A Year-End Medley

A Year-End Medley (Korean: 해피 뉴 이어; Hanja: 新年快乐; RR: Haepi Nyu Ieo; lit.: Happy New Year) is a 2021 South Korean romance film directed by Kwak Jae-yong and features an ensemble cast led by Han Ji-min, Lee Dong-wook, Kang Ha-neul and Im Yoon-ah. The film depicts the story of clients who visit the hotel 'Emross' with their own stories as they make their own relations in their own style.[3][4] It was released simultaneously in theatres and via streaming media TVING on 29 December 2021.[5][6]

A Year-End Medley
Promotional poster
Hangul
해피 뉴 이어
Hanja
新年快乐
Literal meaningHappy New Year
Revised RomanizationHaepi Nyu Ieo
Directed byKwak Jae-yong
Starring
Production
companies
Hive Media Corp.
CJ Entertainment
Distributed byCJ Entertainment
TVING
Release date
  • December 29, 2021 (2021-12-29)
Running time
138 minutes
CountrySouth Korea
LanguageKorean
Box officeUS$1.9 million[1][2]

On January 21, 2022, it was announced that due to its popularity, the film will be released as a new six-part extended version of 30 minutes each. All six episodes will be released on TV on January 26, 2022.[7]

Synopsis

Happy New Year is a feel-good romantic comedy of a young man and woman that is told in the background of hotel 'Emross'. It has stories of people who met each other at Hotel Emross during the New Year holidays. Each one has his own memory to relate and create relationship or just going nostalgic.

Cast
  • Han Ji-min as So Jin, Emross hotel manager who has been hesitant to confess to a 'boyfriend' for 15 years[8]
  • Lee Dong-wook as Yong Jin, CEO of hotel
  • Kang Ha-neul as Jae Yong, a guest
  • Im Yoon-ah as Soo Yeon, hotel staff
  • Won Jin-ah as Lee Young, a musical actress who works as a hotel room maid
  • Lee Hye-young as Catherine, a Korean businesswoman returning to Korea to attend her daughter's wedding, she meets a doorman at the hotel 'Emross', and recalls the memories of her first love 40 years ago[9]
  • Jung Jin-young as Sang Gyu, doorman at hotel 'Emross' and first love of Catherine
  • Kim Young-kwang as Seung Hyo, a radio producer[10]
  • Seo Kang-joon as Lee Kang, a singer-songwriter and radio DJ
  • Lee Kwang-soo as Sang Hoon, manager of an unknown artist who becomes a hit as a singer and popular DJ
  • Ko Sung-hee as Young Joo, a jazz pianist
  • Lee Jin-wook as Jin Ho, a plastic surgeon waiting for his true love, he comes to hotel every Saturday to find prospective marriage partner
  • Cho Jun-young as Park Se-jik, a high school swimmer who has a secret crush on Lim Ah-yeong
  • Won Ji-an as Lim Ah-yeong, a figure skater
  • Baek Eun-hye as manager of the hotel 'Emross' maid team[11]
  • Lee Joong-ok as Executive director[12]
  • Bae Hae-sun as Jung Mi-sook
  • Oh Min-ae as Sang-gyu's wife
  • Kim Soo-gyeom as Lee Chul-min, a high school student full of intelligence and loyalty and close friend of Park Se-jik [13]
  • Lee Kyu-hyung as a shaman (special appearance)

Production

Casting

On April 22, 2021 CJ ENM and TVING announced that the film Happy New Year would be directed by Kwak Jae-yong and confirmed the cast as: Han Ji-min, Lee Dong-wook, Kang Ha-neul, Im Yoon-ah, Won Jin-ah, Seo Kang-jun, Lee Kwang-soo, Kim Young-kwang, Ko Sung-hee, Lee Jin-wook, Lee Kyu-hyung, Jo Jun-young, Won Ji-an and Lee Hye-young and Jung Jin-young.[14]

Filming

Principal photography of the film began on April 19, 2021.[15]

Reception

Box office

The film was released on 832 screens on December 29, 2021.[2] As per Korean Film Council (Kofic) integrated computer network, the film ranked third on the Korean box office with 207,379 cumulative admissions in the opening week.[16] It ranked 3rd at the overall box office and 1st at the box office for Korean films in the opening week of its release.[17]

As of January 16, 2022 it is at 3rd place in the list of Korean films released in the year 2022, with combined gross of US$1.81 million and 230,785 admissions for both years.[16][1][2]

Critical response

Jo Yeon-kyung reviewing for JTBC rated it with 2.5 out of 5 on popcorn index and stated that running time of the film was short as it had many stories. She appreciated the performances of ensemble and especially praised Kang Ha-neul and Lee Kwang-soo saying, "[they] showed off their outstanding abilities". Concluding review Jo opined that the it was not a superhero film and genre was not refreshing, still "the pleasant warmth is not pushed away." And Jo ended it writing, "In the cinematic ending of finding each person's relationship, the original growth that makes me fall in love is also a healing message conveyed by Happy New Year."[18] Park Jae-hwan of KBS Entertainment wrote, "It is a spectacle love story in which the 14 main characters unfold at least 7 romances." Concluding Park stated, "This movie is a kind of film that asks you to spend the new year warmly with your family or with someone who will become your family. It is happy to see it in the theater and happy to see it on TV. Anyway, “Happy New Year~”".[19]

