Blossom Entertainment clarified rumors going around about THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defense) affecting Song Joong-Ki's upcoming activities and projects in China. Rumor has it that the 30-year-old Hallyu star may be in talks for a Chinese drama.
Rumors abound that the "Descendants of the Sun" star received a 100 million yuan (approximately $15 million) casting offer to headline an upcoming Chinese TV drama. Unfortunately, the supposed casting was reportedly canceled because of the rising tension between China and South Korea over THAAD.
On Aug. 5, Friday, Blossom Entertainment squashed those unending rumors, stating that the only future project planned for Song is the 2017 historical period film entitled "Battleship Island."
"It is true that Song Joong-Ki is receiving a variety of casting offers for dramas and films in China," a representative from Blossom Entertainment told Korea's TV Daily, as cited by Soompi. "However, we have not discussed his appearance in any project yet."
The representative added that the Hallyu star is currently busy filming "Battleship Island" alongside "The Wailing" star Hwang Jung-Min and "A Company Man" actor So Ji-Sub. The source then added, "This if the first time we have heard of that drama and the casting fee of 100 million yuan (approximately $15 million)."
While some are relieved with the news, speculations are rife that the upcoming historical film may suffer losses. Helmed by filmmaker Ryoo Seung-Wan, "Battleship Island" is said to be a Korean-China co-productions.
As part of the reprisal measure for THAAD, Korean-Chinese co-productions and talents are apparently restricted. Several reports noted that numerous Korean companies claimed that their respective Chinese partners had been given verbal instructions from China's Film Bureau that the planned co-productions would not be approved.
This new prohibition is expected to trigger a downturn in South Korea's entertainment businesses. According to China's state news agency Xinhua, a recent survey showed that more than four-fifths of Chinese individuals would apparently bolster the said ban if the local government does so.
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