Korean Sports Drama Pic May Open in Japan Next Year

2012 Korean sports drama film "As One" is likely to meet Japanese audience.

The Ha Ji-won and Bae Doona starrer is mulling over to open in Japanese theaters late this year or early next year, with its Japanese title “HANA- 46 Days Miracle,” the pic’s distribution firm CJ E&M told the magazine Tuesday. Although the official said the detailed opening schedules and venues has not been fixed yet, the main cast members are already set to kick off their promotion activities there.

Ha, director Moon Hyeon-seong and supporting actor Kim Eung-soo, who already visited Japan for the pic’s promotion in April, will fly to the island again to meet with Japanese audiences at Tokyo's Cinemart Shinjuku this Friday.

The “King 2 Hearts” starlet will then jump to Osaka to introduce the film during its special screening session in the 28th One Korea Festival, to be held at Osaka International House Foundation on November 3. Based on a true story from the world table tennis championship held at Chiba, Japan back in 1991, the movie tells a story of two legendary ping-pong players Hyun Jung-hwa [played by Ha] and Lee Boon-hui [played by Bae], each from the South and the North.

Due to the two countries’ conciliation mood, they are set to assign the United Korea team for the first time in history. The two rivals and their fellow athletes get closer and closer while playing against the Chinese team in 46 days’ championship game period.

The touching film, originally released in local theaters on May 3, has attracted less-than-expected 1.8 million moviegoers due to its too didactic stories.


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