Reader”

The Princess and the Matchmaker is screening at London Korean Film Festival

The story takes place in 1753 during the reign of King Yeongjo (played by Kim Sang-Kyung). Joseon suffers because of a long-term drought with all the inevitable consequences for the country and for the people. To overcome the difficulties, King’s consultants suggest the marriage of Princess Song-Hwa (played by Shim Eun-Kyung), believing this marriage will eventually put an end to all suffering by bringing back harmony and balance to the Kingdom. King Yeongjo accepts their proposal and immediately organises a public invitation for the selection of a suitable husband in terms of marital harmony and compatibility.

Four...