Blackpink's Jisoo and Park Jeong-min on Navigating Romance — and Zombies — in Prime Video's ‘Newtopia': ‘The Chemistry Between Us Was Great'
In Prime Video's 'Newtopia,' love doesn't just survive the apocalypse — it thrives in it. The Korean series pairs Blackpink's Jisoo and acclaimed actor Park Jeong-min in a romantic comedy with undead twists that's being billed as a fresh take on the zombie genre.
The series follows Lee Jae-yoon (Park), a late military conscript, and Kang Young-joo (Jisoo), a rookie professional, whose relationship is tested first by a breakup and then by a zombie outbreak in Seoul. Under the direction of Yoon Sung-hyun, 'Newtopia' aims to blend heart-pounding action with light-hearted romance.
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'It's more adorable, humorous and light-hearted — a true zombie romantic comedy, a 'zom-com,'' Park tells Variety. 'That uniqueness was what made me want to be part of this project.' The actor, who admits to being a Blackpink fan with signed albums to prove it, found instant chemistry with his co-star. 'From the very first moment, the chemistry between us was great and it was easy to form a close bond.'
For Park, the role offered unique creative opportunities. 'Being placed in situations that I have never experienced — and likely never will — was the most intriguing aspect of working on this series,' he explains. 'It opened up endless possibilities for imagination, allowing me to reflect on the various choices I might make if I found myself in those situations.'
The collaboration between the two leads was enhanced by Jisoo's presence on set. 'Jisoo is such a wonderful person who never shows any signs of negativity,' Park says. 'Working with her helped me stay connected to my character's emotions throughout the filming process. Thanks to her, it made portraying her romantic partner in the series feel natural and enjoyable.'
For Jisoo, following up her success in Disney+ and JTBC's 'Snowdrop' with 'Newtopia' offered new challenges, particularly in the action department. 'This was my first time working on a project set in a zombie apocalypse, and I discovered how much I enjoy filming action sequences,' she reveals. The role required nearly a year of filming and extensive physical preparation. 'I always worked out on my days off, stretched before filming and stayed focused during rehearsals to prevent injuries,' she says.
The K-pop star-turned-actress faced demanding action scenes, including a particularly taxing sequence featuring zombies. 'One of the toughest scenes involved fighting and running from zombies in a single take,' she says. 'It demanded a lot of physical strength, and keeping up with all the running was a challenge.' Her dedication extended beyond filming hours: 'On days with a lot of action scenes, I followed recovery routines like warm baths and stretching to prevent muscle soreness, no matter how late we finished on set.'
Park likens the series to a 'fairytale disguised as a zombie series' and draws comparisons to 2013 zombie cult film 'Warm Bodies,' suggesting viewers might find similar fresh appeal. He credits director Yoon Sung-hyun's innovative approach, noting how the creator 'steps slightly away from traditional formulas to present a fresh story and an innovative narrative style.'
Jisoo underlines the show's unique balance of elements: 'A zombie apocalypse can feel like a heavy theme, but 'Newtopia' balances the grimness with characters who navigate the chaos in unique ways, all while keeping a sense of humor.'
The series will premiere globally on Prime Video and Korean streamer Coupang Play on Friday.
