“Crash Landing on You” star Son Ye-jin may soon crossover to Hollywood after her agency MS Team Entertainment has confirmed that she is currently in talks to join the movie “The Cross” with “Avatar” actor Sam Worthington. Lee Sung-kyun (“Parasite”) may also join the cast, but nothing has been finalized yet.
According to IMDB, “The Cross” will be directed by Andrew Niccol, who is known for his sci-fi films “Gattaca” and “In Time.” The movie, which will be set in the future, is about the lives of people caught in between two nations divided by a border. Hmmm, sounds oddly familiar? Will Captain Ri save them?
If everything pushes through, Son Ye-jin will join the likes of other Korean stars who have bagged major roles in Hollywood productions, some more successful than others.
Lee Byung-hun
Perhaps the most successful Hallyu star crossover yet, Lee Byung-hun is known for his role as Storm Shadow in “G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra” and its sequel “G.I. Joe Retaliation.” He also starred in the action-comedy film “Red 2” with Bruce Willis. In 2016, Lee made his trip to the Oscars as he presented the best foreign language film award with Sofia Vergara.
Rain
Rain made his Hollywood debut in the film “Speed Racer” as a rookie racer. But his major Hollywood role came through the martial arts film “Ninja Assassin.” His role as a disillusioned assassin won him an award at the MTV Movie Awards in 2010. Rain also starred in the action-thriller film “The Prince” with Bruce Willis, John Cusack and Jason Patric.
Daniel Henney
Korean-American actor Daniel Henney has had better luck in Hollywood, most likely because he’s a native English speaker, born and raised in the U.S. In 2009, he starred as Agent Zero in the film “X-Men Origins: Wolverine.” He also appeared in several U.S. shows like “Criminal Minds” and “Three Rivers.”
Jun Ji-hyun
Remember when Jun Ji-hyun was called Gianna Jun? In 2006, Gianna or Ji-hyun made her Hollywood debut as the lead role in “Blood: The Last Vampire.” In 2011, she appeared in the historical drama film “Snow Flower and the Secret Fan” with Hugh Jackman.
Bae Doona
Before “Kingdom,” I first saw Bae Doona on the American series “Sense8” by the Wachowskis, where she played the role of a badass business executive cum kickboxer. Her first English language film was “Cloud Atlas” in 2012, written and directed as well by the Wachowskis.
Lee Joon-gi
Lee Joon-gi made his Hollywood debut as a villain on the final installment of the Resident Evil series, “Resident Evil: The Final Chapter.” Known for doing his own stunts, Lee Joon-gi even impressed lead star Milla Jovovich. Well done, 4th prince!
With the recent success of “Parasite” and calls for diversity and inclusion, we hope to see more of our favorite Asian stars in Hollywood in the future.