References
  1. "일별 박스오피스" [Daily box office]. Korean Film Council (in Korean). KOBIS. January 21, 2022. Retrieved January 21, 2022.
  2. "KOFIC, KOBIS (Korean Box Office Information System) Box office: A Year-End Medley 2021". KOFIC. Retrieved January 15, 2022.
  3. Cho Myung-hyun (April 22, 2021). "한지민·강하늘·이동욱·임윤아·이진욱·서강준…역대급 15人 합류, '해피뉴이어'" [Han Ji-min, Kang Ha-neul, Lee Dong-wook, Im Yoon-ah, Lee Jin-wook, Seo Kang-jun… Joining 15 of the greatest people ever, 'Happy New Year']. Chosun (in Korean). Retrieved June 5, 2021.
  4. "A Year-End Medley - (Korean Movie, 2021, 해피 뉴 이어)". HanCinema. Retrieved June 5, 2021.
  5. Kim Ji-won (December 6, 2021). "[공식] 한지민X이동욱 '해피 뉴 이어' 29일 티빙·극장 공개 확정" [[Official] Han Ji-min X Lee Dong-wook 'Happy New Year' confirmed for tea and theater release on the 29th]. Ten Asia (in Korean). Naver. Retrieved December 6, 2021.
  6. Kim Ji-eun (April 28, 2021). "서복→해피 뉴 이어, 극장·OTT 동시 공개…韓영화 배급 실험" [Seobok → Happy New Year, theater and OTT simultaneous release… Korean movie distribution experiment]. Newsis (in Korean). Naver. Retrieved June 5, 2021.
  7. Kim Na-yeon (January 21, 2022). "'해피 뉴 이어', 6개 에피소드 확장판으로 재탄생..26일 공개" ['Happy New Year' is reborn as an extended version of 6 episodes.. Released on the 26th]. Star News. Retrieved January 21, 2022.
  8. Kim Bo-ra (April 22, 2021). "[단독] 이동욱x한지민, '해피 뉴 이어' 출연 확정…첫 연인 호흡" [[Exclusive] Lee Dong-wook x Han Ji-min confirmed to appear in 'Happy New Year'... first lover breath]. Osen (in Korean). Naver. Retrieved June 5, 2021.
  9. Kim Ji-eun (May 17, 2021). "[단독] 이동욱x한지민, '해피 뉴 이어' 출연 확정…첫 연인 호흡" [Actress Lee Hye-young joins 'Happy New Year'... twilight romance painting]. Newsis (in Korean). Retrieved June 5, 2021.
  10. Park Kyung-hee (April 23, 2021). "김영광, '해피 뉴 이어'서 라디오PD 변신...한지민·고성희와 호흡" [Kim Young-kwang transforms into radio PD in 'Happy New Year'... Breathing with Han Ji-min and Ko Sung-hee]. Single List (in Korean). Retrieved June 5, 2021.
  11. Shin So-won (November 10, 2021). "백은혜, 영화 '해피 뉴 이어' 캐스팅...한지민X이동욱과 호흡" [Baek Eun-hye, cast in the movie 'Happy New Year'... Breathing with Han Ji-min X Lee Dong-wook] (in Korean). Ten Asia. Retrieved November 15, 2021 – via Naver.
  12. Ha Su-jeong (December 6, 2021). "이중옥, 영화 '해피 뉴 이어' 명품 라인업 완성..이동욱과 호흡" [Lee Jung-ok completes the luxury lineup for the movie 'Happy New Year'... Breathing with Lee Dong-wook] (in Korean). OSEN. Retrieved December 7, 2021 – via Naver.
  13. Kim Ye-eun (December 8, 2021). "신예 김수겸, 영화 '해피 뉴 이어' 출연 확정" [Rookie Kim Soo-gyeom confirmed to appear in movie 'Happy New Year'] (in Korean). Xports News. Retrieved December 8, 2021 – via Naver.
  14. Kim Hyun-rok (April 22, 2021). "해피뉴이어' 한지민·이동욱→임윤아·이광수 15人 캐스팅..극장·티빙 동시공개" ['Happy New Year' Han Ji-min, Lee Dong-wook → Im Yoon-ah, Lee Kwang-soo 15 cast...]. Sport TV News (in Korean). Naver. Retrieved June 5, 2021.
  15. Noh Kyu-min (April 22, 2021). "'해피 뉴 이어' A급 톱배우 15명 '역대급 캐스팅'…19일 크랭크인 [공식]" ['Happy New Year' 15 top A-class actors 'all-time casting'... 19th Crankin [Official]]. Ten Asia (in Korean). Naver. Retrieved June 5, 2021.
  16. "KOFIC, KOBIS (Korean Box Office Information System) The Box office: Korean films of 2022". KOFIC. Retrieved January 21, 2022.
  17. Kang Hyo-jin (January 3, 2022). "'해피뉴이어' 개봉 첫 주말 韓영화 박스오피스 1위" ['Happy New Year' tops the box office for the first weekend of its release]. Spotify News (in Korean). Naver. Retrieved January 3, 2022.
  18. Jo Yeon-kyung (December 29, 2021). "[리뷰] 행복한 '해피뉴이어' 로맨스는 설레고 유치해야 제 맛" [[Review] A happy 'Happy New Year' romance has to be exciting and childish to taste]. JTBC (in Korean). Naver. Retrieved December 29, 2021.
  19. Park Jae-hwan (December 29, 2021). "[리뷰] 해피 뉴 이어 "우리의 새해는 지난해보다 따뜻하리라!"" [[Review] Happy New Year “Our New Year will be warmer than last year!”]. KBS Entertainment (in Korean). Naver. Retrieved December 29, 2021.
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