Last weekend, Jennifer Love Hewitt's new film The Truth About Love opened top of the South Korea box office charts.

With the successful release of If Only, she becomes a big box office star in South Korea

http://www.screendaily.com/story.asp?storyid=21873

Hewitt's Love grips South Korea


Darcy Paquet in Seoul 04 May 2005 04:00



UK film The Truth About Love, starring Jennifer Love Hewitt, has scored a number one opening in South Korea in its worldwide debut.

Bought by Ivision and released by Tube Entertainment, the film earned $1.04m over a quiet weekend to outpace the launch of international hit The Interpreter, which took $890,000. The film tells the story of a happily married woman who sends an anonymous valentine card to her husband as part of a bet. He conceals the card’s arrival from her, setting off a chain of events that includes phone sex, a clandestine meeting and ultimately the revelation that her husband already has a mistress.

The strong performance of The Truth About Love is being credited locally to another UK film that became an unexpected hit in late 2004. Gil Junger's If Only, also starring Hewitt in the lead role, grossed over $6m through a release by CJ Entertainment on October 29.

With its tragic theme appealing to local viewers, If Only enjoyed strong word of mouth that translated into a long and profitable run in theatres.

To date, neither If Only nor The Truth About Love have been released in the UK or North America.

In a territory where local stars dominate headlines, Jennifer Love Hewitt is also emerging as a significant box office draw. As part of The Truth About Love's marketing campaign, internet sites polled viewers on which local actress most resembled the Texas-born star. (Lee Na-young of comedy Someone Special received the most votes)

Shot in Bristol in summer 2004, The Truth About Love was one of several British productions which had funding withdrawn during pre-production in the aftermath of the February 10 clampdown on film tax financing.

The project was revived when Baker Street Media Finance and the UK Film Council stepped in to cover the shortfall.

International sales are handled by Lakeshore International, which has sold it to 41 territories.

The film was produced by Tracey Adam of Lex Filmed Entertainment and co-produced by Christopher Figg of Piccadilly Pictures.

The producers are about to close a deal for UK distribution.