‘Daddy's Number One’ Jo Jung-seok's new life work, ‘Zombie Daughter’, will be meeting audiences in the summer theaters.
Director Pil Gam-seong opened up at the press screening of the movie ‘Zombie Daughter’ held at COEX in Samseong, Seoul on the afternoon of the 21st, saying, “It’s a zombie film, but I directed it comically. Since I come from a background of adult films, I had to control the intensity.”
Director Pil stated, “The original work consists of seven volumes, so it required selection and concentration,” and added, “In the latter part, there was a process of simplifying characters to enhance focus. Rather than changing the story, I hope you see it as being organized by the direction of the characters.”
He particularly emphasized, “It was important to balance both the genre's thrill and the virtues of comedy. I wanted the beginning to be scary and thrilling. While I hoped it would be received with a realistic feeling, I also thought it should be balanced at 51:49 as it is a comedy. That was the point I paid the most attention to.”
The movie ‘Zombie Daughter’ is a comedic drama about a father, who has become a ‘daddy’s number one’ and is on a secret training mission to protect his daughter, who has become the last remaining zombie in the world. It is based on the webtoon of the same name, which has recorded a global cumulative view count of 500 million.
Jo Jung-seok, who plays the role of Jeong-hwan, a father who has become a zombie daughter trainer from a wild animal trainer, said, “At the time, I had just become a father, so I was emotionally immersed while reading the script, which was difficult. However, it was also fun to read because it had many delightful elements.”
He continued, “I had to express my emotions appropriately, but they kept overflowing, so I was mentally exhausted trying to control them. It was a double-edged sword, both touching and challenging.”
Additionally, he showed deep affection, saying, “It was a work that allowed me to fully immerse myself in the character of Jeong-hwan.”
Choi Yu-ri, who plays the role of Tteol, shyly confessed, “It was an honor to work with senior Moon, whom I have always respected and admired,” adding, “I was just so happy to have the precious opportunity to shoot together, and it was an impressive and meaningful time.”
Yoon Kyung-ho recalled, “I received a lot of love for ‘Severe Trauma Center’ earlier this year. Our work was filmed before that, and it had a completely different atmosphere,” and added, “It was a healing moment while filming; living in a fairy-tale-like village with fairy-tale-like people was a happy moment.”
He, who took on a wide spectrum of roles from his 20s to Thor, expressed his anticipation, saying, “I had many discussions with the director and completed it in detail. When I actually did it, I was told it suited me well, so I’m curious about what reactions will come after watching this movie.”
The film features BoA's ‘No.1’ and 2NE1's ‘I Am the Best’. Director Pil said, “Both songs are ones I really love,” and added, “‘No.1’ has a fun melody, but I think the sad lyrics resonate with the message of the work, and I wanted to use the finger choreography.”
Regarding ‘I Am the Best’, he explained, “We needed to show the swag of the grandmothers of Eombong-ri, and there was no song that suited it better. In the amusement park scene that intersects with this scene, I wanted to convey a double meaning where Sua, although a zombie, walks confidently.”
‘Zombie Daughter’, featuring Jo Jung-seok, Lee Jung-eun, Yoon Kyung-ho, Jo Yeo-jeong, and Choi Yu-ri, will be released on the 30th.
