Director Kim Do-young “Decided after seeing Choi Min-sik and Han So-hee”

"The better the original, the greater the pressure" Director Kim Do-young opens up about the weight of remakes

Director Kim Do-young, who led the success of the film 'If Only Us' starring Koo Kyo-hwan and Moon Ga-young, revealed his honest feelings regarding his next project, 'The Intern.' This took place during the Guest Visit (GV) for 'If Only Us' at the 30th Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival held at Bucheon CGV Soopung on the afternoon of the 11th.

At the event, Director Kim did not hide the pressure he felt regarding the remake process. He stated, "Since the original 'Us and Them' was released on Netflix not too long ago in 2019, and because the original is so good, I repeatedly turned down remake offers at first." This implies that the stronger the power of the original, the heavier the burden on the director who must reinterpret it.

In particular, he mentioned the special reason why he chose 'If Only Us.' It wasn't a decision made simply by looking at the script. Director Kim confessed, "My father's letter was the deciding factor. Because of the phrase, 'It would be nice if connections work out well until the end, but it is not easy not to disappoint one another,' I wanted to do this work." He added that although there were suggestions to focus only on the relationship between the man and the woman by excluding his father's story during the production process, he wanted to protect that part, which served as the root of the story, until the end.

The names Choi Min-sik and Han So-hee: A next project chosen through trust in the actors

Director Kim's gaze is already fixed on his next project, the remake film 'The Intern.' It is a task of reinterpreting the 2015 global hit of the same name to fit Korean sensibilities and changing times. The film 'The Intern' tells the story of Sun-woo (played by Han So-hee), a CEO of a fashion company, who hires Gi-ho (played by Choi Min-sik), a senior intern with rich life experience.

Faced with the massive shadow of the original, the conclusion Director Kim reached was 'the actors.' He revealed, "As I am also a former actor, I had a strong desire to see an actor's performance or to work with that actor. That is why I chose 'The Intern'." The combination of the two actors, Choi Min-sik and Han So-hee, became the driving force that allowed him to undertake the difficult task of a remake. He also expressed his determination to finish the work well based on the responsibility given to him.

Meanwhile, actor Shin Jung-geun was also mentioned during the GV. Director Kim showed trust in the actor he worked with, saying, "A character is created only when they meet that actor. Actor Shin Jung-geun is a very lively and funny person, so that role was created naturally. He is a very charming actor."

Targeting a release this Chuseok, the key point of interest for the film 'The Intern' will be how it builds a new narrative that Korean audiences can empathize with while maintaining the framework of the original. The film industry is watching to see if it can show a new charm that goes beyond the intensity of the original, as Director Kim revealed.

The power of the original and the link to the remake

The next project 'The Intern' is based on the 2015 globally successful film of the same name. Director Kim Do-young explained the reason he turned down remake offers by mentioning the original 'Us and Them' released on Netflix in 2019.

The film 'If Only Us' is also a work that has an original. During the production process, Director Kim set the direction of the film by defending the contents of his father's letter as the core of the story.

The chemistry between actors and the birth of characters

The leads of the film 'If Only Us' are Koo Kyo-hwan and Moon Ga-young. During the GV, Director Kim Do-young explained the process of character creation by mentioning actor Shin Jung-geun. He conveyed that Shin Jung-geun's lively and humorous charm played a decisive role in creating the role.

In the next project 'The Intern,' Choi Min-sik and Han So-hee will work together. Han So-hee will play the passionate fashion company CEO Sun-woo, and Choi Min-sik will play the senior intern Gi-ho, who has rich life experience.

"I chose it because of the actors" Director Kim Do-young's honest confession

Director Kim directly revealed his longing for the actors regarding the reason he chose the remake 'The Intern.' He said, "Since I am also a former actor, I went in looking at the actors," and "It was a choice made from the desire to see that actor's performance or to work with that actor."

He added, "Since I have been given the responsibility, I will finish it well."