Korean Superstars, Launching Activities in Hollywood through Global Agencies

Peninsula (2020) 

Actor Kang Dongwon signed a contract with CAA, the biggest agency in the United States. It is expected that Kang Dongwon's global activities in full swing will be visible through the contract. 

Variety, American film entertainment media, exclusively reported the news. This shows the interest of the U.S. media in Kang Dongwon's advance to Hollywood. Variety introduced the actor’s Korean filmography and said, "Kang Dongwon is set to appear in Broker produced by CJ Entertainment and directed by Kore-eda Hirokazu. The film is considered a strong contender for Cannes this year." It also said, "Kang Dongwon has a good command of English with outstanding acting skills, and he is known to have filmed Tsunami LA directed by Scott Maan in 2019. When the film is released, it will be Kang's Hollywood debut." 

Tsunami LA, which is mentioned as Kang Dongwon's Hollywood debut, started shooting in April 2018 and is known to be in post-production now. It is a disaster film that deals with the struggles of the tsunami in Los Angeles, USA, and was directed by Simon West, who also directed Con Air, Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, and The Expendables II. Kang Dongwon plays a character who saves people from the disasters in Tsunami LA.

Leading cineastes in Hollywood such as Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, and Brad Pitt belong to CAA, and now, Korean superstars are also joining it. Prior to Kang Dongwon, Lee Jungjae and Jung Hoyeon, the two main characters of SQUID GAME, signed with CAA. In addition, Lee Byunghun and Rookie Jeon Jongseo, who are considered the fastest actors to settle in Hollywood, signed a contract with the United Talent Agency (UTA), where Angelina Jolie, Benedict Cumberbatch, and Tilda Swinton belong. As many Korean actors join the global agencies, the number of global projects featuring Korean actors is expected to increase faster.