A different killer film, "The Mantis: Original Sin" is coming.
On the 25th at Lotte Cinema Konkuk University in Seoul, a production briefing was held for the Netflix film "The Mantis: Original Sin." Actors Yim Siwan, Park Gyu-young, Jo Woo-jin and director Lee Tae-sung attended the event.
"The Mantis: Original Sin" is an action film that depicts the showdown for the top position between A‑grade killer "The Mantis: Original Sin," who returned after a long vacation to a hit‑man industry where all the rules have collapsed, his trainee peer and rival "Jae‑i," and the retired legend killer "Dokgo."
On the day, director Lee Tae-sung said of the work, "'The Mantis: Original Sin' is a spin-off of 'Gil Bok-soon.' The Mantis is mentioned about twice in Gil Bok-soon. The mantis who returns from vacation sees MK, the top operating company in the killer world, faltering. If Cha Min-gyu is the top figure in 'Gil Bok-soon,' this film contains the stories of the next generation of killers."
With director Byun Sung-hyun, who directed 'Gil Bok-soon,' participating in the screenplay, the director said, "When Gil Bok-soon was released the reaction was explosive. The character called the mantis was only mentioned in dialogue and existed only as a name, a blank slate. Director Byun and I had never collaborated on a script with someone else before, so at first we were cautious. We took enough time to get to know each other, and I wondered what would happen if a young, talented and recognized person's well‑run company began to falter. Young people can be clumsy, rash and make mistakes. I thought those immature elements would help generate the story. Also, I thought it would be interesting to weave in conflict with a friend like a childhood friend who is nearly love."
After casting was completed, the director joked about his feelings, "First I sighed. I thought now I just have to do well myself." He added, "Although three people appear in the film and it might look like a triangle, the scene where the three face each other is only the final scene of the movie. Most of the time it's one‑on‑one and subtle emotions accumulate, and each emotion is different. Those parts were the most discussed with the actors."
He also said about the impressive cast beyond the three lead actors, "I struggled a lot through the casting process. The time it took to complete it was about one to two weeks before crank‑in. The balance kept feeling off and mismatched. When actor Choi Hyun‑wook finally joined at the very end, I felt relieved that it was complete."
On the action points he said, "It was emotion. Our film is not driven by an incident that then moves the story; characters make personal judgments based on subtle emotions. I asked the fight choreographer to design action as an extension of those emotions. That's how each person's weapon was completed. Han‑ul seemed suited for sleek, shaped action, the character Jae‑i with inferiority complex seemed likely to use an exaggerated weapon, and Dokgo, despite his age, has the weapon 'tongpa' that feels like it would withstand impact without losing. Especially, our film has more action sequences than 'Gil Bok‑soon.' That would have been hard to do on set, but they did so well," which raised expectations.
Yim Siwan plays Han‑ul in "The Mantis: Original Sin." He said, "When I first shot Gil Bok‑soon, the mantis's fingerprint was there, right? Through that fingerprint director Byun contacted me asking, 'Could you do a voice appearance as the mantis?' It didn't come together then, but from that moment I was given the name mantis, and so in a way I felt this was a destined role I had to do when the project was born. I felt I was waiting on that fate until filming." He added with a laugh, "When I read the script I thought, 'This is my destiny.' I accepted that struggling with action was my fate."
He said, "Han‑ul is a killer with innate talent, famous under the nickname 'The Mantis: Original Sin' and a representative MZ killer. As an MZ person, he breaks away from conventional style and wants to show personal individuality even in clothing." On the costume concept he said, "As you can see, the materials are not ordinary. We tried to choose many unique clothes. We added details like attaching hoods to regular suits. We chose costumes that wouldn't look plain and could be visually entertaining."
On acting emphasis he said, "Professionally he might appear as a villain or a dark character, but I wanted to portray him as having warmth, the opposite in personality. I thought he should hide that warmth because of his profession, so I deliberately portrayed him as prickly on the outside." On action points he said, "I fight holding sickles in both hands. That likely led to the visual nickname 'mantis.' I hadn't really used weapons with sickles in both hands before, so once the weapon was visualized I carried it and practiced a lot at action school to get accustomed to it."
