Actor Ryu Seung-bum accepted the Netflix film "Good News" after director Byun Sung-hyun persuaded him for 12 hours.
Netflix held a production briefing for the new film "Good News" (director Byun Sung-hyun) on the morning of the 14th at the JW Marriott Hotel Dongdaemun in Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul. Director Byun Sung-hyun, who directed the work, and lead actors Ryu Seung-bum, Hong Kyung, Sul KyungGu attended the event and, under the moderation of broadcaster Park Kyung-lim, talked about the film and their recent activities.
"Good News" is a film set in the 1970s that depicts a suspicious operation by people gathered in one place to do whatever it takes to land a hijacked plane. It was officially invited to the 50th Toronto International Film Festival and the 30th Busan International Film Festival, drawing strong reactions even before its release.
For this, trusted actor Ryu Seung-bum appears as Chief of the Central Intelligence Agency Park Sang-hyun. At the production briefing, Ryu Seung-bum, who showed off a dazzling style in a gleaming white suit jacket, said, "I'm very happy. I'm grateful as a fellow actor who participated in the work. I'm excited. I haven't seen the film yet. My anticipation grows. My personal expectations are rising," and laughed.
Ryu Seung-bum explained his reason for joining by saying, "When I read the script, I was fascinated by the black comedy. I realized I had never done that genre before. The things described in the script have duplicity, a difference between appearance and reality; they're funny but have substance, and the director's intentions hidden here and there are depicted through laughter and genre expressions, which I found very captivating. I thought it was a very cinematic and, rather than strictly realistic, a film that uses genre-specific cinematic traits to cautiously bring the director's message to the world, so I thought it was a very interesting and powerful script."
However, he did not accept it at first. Director Byun Sung-hyun said, "Ryu Seung-bum told me he enjoyed the script, and I also heard that he said the script was interesting. But at first he refused. Then I was supposed to act as if I already knew, but I just sat there and didn't leave until he said he would do it. I went to have a cup of coffee and ended up staying together for 12 hours. In the end, I got his agreement and he went home," which drew laughter.
Asked why he waited 12 hours only for Ryu Seung-bum, director Byun Sung-hyun explained, "In period pieces set in the 1970s, the chief of the Central Intelligence Agency always appears. If I may say, I thought the tone was somewhat similar. I thought of an actor who could express this freshly — the epitome of a charismatic villain in my view — and I wondered what it would be like if that malice stemmed from purity, and Ryu Seung-bum came to mind. When the theme becomes heavy, I needed an actor who could keep the genre's atmosphere. Ryu Seung-bum was the only one who came to mind who could satisfy those two things."
He continued, "Saying I endured for 12 hours is a bit of an exaggeration. I did endure, but we endured while drinking together. Ryu Seung-bum usually doesn't drink much, but I wanted to use the intoxication, so I coaxed him and obtained his agreement when he was very drunk," he confessed.
Ryu Seung-bum also laughed, "It's not that I said 'no' to the project. After my previous work ended, I wanted to rest before the next project, and when the schedule was proposed it was a schedule that required immediate preparation. I wondered whether that would help. Because of such things, I hesitated, but I had no doubts about 'Good News.' He wouldn't go home from that spot, so the decision was made."
"Good News" will be released on Netflix on the 17th.
[Photo] OSEN reporter Cho Eun-jung.
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