"A story that resonates in our personalized era, where sweat is more visible than blood..."
The highly anticipated film 'The Universal Reader's Perspective', which cost 30 billion won to produce, is ready to meet audiences this summer. With its unique setting and guaranteed stunning visuals, all that remains is the substance. Will the confidence of the insiders resonate with the audience as well?
Director Kim Byung-woo opened up at the production report conference for the film 'The Universal Reader's Perspective' held at Lotte Cinema in Konkuk University on the morning of the 17th, saying, "I liked that it is an active participatory story that makes you ask yourself, 'What would I do?'" He added, "From the perspective of adapting it into a film, the most important focus was how to appropriately balance reality and fantasy."
Director Kim stated, "The biggest charm of the original work is that fantasy is well integrated into reality," and introduced the film by saying, "As it is a participatory film, it continuously poses questions to the audience. So, I hope you can relax and enjoy it."
‘The Universal Reader's Perspective’ is a fantasy action film where the world of a novel that has been serialized for over 10 years becomes reality on the day it concludes, and the only reader, 'Kim Reader', survives in a destroyed world alongside the protagonist 'Yu Joong-hyuk' and his companions.
Based on the globally mega-hit novel of the same name, it brings a unique and fresh setting of 'the world of the novel becoming reality'. It stars Ahn Hyo-seop, Lee Min-ho, Chae Soo-bin, Shin Seung-ho, Nana, and Ji Soo.
Lee Min-ho plays the protagonist Yu Joong-hyuk from the novel that has been serialized for over 10 years. The character Yu Joong-hyuk from the novel 'Three Ways to Survive in a Destroyed World' possesses overwhelming skills and strength, capable of clearing all scenarios through a return skill that allows him to start over from the beginning even after death.
Returning to the screen after 10 years since 'Gangnam 1970', he said, "As I live the life of an actor for a long time, I find myself increasingly interested in various social issues and minor themes as I age."
He continued, "I thought we were heading towards a more personalized and isolated era, and then I came across the script for 'The Universal Reader's Perspective'. I thought that in a world facing destruction, people gain strength and comfort through each other, which might be necessary in today's times. I hoped it could resonate with the audience."
He also mentioned, "In the original work, the character is so good-looking that I felt it was abnormal if I wasn't captivated. That setting was the biggest hurdle for me. I tend to avoid characters that assert their coolness. I usually prefer characters that start from a deficiency and become cool by overcoming it, but the character I encountered in this work was cool from the start."
He humbly assessed, "I might not meet expectations, but I tried my best within my capabilities. I think the synchronization rate is about 10%."
Ahn Hyo-seop, making his screen debut, said, "When I first read the script, I was very curious about how this work would be realized. It was a film of a scale I had never encountered before, and I was interested in the philosophy of the work. I liked the message that we should live together, not just alone."
He added, "Kim Reader is an ordinary character you can see around you. He compares his life to the novel that has been serialized for 10 years, finding comfort in it, and he imagines how he could rewrite this ending. As that imagination becomes reality, he meets companions while overcoming various processes and situations. He struggles to change this destroyed world as much as possible."
He also mentioned, "The director tried to shoot the film in the order it flows. I tried to confront those moments as much as possible while living the reader's life. As a reader who received comfort, I felt disappointed that Yu Joong-hyuk was left alone. I wondered if a reader could actually change the ending in reality when faced with this situation. I carefully discussed with the director whether this attitude would fit the moment."
He joked, "The reader doesn't have any special skills. I think I’ve become less of a running novice because I have to run as much as possible."
He added, "It would be a lie to say I wasn't burdened. It’s a work that has been loved by many, and it’s natural to feel the pressure to do well. However, that pressure didn’t help me. Rather than approaching it as a film debut, I focused on creating a well-made script that I found enjoyable."
Nana said, "I always had a thirst for action while acting," and added, "There were always a bit of action in each character. As I attended action school and prepared little by little, I developed a desire to try proper action. I got that opportunity this time and worked really hard."
She continued, "This is my first work without dialogue," and said, "It's a character that shows more through action than words. It was fun to create that. Maybe because I’ve been an idol, using my body gives me much more energy. I want to become an action actor." She also added, "This is a movie where sweat is more visible than blood, and I believe it will be loved a lot."
Meanwhile, Director Kim Byung-woo explained the change in the character Lee Ji-hye, who uses a gun instead of a sword, which has led to controversy among original fans regarding distortion.
Director Kim said, "This is a point that arose while adapting a very large volume of the original work into a two-hour film. Each character has a background, and I wondered if it was right to introduce all the actors. The timing of introducing actress Lee Ji-hye was also a consideration, and there are different points in the story we are telling where the background appears."
He continued, "From our perspective, where we need to implement visual action scenes, many characters in the original used long swords, and I thought diversifying this would help bring the character to life. Especially, the character Lee Ji-hye was separate from the reader team. However, I couldn't neglect her. After much thought about what could explode the character at the most dramatic moment, I made this decision."
He expressed, "I fully understand that fans who love the original may have concerns. I believe that rather than me explaining in detail, if you watch the movie, you will find it understandable."
Regarding casting Ji Soo for the role, he stated, "The casting criteria were clear. First, it was someone who could work hard. When we met, she had a strong will, and her performance during the pre-meeting and on set was very diligent. Although her role is not that large, I wanted someone who could capture attention in the film, and she worked very hard in that regard. I am very satisfied."
It will be released on July 23.
