"Is our movie more fun than 'Mickey 17'? Of course, it's the most fun among director Min Kyu-dong's films."
The aura is insane. Actress Lee Hye-young, who made a bold transformation into a legendary killer in her 60s, and acting monster Kim Sung-cheol met with director Min Kyu-dong. It's 'Breakthrough'.
Lee Hye-young opened up at the production report conference for the movie 'Breakthrough' (directed by Min Kyu-dong) held at Lotte Cinema in Gunja, Seoul on the morning of the 27th, saying, "I ended up taking on an unexpected challenge, thanks to director Min Kyu-dong."
She expressed, "I was really happy to be able to take on such a challenge. 'Breakthrough' has a strange harmony between the action genre and thought-provoking elements. Everyone who has seen the movie has given positive feedback, which has been a great strength. I'm nervous about how Korean audiences will receive it."
"I am a woman who has lived as a legendary killer for over 40 years and is still active. People who read 'Breakthrough' probably have high expectations for the action, but I wasn't confident. The director said, 'You can do action or you might not,' and I was confused, but he had everything planned out. I just did as I was told. (laughs)"
Lee Hye-young said, "There are many good actors my age in Korea. So I wondered why I was cast. While filming, I realized it was probably because I hadn't gotten Botox," which brought laughter. She then cleverly added, "Now that the movie is over, I plan to get (Botox)."
She also shared, "In fact, the director asked me to read the script first, and when I did, I thought, 'How are they going to make this into a movie?' I found the action scary. My body isn't what it used to be, so I was afraid. Everything, including the conditions on set, was very tough. It was too tight," honestly expressing her feelings, which brought more laughter.
Kim Sung-cheol also introduced his character 'Tuwu', a killer, saying, "He is a character whose inner thoughts are hard to understand," and revealed, "The director said it had to be intense from the first appearance, so we went for a long take. We rehearsed for 2 hours. I expected it to end after about 5 times, but we did it 17 times. He didn't give us the OK," which made everyone laugh. Director Min Kyu-dong immediately clarified, "I wanted to show a different kind of perfection."
The film is an action drama depicting the intense confrontation between 'Jokak', a legendary killer who has been active for over 40 years in an organization that deals with cockroach-like humans, and 'Tuwu', a mysterious killer who has pursued him all his life. Based on the bestselling novel of the same name by author Koo Byeong-mo, the title 'Breakthrough' carries a double meaning of 'flawed but perfect as it ripens.'
The work was also invited to the Berlin International Film Festival this year and had its world premiere there. Kim Sung-cheol expressed, "The Berlin International Film Festival is a highly trusted festival that does a lot of genre experimentation, so I was proud and grateful just to be invited," and added, "When I saw that only foreigners were sitting in the audience during the world premiere, I thought it was amazing. It was a very fresh experience. I wanted to show it to Korean audiences as soon as possible."
He also stated, "Filming with Lee Hye-young was a joy every moment. Not only during filming but also when watching the monitor, I often thought it felt like a dream," and expressed his respect, saying, "She kept showing me an area I couldn't dare to reach. Watching that made me want to become a better adult."
Lee Hye-young elegantly responded, "Kim Sung-cheol's quick wit was amazing. Just as he can't imitate me, I couldn't imitate him either."
She continued, "On the first day of our movie screening in Berlin, the theater was incredibly large. I was worried about what would happen if there were no people, but the seats were full. We received a lot of attention, and no one left. I think the movie had the power to keep people focused," and confidently stated, "I also watched 'Mickey 17', but our movie was more fun," earning enthusiastic responses.
Additionally, she expressed, "'Breakthrough' is the most fun among the director's films. There are many thought-provoking movies, but this one fits so well with the director. It's a victory for Min Kyu-dong," showing her pride once again.
It will be released on May 1.
