Spackman Entertainment Group’s New Action Film, A MAN OF REASON, Produced By Studio Take, Opens At The Korean Box Office
- Written by Telegraph Magazine
- A MAN OF REASON, an action feature film produced by the Group's wholly‐owned indirect subsidiary, Studio Take, opened at the Korean theatres on August 15
- The film premiered at the 42nd Hawaii International Film Festival in the US, invited to the 47th Toronto International Film Festival in Canada and the 55th Sitges Film Festival in Spain, and pre-sold to 153 countries including Singapore, the United States, Japan, Australia, Thailand, the Philippines, India, Russia, France, Germany, Spain, Italy and Poland
- Marking the directorial debut of Korean star Jung Woo-sung, internationally known for his role in STEEL RAIN (2017) and the Group's hit production, COLD EYES (2013), A MAN OF REASON also headlines Park Sung-woong and Kim Nam-gil, who starred in Spackman Entertainment Group's previous films, FOR THE EMPEROR (2014) and LOVERS VANISHED (2010), respectively
SINGAPORE - Media OutReach - 16 August 2023 - Spackman Entertainment Group Limited (the "Group"), one of Korea's leading entertainment production groups founded in 2011 by global media & technology investor Charles Spackman, wishes to announce that the Group's new action feature film, A MAN OF REASON, produced by the Group's wholly‐owned indirect subsidiary, Studio Take Co., Ltd. ("Studio Take"), opened yesterday at the Korean box office on August 15.
The film was pre-sold to 153 countries including Singapore, the United States, Japan, Australia, Thailand, the Philippines, India, Russia, France, Germany, Spain, Italy and Poland, ahead of its official release in Korea.
The official trailer of A MAN OF REASON can be viewed at the Group's website at spackmanentertainmentgroup.com.
Studio Take's A MAN OF REASON received widespread international recognition, premiering at the 42nd Hawaii International Film Festival in the US, with invitations to the 47th Toronto International Film Festival ("TIFF") in Canada and the 55th Sitges Film Festival in Spain. A MAN OF REASON was notably selected as the Special Presentation of the 2022 Official Selection at TIFF, one of the world's four major international film festivals. The production was praised for its impressive cinematography and compelling performances of its actors.
The film features the story of Soo-hyeok (played by Jung Woo-sung), a man struggling to live a normal life after spending ten years in prison on behalf of his gang boss. The narrative unfolds as Soo-hyeok discovers he is a father and attempts to sever ties with his former gang, only to have the boss hire a notorious killer to take his daughter hostage. He decides to seek revenge, setting the stage for an intense, action-filled drama.
Co-starring in the movie are Park Sung-woong of FOR THE EMPEROR (2014) and Kim Nam-gil of LOVERS VANISHED (2010), both films previously produced by the Group. The main distributor of A MAN OF REASON is Acemaker Movie Works. North American distribution rights have been acquired by the independent film and television studio, Epic Pictures Group, known for distributing genre films in the US and Canada. Movie Cloud and Swift Productions are the distributors for the Taiwan and France markets respectively.
A MAN OF REASON further adds to Studio Take's record of exceptional filmmaking, following in the footsteps of their previous works, including the musical film THE BOX (2021), featuring EXO's Chanyeol, and the art film STONE SKIPPING (2020), which earned an invitation to the 23rd Busan International Film Festival.
Studio Take's next project, THE GUEST (working title), is currently in post-production and scheduled to be released in the second half of this year or first half of next year. The Group remains confident in Studio Take's ongoing commitment to delivering a steady stream of top-tier cinematography.
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About Spackman Entertainment Group Limited
Spackman Entertainment Group Limited ("SEGL" or the "Company"), and together with its subsidiaries, (the "Group"), is one of Korea's leading entertainment production groups. SEGL is primarily engaged in the independent development, production, presentation, and financing of theatrical motion pictures in Korea.
The Company was founded in 2011 by renowned media and technology investor Charles Spackman who served as the Company's Executive Chairman until 2017. For the past two decades, Mr. Charles Spackman has been a powerhouse in the Korean entertainment industry starting in the early 2000's with the pioneering success of Sidus Pictures, the largest movie production company at the time and the first to be listed in Korea. Mr. Spackman is also the Founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the global investment firm, Spackman Group. For more information, please visit charlesspackman.com and spackman-group.com/charles-spackman.
Since its founding, SEGL had produced more than 30 major motion pictures including a number of the highest grossing and award-winning films in Korea, namely #ALIVE (2020), CRAZY ROMANCE (2019), DEFAULT (2018), MASTER (2016), THE PRIESTS (2015), SNOWPIERCER (2013), COLD EYES (2013) and ALL ABOUT MY WIFE (2012).
Our films are theatrically distributed and released in Korea and overseas markets, as well as for subsequent post-theatrical worldwide release in other forms of media, including online streaming, cable TV, broadcast TV, IPTV, video-on-demand, and home video/DVD, etc. Generally, we release our motion pictures into wide-theatrical exhibition initially in Korea, and then in overseas and ancillary markets.
