Son Ye Jin Stars In Her First Chinese Film

Son Ye Jin will play a mysterious woman in the upcoming Chinese film "A Bad Guy Must Die."

In the film she plays a Korean woman who runs into a group of young Chinese tourists who are visiting Jeju Island. It's an unlucky meeting that ultimately gets them in trouble.

Son will begin shooting the dark comedy in March after she finishes working on the political thriller "House With Happiness." "A Bad Guy Must Die" is the first film that the 33-year-old actress will make in China.

"We recognize that Son has a solid track record with many Korean box office hits," said a press release by Huayi Brothers, the Chinese entertainment company funding the film. "We are deeply grateful to her for choosing us for her first movie in China."

Son will co-star with Chen Bo Lin, the Chinese actor that became very popular after appearing in the 2014 road trip film, "The Continent."

Kang Je Kyu, who wrote the script for the 2011 film "My Way" and Chinese director Feng Xiaogang who directed the 2013 film "Personal Tailor," serve as executive producers. Sun Hao will direct the film.

"We have been asking Son to be part of our project for so long because she is one of a few influential Korean actresses who can act and attract moviegoers," said the Huayi Brothers press release.

Son Ye Jin has appeared in several hit dramas since her 1999 debut. Most recently she played Jo Hae Woo, a woman whose life is upended by the reappearance of a lost love, in "Shark." The actress shifted her focus to films in 2014, appearing as a female pirate with "Shark" co-star Kim Nam Gil in "The Pirates." She won a few awards in 2014, including a Grand Bell Award for her role in "The Pirates."

"A Bad Guy Must Die" is the latest in a series of Chinese-Korean productions.  Huayi Brothers and Korea's Showbox co-produced the family adventure "Mr Go." Korea's entertainment giant CJ E&M enjoyed a big hit with "20 Once Again," the Chinese-language remake of the Korean comedy "Miss Granny."

Thanks to the popularity of k-dramas in China, Chinese production companies are scouting more Korean stars.  The list of k-drama actors that have worked in China during the last few years includes Rain, Kim Tae Hee, Song Seung Hoon, Song Hye Kyo, and Kim Bum.

Korean actors don't need to speak the language to star in Chinese productions as their voices are usually dubbed.