"Hope" star Jung Ho-yeon spoke about working with senior actors Hwang Jung-min and Zo In-sung in the film and mentioned what she learned as a junior.
On the morning of the 8th, at a cafe on Samcheong-ro in Jongno-gu, Seoul, an interview with Jung Ho-yeon, the lead actor of the film "Hope," was held.
"Hope" (director and screenwriter Na Hong-jin, produced by Forged Films, co-produced by Plus M Entertainment·West World Co., distributed by Plus M Entertainment) is the story that begins when Beom-seok (played by Hwang Jung-min), the branch office chief of Hopohang located in the demilitarized zone, hears from the local youths that a tiger has appeared, and the entire village is put on alert as they encounter an unbelievable reality.
Director Na Hong-jin, who rose to prominence with films such as "The Chaser," "The Yellow Sea" and "The Wailing," released this new work after 10 years, and it was officially invited to compete in the competition section of the 79th Cannes Film Festival, receiving much praise. It is an SF genre featuring a creature and is reported to have the largest production budget in the history of Korean cinema. It is said to be at least 70 billion won, and when late-stage marketing and promotional expenses are added, it could be on the order of up to 100 billion won.
Hwang Jung-min delivers a passionate performance as Beom-seok, the arrogant but highly responsible branch office chief of Hopohang; Zo In-sung plays Seong-gi, a village youth who passes time hunting and fishing; and Jung Ho-yeon plays Seong-ae, a Hopohang police officer who does her duty in any situation. In addition, the film attracted attention even before its release with a dazzling cast including Michael Fassbender, Alicia Vikander, Taylor Russell, and Cameron Britton.
Former model Jung Ho-yeon began acting with the Netflix series Squid Game Season (2021) and became a global star from that single work. She later worked with director Alfonso Cuarón in the Apple TV+ series "Disclaimer" (2024), starring alongside Cate Blanchett, and "Hope" is her first screen debut.
Saying she built her body to perform action scenes while wielding a shotgun, Jung Ho-yeon said, "I first started weight training. The firearm weighs about 5 kg, and I heard the director is known for doing many takes, so I increased my muscle mass by 4 kg to endure the physical demands." She added, "I also received firearms training for six months and obtained a manual license anew. I learned the car drift scene separately from a professional racing instructor."
She said she learned a lot from watching senior actors Hwang Jung-min and Zo In-sung. "Senior Hwang Jung-min never arrives late to set and comes at least 20 minutes early, so I found myself going to set early as well. Senior Hwang is an actor who never lets his guard down on set. Usually, when actors become familiar with each other over time, they tend to get comfortable, but he was always wary of that," she said, adding, "Especially when filming action movies, you have to be mindful of safety, so there was an energy where he wouldn't even blink. I felt that this attitude is essential," expressing her respect.
She continued, "Senior Zo In-sung is truly a flexible senior. He looked after the staff on set and brought an energy that eased the set. Above all, watching Zo In-sung made me think a lot. There were quite a few scenes where I thought, 'Can someone really do that?'" she said, adding with a laugh, "When filming another actor's solo scene, you usually say 'cheer up' or 'fighting,' but on the set of 'Hope' there came a point where I wondered what such encouragement would mean. It was simply 'thank you for coming back safely.' I didn't have that thought about my own scenes, but in the later part, when Senior Zo In-sung rides a horse and performs an action scene, I felt, 'I'm thankful he returned safely.'"
At the same time, she said, "I want to praise myself for not giving up in the middle and seeing it through to the end. Through this work, I think my concentration improved somewhat, and I learned a lot from the seniors' and the director's persistence and their attitude of seeing things through to the end."
Jung Ho-yeon added, "Just seeing my name next to Hwang Jung-min and Zo In-sung on the 'Hope' poster feels like a dream. It gives me goosebumps," adding, "I was so happy just to be able to watch Hwang Jung-min, Zo In-sung and director Na Hong-jin talk about the film beside me on set — an experience you can't easily buy."
Meanwhile, "Hope" opens on the 15th.
[Photo] Provided by Plus M Entertainment
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