Can the popular webtoon 'The Plaza' exceed its original source with love and buzz?
On the morning of the 5th, a production presentation for the Netflix original series 'The Plaza' took place at the Grand Ballroom of the Ambassador Seoul Pullman Hotel in Jung-gu, Seoul. The lead actors So Ji-Sub, Gong Myoung, Choo Young-Woo, Ahn Gil-Kang, Jo Han-Cheol, Lee Joon-Hyuk, and director Choi Sung-Eun attended the event.
'The Plaza' is a noir action drama featuring Nam Ki-Jun, who returns to the Plaza world after cutting off his Achilles heel and leaving, to investigate the circumstances behind the death of his younger brother Gi-Seok (played by So Ji-Sub), who was second-in-command of the organization. It is based on the popular webtoon of the same name that received great love from the public.
Notably, So Ji-Sub caught attention by wearing a white suit, being the only one among the six actors.
MC Park Kyung-Rim joked, "It seems there's a group chat that excludes So Ji-Sub. His dress code is different from everyone else's," referring to So Ji-Sub in a white suit, which drew laughter. In response, So Ji-Sub laughed and said, "I was surprised too," adding, "But since everyone else is an enemy to me, I'm okay with it."
Park Kyung-Rim chuckled, "Today, the younger brother (Lee Joon-Hyuk) in the drama is matching the dress code as well," commenting on So Ji-Sub's particularly standout dress code.
So Ji-Sub passionately portrayed Nam Ki-Jun, who returns to the Plaza world due to the death of his younger brother Gi-Seok. This is his return to dramas after three years since 'Doctor Lawyer,' and it marks his first Netflix series since his debut. It's been 13 years since he took on such an intense action role since the film 'Clerks.'
So Ji-Sub stated, "Ki-Jun is a character who acts with his actions rather than words, expressing emotions with his gaze. While delivering lines or performing actions, I tried to fill the gaps as much as possible. I wanted to work on a project that has this kind of serious action."
In response to the question, "People said they think of So Ji-Sub if Nam Ki-Jun were to become a series. How did you feel about that?" So Ji-Sub noted, "I heard about that later. It was burdensome. Honestly, I was very grateful when the script came to me after hearing such stories. I love this genre that carries a gritty, energetic feel, and I am thankful that I had the opportunity to choose it."
Director Choi Sung-Eun remarked, "I didn't intentionally cast actors to match the original characters. Nevertheless, I am grateful for the high synchronization between the original characters and the actual actors. Senior So Ji-Sub was the most desired cast by fans of the original webtoon. I'm very pleased that he took the role. On the day I first met him, I sensed that 'Nam Ki-Jun's emotions would be well expressed.' I truly received a chance to create freely in a rich environment with great materials," while praising the actors.
So Ji-Sub mentioned, "Before filming, I practiced action, and while I had a major outline, the director had specific parts they wanted as well," and he took out a piece of paper, saying, "I wrote it down so I wouldn't forget it."
He continued, "The director said he didn't want any unnecessary actions. During the process, if it's just done for the sake of it, it's better not to do it. In the process of revenge, will I subdue these people? Will I punish them? There's a difference. I wanted to distinguish that. I thought that when each character acts, it's like dialogue through their bodies. He said it would be good if energy and emotional lines are felt while fighting. During the process, I hope the action has a structure with rise and fall. He suggested gradually increasing the intensity of the action to reach the climax. We discussed many things, and fortunately, it seems those elements are well captured in the work."
Choo Young-Woo plays Lee Geum-Soon, the son of the head of the Joo-Woon organization, who divides the Plaza world, and a current prosecutor. Gong Myoung plays Gu Jun-Mo, the son of Gu Bong-San and heir to the Bong-San organization. Ahn Gil-Kang portrays Lee Joo-Woon, the head of the Joo-Woon organization, and Gu Bong-San, the head of the Bong-San organization. Jo Han-Cheol plays Choi Sung-Cheol, the right-hand man to Lee Joo-Woon, and Lee Joon-Hyuk acts as Nam Ki-Seok, Ki-Jun's younger brother, who raises the Joo-Woon organization to the second-in-command position but meets an untimely death.
Lee Joon-Hyuk explained, "I played the role of Gi-Seok, Ki-Jun's younger brother. Gi-Seok is the second-in-command of Joo-Woon, but he dies," and added, "He is a character who angers his brother a lot by meeting an untimely death. But I'm cautious as I feel like this might be a spoiler." To this, Park Kyung-Rim advised, "Since Gi-Seok dies, all the stories begin, and this is mentioned in the basic outline. It's not a spoiler, so it's fine," which drew laughter.
Lee Joon-Hyuk continued, "At first, I couldn't watch the webtoon and was told that I would just come out as So Ji-Sub's brother and die. I thought it would be good to be So Ji-Sub's brother. Then I watched the webtoon, and it was incredibly fun and popular. From that moment on, I felt a significant burden."
He added, "When I go to the set, there's a certain energy. I had many opportunities to meet So Ji-Sub, and I tried to match his energy. I kept receiving that energy. It usually varies depending on who you're acting with. He didn't speak much, but every time we acted together, I felt a warm and calm atmosphere. Since my character wears glasses in the cartoon, I wore glasses too."
In response to Park Kyung-Rim's question about whether So Ji-Sub and Lee Joon-Hyuk were seated too far apart, Lee Joon-Hyuk joked, "It's because I'm a corpse," which drew laughter.
Choo Young-Woo shared, "I tried to give a feeling of inscrutability to Lee Geum-Soon. That was what I focused on the most. When entering the shoot, I wondered what kind of presence I could have here. I pondered what I could show," adding that, "The seniors joked so that the juniors wouldn't be nervous, and when there were difficult questions, they would help out. More than anything, senior Heo Jun-Ho said, 'I thought of myself as a very scary father to you. I respect and revere you just by looking, but I also feel scared and intimidated, so let's act thinking of that.' This was incredibly helpful when synchronizing with my father."
Choo Young-Woo, who rose to prominence with 'The Tale of Lady Ok' and 'The Trauma Code: Heroes on Call,' stated, "I felt honored to be part of this work rather than saying I chose well because I'm Gold-Soon. 'The Plaza' is a genre that any man would want to challenge at least once, and I thought there would be opportunities for me to participate and be able to breathe in the same space as my seniors."
"The original work is the biggest competitor," the director stated, "I've never thought about surpassing the original. The story and artwork of the original are excellent, and what I liked most was the cool tone and manner. Rather than thinking about surpassing something, I wanted to reflect that cool tone and manner in the video. I felt that the story should center around Ki-Jun's revenge. I think we need to have some differences from the original. I wanted the series, not as a condensed film, to have all characters that stand on the opposite side to have their own stories and desires. Although the story flows around Ki-Jun, it would be good to find the emotions of each character surrounding him. I directed it with the feeling of recreating the original work while preparing it with a sense of expanding both the story and the externality while maintaining the emotion."
Finally, So Ji-Sub stated, "'The Plaza' is a noir action film. I hope to promote Korean noir globally," while Choo Young-Woo added, "There are stunning mise-en-scène and scenes that will leave you in admiration, so I hope you enjoy them," and Gong Myoung mentioned, "It's truly been a while since a noir action work has come out that viewers can look forward to. I hope you look forward to it."
Meanwhile, 'The Plaza' will be released in over 190 countries worldwide on the 6th.
[Photo] Lee Dae-Seon, reporter
[OSEN]