"No Other Choice" Lee Byung-hun expressed concern about AI actors.
On the afternoon of the 24th at a café in Sogyeok-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, an interview was held with Lee Byung-hun, the lead actor of the film "No Other Choice."
"No Other Choice" (director Park Chan-wook, distributor CJ ENM, produced by Moho Film·CJ ENM Studios) tells the story of Mansu (played by Lee Byung-hun), a company employee who felt his life was so complete that he had "achieved everything," who is suddenly fired and, to protect his wife Miri (played by Son Ye-jin) and their two children and to keep the house they worked hard to buy, prepares his own war toward reemployment. Based on the novel "X" by American novelist Donald Westlake, it is a remake of Costa-Gavras' film "The Axe, a Dangerous Guide to Employment."
Earlier, it was selected for the competition section of the 82nd Venice International Film Festival and chosen as the opening film of the 30th Busan International Film Festival, and it has been officially invited to the 50th Toronto International Film Festival and the 63rd New York Film Festival, among others, drawing global attention. In addition, it was selected as Korea's entry for the international feature film category at the 2026 Academy Awards, raising interest in whether it can become a final nominee.
This year Lee Byung-hun has received great worldwide love for his performances and voice work, including "No Other Choice," the Netflix series "Squid Game" seasons 2 and 3, "K-pop Demon Hunters," and the films "The Match" and "The King of Kings."
Earlier, director Park Chan-wook said he always thinks about job insecurity and has many conversations with Lee Byung-hun and Son Ye-jin. In response, Lee Byung-hun said, "Compared with immediate job insecurity, we are luckily still in a position to be chosen. Now that certain projects come in, we are really in a happy position, but many actors around us are experiencing such situations," adding, "Among the directors around the director, there are probably many in that state. It's not direct, but it's an anxiety felt indirectly. That anxiety exists for anyone. I haven't chosen my next project yet either, and I don't know what will happen next. I can find some reassurance in thinking 'I'll do it again as I have so far,' but there are many people who cannot."
He said he often talks with colleagues about AI. "I don't think it's a future that will come to us but 'it's reality.' I have already had that experience," he said, recalling, "I showed a certain video to a colleague thinking it was funny, and he said it wasn't him. I asked, 'When was this filmed?' and he said it wasn't him, so I was startled. It gave me goosebumps."
He continued, "I also saw my AI video. I saw a lot during 'Ojingeo Game.' While watching bro-mance videos of me and Lee Jung-jae, I was surprised, asking, 'When was this filmed?' I was like, 'Oh! No' and was startled. (laughs) At first I was aghast, got goosebumps and was amazed," adding, "At first it seemed fascinating, like 'they made it amazingly well,' but then I wondered, 'What will happen to us going forward?' I wondered, 'What will happen to movies in the future?' It seems like a director could say, 'Write me a script in this genre,' and it would be made. The same could happen for writers, directors, and music. The Hollywood strike is not a distant future. So Hollywood is thinking about how to resolve it, and I think we also need measures. We shouldn't just sit idly by and let everything consume us," he said, voicing his concerns.
Meanwhile, "No Other Choice" opened on the 24th.
[Photo] Provided by BH Entertainment
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