Jeon Do-Yeon 전도연 [Drama “Crash Course in Romance” | Movie “Kill Boksoon” (NETFLIX)]

[Helena]

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-features/jeon-do-yeon-interview-netflix-movie-kill-boksoon-korea-assassin-1235328738/
Korean Star Jeon Do-yeon on Basing Netflix Assassin Movie ‘Kill Boksoon’ on Her Real-Life Experiences as a Mom
The influential Korean actress plays a hitwoman balancing a double life in the stylish and wildly fun Netflix feature, which premieres this week at the Berlin International Film Festival.

BY PATRICK BRZESKI | FEBRUARY 17, 2023 7:30PM

Jeon Do-yeon

Within the Korean film industry, Jeon Do-yeon is both a big star and a deeply respected actor’s actor. In over 25 years on-screen, she has appeared in scores of K-dramas and over 20 films, including numerous titles now considered modern Korean classics. Now, she’s poised for greater global exposure as the star of Netflix’s forthcoming action drama Kill Boksoon, a film that blends everything international audiences have come to love about Korean cinema: wit, genre invention, powerful performances, slick production values and a bit of the old ultra-violence.

Soon after her breakthrough on the small screen in the 1990s, Jeon quickly earned a reputation as a uniquely chameleonic film actress, inhabiting a diverse range of characters — from a doctor (A Promise, 1998) to a school girl (The Harmonium in My Memory, 1999), an adulterous wife (Happy End, 1999), a dreamy bank teller (I Wish I Had a Wife, 2001), a time traveler (My Mother, the Mermaid, 2004) and a prostitute who contracts AIDS (You Are My Sunshine, 2005). She then achieved international acclaim when she became only the second Korean ever to win Cannes’ best actress award, in recognition of her harrowing performance in Lee Chang-dong’s searing existential drama Secret Sunshine (2007). She then made waves again in Im Sang-soo’s landmark erotic thriller The Housemaid (2010). More recent performances have included a heartrending turn as a bereaved mother in Birthday (2019), the first film to explore South Korea’s 2014 Sewol Ferry disaster, which took the lives of hundreds of school children; and a more upbeat appearance as a murderous lady gangster in Kim Yong-hoon’s black comedy thriller Beasts Clawing at Straws (2020). 

Jeon is making her first trip to the Berlin International Film Festival this week in support of Kill Boksoon, Netflix’s buzziest Korean film of 2023.. Written and directed by Byun Sung-hyun, the film features Jeon as a legendary contract killer who also happens to be a single mom to a teenage daughter. Caught between the mission of killing someone and the duties of raising someone, Jeon’s character, the titular Boksoon, decides to step back from her double life by refusing to complete an assigned mission. In the process, she becomes the target of Seoul’s entire underground hitman industry. The film world premieres in the Berlinale Special section on Saturday, Feb. 18 ahead of its worldwide launch on Netflix on March 31. 

The Hollywood Reporter connected with Jeon via Zoom in Seoul to chat about her own double life as a mom and a movie star — and the long and singular career that preceded her first appearance at the Berlinale.

What initially drew you to this character and film?

Well, from the title to every detail of the story, this is a film that came about from my conversations with director Byun. He approached me saying that he wanted to do a film with me, or even about me, and after many conversations, we started to conceive of this idea of the female killer, Gil Bok-soon. So it all started from there, even before the script was written. As for the character and her attributes, director Byun told me that he wrote it as a result of his observations of me, including my relationship with my daughter. So, when I eventually read the script, I felt like I was getting almost a third-person view on my own life. I came away from it thinking, “Oh, this must be how some people see me.”

Did director Byun explain what it was about you that inspired him to write this character who lives a double life as a contract killer and an ordinary mom? In a way, I can sort of see how this plays upon your pre-existing screen persona, because you’ve often played characters who have a unique mix of natural warmth and charm, and an underlying strength or fearlessness.

Do you really think I come across as warm? (Laughs) It’s really hard to know what kind of person you are, right? I think director Byun saw the actor in me and the mother in me and thought those two sides were very different. He saw a very drastic contrast and he was intrigued by that. He said he wanted to portray it in a realistic way. So, he would observe my actual conversations with my daughter and tried to bring that into the character and the script. 

I think there are similarities between the character and I because we are both professionals taking pride in our work, but at home, we are women who are just learning how to become a better mother — having all the usual troubles communicating with and understanding our child. I was really drawn to that. I get to understand what my personality is like and what kind of thoughts I have in my heart through the various films that I work on. As both an actor and a mother, I like to think of myself as a person who has a lot of love but also a lot of passion.