He added, "Watching others made me think I had to work hard on action, and Gyu‑young was very diligent. When I watched Woo‑jin hyung I thought he mainly acted and I hadn't seen much of his action before, but this time I realized he's good at everything. There's a way to move your body in action. Seeing Woo‑jin hyung, I felt he moves his body very well. He's good at acting and I think he also does core workouts in daily life."
On how this differs from other works about killers he said, "Killer stories have been used in films and dramas in various ways. What made this fresh was that something else was mixed in aside from the killer's story. That was the theme of 'startup.' It relates to becoming a young person starting out in society. It combines wit and curiosity. Usually killers are depicted as perfect and flawless, which is their charm, but The Mantis: Original Sin will show a more human side."
Park Gyu‑young, who plays Jae‑i, said about deciding to appear, "I was a huge fan of Gil Bok‑soon. I watched it five or six times. If I could exist as a character within that spin‑off world, of course I thought I should appear. Above all, the opportunity to work with senior actors was precious, so I wanted to be in it."
Park Gyu‑young described Jae‑i as, "She trained with Han‑ul from childhood and is his closest friend. In fact she has outstanding skills but always feels a thirst. Although she has been closest to and loves Han‑ul since childhood, because they are so close she is a complex character who also feels jealousy toward Han‑ul for things she cannot obtain by her own ability. I talked a lot with the director about how to express the range of feelings one feels toward the closest person and how to naturally blend them."
On action she said, "Jae‑i's main weapon is the long sword. So the action directors designed movements that use long lines. The long sword is heavier than it looks and the tip can wobble, so I practiced a lot at action school." She added with a laugh, "During practice and filming I thought, 'I just have to do well myself.' I practiced memorizing the action sequences a lot, and when I took it to the next level I saw Siwan sunbaenim spinning in the air. It felt like wind when I looked and saw Woo‑jin sunbaenim swinging. Those were action scenes where I just had to do my best."
Jo Woo‑jin, who plays Dokgo, said about deciding to appear, "It was destiny for me too. I cannot deny it." He added, "I had experienced director Byun's creativity, unique direction and writing in his previous work and was amazed to participate directly. He had balance in commanding the set and in managing progress, and this was his debut. Siwan and Gyu‑young are actors I have long admired. Having witnessed their passionate energy, I thought that working with them I could share combative energy for chemistry."
Jo Woo‑jin described the character, "This feels like a character who leans heavily on the makeup and costume teams—very well crafted. Dokgo is of the same generation as those in Gil Bok‑soon and Cha Min‑gyu. He has retired and was enjoying a leisurely retired life, but upon hearing MK collapsed he tries to rebuild order and MK. He hates being treated as an old man in the back room. Young people are trying to do hit jobs, and he wants to step up to show that 'I'm not dead yet.'"
On acting emphasis he said, "I tried to embody the appearance and mindset of someone who obviously looks strong, veteran and capable of restoring order. I asked the costume team, 'Please dress me like that,' and they did. In fact I joined this project right after finishing 'Gangnam B‑Side' shooting, so the workout and physique I had were intact and could be applied to the character. I also thought the character would have pride and complexes, so I wanted to express those details."
On action he said, "Dokgo handles the weapon 'tongpa.' From the start this person is a master and mentor figure who could pick up any nearby object and make it a weapon. The process of creating 'tongpa' was unique. Rather than being sleek and sharp, it is heavy and delivers impact. It's not fast, but heavy and flashy in a way that's hard to achieve, and it evokes that feeling." He recalled, "Seeing the two actors pour their hearts into it with so much passion that I wondered if they would collapse soon gave me great energy and I acted with gratitude and hard work."
Finally Yim Siwan said, "I think this will be a welcome film for those who enjoyed Gil Bok‑soon. For those who haven't seen it yet, I think the film itself has many entertaining elements. I hope this work becomes an opportunity for people to watch Gil Bok‑soon," urging viewers to watch.
Meanwhile, Netflix's "The Mantis: Original Sin" will be released on Sep. 26.
[Photo] OSEN DB
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