Can we see a visual shot beyond the meeting of actress Jun Ji-hyun and Gang Dong-won? 'Polaris' has captured attention as Disney+'s best tentpole, deeply immersed in K-content.
On the 20th, Disney+ held a creators talk for the new original series 'Polaris' (written by Jeong Seo-kyung, directed by Kim Hee-won and Heo Myung-haeng) at CGV Yongsan I'Park Mall in Yongsan, Seoul. In attendance were screenwriter Jeong Seo-kyung, and directors Kim Hee-won and Heo Myung-haeng, along with art director Kim Byeong-han and VFX supervisor Hong Jeong-ho, discussing 'Polaris' under the moderation of Baek Eun-ha, head of the Actor Research Institute.
'Polaris' depicts the story of 'Moon Joo' (Jun Ji-hyun), who has built an international reputation as a United Nations (UN) ambassador, pursuing the truth behind an assassination attempt on a presidential candidate, alongside 'San-ho' (Gang Dong-won), a nationality-unknown special agent who must protect her, confronting a huge truth that threatens the Korean Peninsula. It has garnered hot interest even before its release, thanks to its unique casting lineup and collaboration with top creators.
In particular, the drama is expected to captivate audiences worldwide with a solid and delicate story and spectacular action, completed by the well-made production team including directors Kim Hee-won of 'Queen of Tears' and 'Vincenzo', Heo Myung-haeng of 'The Outlaws 4' and 'The Wilderness', and writer Jeong Seo-kyung of 'Decision to Leave' and 'Little Women'. Additionally, at the creators talk, art director Kim Byeong-han from the series 'Nine Puzzles' and 'Suriname', and VFX supervisor Hong Jeong-ho from the 'Along with the Gods' series and 'Parasite' attended to share in-depth discussions about 'Polaris'.
To prove the high anticipation for the work, Carol Choi, head of original content production for Walt Disney Company Asia Pacific, was present at the event. According to a Disney+ official, Carol Choi arrived in Korea on the 19th for the 'Polaris' creators talk and will depart the following day (20th). In spite of a tight schedule, she noted, "Korea is always enjoyable to visit. It is our major content market and the place where the most viewed content was born. We will continue to present great works on Disney+, so please keep an eye on us," and added, "We aim to highlight Disney+'s tentpole series 'Polaris'. A few weeks ago, I went to LA and watched the main trailer for 'Polaris' with the global marketing team, and many colleagues from various countries couldn't hide their excitement. I believe the charm of this work is extraordinary."
Furthermore, she emphasized, "I am honored to gather the creators of 'Polaris' in one place today. I thank the Korean journalists who joined us. Disney is committed to investing in original works globally and in Korea's creative industry. As our CEO Bob Iger said, great stories can be born anywhere, and it is our job to deliver them to audiences. This is our principle and philosophy. Our role, and that of our team, is to support the artistic vision of creators and the bright visions of storytellers, creating an environment for that. We will continue to collaborate for the overall creative environment."
He mentioned, "Sometimes, a sparkling story can be hidden like a diamond in the mud. We need to develop it with the right sensibility so it becomes a unique and high-level narrative. Thanks to Disney's creative collaboration approach, we have been loved by audiences for over 100 years and have continued unique storytelling," adding, "And since we started supplying original content from Asia Pacific on Disney+ at the end of 2021, Korean stories have received much love. Among the top 15 works launched last year, as many as 10 were Korean content."
Carol Choi noted, "This has demonstrated the charm of Korean original works and the world-class quality of storytelling. This year, titles like 'Hyper Knife', 'Nine Puzzles', and 'Low Life' have been receiving positive responses and continue to succeed," and added, "Recently released original works have ranked high on the charts not only in Korea but also across Asia Pacific right after their launch. We will continue this trend, not only through our anticipated work 'Polaris' but also with the remaining titles."
Additionally, she stated, "In the past few years, there have been significant changes and upheavals in the streaming industry. Our content strategy remains strong. By consistently presenting outstanding tentpole works chosen from the best original content in each region, we will further enhance the competitiveness that Disney+ has refined. Local original content shines even more when combined with the various global franchise series we offer through Disney+. By presenting a variety of films and series, from Marvel, Pixar, Star Wars, to National Geographic, we believe we can create stronger immersion and high-quality content when local characteristics are added to series that transcend borders. Going forward, Disney+ will work more closely with Korea's top storytellers and strive to discover new worldviews and stories."
