Will Jo Jung-seok's summer movie succeed in three consecutive hits?
On the morning of the 30th, a production briefing for the film 'My Daughter is a Zombie' was held at CGV Yongsan Ipark Mall in Yongsan, Seoul, attended by director Lee Kim-sung and actors Jo Jung-seok, Lee Jung-eun, Jo Yeo-jeong, Yoon Kyung-ho, and Choi Yu-ri, who shared their thoughts.
'My Daughter is a Zombie' is a comic drama about a father who has become a fool for his daughter, who has turned into the last remaining zombie in this world, going into secret training to protect her. Directed by Lee Kim-sung, known for his stylish direction in 'In hostage' and 'The day of fortune', this film is expected to deliver great entertainment to audiences through the perfect chemistry of skilled actors including Jo Jung-seok, Lee Jung-eun, Jo Yeo-jeong, Yoon Kyung-ho, and Choi Yu-ri, who boast high synchronization with the original characters and showcase performances that traverse comedy and drama.
In particular, Jo Jung-seok, who has consistently succeeded in summer comedies, appears as the lead. Previously, 'Exit' and 'The Pilot' were released on July 31, 2019, and July 31, 2024, respectively.
Jo Jung-seok noted, 'It will be released in the summer, and it makes me think that luck is somehow on my side, as it is not easy for a film to be released in summer. Personally, I am grateful. 'Exit' and 'The Pilot' were great works, but now I get to show 'My Daughter is a Zombie.' I hope this one does well too,' adding, 'Everything from the production company to the distribution company aligned perfectly. I hope it goes well.'
Lee Jung-eun reunited with director Lee Kim-sung for 'My Daughter is a Zombie' after working on 'The Day of Fortune'. Lee Jung-eun revealed, 'I thought the director had an excellent comedic sense when filming 'The Day of Fortune'. I was looking for a project where families could gather in one place to come to the theater, and this project fit that perfectly.'
Jo Yeo-jeong also added, 'Like my sister, I have always been waiting for a warm story. I heard about the cast and was willing to say even a single line. But after reading it, I saw that there was a lot of content. I loved being part of this so much that I absolutely wanted to do it.'
Yoon Kyung-ho was preparing to share his feelings about his participation, but Park Kyung-rim interjected, 'What charm does Yoon Kyung-ho reveal in 'My Daughter is a Zombie?' In response, Yoon Kyung-ho said, 'Charm? Should I talk about my charm before my feelings?' and appeared flustered.
Yoon Kyung-ho stated, 'In this work, I prepared to show a new charm that I haven't displayed before, but it seems I'll show the charm that I've shown until now. I mentioned that I wanted to take this seriously, but I wasn't compelled to make people laugh just because it's a comedy; I wanted to create a realistic laugh that comes naturally if the situation is funny. The director seemed to agree. However, I couldn't help myself and kept trying, so the director restrained me. I think I can show that kind of restraint charm.'
Jo Jung-seok commented, 'There's a scene in the movie that I personally really like. I think audiences will love seeing Kyung-ho's character in that scene. Kyung-ho's charm is that he looks funny even when he does nothing,' to which Lee Jung-eun added, 'His expressions are funny.'
Choi Yu-ri previously appeared as a young Kim Tae-ri in 'Alien + Human.' Now appearing as a completely grown-up character in 'My Daughter is a Zombie,' she expressed, 'I am truly honored to be able to work with the director and my seniors. I am so grateful to be able to act as a character that I have loved in a project I cherished for a long time.'
Yoon Kyung-ho said, 'Yu-ri is a truly wonderful actress. She gifted us all flowers as a blessing. It was her first time at a production briefing, and we should have gifted her something instead.' When Park Kyung-rim teased, 'Why didn't you?', Yoon Kyung-ho replied, 'That's why I learned from you,' bringing laughter.
Director Lee Kim-sung expressed that he was very pleased with the outstanding lineup, saying, 'I found going to the set to be a delightful experience. I went with immense gratitude for this dream casting. When the entire cast was together, I hoped they resembled each other. I am so grateful for this combination, and acting-wise, there's comedy, emotion, and thrills in every scene. They performed superbly and made me proud and happy each time.'