Do you think you’d also make a good hit woman in real life?

I think I’d be fantastic at it.

‘Kill Boksoon’ NO JU-HAN/NETFLIX

Aspiring Korean actresses who are serious about their craft often cite you as a major source of inspiration, for the way you’ve taken on such a diversity of characters over the course of your career, some of them very daring at the time that you played them. Many in the industry credit you with expanding the range of roles that contemporary Korean actresses can play. What’s been important to you as you’ve selected parts over the course of your career?

Looking back, I have indeed played a wide variety of roles, but there was a time in my life when I wasn’t able to do that. At a certain point in time, there definitely were limitations on what actresses [in Korea] could play. But we are seeing changes; there are now many more types of roles for women. And I think streaming services have started to have a very important role to play here, because these services need more genres, more stories and more content, so we are seeing new doors open and more diverse opportunities. 

I did take on some very adventurous and bold roles. But it wasn’t the fact that they were adventurous that I was drawn to. For me, I was always drawn to the story. More than anything, the stories had to be interesting and convincing to me. And I was lucky that they found their audiences.

The Korean film industry has gone through incredible growth and change over the past two and a half decades, and you’ve been one of the central figures of that movement.  What does the recent global recognition of Korean filmmaking mean to you and what’s your assessment of the current state of the Korean industry?

With Korean content going global and getting so much love from around the world, there is an aspect of me looking very much forward to working in a wider variety of projects with many other directors. However, I think while there are a greater number of content coming from Korea, my personal concern is that as much as we are being so widely loved, are we really providing them with the quality that deserves that kind of love. That is something that I sometimes wonder, I think it could be that we are going through a transitional phase. But my only hope is that we will be able to tell more and more great stories and that I would be lucky enough to be in that.

Going forward, I still have that thirst of wanting to try more genres — to play more roles and tell more stories. That has been the constant in my career and something that hasn’t changed. I wasn’t deliberate about wanting to create change in the industry. My only hope, all along, was to play a convincing character in a great story.

 

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=> https://www.netflix.com/title/81478985 <=

 

Coming March 31
2007 Cannes Best Actress winner Jeon Do-yeon stars in this sleek action-thriller directed by Byun Sung-hyun.

More Details
Genres: Korean, Action & Adventure, Asian Action Movies
This movie is...: Violent, Suspenseful
Cast: Jeon Do-yeon, Sul Kyung-gu, Kim Si-a, Esom, Koo Kyo-hwan, Kim Seung-o, Lee Yeon, Choi Byung-mo, Kim Ki-cheon, Park Kwang-jae, Jang In-sub

[Helena]

https://www.newsweek.com/netflix-new-korean-film-kill-boksoon-berlin-international-film-festival-1782016
Netflix's New Korean Film 'Kill Boksoon' Puts Unique 'Twist' on Typical Killer Action Movies

BY SOO KIM  | 2/18/23 AT 5:20 PM EST

Kill Boksoon—Netflix's gripping new K-drama film about a female professional assassin, which made its world premiere at the 73rd Berlin International Film Festival on Saturday—aims to "put a twist" on "cliché" killer action films widely seen today.

The new Korean movie sees assassin Gil Boksoon—played by veteran Korean actress Jeon Do-yeon who previously earned a best actress award at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival —face an ultimatum of having to kill or be killed, as her contract with the assassin agency comes up for renewal.

Speaking at Q&A panel in Seoul—where an exclusive extended clip of the film was unveiled to Newsweek and other select media at Netflix Korea's headquarters ahead of its global premiere—the film's director Byun Sung-hyun said he wanted to break away from anchoring his latest movie around a typical revenge plot.

Jeon Do-yeon (right) and Sul Kyung-gu seen in "Kill Boksoon," Netflix's new action film about a Korean female assassin.
NETFLIX

He said the backdrop of a killer being professionally employed by a company has been "quite commonly used" since the release of the John Wick film series. Especially if the child of the assassin gets kidnapped or killed, the employee then attempts to take down "the big guys" behind the organization.

The director said he wanted to "put a twist" on this "cliché" storyline and "portrayal of contract killers" and focus on the story of Boksoon and her daughter. Boksoon leads a double life as a legendary assassin and as a mother to a teenager who knows nothing of her profession.

Byun said he wanted to portray a story about a mother and daughter where "both of their lives are filled with secrets—secrets the mom wants to keep from her daughter and vice versa. I wanted to follow the story of communication or lack thereof."