Carol Choi said, "I will mention a few reasons why 'Polaris' is such an attractive work and why I am filled with anticipation. First of all, 'Polaris' is a work that creates a unique narrative through an intense storyline that keeps you on the edge of your seat, a world-class cast, and excellent production team. Additionally, it is an exciting spy romance. It is a work where espionage, romance, and action blend seamlessly. You will enjoy political conspiracies, romantic thrills, and thrilling action all in one place. And like our other global hits, while the story itself is specific, it ultimately touches on universal themes of power, ambition, truth, and trust."
Regarding the beginning of such a work, writer Jeong Seo-kyung stated, "It was the week after 'Little Women' ended. I really liked 'Little Women'. The production team was especially amazing. No matter what script or difficulties arose, they were people who could create good quality works within the given time, so it felt like being in a supercar. So I wanted to write such a work. A work where the Korean drama production team could showcase their best abilities. I wanted to show how well our director could do. Since I was in a supercar, I didn't want to run in sneakers but wanted to lay out the track. So I asked, what kind of work do you want to create? Director Kim Hee-won always said she wanted to make a work with a powerful woman as the protagonist. She was curious about what kind of love that woman would have."
She continued, "I felt insecure. I thought I wasn't good enough for power or melodrama. But since I asked first, I thought I had to try. So I thought of it as an escape room game. I didn't need to write a real scenario, but if I didn't write a powerful melodrama story, I couldn't leave this room, so I set it up piece by piece. I made one person a politician with elite education from the U.S. and Korea, and the other a mercenary who had come this far to survive. I wanted them to recognize each other in unexpected places. You and I are the most different in the world but are one. They overcome obstacles and discover each other to create one love. It became a story of two men and women discovering love in life and a large-scale espionage work, sometimes racing like a supercar and sometimes walking delicately like on a narrow forest path."
In particular, she shared, "While writing the synopsis, I felt the potential of 'Polaris'. The bigger the terrorist threat faced by the female politician, the better it is, so I thought about making it an international threat. There were infinite possibilities in Korea, the world's only divided country. I wanted to unfold that potential as much as possible. Rather than evolving into a traditional espionage genre developed in Europe or the U.S., I wanted to develop it into a Korean genre. I wanted to handle the most contemporary story in this region, rather than an ideological confrontation from the previous era. As I wrote to move forward step by step, 'Polaris' turned into an extraordinarily large story. It is so large that after hearing what Carol Choi mentioned, I feel that our series could also become a story as big as Marvel."
However, she noted, "Melodrama was difficult." Writer Jeong Seo-kyung explained, "In espionage works, you can talk about genre grammar and research materials, but melodrama is something I wasn't sure how to write. So I kept the two people at a distance. One person is a politician with the best elite education from the U.S. and Korea, and the other has come this far as a mercenary. I wanted them to recognize each other in unexpected places. You and I are the most different, but we are one. They overcome obstacles and discover each other to create one love. I created a large-scale espionage story about two men and women discovering love in life. Sometimes it rushes forward like a supercar, and other times it completes the story delicately, as if walking on a narrow forest path."
Following, directors Kim Hee-won and Heo Myung-haeng appeared. Director Kim Hee-won first said, "As writer Jeong Seo-kyung mentioned, 'Polaris' started with what kind of story we want to tell. Personally, I enjoy narratives where characters fight for their lives. I worked with the writer to present this story to the public. In doing so, since the stage is a stage, the melodrama tension between the two protagonists has intensified. We put a lot of thought and effort into naturally blending this part into the writer's narrative. Moreover, originally, we weren't focused on making the work this grand. As we fleshed it out, the scale of the story became larger. Consequently, a lot of sophisticated and large actions appeared. I wanted to approach it in a new way, rather than the existing way of working. In that regard, I proposed co-directing with director Heo Myung-haeng."
Director Heo Myung-haeng shared, "After receiving the proposal, I knew that the director created an aesthetic that surpasses the text in the script in many works, so I gratefully accepted. My concern was what synergy could be created between the director's directing and the work 'Polaris'. I introduced staff that I typically work with in films, and I was sure that if we worked together, it would enhance the action direction and quality."
Director Kim Hee-won also stated, "Inside the drama, action is constantly evolving, and the story is developing in a cyclical structure. We discussed how to enrich it, and the most focused goal was not to deviate from the 'realism' that the story possesses. Additionally, we suggested starting from a 'truthful basis' so that viewers can feel the story as something close to them. Especially, in Part 1, there is a very important cathedral sequence where Moon Joo and San-ho meet. We couldn't overlook the beauty, so we had many discussions with the art director and VFX supervisor. Thanks to that, the visuals I aimed for were completed."