The work features Lee Jung-hwan (played by Jo Jung-seok), a father who is a fool for his daughter, as he thinks of his zombie daughter as a wild animal and tries to train her while struggling to live together. Jo Jung-seok's efforts are expected to bring laughter.
Director Lee Kim-sung shared, 'I am actually a long-time fan of Jo Jung-seok. I fell completely in love after seeing a musical in the early 2000s. I have always been a fan, and while working on this project, I wrote the script with Jo Jung-seok in mind. I poured my earnest feelings into it and wondered who could handle both fun and painful scenes that pierce the heart. I believe my number one choice was Jo Jung-seok. I was grateful when he gladly accepted the script.'
Jo Jung-seok said, 'As you may know, 'My Daughter is a Zombie' is a popular webtoon, but I received the script without having seen the original. It was so fun that it was hard for me to collect my emotions,' and joked that as a father, 'I was playing together when I accidentally scraped my nose and managed to cover it up with concealer.' His stuttering made Yoon Kyung-ho quip, 'It's because he's a 'fool' for his daughter,' provoking laughter.
Lee Jung-eun, who plays the mother of Jo Jung-seok (Lee Jung-hwan) and the grandmother of Choi Yu-ri (Lee Su-a), shared her thoughts about her role, saying, 'I am a grandmother who quietly keeps her order while living in a quiet village as my son and daughter move to Seoul. The chaos unfolds when my son tries to save my granddaughter,' and added, 'The webtoon inspired the role, but you'll also see a grandmother who enjoys K-pop.' To this, Jo Jung-seok said, 'Like mother, like son, like daughter,' expressing expectations for a three-generation dance king appearance.
This led to Choi Yu-ri being the first cast member to be recruited. Director Lee praised her, saying, 'She's a teenage girl who loves K-pop dances and has been practicing them alongside her studies.'
Director Lee Kim-sung commended Choi Yu-ri, saying, 'Working with special effects makeup was very challenging at the set. There were some lenses that made it hard to see, but she approached the staff first, and when she showed up looking lovely, I told her, 'From today, I've decided to respect you.' I really thought of her as an adult.'
The relationships among the cast also drew attention. Jo Jung-seok reflected on his connection with Yoon Kyung-ho, saying, 'I briefly met Kyung-ho in 'OnaGi' and again during 'The Face Reader.' This is the first time we are meeting formally. Amazingly, Kyung-ho, Yeo-jeong, and I are all the same age. Yeo-jeong and I met in 2005 during the musical 'Grease' and have been friends since. Although we hadn't worked together since then, I was happy to be able to now. Kyung-ho and I are both members of the private group 'Palgongsan.' We are such close friends that I remember how thrilled I was when we could work together.'
Yoon Kyung-ho stated, 'Jo Jung-seok is a friend I know well. I hoped we could work well together since we are both friends in real life and characters in the film, which made it comfortable and enjoyable. I really wanted to get close to Yeo-jeong. She really took care of me on set, so I think I became a fan of Yeo-jeong.'
Additionally, in 'Itaewon Class,' Yoon Kyung-ho and Choi Yu-ri appeared as a father-daughter duo. Yoon Kyung-ho recounted, 'We synced well as father and daughter in 'Itaewon Class' and met again later in 'Alien.' I played a character named Sam-sik there. It's been impressive to see Yu-ri grow into a wonderful actress; I feel another kind of pride from the side.'
On the other hand, Lee Jung-eun and Jo Yeo-jeong had previously shared a working relationship in 'Parasite.' Jo Yeo-jeong expressed, 'There weren't many scenes where we worked together, but I wished to work together again, so I was thrilled to meet her. Now I'm eager to collaborate again.' To this, Lee Jung-eun added, 'I will gladly cohabit with her again.'
When asked if he senses the success of 'My Daughter is a Zombie,' Jo Jung-seok replied, 'Of course, I hope it does well. I'd love to see 3,333,000 viewers using the law of three; that would be wonderful,' provoking laughter.
Meanwhile, the film 'My Daughter is a Zombie' is set to meet audiences in theaters nationwide on July 30.
[Photo] Ji Hyung-jun, reporter.
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