CJ ENM to produce K-pop movie "K-Pop: Lost in America"

[waves-of-light.livejournal.com]

Producer Lynda Obst (“Interstellar,” “Hope Floats”) and Miky Lee (executive producer of “Parasite”) have joined forces to tap into the Korean music wave. They will produce “K-Pop: Lost in America,” a feature-length road movie to be released in 2023.

The CJ ENM production has tapped JK Youn, director of two of the biggest Korean movies of all time, to helm the project. With disaster action movie “Haeundae” in 2009 and melodrama “Ode to My Father” in 2014, Youn was the first person to direct two films that each scored 10 million admissions, the mark of a mega blockbuster, at the Korean box office.

The narrative in “Lost in America” revolves around a K-pop boy group that mistakenly lands in Texas with only two days left until their global debut in the New York. With no money and little time, they must make their way to New York to perform on their dream stage.

“We plan to cast K-pop stars in addition to icons in the pop industry to appeal to a global audience,” said Youn. Casting begins immediately in Seoul. The pre-production stage of the film will officially kick off once the auditions are completed in August.

Obst, who produced “How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days” and “One Fine Day” and executive produced “Sleepless in Seattle” and “Contact,” described “Lost in America” as a “passion project,” drawing on her love for all things Korean, especially K-Pop.

“K-Pop and K-culture have never been more in-demand. Combining CJ ENM’s globally recognized production capabilities with the brilliant minds of smash-hit creators Lynda Obst and JK Youn, we have no doubt that we will be able to showcase a very special movie that will appeal to a global audience and K-Pop fans alike,” said Lee, CJ’s vice chairwoman

A co-founder of film distributor and producer CJ Entertainment and an early-stage investor in DreamWorks SKG, Lee has remained a powerful figure in the Korean entertainment scene for over 25 years, as it has grown to encompass movies, TV drama and music. Her production credits also include “Snowpiercer” and “The Handmaiden.”

CJ recently announced plans to scale up and become a global hub for entertainment. That is expected to involve expansion of its international production activities – it currently has 40 global films and TV shows in the pipeline — and international development of its Tving SVOD streaming service.







source: variety

Comments

[babycheeses1.livejournal.com]

I'm...into it. I think? Lol spice world but make it kpop I guess 😅

I wonder whether they'll cast a group as a whole or individual members from different groups? Cause the movie will obviously have a soundtrack and it might be complicated if you have different idols from different agencies 🤔

Anyways my dream cast would include Yeonjun, Felix, Hwiyoung.

[broadcities.livejournal.com]

you know i'm usually super apprehensive about these types of movies but if the movie would go the route of best music movie of all time spice world it would be sooo good

[babycheeses1.livejournal.com]

Honestly, I feel like it's gonna be either really good or really really bad, like no in-between 😂

[vintage-boom.livejournal.com]

there's a drama airing (or about to) that mixes a few groups, ateez and sf9 are in it and I think another and its worked out for the songs they've put out.

[peachdrug.livejournal.com]

I'm intrigued ngl

[theweebdream.livejournal.com]

Did we not learn from the WG movie 😭😭

[goshipgurl.livejournal.com]

The top comment from Idon'treallyknow (https://www.asianjunkie.com/2021/08/10/upcoming-movie-k-pop-lost-in-america-has-important-producers-will-be-casting-k-pop-stars/#comment-5488688354) on Asianjunkie is hilarious:

Kpop boy gets lost in Texas, finds a random white girl (who doesn’t know who tf he is, and suspiciously has no parents) who lets him stay w her. He gets cut off from the idol world and shenanigans w the girl ensue.

His managers are running around trying to find him. His group members are sweating buckets bc they have to perform in front of the president of America. And there’s a sly fox idol from a girl group who wants to get in Kpop boy’s pants.

Meanwhile Kpop boy learns of how the outside world is so much fun and much more wholesome. Convinces girl to come w him to find his group mates in NY and come to Korea w him.