He also wanted to "highlight drama within the action" sequences to take advantage of the film's cast of the "best performers one could find in the industry," including renowned Korean actor Sul Kyung-gu. He was seen recently in the Netflix film Yaksha: Ruthless Operations alongside Squid Game's Emmy-nominated actor Park Hae-soo.

Byun said each action scene followed a "particular concept" and he thought most about how to portray "the essence" of the characters in these action sequences, which can't help but lend the feel of the Kill Bill films by Quentin Tarantino.

One of the most captivating scenes in the film sees Jeon in a showdown with a trainee assassin, using just a marker pen as her weapon of choice in a dynamic, nail-biting fight sequence.

Jeon Do-yeon seen in "Kill Boksoon," the upcoming Netflix film about a professional assassin.
NETFLIX

While Jeon has dabbled in action films before, Kill Boksoon marks her first lead action role, which required a lot of prep work in terms of physical training, the director said. The way the film was shot required many of the action sequences to be done by the actors themselves, as it entailed long takes rather than shorter shots taken from various angles.

Byun said the title was "a parody" of Kill Bill, which is one of his favorite movies. It is also a pun on the Korean surname Gil, which sounds like the word "kill." The director added that he also wanted to reflect the two sides of Boksoon, as a killer and a mother, in the double meaning of the title.

Asked whether Jeon was the first actress that came to mind for the role of Boksoon, the director said: "Rather, the story began with her or from her." Byun said he approached Jeon, who has been his "favorite" actress for years, about doing an action film together, before he wrote the script.

Signage from the film poster for "Kill Boksoon" seen at Netflix Korea's headquarters in Seoul, the South Korean capital, during a Q&A panel with the film's director Byun Sung-hyun.
NETFLIX

The director said he was inspired by a lot of the conversations Jeon had with her actual daughter in real life. Byun said he "intentionally drew" parallels between Jeon being a mom/actress and Boksoon being a killer/mom and injected that into her character.

The dichotomy of Boksoon's character is also portrayed in the way the movie was shot. The director said: "You'll notice there is a focus on the right side of Boksoon's face when emphasizing her motherly character." The camera focuses on the left side of her face when portraying her killer persona.

He also focused on the colors of the film, including a certain color theme to portray Boksoon's perspective of her daughter and her vision for the kind of daughter she wants to raise her to be. "We made sure there was a particular contrast between these colors," Byun said.

The latest original Netflix film marks Byun's second showcase at a major global international film festival, following the screening of the 2017 film The Merciless at the Cannes Film Festival.

Kill Boksoon will be available for streaming on Netflix on March 31.

[Helena]

https://www.theupcoming.co.uk/2023/02/20/kill-boksoon-an-interview-with-byun-sung-hyun-and-jeon-do-yeon/
“Aside from killing, what is the worst human act?”: Byun Sung-hyun and Jeon Do-yeon on Kill Boksoon at Berlin Film Festival 2023

By OLIVER JOHNSTON | 20 FEBRUARY 2023

Photos: Sandra Weller/Berlinale 2023

After an energetic big-screen debut at this year’s Berlinale, the South Korean actionfest Kill Boksoon will jump straight to the small screen with the film being released as a Netflix original. Renowned Korean actress Jeon Do-yeon branches out into gloriously chaotic action, as the titular Boksoon considers whether killing for money is still all it’s cracked up to be, wondering if she should trade the physical violence of killing for money for the emotional violence of mothering a teenager. The Upcoming met with Jeon Do-yeon and writer-director Byun Sung-hyun shortly before the film premiered in Berlin.

Do-yeon, you were injured while filming an action scene and had to go to hospital. How physically demanding was Kill Boksoon to shoot?

Jeon Do-yeon: This is my first action film, so I really wanted to do it well – and having to carry an action film as a female lead, there was definitely a huge amount of pressure put on me. I think I wanted to overcome the general public’s perception of, “Hey wait, Do-yeon’s in an action film?” and I really wanted to do my best, so I really put in a lot of me. Every time I was a little bit insecure, or I thought it was too challenging or too physically demanding, including things like the injury, I constantly told myself, “I will not give up”. And the reason I wanted to do that without giving up is because I wanted to make sure there were no regrets after I was done. And again, I wanted to overcome people saying, “Hey – I don’t think she’s gonna do a great job as an action film lead”. I wanted to challenge that.

Sung-hyun, was it difficult to put together action scenes that would be fresh and new for your audience?