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Los Angeles Times
2 hours ago
- Los Angeles Times
These two L.A. restaurants are the city's first-ever to receive three Michelin stars
Wednesday night's Michelin Guide announcement was a historic one for Los Angeles: For the first time in the guide's history, the global dining compendium awarded three stars — the highest rating possible — to an L.A. restaurant. In fact, it awarded three stars to two L.A. restaurants. Michelin's California Guide is published each year, highlighting the state's best restaurants according to the company's team of anonymous inspectors. Michelin stars, awarded on a scale from one to three, are widely regarded as one of the highest accolades a restaurant can garner. One star signifies 'high-quality cooking, worth a stop,' two stars recognize 'excellent cuisine, worth a detour,' and three stars translate to 'exceptional cuisine, worth a special journey.' Multiple restaurants in Los Angeles have been awarded two stars, but this year previous star holders Providence and Somni crossed the threshold into three-star status — the only two restaurants in California to newly earn the accolade in 2025. Los Angeles chef Ki Kim of Little Tokyo's Restaurant Ki won the Michelin Young Chef Award, in addition to his restaurant earning a single star. Kim battled mental health difficulties during the closure of his first restaurant, Kinn, but returned with a new modern Korean tasting menu last year. At the ceremony, held in Sacramento at the SAFE Credit Union Performing Arts Center, Kim was praised for his 'exhibited leadership and dedication to the craft.' The 2025 statewide guide also recognized 123 restaurants with its 'bib gourmand' awards, indicating 'good food at a moderate price.' It also awarded green stars, denoting sustainability practices. Providence owners Michael Cimarusti and Donato Poto appeared stunned as they headed to the stage to accept their award, hugging the puffy white mascot Michelin Man. Somni chef Aitor Zabala removed his suit jacket onstage, immediately changing into chef's whites. He promptly hugged every three-star chef standing on stage, then posed for a photo revealing his shirt: 'Immigrants feed America.' According to the Michelin website, restaurants are rated by 'quality of the ingredients used, mastery of flavor and cooking techniques, the personality of the chef in the cuisine, harmony of flavors, and consistency between visits.' Providence, in Hollywood, has a long history in the Michelin Guide. The restaurant — a destination for sustainable seafood by way of an artful tasting menu — turned 20 this month. In its third year in operation, it earned one Michelin star. The following year, it gained a second. Michelin Guide would leave L.A. for a decade, but when it returned in 2019, Providence again earned two stars. Notwithstanding Michelin Guide's 2020 pause in ratings due to the pandemic and wildfires, Providence held two stars every year since the guide's return to L.A. In 2023 the restaurant also earned the green star, commending its sustainability practices. 'Providence is a wonderful example of consistency and evolution,' Michelin Guide's anonymous chief inspector of North America told The Times via email. Cimarusti 'is very passionate, serious and focused as he has been doing wonderful work over the years, recently reaching an inflection point which was made evident in our meals this year,' they continued. 'When you get to the three stars level, it's about a distinct personality and level of technical expertise that makes it one of the best restaurants in the world.' Somni also previously held Michelin stars; but the original restaurant — a collaboration between chefs José Andrés and Aitor Zabala — closed in 2020 after two years inside the SLS Hotel in Beverly Grove. It earned two stars in 2019. Then, in late November, Zabala — with Andrés' blessing but not his business partnership — reopened Somni in a new West Hollywood home. The new tasting menu includes new dishes, 14 seats overlooking a chefs counter, and a progressive, multi-structure experience that involves a patio reception. 'We've had plenty of experience at Somni in its first iteration and were sad to see that it closed,' the anonymous chief inspector of North America told The Times. 'We're very excited that it has re-emerged in such an impressive state. Chef Zabala has a singular vision and has guided his team to produce a culinary experience that is hands down stunning. The new restaurant iteration is an even more impactful representation of the original.' There are now eight three-star restaurants in the state of California: Providence, Somni, San Diego's Addison, and Northern California's Atelier Crenn, the French Laundry, Benu, Quince and Single Thread. Two restaurants freshly earned two stars in the 2025 guide — San Francisco's Kiln and Sonoma's Enclos — while five restaurants newly earned one-star ratings, including two in Los Angeles. Ki Kim's modern Korean tasting menu in Little Tokyo, Ki, now holds a star, as does Nozomi Mori's Sawtelle sushi omakase, Mori Nozomi, which is helmed by an all-female staff. Other new one-star awardees are Carlsbad's Lilo, Santa Barbara's Silvers Omakase and Oakland's Sun Moon Studio. Other new L.A.-area accolades include most of the year's new bib gourmand additions: Komal in Historic South-Central, Rasarumah in Historic Filipinotown, Vin Folk in Hermosa Beach and West Adams' temporarily closed Bee Taqueria, home to some of the best tacos in the city. 'This is huge for us,' Komal chef and co-founder Fátima Juárez told The Times last month when she learned her restaurant would be included in the California guide in some manner, though she was not sure what its recognition would be. 'I'm grateful,' she said in June. 'I never say, 'Oh, I'm cooking for [awards] or I'm cooking for this.' You know, I'm cooking because I love cooking, and I love my kitchen.' Hayato, Mélisse and Vespertine al maintained their two-star ratings from 2024. L.A.-area one-star awardees who retained their 2024 rating include 715, Camphor, Citrin, Gucci Osteria da Massimo Bottura, Gwen, Heritage, Holbox, Kali, Kato, Meteora, Morihiro, n/naka, Nozawa Bar, Orsa & Winston, Osteria Mozza, Pasta Bar, Rebel Omakase, Shibumi, Shin Sushi, Sushi I-naba, Sushi Kaneyoshi and Uka. Near Los Angeles, so did Bell's in Los Alamos, Caruso's in Montecito, Valle in Oceanside, Knife Pleat in Costa Mesa, Jeune et Jolie in Carlsbad and Soichi in San Diego. Sushi Ginza Onodera in West Hollywood did not retain its star, nor did Hana re Sushi in Costa Mesa. Michelin's full list of 2025 California Guide awardees can be found here.
