'KPop Demon Hunters' star on her next move: 'The Substance'-like K-pop horror film

Arden Cho, the voice behind fearless "KPop Demon Hunters" protagonist Rumi, is paving an unconventional course in Hollywood shaped by evolving conversations around representation and her own reinvention as an Asian American artist, after her runaway success with Netflix's animated feature. Following "KPop Demon Hunters," Cho's is firmly focused on her next chapter behind the camera, producing "Perfect Girl." The K-pop thriller marks quite the pivot from the family-friendly appeal of "KPop Demon

Feb. 3, 2026

Arden Cho on how she met Rumi

Arden Cho, the voice behind Rumi, the fearless protagonist at the center of Netflix’s global phenomenon "KPop Demon Hunters," is enjoying a career high. The animated feature has emerged as a full-fledged cultural juggernaut: its soundtrack single "Golden" became the first K-pop song to win a Grammy on Sunday, while the film itself cemented its place as Netflix’s most-watched movie ever, surpassing 500 million views by late 2025. The success, however, follows a far from linear journey. Born and r

Feb. 3, 2026

'Still difficult for Asian women in Hollywood,' says 'KPop Demon Hunters' star

Arden Cho, the voice behind Rumi, the fearless protagonist in Netflix's global phenomenon "KPop Demon Hunters," is paving an unconventional course in Hollywood, one shaped by the evolving conversation around representation and her own reinvention as an Asian American artist. Born in Texas, Cho began her career with varied roles across US television, including "CSI: NY" and "Pretty Little Liars." Her breakout came with MTV's supernatural hit "Teen Wolf" (2013-2016), where she established herself

Feb. 3, 2026

Son Suk-ku is headed to Hollywood. Here are 5 things to know about him

Son Suk-ku is officially a Sundance darling. Last month, "Bedford Park" — a New Jersey-set romantic drama in which he stars opposite Moon Choi — won a jury award for first-time filmmakers at the festival. Sony Pictures Classics promptly scooped up the film's worldwide distribution rights, which means the 42-year-old will soon have his first proper theatrical run in the States. It's a milestone for an actor who's spent the last few years becoming one of Korea's most magnetic screen presences. Sin

Feb. 3, 2026

Arden Cho thought she was done — then 'KPop Demon Hunters' changed everything

Arden Cho, the voice behind Rumi, the fearless protagonist at the center of Netflix phenomenon "KPop Demon Hunters," is paving an unconventional course in Hollywood, one shaped by the evolving conversation around representation and her own reinvention as an Asian American artist. Born in Texas, Cho began her career with varied roles across US television, including "CSI: NY" and "Pretty Little Liars." Her breakout came in MTV's supernatural hit "Teen Wolf" (2013-2016), where she established herse

Feb. 3, 2026

'Number One' squanders Choi Woo-shik's homecoming

Everyone knows actor Choi Woo-shik from the Oscar-sweeping sensation "Parasite." His Ki-woo was the crafty son who hatched the scheme, the one whose poker-faced ambition kept the grift rolling even as things began to fall apart. But every success story has to start somewhere. The actor had cut his teeth in smaller productions long before he blew up globally, and indie heads here will tell you the 2014 film "Set Me Free" was his true breakthrough. Directed by first-time director Kim Tae-yong (not

Feb. 2, 2026

'Bedford Park,' starring Son Suk-ku, Moon Choi, wins special jury award at Sundance

"Bedford Park," a romance starring Korean actors Son Suk-ku and Moon Choi, won the US Dramatic Special Jury Award for a Debut Feature at the Sundance Film Festival on Friday. The jury award for a first-time feature director was presented during the festival's closing ceremony in Park City, Utah, where the film had its world premiere last week. In presenting the prize to Korean American filmmaker Stephanie Ahn, jurors said the film "upended all of our assumptions of a story told with depth and sk

