After 10 years, the sequel to ‘The Priests’ has returned. This time, it’s ‘Black Nuns’ featuring Song Hye-kyo and Jeon Yeo-been.
On the morning of the 16th, a production report for the film ‘Black Nuns’ was held at CGV I-Park Mall in Yongsan, Seoul. Director Kwon Hyuk-jae and actors Song Hye-kyo, Jeon Yeo-been, Lee Jin-wook, and Moon Woo-jin attended.
‘Black Nuns’ is the second story of ‘The Priests,’ which captivated 5.44 million viewers, depicting people who embark on a forbidden ritual to save a boy possessed by a powerful evil spirit. The unique setting of nuns who are not allowed to perform exorcisms participating in a forbidden ritual has raised expectations.
Director Kwon Hyuk-jae, known for films like ‘Count’ and ‘The Solver,’ is at the helm.
Director Kwon Hyuk-jae stated, “I was personally a fan of ‘The Priests.’ There was a lot of pressure as this is the second sequel. I was able to gather courage and take on the challenge because I could work with excellent actors and the best staff. I am grateful for the casting. Every time I met each one, I thought to myself that I wanted to work with them someday, and I am so thankful to meet them in such a fresh combination. I hope this feeling can be conveyed to the audience.”
Song Hye-kyo plays Sister Unia, while Jeon Yeo-been plays Sister Michaela. Lee Jin-wook takes on the role of Father Paolo, and Moon Woo-jin plays Hee-jun, who is possessed by an evil spirit.
Returning as a nun after ‘The Glory,’ Song Hye-kyo said, “I was also curious about what kind of work I would choose. I received a lot of love for ‘The Glory,’ so there was a bit of pressure for the next project. I wondered what kind of work I should do. But it became a fate,” adding, “After acting in a genre piece in ‘The Glory,’ I found it fun to explore new acting, and when I looked at scripts, I started to look for genre pieces, which led me to ‘Black Nuns.’ I thought I could show a different side of myself by acting in ‘Black Nuns.’”
When asked about being called the ‘Goddess of Genre,’ Song Hye-kyo joked, “I’m lacking. I will work hard to become that.”
When asked about her chemistry with Jeon Yeo-been, Song Hye-kyo said, “It was great. I wanted to meet her in a project. Many of my close actor friends are friends with Jeon Yeo-been, so I heard a lot of good things. Meeting her on set was even better than I had heard. Jeon Yeo-been says I was a source of strength for her on set, but she was a great source of strength for me.”
She added, “Jeon Yeo-been is my savior,” saying, “Without Michaela, Unia wouldn’t have been able to do anything.”
Jeon Yeo-been expressed, “I promised to repay with exciting performances at the Blue Dragon Film Awards. I worked hard to bring excitement to Sister Michaela in ‘Black Nuns.’ I believe I can confidently present this as a gift with excellent seniors and production staff.”
She also mentioned Song Hye-kyo, saying, “She has been a goddess I admired since my school days. She was an actress I wanted to resemble and meet. When my senior received the Grand Prize at the Blue Dragon Awards, I wanted to greet her as a viewer who saw her performance, so I waited to make eye contact and greet her. I had a lot of affection for my senior, so I was happy to meet her this time.”
She continued, “When I said ‘my Unia’ on set, it was because my precious friends in my life call me that. Senior Hye-kyo, as Unia, was like a lantern. She embraced all of us with her quiet charisma. I believe those who watch the movie will also call her ‘my Unia,’” expressing her respect.
Lee Jin-wook said, “It was a genre I liked. I wanted to be involved in any way if the opportunity arose. I felt confident in our team, so I thought I could ride along,” jokingly adding, “Seeing Song Hye-kyo and Jeon Yeo-been in their nun outfits helped me immerse myself in my role.”
Moon Woo-jin shared, “When I read the script, I thought of Park So-dam from ‘The Priests.’ She showed great acting in the previous work, and I worried about whether I could create that much synergy. It would be a lie to say I wasn’t burdened. When Hee-jun was possessed by an evil spirit, I prepared to show an adult performance that was not typical for a middle school student,” adding, “While acting with my seniors on set, performances came out that I hadn’t thought of. They helped me immerse myself well on set.”
Song Hye-kyo praised, “I shot difficult scenes during exam periods, and even during times when we weren’t filming, I was studying and couldn’t sleep when I went in the early morning. It’s amazing to see good results. I didn’t do that, so it’s fascinating.”
Following ‘The Priests,’ ‘Black Nuns’ is set to be released on January 24 next year.