The Group also invests into and produces Korean television dramas. In addition to our content business, we also own equity stakes in entertainment-related companies and film funds that can financially and strategically complement our existing core operations. SEGL is listed on the Catalist of the Singapore Exchange Securities Trading Limited under the ticker 40E.
Production Labels
SEGL owns a 100% equity interest in Studio Take Co., Ltd. ("Studio Take") which produced STONE SKIPPING (2020) and THE BOX (2021). Its latest film, A MAN OF REASON, premiered in the US at the 42nd Hawaii International Film Festival. The film was also invited to the 47th Toronto International Film Festival, the largest film festival in North America, and the 55th Sitges Film Festival, one of the world's top three genre film festivals. Studio Take shall also release an upcoming film, THE GUEST (working title), which is at the post-production stage and scheduled to be released in the second half of 2023 or first half of 2024.
SEGL owns Novus Mediacorp Co., Ltd. ("Novus Mediacorp"), an investor, presenter, and/or post-theatrical distributor for a total of 80 films (59 Korean and 21 foreign) including OKAY MADAM (2020), LONG LIVE THE KING (2019), MY FIRST CLIENT (2019), ROSE OF BETRAYAL (2018), THE OUTLAWS (2017) and SECRETLY, GREATLY (2013), which was one of the biggest box office hits of 2013 starring Kim Soo-hyun of MY LOVE FROM THE STARS (2013), as well as FRIEND 2: THE GREAT LEGACY (2013). In 2012, Novus Mediacorp was also the post-theatrical rights distributor of ALL ABOUT MY WIFE (2012), a top-grossing romantic comedy produced by Zip Cinema. In 2018, THE OUTLAWS, co-presented by Novus Mediacorp broke the all-time highest Video On Demand ("VOD") sales records in Korea. For more information, please visit novusmediacorp.com.
The Company owns a 100% equity interest in Greenlight Content Limited ("Greenlight Content") which is mainly involved in the business of investing into dramas and movies, as well as providing consulting services for the production of Korean content. Through the acquisition of Greenlight Content, the Group's first co-produced drama, MY SECRET TERRIUS, starring top Korean star, So Ji Sub, achieved #1 in drama viewership ratings for its time slot and recorded double digits for its highest viewership ratings. Greenlight Content was one of the main investors of MY SECRET TERRIUS.
The Company owns a 100% equity interest in Simplex Films Limited ("Simplex Films") which is an early stage film production firm. The maiden film of Simplex Films, JESTERS: THE GAME CHANGERS (2019), was released in Korea on 21 August 2019. Simplex Films has several line-up of films including HURRICANE BROTHERS (working title).
The Company owns a 20% equity interest in The Makers Studio Co. Ltd., which plans to produce and release four upcoming films, the first of which will be THE ISLAND OF THE GHOST'S WAIL, a comedy horror film.
Talent Representation
The Company holds an effective shareholding interest of 43.88% in Spackman Media Group Limited ("SMGL"). SMGL, a company incorporated in Hong Kong, together with its subsidiaries, is collectively one of the largest entertainment talent agencies in Korea in terms of the number of artists under management, including some of the top names in the Korean entertainment industry. SMGL operates its talent management business through renowned agencies such as SBD Entertainment Inc. (Son Suk-ku, Han Ji-hyun, Park Keun-rok), MSteam Entertainment Co., Ltd. (Son Ye-jin, Wi Ha-jun, Lee Min-jung, Ko Sung-hee, Lee Cho-hee), UAA&CO Inc. (Kim Sang-kyung) and Play Content Co., Ltd. (Hwang-hwi). Through these full-service talent agencies in Korea, SMGL represents and guides the professional careers of a leading roster of award-winning actors/actresses in the practice areas of motion pictures, television, commercial endorsements, and branded entertainment. SMGL leverages its unparalleled portfolio of artists as a platform to develop, produce, finance and own the highest quality of entertainment content projects, including theatrical motion pictures, variety shows and TV dramas. This platform also creates and derives opportunities for SMGL to make strategic investments in development stage businesses that can collaborate with SMGL artists. SMGL is an associated company of the Company. For more information, please visit spackmanmediagroup.com.
The Company owns a 100% equity interest in Constellation Agency Pte. Ltd. ("Constellation Agency"). Constellation Agency, which owns The P Factory Co., Ltd. ("The P Factory") and Platform Media Group Co., Ltd. ("PMG"), is primarily involved in the business of overseas agency for Korean artists venturing into the overseas market. The P Factory is an innovative marketing solutions provider specializing in event and branded content production. PMG is a talent management agency, which represents and manages the careers of major artists in film, television, commercial endorsements and branded entertainment.
Strategic Businesses
The Company also operates a café-restaurant, Upper West, in the Gangnam district of Seoul and own a professional photography studio, noon pictures Co., Ltd.
