'Sohn Seok-hee's questions' lived up to its name, and The King's Warden did too.
"Questions" invited director Jang Hang-jun and lead actor Yoo Hai Jin, who had not been interviewed together since the release of The King's Warden, and the two entertained listeners throughout with lively anecdotes about the film.
That was not all. During the talk, host Sohn Seok-hee suddenly called Lim Eun-jeong, CEO of the production company OndaWorks, who had been sitting in the audience monitoring the two's conversation, up onto the stage. Because it was so unexpected, there was even the spectacle of three people squeezing onto the sofa where the two had originally been sitting.
This was Lim Eun-jeong's first broadcast interview. Director Jang Hang-jun unabashedly showed his characteristically spirited storytelling, and actor Yoo Hai Jin watched the director with concerned affection while openly showing his love for the film and the director, warming the studio.
Yoo Hai Jin said, "When I finish a film I want to forget it quickly. That way I can devote myself to the next project, but I am still stuck in the feelings from The King's Warden and can't get out. This is the first time I've experienced this." Director Jang also lamented, "Actor Yoo Hai Jin grabbed this film by the scruff of the neck and carried it. Yoo Hai Jin was an unmoving Um Heung-do, and because he was there the film could begin."
In fact, after filming ended and editing began, actor Yoo Hai Jin scolded the director harshly, saying he was editing too easily, and there was a time when the mood on set became very serious. Director Jang joked, "It was probably the first case in film history of an actor nagging a director to edit better," and Yoo Hai Jin added, "Still, the next day Director Jang coolly said, 'I re-edited it and you were right,'" drawing laughter from the audience.
Lim Eun-jeong, who appeared unexpectedly, explained stubbornly why she clung to Director Jang: "I believed that Director Jang, who has both wit and seriousness and a sense of justice, was the only director who could make this film." She confessed, "When actor Yoo Hai Jin joined, production's lifeline could open up." About leaving her company and jumping into film after three years, she admitted, "If the film hadn't even reached the break-even point, there would have been no plan at all." Director Jang said, "She was the first producer I had seen throw herself in empty-handed."
The meeting between "Questions" and The King's Warden was, at a time when the film was heading toward 14 million viewers, in some ways a modest celebration of Korean cinema. Host Sohn Seok-hee said, "The director, actor and producer all showed expressions of 'not too much, careful, but wanting to share this happiness with everyone' on the brink of 14 million. That made the film's success seem even more precious," offering his impressions as host.
MBC's Sohn Seok-hee's questions, featuring the principals of The King's Warden, will air at 9 p.m. on Wednesday, March 18.
[Photo] MBC
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