Byun Sung-hyun: The way you phrased your question, did you think that our action sequences were something fresh and new?

Yes. Particularly the final sequence.

BSH: This is my first action film. I’ve done a little bit in the film noir genre, but that wasn’t an aggressive action film, so I referenced a lot of action films – so that I could avoid them, rather than copying any kind of action sequences. But, then again, there are limitations to what we can create. So I thought to myself, if it had to be similar, at least let’s twist it to the best of our abilities. And so we watched a lot of other films during the pre-production period, and the martial arts director and I had a lot of meetings, and I believe I changed the storyboard for that last action sequence about eight times. Even after we changed it, I would have the martial arts director kind of act it out on-set, and then he would make changes – saying that something else would be better or whatnot. After we made those changes on-set, we would have the actors go into practising it and training for it right away. So we kind of went through those back-and-forth processes. 

Global audiences seem to have fallen in love with Korean content in recent years – as if all things Korean surged in popularity during the pandemic. With your film being released by Netflix, was there much thought about targeting an international audience?

BSH: When I first wrote the script, I wasn’t actually thinking of it being a Netflix film. I was thinking of a theatrical release, and there was Covid, yes, and the pandemic had a little part in that (popularity of Korean content), but I personally think that, yes, it’s true – Korean content is all the rage. It’s very trendy right now, and we have a lot of Korean actors that have made a name for themselves overseas. I think, however, when Netflix approached and offered to do this with me, the reason I accepted it was because I wanted to showcase the very best performers in Korea through this film. I was thinking, “Let me show you the real number ones.” While it is true to some extent that the popularity of Korean content is opening more doors for other people, that’s not something that I personally place too much significance on. And the reason for that is because when you look at the globally loved films, some are obviously really great, and there are some that are, honestly, not my cup of tea, and so I don’t really like to think about those things as I create my films. If it’s loved by the global audience, that’s great, that’s amazing, but it’s not something that I want to think about ahead of my work. And this is something that Do-yeon mentioned in another interview, but I believe that recent developments are going to raise the bar in terms of quality for Korean content going forward, and I not only believe it’s going to happen, I believe it should happen.

What made you choose killing as the profession for the protagonist, and are there any female killers in film that inspired the creation of Boksoon?

BSH: I chose killing because it’s the drastic, if not exact opposite of raising a child. It’s obviously unethical – probably the worst crime that humankind can commit. However, you may have noticed that in our film, in the universe that we built in our film, the worst possible thing a human being can do isn’t really killing. And so I wanted to pose the question: aside from killing, what is the worst human act? So you could almost say that, in terms of the ethics that are portrayed in our film, it’s more about, aside from killing, when you look at your own life, can you honestly tell me that there’s nothing to be ashamed of? I think that’s the question I wanted to pose, and that is the reason why there is a growing distance between the mother and daughter, and what also leads to the resolution of that dilemma, that opens a new door for their relationship to become closer. And I hate myself for saying this because it’s so cliched, but it’s Uma Thurman in Kill Bill. And I’m ashamed again, because it’s so expected. 

JDY: Again, I’m ashamed, because it’s the only female killer character I can think of – in Kill Bill.

Is it true that the two of you developed the character together?

BSH: I actually observed Do-yeon up-close, and I only substituted the occupation of the character from her being an actor to Boksoon being a killer. I have no experience in raising a child – I don’t have a child – and I wanted to see her in her motherly element. I wanted to see what it was like for her to be a mum, and I was very grateful that she had me over to her house, and I would watch her and her daughter play card games, play board games, just having a regular conversation as mum and daughter. I saw them at their best, and I also saw them when there was a little conflict between them. We had many, many conversations when I first finished the first draft of the script; Do-yeon was actually working on a drama series, so I went to her to meet up at her office after I finished the final version, and I told her that some lines… I feel a little iffy about them not really sounding like a true mother. So I remember we had this session, it went on for about five to six hours, where I had my laptop open, and she would do improv as a mother, and she came up with some amazing lines that ended up being in the final version of the dialogue – some even verbatim, especially in the scenes where she’s speaking with her daughter.

Kill Boksoon is released on Netflix on 31st March 2023.
Read our review here. 

 

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https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20230220007500315
(Movie Review) 'Kill Boksoon' explores juggling motherhood in assassin action thriller

By Kim Eun-jung (ejkim@yna.co.kr) | February 20, 2023

SEOUL, Feb. 20 (Yonhap) -- The upcoming Netflix movie "Kill Boksoon" revolves around a legendary female assassin, but the action-packed thriller is a stylish, witty drama of a mother's desperate efforts to find work-life balance between contract killing and parenting.

