Korean superstars Jung Woo-Sung, Han Hyo-Joo, Lee Junho (of 2PM), together with Director Cho Ui-Seok were in Singapore on August 30th to promote their latest action thriller Cold Eyes.
The star-studded cast had a one-day whirlwind schedule in town – including a press conference and a fan meeting, before gracing the red carpet for their International Gala Premiere at the Marina Bay Sands.
Cold Eyes is already a runaway hit in Korea with more than 5.5 million admissions, and Singapore is the very first stop in its international promotional tour before the movie premieres in North America at the 2013 Toronto International Film Festival.
The cast arrived to an excited crowd who can’t wait for the exclusive opportunity to see the stars up-close and dazzling on the red carpet. Jung Woo-Sung and Lee Junho looked suave in suits, while Han Hyo-Joo sported an elegant little black dress for the evening. The trio made several stopovers down the walk, shaking hands with fans and giving their autographs. The atmosphere was further pumped up with Lee Junho’s Cold Eyes OST ‘I’m In Love’ playing on replay.
So how has it been for the cast on their first international stopover in Singapore? Jung Woo-Sung shared, “We had a lot of activities today. And this being my first time here in Singapore, I am so happy and grateful to see everyone. Thank you for coming.” And of course, Han Hyo-Joo revealed that when they arrived the night before, she and Woo-Sung had also tried the ‘must-have’ for all Korean stars in Singapore – the delicious chilli crab!
The stars went on to describe their characters in the movie. Jung Woo-Sung said that he plays James the villain, who is the leader of an international crime ring and a cold-blooded killer. Han Hyo-Joo is a rookie detective of the police surveillance team, and in her words, “She (the character) is a firm, strong and confident lady.” Junho was all smiles when he spoke about his debut character for the big screen – “Well, I am the ‘squirrel’ in the movie – detective Daramjwi, who is also part of the surveillance team.”
The filming of Cold Eyes took place on the busy streets of Seoul, and was packed with a number of action scenes. Talking about the most memorable scene during the course of the filming, Lee Junho said, “I visited the set on the first day of filming – though I had no filming parts, I recall it was a very cold winter day, and I saw the seniors doing their best. It was a good memory for me as a rookie actor.”
For Hyo-Joo, it was the scene where Woo-sung fought with 17 guys. The wide-eyed beauty said, “Woo-Sung did really well and it left a deep impression. And…” she went on, “Cold Eyes is one of the few movies where majority of the scenes are all filmed in Seoul. Hope everyone will also enjoy the beautiful cityscape of Seoul!”
Taking over, Jung Woo-Sung shared frankly, “Well, fighting with 17 dudes was definitely tiring. And if I were to pick, my memorable scene would be James’s meeting with the policewoman (Han Hyo-Joo’s character) in the movie. It was a complex mix of feelings and was a great acting experience. In fact, I was rather curious how I will actually portray it.”
And to the man who calls the shots, Director Cho Ui-Seok shared the challenges of filming in a busy capital like Seoul, where cars had to crash and gunshots were heard – “We had to restrict a lot of areas, so we are really thankful for the support and understanding from the citizens as well the enormous support from the police force and other authorities. We are grateful the filming is a success!”
Prior the arrival of the cast, the CEO of Marina Bay Sands and a number of Singapore local artistes also graced the red carpet, adding glitz and glamour to the event.
Proceeding to the Sands Theatre at Marina Bay Sands, the cast appeared once again onstage for a fan meet session where they shared more about their acting experience. Cold Eyes presents audience with a different image of both Han Hyo-Joo and Jung Woo-Sung. Departing from her usual demure image on screen, Hyo-Joo said that she is glad for this opportunity to show a new side in her acting career – “Hope everyone likes the character I am portraying in the film!” Judging from the cheering in the theater, the fans certainly do, even before they ‘meet’ her onscreen.
On the other hand, Woo-Sung shared, “I won’t say that there is a particular challenge in playing the big villain. Rather, I feel that it is a very intriguing experience as the character (James) creates a lot of tension without even having to meet the other characters. The deliberate distance kept, and the intricate setting of the movie makes it very interesting.”
For Junho, who had the chance to work alongside these veteran actors and actresses in the movie, the singer-actor found it a really fun and great experience, “The seniors taught me a lot of things. I am very grateful to them and being part of the film.”
Singapore is the first country outside Korea where the movie will be released; so what’s the expectation from the director? – “Seeing all of you here today, I am very grateful and positive that we will get a response as good as what we received in Korea. Hope everyone enjoy the movie!”
Concluding the night was of course, the preview of Cold Eyes. All we can say is we have a very intense action thriller here that is absolutely captivating -catch it if you could. Cold Eyes opens in Singapore on September 5th, and will premiere in North America during the 2013 Toronto International Film Festival from September 5th to 15th.
Special thanks to Purple Plan for the great invitation.
Article by: Kathryn Zhang
Photos by: Hidaya
Edited by: Mariam
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