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"Night of the Undead” cast members Seo Young-hee (left), Lee Jung-hyun (center) and Lee Mi-do pose after a press conference Tuesday at the CGV Yongsan in Seoul. (ROSC) |
“When I first read the script, I was puzzled,” Lee Mi-do, one of the main actors in the upcoming science fiction comedy “Night of the Undead,” said during a press conference held at the CGV Yongsan movie theater in Seoul on Tuesday.
The conference was held through livestreaming, with reporters and actors in separate parts of the theater due to the ongoing spread of COVID-19.
Lee’s reaction was understandable as the film’s director, Shin Jung-won, was not afraid to engage his rather ridiculous imagination.
The movie begins by introducing a unique new life form called an “unbreakable,” an alien who does not die or get hurt easily. These aliens disguise themselves in human form and live among people on Earth. The story develops as the movie’s main character So-hee, played by Lee Jung-hyun, finds out that her husband -- Man-gil, played by Kim Sung-oh -- is an unbreakable during the process of investigating him on suspicion of adultery. The story develops further as So-hee fights Man-gil, who tries to kill her with her two high school friends -- Se-ra, played by Seo Young-hee and Yang-sun, played by Lee Mi-do -- along with the detective Dr. Jang, played by Yang Dong-geun.
“I wrote the script based on the original script written by director and scriptwriter Jang Hang-jun. I used my imagination to dramatize the story,” director Shin said. Jang is known for directing films including “Break Out” (2002) and “Spring Breeze” (2003). He also co-wrote and directed the medical crime investigation TV series “Sign” in 2011.
During the press conference, the cast praised Shin for making what might seem like a ridiculous situation into a believable and funny film.
“Throughout the process, I was never concerned about making the audience laugh. I was only occupied with my character and took everything seriously. It was Shin who turned the scenes to make people laugh,” Yang said.
Apart from wanting to create an appealing comedy, Shin also wanted the film to reflect hot topics in today’s society, such as gender issues. He added that this is why he selected three women -- So-hee, Se-ra and Yang-sun -- to lead the story.
“I believe that women are strong. I was influenced by my mother and also the movie ‘Thelma & Louise,’” Shin said, referring to the 1991 Ridley Scott film.
“Night of the Undead” hits local theaters on Sept. 29.
By Song Seung-hyun (
ssh@heraldcorp.com)
