[News] Lee Da-hae drops two films in a row.

[News] Lee Da-hae drops two films in a row.
Cr. - javabeans

Lee Da-hae has dropped out of her movie debut(s), 3D blockbuster Song of Springs and Coffee (Ka-bi) (formerly titled Russian Coffee), the latter of which she’d signed on to a few months back alongside Joo Jin-mo.

Coffee is a late-Joseon-era spy melodrama about an assassination attempt on Emperor Gojong; Lee was to have played a Joseon barista who served coffee to him. Yoo Sun and Park Hee-soon are also starring.

With Lee’s last-minute departure comes shooting delays — in fact, it had initially intended to begin filming in December and wrap in April, but hasn’t yet begun. Lee attributes her departure to the delay. Adding to the pressure is the news that Joo Jin-mo has stated he will start looking at scripts for other projects, although he has not yet decided to leave the project himself. Plus, the formerly high-budget production recently had its funds slashed from 10 billion won to less than half that, which makes its planned location shoots in Russia and Japan — not to mention its anticipated summer release — difficult.

Along with this wave of news comes yet more (barely?) veiled criticism at Lee Da-hae, who seems to be dogged with bad press wherever she turns. It doesn’t help that she (in)famously dropped East of Eden mid-drama, and is starting to gain the reputation of a quitter. (Article headlines ranged from Lee Da-hae Drops Movie, Unfortunately to Lee Da-hae Quits AGAIN. Insert implied sigh of frustration as needed.) But you know what, I’ll say it: The woman badly needs a crash course in media training, and perhaps new management.