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Now it's time for our daily arts and culture segment.
And for that we have Yim Yoonhee here in the studio with us.
Good afternoon, Yoonhee.
Good afternoon, Conn-young.
I hear you have a bit of news for us that a lot of people here in Korea have been talking
about.
Yes, I do. Korea, and the world, has been abuzz about
this. We're talking about the sequel to "The Avengers."
There's been chatter about them filming part of the movie here in Korea, but now it's been
confirmed and the filming locations have been released as well.
Let's take a quick look at "The Avengers" and the plans for the movie here in Korea.
They're the superheroes that took the world by storm a few years back, and now they're
back together. But this time, there here to battle the sentient
robot Ultron, in "Avengers: Age of Ultron." The first installment of "The Avengers" grossed
over 50 million U.S. dollars here in Korea, becoming the most watched foreign film of
2012. Earlier this year, gossip spread like wildfire
across the internet, with rumors that scenes for the sequel would be filmed here in Korea.
And early last month, Marvel Studios confirmed that, yes, indeed, the beloved heroes would
be fighting their battle, or at least part of it, right here in Seoul.
"Seoul's perfect for 'Avengers 2' because of the cutting-edge technology, beautiful
landscapes and spectacular architecture. We will film and it will be sure to turn out
well."
Production in the Korean capital is expected to run from March 30 to April 12, and many
parts of the city are expected to be featured, including the bustling Gangnam Intersection,
Gangnam Station, made famous by Psy's "Gangnam Style," Mapo Bridge, Cheongdam Grand Bridge,
the beautiful Saebit Floating Islets and more. Marvel Studios recently signed an agreement
with the Korean Film Council and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism in order work
out the details, as many parts of the city will be temporarily blocked and transportation
routes interrupted by production.
"The bus routes will be temporarily relocated and the citizens will have to be wary of that.
Also, we are fully preparing proper safety measures for the scenes planned on being filmed
in Korea."
Fans are anticipating the arrival of key cast members, including Captain America, played
by Chris Evans, and the ever so sly Black Widow, played by a pregnant Scarlett Johansson.
And in general, the idea of Korea being a part of a Hollywood blockbuster has many people
abuzz.
Yoonhee, what is it about "The Avengers" that makes it so appealing?
It's definitely a huge Hollywood success in terms of the money it's made around the world.
But there are many reasons why "The Avengers" has been such a big hit.
First off, who doesn't love a good hero story? Iron Man, The Hulk, Thor, the Black Widow
-- these are superheroes everyone grew up with.
And so a movie that combines the adventures of all of them is bound to be a crowd pleaser.
But the star studded cast is also a draw. Marvel Studios really did a good job with
the casting. And we can't forget the casting of KIM Su-hyeon,
also known as Claudia Kim. She's a Korean actress casted for the movie, but Marvel Studios
has yet to release her role. They also followed up the first "Avengers"
film with movies such as "Iron Man 3" and "Thor."
Many fans of "The Avengers" saw these movies because they wanted to follow up on "The Avengers."
What about here in Korea?
Fans are going absolutely nuts. There was even a rumor that Marvel Studios was looking for
100 extras for the shoot, but that turned out to be hoax -- much to the disappointment
of many, including myself. There are only a few movies that have surpassed
the 10-million-viewers mark here in Korea, and only a few of those are foreign films.
"Tangled" and "Avatar" are the ones that made the cut, but it's quite possible that "Avengers
2" will be the next one, seeing all of the anticipation that's being generated for the
movie. We'll just have to wait until next summer
to find out.
Yes, we will. Well, thank you, Yoonhee, for that report. We'll see you back here again
tomorrow with another arts and culture report.
You're welcome. See you tomorrow.