Feb. 1, 2026

Shim Eun-kyoung becomes first Korean to win Kinema Junpo best actress award

Shim Eun-kyoung on Thursday won best actress at the 99th Kinema Junpo Awards for her performance in "Two Seasons, Two Strangers," becoming the first Korean to take home the honor since the prizes were established. Published since 1919, Kinema Junpo is widely regarded as Japan’s most influential film magazine, compiling an annual 10 best list and recognizing standout achievements in the year. Alongside the Japan Academy Film Prize, the Blue Ribbon Awards and Mainichi Film Awards, it remains one o

Jan. 30, 2026

Movies in theaters this week

"Send Help" (US) Opened Jan. 28 Horror/Thriller Directed by Sam Raimi An employee (Rachel McAdams) and her overbearing boss (Dylan O'Brien) are stranded on a deserted island after a plane crash, forced to set aside their differences to survive. "The Housemaid" (US) Opened Jan. 28 Thriller Directed by Paul Feig A young woman with a troubled past (Sydney Sweeney) takes a job as live-in maid for a wealthy couple (Amanda Seyfried, Brandon Sklenar) whose picture-perfect household hides dark secrets,

Jan. 30, 2026

Actor Bae Doo-na tapped for Berlin film festival's competition jury

Bae Doo-na has been tapped for the international jury at this year's Berlin International Film Festival, becoming the third Korean to serve on the jury. The festival announced Wednesday that Bae will join six other jurors in deciding the winners of the Golden and Silver Bear awards at the 76th Berlinale. Bae, 47, has carved out a career across Korean art cinema and Hollywood productions over nearly three decades. She got her start as a model in the late 1990s before transitioning to acting. Her

Jan. 29, 2026

Park Ji-hoon dropped 15 kilos to play Korea's saddest king

To the global fanbase that followed him through Wanna One's meteoric rise and subsequent solo career, Park Ji-hoon hardly needs an introduction. The same goes for viewers of "Weak Hero Class 1," where he played a scrawny high schooler who takes on bullies with whatever he can get his hands on. His role in the 2022 streaming hit earned him a best new actor prize at the Blue Dragon Series Awards. His second jaunt in the franchise, which dropped on Netflix last year, cemented him as something much

Jan. 28, 2026

'No Other Choice' shut out at BAFTA; 'KPop Demon Hunters' ineligible

Park Chan-wook's dark comedy "No Other Choice" was shut out of the British Academy Film Awards nominations announced Tuesday, continuing a rocky awards season for the acclaimed South Korean director. The film had made BAFTA's 10-title longlist for best film not in the English language, but failed to advance to the final five nominees. Those spots went instead to "It Was Just an Accident" (France), "The Secret Agent" (Brazil), "Sentimental Value" (Norway), "Sirat" (Spain) and "The Voice of Hind R

Jan. 28, 2026

Mun Ka-young's good heart comes from reading good books

Mun Ka-young is one of Korea’s most devoted celebrity readers -- an actor whose love of books led her to become an author. She describes herself as “a person who acts, reads and writes.” Born in 1996 in Germany, where she spent her early childhood, Mun returned to South Korea around the age of 10 and began acting almost immediately. She made her film debut in horror movie "Bloody Reunion" (2006). After starring in hit drama series including "True Beauty," "The Interest of Love" and "My Dearest N

Jan. 27, 2026

Megabox to screen six Oscar nominees ahead of ceremony

With the 98th Academy Awards around the corner, South Korean multiplex chain Megabox is offering moviegoers a crash course in some of this year's contenders. From Feb. 5-18, Megabox will screen six nominated films as part of its 2026 Megabox Academy Festival. The lineup includes standouts from this year's nominations. For starters, there's Paul Thomas Anderson's "One Battle After Another," a sprawling 178-minute tale of anti-fascist resistance starring Leonardo DiCaprio as a washed-up revolution

Jan. 26, 2026

The $7.4m trainwreck that became Korean cinema's most legendary disaster

Making a film is hard, making a good film harder still. But to craft something so spectacularly awful that it ascends to legendary status takes a special kind of genius. This series digs up the gems of Korean cinema remembered for their extraordinary badness. This is the second installment. Picture this: A delivery guy wanders into an office, only to find something amiss. The secretary insists she didn't place an order. An altercation ensues — he demands payment, she tells him to get lost — and

Jan. 24, 2026