The Professionals (2011 film)
Encyclopedia
The Professionals is an upcoming heist film directed by Choi Dong-hun
.
, The Professionals is about thieves from Korea and China teaming up with each other to steal a diamond worth 40 billion won locked away in a special room at a casino in Macau
.
This will be director Choi’s fourth feature-length film following his hit pics The Big Swindle
(2004), Tazza: The High Rollers
(2006) and Jeon Woo Chi
(2009).
, negotiations for casting several high-profile actors and actresses took place since late 2010.
On March 21, 2011, film distributor Showbox confirmed the star-studded cast in a press release. Director Choi Dong-hun
was quoted: "These are the very actors that inspired me to write what I have for the movie's script starting from its first line. I'm dreaming of creating explosive ensembles that will clash or harmonize within a single movie due to their different styles."
Kim Yoon-seok
, the main star of WOOCHI and The Chaser, will play Macau Park, a legendary gambler who plans out and commands the plan to steal the "Tears of the Sun" diamond from Macau. Lee Jung-jae
of film The Housemaid
which competed at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival
, will be Popeye, the leader of a group of Korean thieves who secretly plots against Macau Park.
Tazza
heroine Kim Hye-soo
will turn into a genius safe-cracker who teams with Popeye to get their revenge on Macau for betraying them in the past and Kim Hae-sook of Park Chan-wook
's Cannes Award-winnning pic Thirst
and Jeon Ji-hyun of My Sassy Girl
will turn into a mother-and-daughter duo who are skilled at using acting and rope-walking techniques, respectively, to steal jewelries and antiques.
Oh Dal-su
, known as one of the best supporting actors in Korea, will show up as a Chinese thief named Andrew and Kim Soo-hyun
(who had recently gained popularity through TV series Dream High
) will take on the role of the daring Jampano, the youngest of the five-member Korean group of thieves.
Hong Kong actors Angelica Lee
and Simon Yam
have also been cast. Yam will play the calm and experienced leader of a four-member Chinese thieves group, who only reluctantly agrees to join in the latest project in order to resolve his debts but comes to harbor unexpected feelings toward one of the female thieves from Korea. "How I hated him when I was young because he always appeared as the evil guy that killed all my heroes. Now that I will meet him, I will see how well an actor can age with time and experience," director Choi was quoted in a statement while expressing his expectations in getting to work with Yam.
With the primary location shoots in Macau and Hong Kong wrapped in July, the thriller now moves to various studio and locations in South Korea until late 2011. Its release, previously signalled at the end of 2011, is now set for summer 2012.
Choi Dong-hun
Choi Dong-hun is a South Korean film director, best known for his gambling film, Tazza: The High Rollers. And his most recent film, Jeon Woo Chi has sold over 6 million tickets domestically...
.
Synopsis
Directed by Choi Dong-hunChoi Dong-hun
Choi Dong-hun is a South Korean film director, best known for his gambling film, Tazza: The High Rollers. And his most recent film, Jeon Woo Chi has sold over 6 million tickets domestically...
, The Professionals is about thieves from Korea and China teaming up with each other to steal a diamond worth 40 billion won locked away in a special room at a casino in Macau
Macau
Macau , also spelled Macao , is, along with Hong Kong, one of the two special administrative regions of the People's Republic of China...
.
This will be director Choi’s fourth feature-length film following his hit pics The Big Swindle
The Big Swindle
The Big Swindle is a 2004 heist film directed by Choi Dong-hun. It follows a group of four con men, one con woman, and one forger in a complex set of plots and counterplots against individual marks, against the Bank of Korea, against the police, and against each other.-External links:* at...
(2004), Tazza: The High Rollers
Tazza: The High Rollers
Tazza: The High Rollers is a 2006 South Korean film based on Huh Young-man's manhwa . The story involves a group of grifters involved in the Korean card game called Hwatu ....
(2006) and Jeon Woo Chi
Jeon Woo Chi
Jeon Woo Chi is a 2009 fantasy action blockbuster. Writer-director Choi Dong-hun departs from his popular heist films Tazza: The High Rollers and The Big Swindle for this big-budget, special effects-filled action romp that was equally popular with the Korean audience, earning over six million...
(2009).