Director Heo Myung-haeng stated, "The same goes for action. Balancing the pursuit of both reality and style was a very important task for me. There are certain things that are shown when the character San-ho performs action." He introduced a scene in the video where San-ho swiftly subdues multiple enemies in a narrow tunnel, with Moon Joo behind. "It's not about whether it's physically possible or not; it's about delivering a sense of realism where viewers think, 'If it's San-ho, he could do that.' San-ho is not a character who shows action based on boxing, judo, or specific training, but someone who jumps into countless operations and survives, thus possessing the ability to escape any situation with his physical abilities and training. Knowing the actor's physical abilities and action, we added a style to make it a realistic action."
Director Kim Hee-won also added, "We did our best to make it fun. Although it is a conventional story, I think it holds the most important values. Along the way, it should be engaging, disappointing, and something you want to come back to, allowing viewers to follow the flow of the story with their hearts. I made it with the thought of exploring through the stories surrounding the space we live in right now. In fact, this was a work that had a lot of considerations and homework. I couldn't do it alone; many staff members were a great help. We aimed to present diverse and rich spectacles through the dedication and efforts of the best staff," he emphasized.
There were also the production team's considerations regarding production design, VFX, and music in transporting the massive narrative to the screen. Art director Kim Byeong-han mentioned, "'Polaris' was hard to define as a single genre. After reading the script, I was curious about how it would unfold, and it felt new and enjoyable to see the process evolving like a living organism."
He shared, "This project has the most spaces included throughout my career. About 200 different spaces were featured. Usually, having 100 spaces in one project is considered a lot, but we had an extraordinary number of spaces. If categorized by city, it was set in 13 countries. That many diverse settings emerged, making it a challenging project for me as well."
He further elaborated, "I discussed a lot with the directors about the balance, ensuring that things weren't too mundane, but also featuring many special spaces outside everyday settings. I focused on that balance to work on creating something that would provide new excitement while also feeling like an everyday experience."
Hong Jeong-ho, VFX supervisor at Dexter Studio, stated, "I thought that genres like espionage, action, and melodrama would inherently involve various VFX issues, so I was drawn to this project. Looking back at writer Jeong Seo-kyung and director Kim Hee-won's previous works, I felt a strong sense of detail and wanted to work with them. It was really great to have the opportunity to collaborate. The process involved setting a general direction with the director at the beginning and then defining detailed concepts with the key staff during the pre-production stage. For example, we established the drama's tone, manner, and seasonal feeling and prepared for the post-production work."
A portion of the cathedral sequence, which director Kim Hee-won was particularly confident about, was also revealed. He said, "First of all, since there is no actual cathedral where we could shoot this scene, we discussed how to create it with everyone present. We needed to design it anew, and since this scene is where the protagonists first meet, it had to have a thrilling melodramatic vibe while also being realistic. To convey a holy feeling, it needed to exude an aura of 'That doesn't seem like it would exist in Korea.' The art director referred to many references, meticulously crafting each stained glass and even the chairs that were so beautiful I felt like taking them with writer Jeong personally. In addition, it was essential for VFX supervisor Hong Jeong-ho to enhance the visuals. Actual filming had to highlight the actors the most. We put a lot of thought into achieving both goals."
Art director Kim Byeong-han added, "As director Kim Hee-won mentioned, initially, when we designed this space, we couldn't find a location suitable for filming the project, so we decided to create a set. The production team and Disney+ provided abundant support. However, since this work does not only take place in a cathedral, we couldn't pour endless funds into it, so we had many discussions about what could be placed effectively. We continuously debated how much we could use CGI and what would feel natural."
Writer Jeong Seo-kyung recounted, "I went to see the cathedral just a few days before the shoot. I felt beyond surprise and confusion; honestly, I felt fear. How could such a huge cathedral be beautifully constructed for just one or two scenes? So, I met one by one to ask how they managed it. I asked who told them to build it, in case there were any conspiracies or threats. The art director said they had no choice but to make the set, asking, 'Didn't you write it like this?' It was a great cathedral, and I felt something coming down from the sky. Our drama work would involve many people with significant budgets working on one thing, like building a large house, but without faith, it can fall apart. However, the process of making a cathedral felt akin to creating a drama. In this space? It seemed like I was the only one without faith. I wanted to give meaning to a cathedral that would disappear in two weeks. I thought that I should write more significant scenes, so I ended up writing the ending scene when I was about 7 episodes in. I didn't know the conclusion. However, somehow I felt that this would have to take place here, and that scene led me without knowing its conclusion. I felt the scene wasn't my own writing but was created by the art director and many staff members who made me."
