'Dopamin-yeong' Park Minyoung's comeback work 'Siren' is coming.
On the 23rd, the production presentation for the drama 'Siren' was held via online live stream. The event was hosted by Park Kyung-rim and attended by director Kim Cheol-gyu, Park Minyoung, Wi Ha-jun, and Kim Junghyun.
The new Monday-Tuesday drama 'Siren' (directed by Kim Cheol-gyu, creator Jo Hyunkyung, written by Lee Young, produced by Studio Dragon, Cape E&A) is a drama that depicts a romantic thriller about an irresistibly attractive insurance fraud suspect woman and a man who suspects the deaths surrounding her and digs into them.
On the day, director Kim Cheol-gyu introduced the work, saying, "'Siren' is a romance thriller drama centered on three characters: Han Seol-a, who is suspected of being a serial killer but is so mesmerizing; Cha Woo-seok, an insurance investigator who suspects her but ultimately falls for her; and Baek Jun-beom, a newly wealthy chaebol full of secrets. The three actors here and the difficult conditions made preparation challenging, but we did our best. I am very happy to be able to present this to you."
He continued, "'Siren' is very intense and has a clear tone. From the opening to the closing, tension-filled events keep coming one after another, and amid the relentless events, the characters' passionate melodrama is portrayed with depth. I think it's a work that captures the essence of a romance thriller. The nature of such a work means the director has a wide area to show, and must show, his creativity and imagination. So it was a project I definitely wanted to challenge. I feel very fortunate to have been given the opportunity to direct it, so I directed it without hesitation," explaining the background for taking on the project.
Director Kim Cheol-gyu also spoke about the actors, saying, "If I were to summarize the three characters in one keyword, I think they could be described as femme fatale / tough straight-forward man / mystery. These three felt like themselves. To be honest, there was nothing to worry about. I'm sorry there aren't any behind-the-scenes stories to tell." Regarding behind-the-scenes of the production, he said, "Because many artworks appear, there were many concerns like copyrights. We contacted the artists and obtained all permissions. I think our drama probably features an unprecedented number of artworks," raising expectations.
In the drama, the character Han Seol-a is someone with a chilling past in which all the men who loved her died. In particular, Park Minyoung, who recorded record-breaking success and was loved for tvN's 'Marry My Husband', is returning to tvN with this thriller challenge work, drawing much attention.
Park Minyoung, who even earned the nickname 'Dopamin-yeong', explained why she chose 'Siren' as her comeback work: "People around me keep jokingly calling me 'tvN's daughter.' Not only because it's tvN, but because the charm of this work and the persistent thoughts about the project lingered for a long time. I thought it might be too much of a challenge for me. I haven't done genre work or a deadly role before. I worried a lot about whether I could express this woman's psychology well." She added, "At first I declined because it was a big challenge for me. Then I decided to trust the cast and the director and give it a try. The traces of my efforts and the results of many people's help can be seen, so this will be a work I am very grateful for."
To embody this character, Park Minyoung said she tried to align her lifestyle patterns as much as possible with 'Han Seol-a', saying, "This friend does not eat. Because so many tragic things happen around her, she doesn't eat, and when she goes home there is only water and alcohol. She always shows a professional appearance outside, but when alone she is painfully lonely. She has experienced much emptiness. In the end, at home there was only water and alcohol." She continued, "While filming this work, I think I drank 3 liters of water a day. Strangely, I kept drinking that much water. After filming ended, I quit drinking water like that. Now I have returned to Park Minyoung. I think darkening myself was a good choice because it allowed me to express Han Seol-a's sleekness. I really spent time in the dark," attracting attention.
She also spoke about the chemistry with the actors. Park Minyoung laughed, "It was very good. I met actors who act sincerely, and I'm grateful to the director who cast us. The atmosphere on set was really good. Everyone was kind, and in a warm atmosphere when 'shoot' was called we were able to focus. Actors can talk and make noise, but when 'shoot' is called they all seemed to switch to their roles within three seconds. I was so surprised at the two of them, and I was so focused I could even hear ringing in my ears."
Regarding the attractive points of Wi Ha-jun and Kim Junghyun's characters in the drama, she said, "The two are very different, but in contemporary terms, if you call them 'egennam' and 'tetonam', Wi Ha-jun has teton's ability but is an egennam inside, and Junghyun is teton both outside and inside. Women are drawn to kindness and delicacy and also to the gaze of a straight-forward man. That was the charm. And he even has teton's ability."
She also spoke about the distinctive fashion. He said, "When meeting for fittings there were characteristics. Optionioners tend to use bold materials or vivid colors like silk when choosing options. They also used accessories. I used that color sense for the first time. I tried styling I normally wouldn't. When using bold colors, use them decisively, but in my own space or comfortable settings I had to show Seol-a's inner side, so I suppressed color to neutral tones as much as possible. Therefore it differs from previous office looks."
Wi Ha-jun plays Cha Woo-seok. Like Park Minyoung, he has formed a deep relationship with tvN through five works. Regarding why he chose the project, Wi Ha-jun joked, "It's surprising how I keep forming ties with tvN. I'm honored. If I were to express my feelings, I hope to work with tvN for a long time on better works and more diverse characters in the future."
He added, "At first I was completely drawn in when I read the script. I'm not the type to read a script all at once, but with 'Siren' I sat and read it straight through. The more I read, the more curious I became about what happens next; it was tense and dense. As you follow the story, I thought it's a work where you can receive not only tension and fear but also warmth, humanity and healing. I thought it had a wide range of charms, and because I really like the director's sensibility, there was no reason not to do it."
He also spoke about working with Park Minyoung and Kim Junghyun. Wi Ha-jun said, "Just hearing the casting news, I thought the visual combination would be great. Seeing the angles, it was even better than I expected. The acting chemistry is such that when I look into their eyes I get pulled in. Even on days when I'm not good at concentrating, being with them naturally helps me focus, so they helped me a lot. Personally, our life directions and values are similar, so I worked with good partners," he said warmly.
Kim Junghyun played Baek Jun-beom. He recalled about this acting, "I think I received a lot of help. At the time I delivered lines frantically. One scene comes to mind. Looking back, there was a silence and an atmosphere that made you concentrate."
He also spoke about the chemistry with the actors, saying, "When I'm with the actors I got pulled in. It was so enjoyable. Minyoung nuna said she tried to keep herself dark, but I tried to be bright. I worry I talked so much you might have heard ringing in your ears; I'm sorry. I tried to make it fun. Everyone must be tired, but we filmed smiling and kept a good atmosphere. As for acting chemistry, on the first day of filming I met Seol-a and it really felt like Seol-a was standing there. The same for Woo-seok."
When asked to describe the relationships between the characters using keywords, Kim Junghyun said, "I think it's like a chain. If you try to untangle it with force it gets more tangled or breaks, and if you go slowly it can come undone. Please watch to see whether we unravel the chain or tighten it in the drama." Regarding Han Seol-a's charm points, he said, "I think it's an unwavering elegance. Even if she is shaken psychologically, she doesn't lose her external composure. She has elegance."
Finally, director Kim Cheol-gyu said, "Although three are here, there are many wonderful actors who could not attend today. I'm grateful for their acting; they did very well. I guarantee this is a work made with the best staff giving their all." Wi Ha-jun urged viewers to watch, saying, "I'm confident it's a work with diverse charms. Please watch a lot and feel its various attractions."
Meanwhile, tvN's new Monday-Tuesday drama 'Siren' will premiere on March 2 at 8:50 p.m.
[Photo] Provided by tvN
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