Casting and Character Descriptions
In what was purported to be a Korean version of Hollywood film Ocean's ElevenOcean's Eleven (2001 film)
Ocean's Eleven is a 2001 American comedy-crime caper and remake of the 1960 Rat Pack caper film of the same name. The 2001 film was directed by Steven Soderbergh and features an ensemble cast including George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Don Cheadle, Andy García, and Julia Roberts. The film was...
, negotiations for casting several high-profile actors and actresses took place since late 2010.
On March 21, 2011, film distributor Showbox confirmed the star-studded cast in a press release. Director Choi Dong-hun
Choi Dong-hun
Choi Dong-hun is a South Korean film director, best known for his gambling film, Tazza: The High Rollers. And his most recent film, Jeon Woo Chi has sold over 6 million tickets domestically...
was quoted: "These are the very actors that inspired me to write what I have for the movie's script starting from its first line. I'm dreaming of creating explosive ensembles that will clash or harmonize within a single movie due to their different styles."
Kim Yoon-seok
Kim Yoon-seok
Kim Yoon Suk is a South Korean film, television and stage actor.-Movies:* The Professionals *Punch *The Yellow Sea *Jeon Woo Chi *Running Turtle...
, the main star of WOOCHI and The Chaser, will play Macau Park, a legendary gambler who plans out and commands the plan to steal the "Tears of the Sun" diamond from Macau. Lee Jung-jae
Lee Jung-jae
Lee Jung-jae is a South Korean actor.- Career :Lee Jung-jae, apart from being a top star in film and TV, also works as a highly successful fashion model. One year after his debut on television in 1993, Lee was cast in his first film, a feature by Bae Chang-ho. His breakthrough would come in late...
of film The Housemaid
The Housemaid (2010 film)
The Housemaid is a 2010 South Korean melodramatic thriller film directed by Im Sang-soo. The story focuses on Eun-yi, played by Jeon Do-yeon, who becomes involved in a destructive love triangle while working as a housemaid for an upper-class family. Other cast members include Lee Jung-jae, Seo...
which competed at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival
2010 Cannes Film Festival
The 63rd annual Cannes Film Festival was held from May 12 to May 23, 2010, in Cannes, France. The Cannes Film Festival, hailed as being one of the most recognized and prestigious film festivals worldwide, was founded in 1946. It consists of having films screened in and out of competition during the...
, will be Popeye, the leader of a group of Korean thieves who secretly plots against Macau Park.
Tazza
Tazza: The High Rollers
Tazza: The High Rollers is a 2006 South Korean film based on Huh Young-man's manhwa . The story involves a group of grifters involved in the Korean card game called Hwatu ....
heroine Kim Hye-soo
Kim Hye-su
-Career:Kim Hye-su debuted in the 1986 film Ggambo when she was a first year high school student. Over two decades she amassed a sizeable filmography of leading and supporting roles, notably in the TV dramas Did We Really Love? with Bae Yong Joon and Revenge and Passion with Ahn Jae Wook, as well...
will turn into a genius safe-cracker who teams with Popeye to get their revenge on Macau for betraying them in the past and Kim Hae-sook of Park Chan-wook
Park Chan-wook
Park Chan-wook is a South Korean film director, screenwriter, producer, and former film critic. One of the most acclaimed and popular filmmakers in his native country, Park is most known for his films Joint Security Area, Thirst and what has become known as The Vengeance Trilogy, consisting of...
's Cannes Award-winnning pic Thirst
Thirst (2009 film)
Thirst is a 2009 horror/drama film, written, produced and directed by Park Chan-wook. It is loosely based on the novel Thérèse Raquin by Émile Zola. The film tells the story of a priest—who is in love with his friend’s wife—turning into a vampire through a failed medical experiment. Park has...
and Jeon Ji-hyun of My Sassy Girl
My Sassy Girl
My Sassy Girl is a 2001 South Korean romantic comedy film directed by Kwak Jae-yong. It tells the story of a man's chance meeting with a drunk girl on the train which changes his life...
will turn into a mother-and-daughter duo who are skilled at using acting and rope-walking techniques, respectively, to steal jewelries and antiques.
Oh Dal-su
Oh Dal-su
Oh Dal-su is a South Korean actor. He has played many crime-related roles, such as Mr.Park the owner of the organized crime funded private jail in Oldboy and a former gang boss in Mapado . He plays a semi-comic part as a weapons smuggler in A Bittersweet Life...