San Francisco Chronicle
2 hours ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Michelin stars: Which restaurants won — and lost — in the Bay Area
The California Michelin stars were revealed on Wednesday evening, with the Bay Area's newest winners reflecting a regional shift for the food industry's most coveted award. The winery-owned Enclos won two stars, the first restaurant in Sonoma to win a Michelin star. Sun Moon Studio, a tiny fine-dining restaurant in Oakland, earned one star. It's Oakland's second-ever Michelin starred restaurant, joining Commis (which maintained its two stars this year). There was no new winner in San Francisco, though Kiln in Hayes Valley, which earned its first star last year, was elevated to two stars. The prestigious Michelin stars were announced at a ceremony in Sacramento. Three Northern California restaurants dropped off the 2025 guide. Mountain View's longtime Chez TJ, which has held a star since Michelin started covering the Bay Area nearly two decades ago, lost the distinction. Aphotic and Osito, which each held one star, closed in 2024 and 2025, respectively. San Francisco omakase restaurant the Shota, which previously held one star, has been temporarily closed since March but remains in this year's guide. Stone Edge Farm Estate Vineyards & Winery, a premium producer of classically styled Bordeaux wines, opened Enclos in late 2024 with San Francisco fine-dining chef Brian Limoges at the helm. Chronicle restaurant critic MacKenzie Chung Fegan lauded much of the menu on a visit, including 'exquisite' venison tartar tartlets and aged tuna belly with a 'miraculous' brown butter passion fruit zabaglione. Michelin's anonymous inspectors described Enclos as a 'rarified realm' where the tasting menu 'marries global flavors, refined technique, and exceptional ingredients, including produce sourced from their two farms, all shot through with subtle nods to Chef Brian Limoges's New England roots.' Fegan also named Sun Moon Studio, which quietly started serving a tasting menu at just four tables in an unassuming West Oakland space last summer, the Bay Area's best new restaurant of 2024 and No. 4 on the Chronicle's Top 100 restaurants list. This is chefs and owners Alan Hsu and Sarah Cooper's first restaurant. Their food draws on their pedigree from top Michelin-starred restaurants, including Benu in San Francisco and Per Se in New York City, as well as their heritage and personal experience, like a mini Taiwanese sausage cradled in a buttery, steamed brioche bun. 'A slightly clandestine air still prevails outside this inconspicuous little spot, but the secret is out: the handful of seats inside are hotly in demand,' the Michelin inspectors wrote. 'The style is pared down and technically precise, letting products shine while adding a spark of personality.' Bay Area restaurants also nearly swept the guide's special awards. The bar team at modern Indian newcomer Eylan in Menlo Park won the exceptional cocktails award. Eylan was also the sole Bay Area restaurant added to the guide's 2025 Bib Gourmand list, for businesses which the guide describes as offering 'a meal of good quality at a good value.' Nick Peyton, maitre d' and owner of Cyrus in Geyserville, won Michelin's outstanding service award. Chris Barnum-Dann of Localis in Sacramento took home the sommelier award — an unusual feat for the chef and owner of a restaurant. Northern California remains home to the most three-star restaurants in the state, though Michelin added two Los Angeles restaurants to the category this year. Atelier Crenn, San Francisco Benu, San Francisco The French Laundry, Yountville Quince, San Francisco SingleThread, Healdsburg Two stars Acquerello, San Francisco Aubergine, Carmel Birdsong, San Francisco Californios, San Francisco Commis, Oakland Enclos, Sonoma (new) Harbor House, Elk (Mendocino County) Kiln, San Francisco Lazy Bear, San Francisco Saison, San