Choi Dong-hoon (; born February 24, 1971) is a South Korean film director and screenwriter. He ranks as one of the most consistently successful directors working in contemporary Korean cinema, with all five of his films becoming commercial hits -- '' The Big Swindle'' attracted 2.12 million viewers, '' Tazza: The High Rollers'' at 6.84 million, '' Jeon Woo-chi: The Taoist Wizard'' at 6.13 million, ''

The Thieves ''The Thieves'' () is a 2012 South Korean heist action comedy film directed by Choi Dong-hoon with an ensemble cast. With over 12.9 million ticket sales, the action comedy is the ninth highest-grossing film in Korean film history. Plot Ye ...

'' at 12.9 million, and '' Assassination'' at 12.7 million.

Career

After graduating from the prestigious Korean Academy of Film Arts, Choi Dong-hoon first worked as an assistant director on

Im Sang-soo Im Sang-soo (born April 27, 1962) is a South Korean film director and screenwriter. He has twice been invited to compete for the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival, with '' The Housemaid'' in 2010 and ''The Taste of Money'' in 2012. Early li ...

's ''

Tears Tears are a clear liquid secreted by the lacrimal glands (tear gland) found in the eyes of all land mammals. Tears are made up of water, electrolytes, proteins, lipids, and mucins that form layers on the surface of eyes. The different types of ...

'' (he subsequently appeared in acting cameos in several of Im's films). After working on the screenplay for two years, Choi made his feature film directorial debut in 2004 with '' The Big Swindle'' and single-handedly re-imagined the heist and crime thriller genre into something uniquely Korean. His follow-up '' Tazza: The High Rollers'', a gambling flick adapted from

Huh Young-man Huh Young-man (born June 26, 1947) is a South Korean manhwa artist. Early life Huh Young-man was born Heo Hyeong-man in present-day Yeosu, a far southern coastal city of what is now South Jeolla Province, South Korea in 1947. He was the third ...

and Kim Se-yeong's

manhwa (; ) is the general Korean term for comics and print cartoons. Outside Korea, the term usually refers to South Korean comics. is greatly influenced by Japanese Manga comics. Modern Manhwa has extended its reach to many other countries. ...

, was the second highest grossing Korean film of 2006, and producer/ Sidus FNH CEO Cha Seung-jae praised Choi as "a genius storyteller for his spectacular ability to develop elaborate stories." 2009's '' Jeon Woo-chi: The Taoist Wizard'' was lauded as the first Korean fantasy/superhero blockbuster movie, earning Choi a reputation as an artistically innovative and commercially successful writer-director. He returned to the heist genre in 2012 with the star-studded crime caper ''

'', which attracted almost 13 million viewers in 70 days to become the second all-time highest grossing movie in Korean film history. ''Tazza'' and ''Thieves'' leading lady

Kim Hye-soo Kim Hye-soo (; born September 5, 1970) is a South Korean actress. Kim was one of the most popular teen stars in the 1980s and 1990s. She is known for her headstrong independence and regularly playing strong-willed, sophisticated women. Kim bega ...

described him as "a genius who also works extremely hard. I think he knows who he is, the exact kind of films that he wants to make, and how to make them." Choi made his first

period film A historical drama (also period drama, costume drama, and period piece) is a work set in a past time period, usually used in the context of film and television. Historical drama includes historical fiction and romances, adventure films, and swas ...

with 2015's '' Assassination'', about freedom fighters during Japan's colonial rule, and it was once again a box office hit, crossing the 10 million admissions milestone on the 70th anniversary of South Korean independence. In 2017, Choi began production on his next film ''Wiretap'', a remake of the 2009 Hong Kong film '' Overheard''. However, production was halted so Kim Woo Bin could undergo treatment for cancer. At the end of 2019, the director was then reported to be working on a two-part science fiction film. The first part titled ''

Alienoid ''Alienoid'' () is a 2022 South Korean science fantasy action film directed by Choi Dong-hoon, starring Ryu Jun-yeol, Kim Woo-bin, and Kim Tae-ri. The film depicts an extraordinary story that unfolds as the gates of time open between late Gory ...

