According to Korea Times, Song Kang Ho - one of the "guarantees" of Korean cinema, who was once the king of box office - is preparing to return after a series of recent disappointing films.
Production company Hive Media Corp said that the 58-year-old actor has confirmed that he will participate in the upcoming movie "The Gardeners" (working title). The film will be directed by rising director Nam Dong Hyub, famous for his hit work last year "Handsome guys".
Throughout his 30-year career, Song Kang Ho has become a top star in Korean cinema by participating in many films with great commercial success and being praised by international critics. Song Kang Ho is also a partner of many famous directors such as Bong Joon Ho, Park Chan Wook, Kim Jee Woon.
The 1967-born actor made his mark through the works "Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance" (2002), "Memories of Murder" (2003), "The host" 2006 "Snowpiercer" (2013), "The Attorney" (2013), "A taxi Driver" 2017...
In 2020, "Parasite" starring Song Kang Ho made history by winning 4 awards at the Oscars, including Best Actress.
Two years later, Song Kang Ho won the Best Actor award at the 75th Cannes Film Festival for his role in the film "Broker" (2022), further strengthening his position in the industry.
But recently, Song Kang Ho has faced difficulties related to box office revenue.
His latest film "One Win" (2024) has struggled to find an audience. The work immediately before that, "Cobweb" (2023), also had a disappointing achievement.
In addition to the big screen, the audience is not very excited about Song Kang Ho's first online series, "Uncle Samsik" (2024).
This series of ineffective projects has led some to question whether Song Kang Ho's influence in the film industry is declining.
In the new movie "The Gardeners", Song Kang Ho will play Choi Young-il, a modest civil servant with a passion for trees. But his peaceful life was turned upside down by an unexpected debt, forcing him to cooperate with local disruptors to start an unusual gardening business.
The collaboration between Song Kang Ho and director Nam Dong Hyub further raises expectations, as the director conquered both audiences and critics last year with the horror and comedy film "Handsome guys", winning the Best New Director award at the 23rd Director's Cut Awards.
"The Gardeners" is in pre-production and is expected to complete filming in 2026.
In addition to his new role, Song Kang Ho has also recently attracted attention when he parted ways with his old company to join Galaxy Corporation - the management company of singer G-Dragon (Big Bang).