Francisco Sons & Daughters, San Francisco One star 7 Adams, San Francisco Angler, San Francisco Auberge du Soleil, Rutherford Auro, Calistoga Chez Noir, Carmel Cyrus, Geyserville Hilda and Jesse, San Francisco Kenzo, Napa Kin Khao, San Francisco The Kitchen, Sacramento Le Comptoir at Bar Crenn, San Francisco Localis, Sacramento Madcap, San Anselmo Mister Jiu's, San Francisco Nari, San Francisco Niku Steakhouse, San Francisco Nisei, San Francisco O' by Claude Le Tohic, San Francisco Plumed Horse, Saratoga Press, Saint Helena The Progress, San Francisco Protégé, Palo Alto San Ho Won, San Francisco Selby's, Redwood City The Shota, San Francisco Sorrel, San Francisco Ssal, San Francisco State Bird Provisions, San Francisco Sun Moon Studio, Oakland (new) The Village Pub, Woodside Wakuriya, San Mateo
UPI
3 hours ago
- UPI
Eric Dane, Jensen Ackles: 'Countdown' cops collaborate well, but also butt heads
1 of 4 | Jensen Ackles (L) and Eric Dane star in "Countdown," premiering Wednesday. Photo courtesy of Prime Video NEW YORK, June 25 (UPI) -- Grey's Anatomy alum Eric Dane and Supernatural icon Jensen Ackles say the cop characters they play in the new action-drama, Countdown, may not always get along, but they work well together under pressure. Premiering Wednesday on Prime Video, the show follows a multi-department task force charged with investigating why a Department of Homeland Security agent was murdered in broad daylight. Dane's Nathan Blythe is the FBI senior special agent in charge, while Ackles plays Mark Meachum, a brash LAPD detective. Jessica Camacho, Elliot Knight, Violett Beane and Uli Latukefu round out the rest of the team. "They butt heads a lot, but, at the end of the day, I get what I need from Mark Meachum and Mark Meachum gets what he needs in Nathan Blythe," Dane told UPI in a recent Zoom interview. "He sees a resilience and a tenacity [in Meachum] that is super-useful when you have a task force like this." Ackles agreed there's mutual respect between Meachum and Blythe. "[Meachum] understands that there's a reason why [Blythe] got to the position that he's in and it's not because he kissed the right ass. It is because he earned it," he added. "But Meachum is still who he is and he has a hard time with authority and he questions -- not in a way of 'I think I know better' -- but just: 'Why me? Why now? Why this? Why this way?' which I think has gotten him into a lot of trouble with his former superior officers." Blythe appreciates the skills and experience Meachum brings to the table, according to Ackles. "One thing that Blythe sees in him is that he is thoughtful," Ackles said. "He's not just an operative. He's not just a machine that he can press 'go.' Meachum does have unique skills and unique ways of getting the job done that [Blythe] recognizes and thinks: 'This is the guy that I need on my team, even though he might be a bit of a pain in the ass. He has a special set of skills that I need.'" Meachum also locks horns with Camacho's DEA Agent Amber Oliveras. "That's definitely some tension going on there," Ackles said. "That's just good writing from Derek [Haas], putting those two characters together," Ackles added. "There is very quickly a connection formed. It's kind of a kindred spirit. He might see himself in some of the things that she does and how she does things." Of course, having representatives of all of these agencies under one roof isn't always easy for Blythe to control. "I like to think that Nathan Blythe hand-picked these people because he knew they would coalesce," Dane said. "Part of why what makes Nathan Blythe so effective is his ability to make those decisions, to put people together who normally in other environments probably wouldn't get along, but, when singularly focused on this one task, they gel nicely." Feeling's mutual. The first three episodes of 'Countdown' are streaming now. Prime Video (@PrimeVideo) June 25, 2025