'' which depicts a story unfolding as the door of time open between late Goryeo and the present day, when aliens appear, was released in July 2022.

Filmography

As director

*''A Short Trip'' (

short film A short film is any motion picture that is short enough in running time not to be considered a feature film. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences defines a short film as "an original motion picture that has a running time of 40 minutes ...

, director; 2000) *'' The Big Swindle'' (director, screenwriter; 2004) *'' Tazza: The High Rollers'' (director, screenwriter; 2006) *'' Jeon Woo-chi: The Taoist Wizard'' (director, screenwriter; 2009) *''

'' (director, screenwriter; 2012) *'' Assassination'' (director, screenwriter, producer; 2015) *''

'' (director, screenwriter, producer; 2022) *''Wiretap'' (director, screenwriter; TBA)

Other

*''

'' (assistant director, cameo; 2000) *''

A Good Lawyer's Wife ''A Good Lawyer's Wife'' () is a 2003 South Korean film written and directed by Im Sang-soo. The film is about the various affairs of members of a dysfunctional South Korean family. Plot Ju Yeong-jak (Hwang Jung-min) is a successful lawyer who wor ...

'' (cameo; 2003) *'' Boy Goes to Heaven'' (screenwriter; 2005) *''

The President's Last Bang ''The President's Last Bang:'' ()The original title (in English, "''The People of Those Days''") refers to a famous Korean song of a similar title – "That Man of those Days". According to official sources, this song was performed by Sim Soo-bon ...

'' (cameo; 2005) *'' The Restless'' (screenwriter; 2006)

Awards

*2004 3rd Korean Film Awards: Best New Director ('' The Big Swindle'') *2004 3rd Korean Film Awards: Best Screenplay (''The Big Swindle'') *2004 25th Blue Dragon Film Awards: Best New Director (''The Big Swindle'') *2004 25th Blue Dragon Film Awards: Best Screenplay (''The Big Swindle'') *2004 7th

Director's Cut Awards The Director's Cut Awards () is an annual awards ceremony for excellence in film in South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korean Peninsula and sha ...

: Best New Director (''The Big Swindle'') *2004 24th

Korean Association of Film Critics Awards The Korean Association of Film Critics Awards (), also known as the Critics Choice Awards (), is an annual awards ceremony for excellence in film in South Korea. It was established in 1980 by the Korean Association of Film Critics (KAFC). The c ...

: Best New Director (''The Big Swindle'') *2004 41st Grand Bell Awards: Best New Director (''The Big Swindle'') *2004 41st Grand Bell Awards: Best Screenplay (''The Big Swindle'') *2005

SBS Gayo Daejeon ''SBS Gayo Daejeon'' (, broadly ''SBS'' '' Battle of the Bands'') is an annual televised music festival that is broadcast by the Seoul Broadcasting System at the end of each year. The program first aired in 1997, and awards were given to musica ...

: Music Video of the Year *2007 6th Korean Film Awards: Best Screenplay ('' Tazza: The High Rollers'') *2007 8th Busan Film Critics Awards: Best Screenplay (''Tazza: The High Rollers'') *2007 43rd

Baeksang Arts Awards The Baeksang Arts Awards (), also known as the Paeksang Arts Awards, are awards for excellence in film, television and theatre in South Korea. The awards were first introduced in 1965 by Chang Key-young, the founder of the Hankook Ilbo newspap ...

: Best Director (''Tazza: The High Rollers'') *2016: 21st

Chunsa Film Art Awards The Chunsa Film Art Awards (also known as the Icheon Chunsa Film Festival) have been presented in South Korea since the founding of the prize by the Korea Film Directors' Society in 1990. The awards take their name from the pen name of the early ...

: Best Director ('' Assassination'')

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Choi, Dong-Hoon South Korean film directors South Korean screenwriters Sogang University alumni People from Jeonju 1971 births Living people Best Director Paeksang Arts Award (film) winners