(Following Interview 1) Director Jang Sung-ho revealed the casting stories of domestic actors for "The King of Kings."
"The King of Kings" (directed by Jang Sung-ho, produced by Mofac Studio, distributed by Distation, co-distributed by Cites) is a K-animation depicting the journey of Jesus' life, as envisioned by British author Charles Dickens, along with his son 2,000 years ago. This work, which created a significant response upon its North American release, is also drawing attention for casting a large number of A-list actors for the Korean dubbing.
Director Jang Sung-ho recalled in a recent interview at a café in Palpan-dong, Seoul, "Most of the domestic casting was decided before there were results in the U.S. Comedians Lee Seong-mi and Song Eun-yi have always been supportive, and when I said, 'I think we need to prepare for Korean casting,' they asked me first to hold a screening to see the movie."
He continued, "Then Lee Ha-nui came to the meeting, and she was cast as Dickens' wife, 'Catherine.' Next, Lee Ha-nui recommended that Jin Seon-kyu play Jesus. So, the decision was made in just a day or two."
He also revealed the casting story of Lee Byung-hun, the only Buddhist among the actors voicing characters. Director Jang said, "The casting of Lee Byung-hun was somewhat delayed. CEO Jang Won-seok of the production company 'The Outlaws' has been a close friend in the film industry for a long time, and he suggested that we should attach a more prominent actor. Since it looked like a minor film, we wanted to add a major actor that the general public would be interested in, so Lee Byung-hun was recommended."
Director Jang noted, "However, I was puzzled, wondering if Lee Byung-hun would take this on, but they said that 'if it's a good work, he would respond.' Fortunately, the actor expressed a desire to participate in the film. He wanted a movie that he could watch with his children."
Additionally, he mentioned, "Moreover, his in-laws are Christians. He said that when he visits the temple, he also goes to church with his wife afterward. Furthermore, he liked the story of a father restoring his relationship with his son and mentioned that he wanted to participate because the quality of the work was high. It didn't take long from the proposal to casting for Lee Byung-hun."
(To be continued in Interview 3.)
[Photo] Provided by Mofac Studio.
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