My Little Hero (2013 Film)
My Little Hero (Korean: 마이 리틀 히어로; RR: Mai Riteul Hieoro) is a 2013 South Korean drama-musical film directed by Kim Sung-Hoon. The film stars Kim Rae-Won as a struggling musical director and Ji Dae-Han as a young boy he mentors.
Plot
Yoo Il-Han (Kim Rae-Won) is an arrogant musical director who was once promising but has seen his career decline following a box-office failure. Desperate to work on Broadway in New York City, he participates in a televised musical competition. The program aims to select a child actor to play King Jungjo in a large-scale musical production. During the audition process, Il-Han is paired with a young boy named Young-Gwang (Ji Dae-Han). Initially frustrated by the selection and the boy's lack of formal dance training, Il-Han eventually discovers potential in his pupil, leading to a transformative journey for both characters.
Production
The film underwent several title changes during development, originally titled Dream, then Dream, My Little Hero, and briefly Superstar before settling on My Little Hero to avoid confusion with another film of the same name. Principal photography commenced on March 25, 2012. Production concluded on September 16, 2012, in New York City, with the final scene featuring Kim Rae-Won on Broadway.
Reception
My Little Hero was released in South Korea on January 10, 2013. The film experienced limited commercial success, recording 183,650 tickets sold during its theatrical run. Despite the box office performance, child actor Ji Dae-Han received recognition for his performance, winning the Best New Actor award at the 49th Baeksang Arts Awards in 2013.
