CJ Entertainment
Encyclopedia
CJ Entertainment is a South Korean entertainment company which is involved in film production, investment, distribution and exhibition. It is the largest entertainment company in South Korea. They are a branch of CJ Corporation (formerly Cheil Jedang), traditionally a food company.
of Korea with the first one, CGV Gangbyeon 11, opening in April 1998.
CJ Entertainment's importance in the Korean film industry grew in 1997-1998 when the nation was caught in the wave of the Asian financial crisis. Many smaller film companies had to close up, leaving the road open for CJ Entertainment to capitalize on the new-found popularity of Korean cinema
brought on by the success of Shiri
in 1999.
The success of their own films, most notably Joint Security Area
that broke the Korean box-office records previously set by Shiri, helped the company grow into one of the two largest film companies in the country along with Kang Woo-suk
's Cinema Service
. Lately CJ Entertainment has expanded into other fields of entertainment industry, including Internet
and Cable TV businesses.
Beginning in 2007, CJ Entertainment was the Korean distributor for films by Paramount Pictures
(including films by DreamWorks which was bought by Paramount) as Universal Pictures
had taken over the Korean branch of its joint venture with Paramount, United International Pictures
. CJ had already been distributing DreamWorks films for nearly a decade as a result of investing in the studio. It holds the highest market share among the distributors at 27.8 percent.
History
During early 1995, Cheil Jedang invested in the upstart film company DreamWorks SKG, and in June of the same year, Cheil Jedang established its own entertainment division. The division's title was changed to CJ Entertainment by September the next year, in time for their first film distribution deal with the movie Secrets and Lies. To aid their position in the film distribution industry CJ Entertainment built the first multiplexesMovie theater
A movie theater, cinema, movie house, picture theater, film theater is a venue, usually a building, for viewing motion pictures ....
of Korea with the first one, CGV Gangbyeon 11, opening in April 1998.
CJ Entertainment's importance in the Korean film industry grew in 1997-1998 when the nation was caught in the wave of the Asian financial crisis. Many smaller film companies had to close up, leaving the road open for CJ Entertainment to capitalize on the new-found popularity of Korean cinema
Cinema of Korea
Korean cinema encompasses the motion picture industries of North and South Korea. As with all aspects of Korean life during the past century, the film industry has often been at the mercy of political events, from the late Joseon dynasty to the Korean War to domestic governmental interference...
brought on by the success of Shiri
Shiri (film)
Shiri is a 1999 South Korean action film, written and directed by Kang Je-gyu.Swiri was the first Hollywood-style big-budget blockbuster to be produced in the "new" Korean film industry...
in 1999.
The success of their own films, most notably Joint Security Area
Joint Security Area (film)
Joint Security Area is a 2000 South Korean film starring Lee Young Ae, Lee Byung-hun and Song Kang-ho. It was directed by Park Chan-wook and is based on the novel DMZ by Park Sang-yeon...
that broke the Korean box-office records previously set by Shiri, helped the company grow into one of the two largest film companies in the country along with Kang Woo-suk
Kang Woo-suk
Kang Woo-suk is a South Korean film producer and director. He has often been called the most powerful man in Korean cinema, topping Cine21 magazine's list of '50 Most Powerful Men in Korean Cinema' for seven consecutive years from 1998 to 2004.Kang started as a director of successful comedy films...
's Cinema Service
Cinema Service
Cinema Service is a South Korean film production and distribution company. They are one of the two largest film distributors in Korea, along with CJ Entertainment....
. Lately CJ Entertainment has expanded into other fields of entertainment industry, including Internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
and Cable TV businesses.
Beginning in 2007, CJ Entertainment was the Korean distributor for films by Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film production and distribution company, located at 5555 Melrose Avenue in Hollywood. Founded in 1912 and currently owned by media conglomerate Viacom, it is America's oldest existing film studio; it is also the last major film studio still...
(including films by DreamWorks which was bought by Paramount) as Universal Pictures
Universal Pictures
-1920:* White Youth* The Flaming Disc* Am I Dreaming?* The Dragon's Net* The Adorable Savage* Putting It Over* The Line Runners-1921:* The Fire Eater* A Battle of Wits* Dream Girl* The Millionaire...
had taken over the Korean branch of its joint venture with Paramount, United International Pictures
United International Pictures
United International Pictures is a joint venture of Paramount Pictures and Universal Studios , to distribute some of the two studios' films theatrically outside the United States , Canada, and the Anglophone...
. CJ had already been distributing DreamWorks films for nearly a decade as a result of investing in the studio. It holds the highest market share among the distributors at 27.8 percent.
See also
- List of Korean language films
- Cinema of KoreaCinema of KoreaKorean cinema encompasses the motion picture industries of North and South Korea. As with all aspects of Korean life during the past century, the film industry has often been at the mercy of political events, from the late Joseon dynasty to the Korean War to domestic governmental interference...
- Contemporary culture of South KoreaContemporary culture of South KoreaThe contemporary culture of South Korea developed from the traditional culture of Korea, and on its own path away from North Korean culture since the division of Korea in 1948. The industrialization and urbanization of South Korea, especially Seoul, have brought many changes to the way Korean...