"I have about 48 scenes that I'd love to talk about, but they are all spoilers," he quipped, revealing how cautiously the production team has been in introducing the work. However, director Kim Hee-won shared, "You'll likely think of images of water when you see the work. There are many sequences looking over the sea. Creating water using CGI is difficult. A drama has more scenes than a film, so it's even harder. Sometimes, the water representation is fantastic, and at other times, it's beautiful, which encompasses a lot of sensitivity. After finishing all the post-work, I realized an image of the sea emerged. I hope viewers watch till the end and recognize the hard work of our CGI team."
Director Heo Myung-haeng also mentioned, "Both on location and regarding safety, we have sequences of explosions, and the scale of what we can display publicly is far from what we can realistically achieve. We conducted small-scale explosions, and used CGI to represent them realistically. I'm not sure if viewers will be able to see before and after, but we received considerable help to shoot on a small scale and make it explode on a large scale."
There was considerable confidence in the casting of Jun Ji-hyun and Gang Dong-won. Writer Jeong Seo-kyung expressed, "From the beginning of this project, Jun Ji-hyun was Moon Joo. I couldn't imagine anyone else in that role. Moon Joo has lived in a cold, lonely place. While watching how Jun Ji-hyun interpreted and developed the character, I was grateful to think how lucky we are to have such a warm person take on our character. Casting Gang Dong-won felt like winning the lottery. It made me think, 'Could such luck exist in this life?' It's a character that can be quite challenging, but I wondered if he could simultaneously embody warmth and the persona of an adult boy, and he managed it."
Director Kim Hee-won also expressed, "I share the writer's admiration for both actors. In addition to those two, actor John Cho and many other outstanding American actors will make special appearances, as will actors who I've wished to work with in Korea, so viewers will be surprised. Kim Hae-sook, Lee Mi-sook, and many others such as Choi Jong-won will also be featured. Since OTT series tend to have fewer episodes, scenes can be dense, and dialogues can be heavy. During those times, I think viewers will notice that those who researched more fervently than I did also appeared on screen. They will witness different sides of the actors."
On the other hand, director Heo Myung-haeng remarked on the action of Jun Ji-hyun and Gang Dong-won, saying, "The emphasis is significantly more on Gang Dong-won's performance. However, the character Moon Joo, as you will see in CGI, is not only feminine but also bravely steps up in situations involving events. This may not be termed action, but there are bold movements that Jun Ji-hyun carried out very sincerely and courageously. San-ho's actions surely comprise various elements, but ultimately it's a process of carrying out actions to protect Moon Joo. Already, a great action can be portrayed just through the two-shots."
Moreover, writer Jeong Seo-kyung said, "I started with expectations for Jun Ji-hyun, but the director mentioned wanting to tell a powerful woman's story, saying Jun Ji-hyun was it. After that, I wrote with only Jun Ji-hyun in mind. I thought it would be wonderful that she could become a presidential candidate, take on an important mission. What I found most impressive about Jun Ji-hyun is her composure. She follows her instincts. She makes decisions quickly and carries them out boldly, with warmth involved. It seems that she understands physically. When I see the vision I had for Moon Joo come to life before my eyes, I feel the depth that resides within the actor. This actor has a life story, and there have been moments where I felt respect for her. The first scene started with Moon Joo running."
Might the expectations surrounding the project become a poison? However, director Kim Hee-won replied confidently, "In fact, there was so much that we couldn't capture in the trailer. From what I know, Disney+ has gone through a lot of trouble making the trailer because of spoilers. I believe there exists a certain tone and manner in the trailer that can be felt. While viewers may have good expectations and a sense of déjà vu, when they actually watch the broadcast, there will be much more screen, more emotions, and real layers of many characters that we didn't show, making it much richer, and I hope they can confirm this through the broadcast. A much larger stage will unfold in the dialogue of the trailer."
In addition, he added regarding the previously released trailer causing debate due to the subtitle 'And Gang Dong-won': "He comes out looking incredibly good. He performs many high-difficulty, large action sequences. He exists in a superficial sense, but there are action sequences throughout the series that are directed to emotionally protect Moon Joo. They come out splendidly. The female team that watched internally seemed to fall for him greatly. The credit isn't something that the direction alone manages, but is collectively decided by the platform, management production company, so I can't give a precise answer, but I believe that once you watch Episode 9's ending, you will understand why." There's a scene that strongly remains with both characters as the lasting aftertaste. After seeing that part, I think that it will seem credible to say 'And Gang Dong-won' in terms of a long film. Although it may seem like a deceptive story, I genuinely believe you will understand it."
'Polaris' will premiere on Disney+ on September 10.
[Photo] OSEN's Ji Hyung-jun, Disney+
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