(Interview continued from part 2) The success of the Korean horror film Salmokji: Whispering Water, which surpassed 3 million viewers for the first time in 23 years, has attracted attention, and at the center of that success were actors who poured out energy despite their first challenge with horror.
Recently, the film Salmokji: Whispering Water (director Lee Sang-min, provided/distributed by SHOWBOX, produced by The Lamp) surpassed 3 million viewers and is performing well. The milestone of a Korean horror film surpassing 3 million viewers is the first major record in a full 23 years since the 2003 film Janghwa, Hongryeon drew about 3.1 million viewers. As of the morning of the 12th, Salmokji: Whispering Water recorded a cumulative audience of 3,037,403 and still ranks high at the domestic box office. In response, OSEN met with Park Eun-kyung, CEO of the film's production company The Lamp, to hear behind-the-scenes stories about the movie.
From Kim Hyeyoon to Lee Jong-won, Kim Jun Han, Kim Young-sung, Oh Dong-min, Yoon Jae-chan, and Jang Da-a. The actors who played leading roles in Salmokji: Whispering Water recently expressed their gratitude to audiences at a thank-you stage event by even dressing as ghosts.
CEO Park Eun-kyung laughed and said, "From filming to night shoots and entering the water, everyone endured without complaint. That energy seems to have carried through to the stage greeting. The ghost makeup idea also came from actor Yoon Jae-chan, and our stance was 'tell us anything you need.' I heard it came up in a group chat among actors I didn't even know personally. I am simply grateful and thankful that everyone sincerely joined Salmokji: Whispering Water so wholeheartedly."
Although Salmokji: Whispering Water shares the joy of its success, most of the actors were trying a horror film for the first time. But CEO Park Eun-kyung said firmly, "There was no disagreement about casting." He explained, "I recommended Kim Young-sung and Oh Dong-min because I was very impressed by their previous works, and the younger actors were cast after auditions."
He continued, "Although it was Kim Hyeyoon's first horror, she is such a good actor. Without even needing agreement, it was a 'Sure? Hooray!' kind of response. I thought she was an actor who would do well anyway, and it would be even better if she did well together with our project. Kim Jun Han was also able to join at the end when time permitted, and the mood was like, 'Yes, is this happening?'"
He also emphasized, "Scenes where they enter the water were especially difficult. Among those, the scene where actor Lee Jong-won enters the water to rescue someone was particularly challenging. That is why we built an underwater set. The stone tower scene acted by Kim Hyeyoon was more difficult than expected. I was simply grateful that everyone finished without getting hurt in a place where even cell phones didn't have reception."
As a result of that passion reaching audiences, Salmokji: Whispering Water reached 3 million while becoming a 'meme' among viewers. Near the actual filming location that inspired the film, banners appeared as if it were a tourist site. CEO Park Eun-kyung laughed and said, "They really cheered so much. Every time it passed 1 million, 1.6 million, 2.4 million, it felt like shared childcare. As a producer, it was a truly happy and thankful experience."
Above all, he said forcefully, "There was fighting spirit for the rookie director, there were rookie actors, and it felt like everyone was making it together as we made it, and I was thankful that audiences even enjoyed the parodies. Although the genre is horror, the entertaining feeling strengthened it. I also wanted viewers to be able to enjoy it without ghosts following them home. I intended for the terror to peak but end inside the theater with a sense of catharsis. I am even happier because I think that was accepted and achieved together."
"The Korea Water Resources Corporation, Yeosan County and the Korea Coast Guard all did very well. Even a single comment or an image — how creative they were — every reaction was precious," CEO Park Eun-kyung laughed, and added, "I heard that many audience members also visited the Yeongwol Danjong Festival for The King's Warden. Now it seems audience members are thinking about how to consume and enjoy works. Didn't many people who watched the Netflix show Culinary Class Wars go visit the restaurants featured by the contestants? Watching that kind of behavior from the side has also become one of the joys of producing."
[Photos] Provided by The Lamp and SHOWBOX, OSEN DB, SNS sources.
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