More road trip shenanigans where they fall in love. They have to share a bed in a hotel bc yes. They have to hitchhike w a dumb and wholesome family bc duh.

Eventually they make it to NY and reunion drama. Girl doesn’t fit in, boy forgets abt girl due to schedules. Sly fox creates more drama. They get separated. Finally daddy Sooman who’s been on the run from Interpol, has to butt in and tell Kpop boy to get his shit together.

Kpop boy gets inspired and there’s a dramatic airport scene where he stops girl from leaving to TX. He tells her he’s her namja chingu and that he saranghae’s her. She says annyeonghaseyo. They kiss. The end.

[ginger-star.livejournal.com]

lol omfg I'm DYING

[babycheeses1.livejournal.com]

"daddy Sooman who’s been on the run from Interpol..."

Omg lmao!

[xoxkenzxox.livejournal.com]

Random white girl in Texas...sounds about right.

[chikage-chan.livejournal.com]

Ngl, as someone who genuinely enjoyed A Christmas Prince and other Netflix romances, I’d watch the hell out of this lololol xD

[snowphone.livejournal.com]

She says annyeonghaseyo. loooooooool

[gathyou.livejournal.com]

You know what? Besides the incoherent starting point (a kpop group debuting... in the USA? not surrounded by staff when going abroad? lol), it could actually work well as a comedy! Clueless and broke kpop idols trying to find their way in Texas of all places lmao, add in the one Korean-American member stressed out by everyone's antics, big egos clashing and fight that can't last because really they're a team... there's so much they can do with it!

[premonitioner.livejournal.com]

I....but how??? do they all lose their phones and managers??

also lmao as if a bunch of broke kpop boys wouldn't say 'a yo what's up my [n word]' to the wrong people and get the shit kicked out of them

[radowan.livejournal.com]

...

[myungung.livejournal.com]

Jessica’s ghost writer is that you??

[em-cavey.livejournal.com]

This could be so much fun if it embraced the camp and weirdness of kpop culture and had some self-awareness and a sense of humor about it. But judging by the director, it’s probably going to be as cheesy and predictable and on-the-nose as possible. There’s definitely going to be lessons about the ~*power of friendship*~, pushing the superiority of Korean culture and a lot of CJ product placement (I’d put money on them eating something from bibigo at some point lol)

Like this whole sentence:
“K-Pop and K-culture have never been more in-demand. Combining CJ ENM’s globally recognized production capabilities with the brilliant minds of smash-hit creators Lynda Obst and JK Youn, we have no doubt that we will be able to showcase a very special movie that will appeal to a global audience and K-Pop fans alike,”
yeah this is not gonna be good lmao

[xoxkenzxox.livejournal.com]

mistakenly lands in Texas

As someone from Texas.....this is hilarious. How do you ACCIDENTLY land in Texas? We aren't even remotely near New York.

But the premise actually doesn't sound bad? Definitely have been worse kpop movies for sure. Can it please be Korean language with subtitles though? And if they cast idols, I hope it's ones that can act. I mean, i guess they are playing idols so it's themselves but timing is a huge thing.

[chikage-chan.livejournal.com]

I just want them to cast DK and have him do the “hi everyone nice to meet you my favorite food is pizza” introduction lololol

[sheisagentleman.livejournal.com]

i don't even listen to svt but i LOVE DK everytime i see him anywhere he's always making me laugh. i NEED him in this movie asap

[broadcities.livejournal.com]

wow same i don't listen to svt either but i love dk for this exact same reason. soft spot for him!

[chikage-chan.livejournal.com]

He’s the perfect cute idol lost in America, he doesn’t even need to try hard lol

[sheisagentleman.livejournal.com]

i volunteer my boy mark as tribute.

no but this could either be insanely good or absolute garbage. for starters, the plot makes absolutely no sense because there's no way a k-pop group would get lost. in the us. in TEXAS. when they're trying to go to NYC. like any self respecting kpop manager would NEVER ALLOW THIS. so from the get go it doesn't make any sense LMAO but regardless, i'll see it depending on the cast tbh.