, known as one of the best supporting actors in Korea, will show up as a Chinese thief named Andrew and Kim Soo-hyun
Kim Soo-hyun
Kim Soo-hyun is a South Korean actor. He is best known for his role as Song Sam-dong in the KBS TV series Dream High...
(who had recently gained popularity through TV series Dream High
Dream High
Dream High is a South Korean television drama series broadcast by Korean Broadcasting System in 2011. It features Suzy, Taecyeon, IU, Wooyoung, Ham Eun Jung and Kim Soo-hyun. It aired on the 3 January 2011 and finished on the 28 February 2011 after 16 successful episodes. This drama is popular...
) will take on the role of the daring Jampano, the youngest of the five-member Korean group of thieves.
Hong Kong actors Angelica Lee
Angelica Lee
Angelica Lee Sin-Jie is a Malaysian Chinese film actress and pop singer. She started her career in singing and later moved on to acting in Taiwan and Hong Kong. Lee starred in The Eye, the hit Asian horror film by the Pang Brothers, winning her the Golden Horse Award for Best Actress, Best Actress...
and Simon Yam
Simon Yam
Simon Yam Tat-Wah , born March 19, 1955, is a Hong Kong actor and film producer.-Background:The son of a former police officer of Shangdong heritage, his father was a Hong Kong Royal Police ship captain who was murdered by his colleague....
have also been cast. Yam will play the calm and experienced leader of a four-member Chinese thieves group, who only reluctantly agrees to join in the latest project in order to resolve his debts but comes to harbor unexpected feelings toward one of the female thieves from Korea. "How I hated him when I was young because he always appeared as the evil guy that killed all my heroes. Now that I will meet him, I will see how well an actor can age with time and experience," director Choi was quoted in a statement while expressing his expectations in getting to work with Yam.
With the primary location shoots in Macau and Hong Kong wrapped in July, the thriller now moves to various studio and locations in South Korea until late 2011. Its release, previously signalled at the end of 2011, is now set for summer 2012.
Cast
- Lee Jung-jaeLee Jung-jaeLee Jung-jae is a South Korean actor.- Career :Lee Jung-jae, apart from being a top star in film and TV, also works as a highly successful fashion model. One year after his debut on television in 1993, Lee was cast in his first film, a feature by Bae Chang-ho. His breakthrough would come in late...
... Popeye - Kim Yoon-seokKim Yoon-seokKim Yoon Suk is a South Korean film, television and stage actor.-Movies:* The Professionals *Punch *The Yellow Sea *Jeon Woo Chi *Running Turtle...
... Macau Park - Kim Hye-sooKim Hye-su-Career:Kim Hye-su debuted in the 1986 film Ggambo when she was a first year high school student. Over two decades she amassed a sizeable filmography of leading and supporting roles, notably in the TV dramas Did We Really Love? with Bae Yong Joon and Revenge and Passion with Ahn Jae Wook, as well...
... Pepsi - Jeon Ji-hyun ... Anycall
- Kim Hae-sook ... Ssipdun gum (chewed gum)
- Oh Dal-suOh Dal-suOh Dal-su is a South Korean actor. He has played many crime-related roles, such as Mr.Park the owner of the organized crime funded private jail in Oldboy and a former gang boss in Mapado . He plays a semi-comic part as a weapons smuggler in A Bittersweet Life...
... Andrew - Kim Soo-hyunKim Soo-hyunKim Soo-hyun is a South Korean actor. He is best known for his role as Song Sam-dong in the KBS TV series Dream High...
... Jampano - Simon YamSimon YamSimon Yam Tat-Wah , born March 19, 1955, is a Hong Kong actor and film producer.-Background:The son of a former police officer of Shangdong heritage, his father was a Hong Kong Royal Police ship captain who was murdered by his colleague....
... Chen - Angelica LeeAngelica LeeAngelica Lee Sin-Jie is a Malaysian Chinese film actress and pop singer. She started her career in singing and later moved on to acting in Taiwan and Hong Kong. Lee starred in The Eye, the hit Asian horror film by the Pang Brothers, winning her the Golden Horse Award for Best Actress, Best Actress...
... Julie - Derek Tsang ... Johnny
External links
- The Professionals at Daum