Cannes best actress winner Jeon Do-yeon stars as the titular lead character, Gil Boksoon, a top assassin who leads a double life as a mother to a teenage daughter, Jae-young (Kim Si-a), going through a turbulent adolescence.

Boksoon has never missed a target and is the highest-paid contract killer in MK Ent., an assassination company established by Cha Min-kyu (Seol Kyung-gu). She knows how to do an impeccable job: whether it's killing a person, a group of gangs or staging a suicide with whatever is available.

A scene from Netflix movie "Kill Boksoon" is seen in this photo provided by Netflix. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

At home, she is an ordinary mother who tries but often fails to connect with her daughter, who confessed to being a lesbian and having trouble at her elite private school.

For Boksoon, parenting is harder than her highly risky job, saying, "It is simple to kill a person, compared with raising a child."

Feeling contradictory emotions around motherhood, she refuses to complete her assigned mission and becomes the prime target of fellow assassins. She ends up in a final battle in which the last person standing survives. 

The poster of Netflix movie "Kill Boksoon" is seen in this photo provided by Netflix. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

Jeon, who is known for her roles as emotionally distraught women in acclaimed movies "Secret Sunshine" (2007) and "The Housemaid" (2010), shows her wide range of acting in the neo-noir crime action featuring betrayals and bloodbaths.

The 50-year-old shifts between a ruthless hit man in fast-paced action sequences and a fragile, concerned mother in her domestic life.

Director Byun Sung-hyun, who showed stylish mise-en-scene in "The Merciless," (2017), unfolds the female assassin's double life story in high-octane scenes with choreographed fight scenes and artistic uses of computer-generated imagery.

The movie is filled with martial arts mayhem, punches, kicks and shoot-outs, and some scenes confuse audiences with real fights and imaginations.

In the film that has shades of the American action thriller "John Wick" series, Byun differentiates the plotline from the classic hit man's story by following a teenager's mom who is juggling her professional career and parenting.

Once again, Jeon delivers the essence of her character and proves why she's one of the most sought-after actors in the Korean film scene.

"Kill Boksoon" made its world premiere at the Berlin International Film Festival's Special section on Saturday, ahead of its worldwide launch on Netflix on March 31. (END)

[Helena]

https://about.netflix.com/en/news/action-drama-kill-boksoon-makes-world-premiere-at-berlinale
Action Film ‘Kill Boksoon’ Makes World Premiere at Berlinale

By Publicist Julie Lee (juliel@netflix.com) | 18 February 2023

Netflix today debuted action film Kill Boksoon at the prestigious Berlin International Film Festival to an appreciative crowd and glowing reviews. 

Attending the world premiere were director Byun Sung-hyun, along with cast members Jeon Do-Yeon and Kim Si-A. “Tonight was also the first time I’m watching the film on the big screen, it was certainly very special to do 
so together with so many people,” said Byun.

Actor Jeon Do-yeon

Kim Si-A, Byun Sung-hyun, Jeon Do-yeon

The film was invited to be screened at the event’s Berlinale Special section, which is for films that “elevate cinema as an art form, that reconnect the audience with very beloved characters or people and that explore the dark side of the night.”

The story follows ace assassin Gil Boksoon who is renowned throughout Asia for her ruthless skills and 100 percent success rate. Although she can turn any object into a lethal weapon, the single mother is struggling to parent her 15-year-old daughter through those tricky teenage years, while also trying to keep her real job a secret from her. 

Film critics and media lauded the action film, with Screen Daily describing that Kill Boksoon “knows how to land a punch.” Praising the collaboration within the team, The Hollywood Reporter adds, “Byun smartly builds the film around Jeon and she never fails to deliver, whether her character is cutting a guy up or trying to cut to her daughter’s heart.”

Acclaimed Korean actor Jeon, who was crowned best actress at the Cannes Film Festival for her performance in the 2007 film Secret Sunshine, takes on the challenge of portraying Gil’s double life in her first action movie.

When finding work-life balance involves the impossible extremes of snuffing out lives while nurturing a child, it’s clear that something’s got to give. But when Gil sets out for one last assignment before quitting her life as a killer, she breaks a crucial rule and becomes the target of not just the agency that employs her, but also the entire hitman industry. What’s a harried mother to do now?

 

Spoiler

 

Director Byun Sung-hyun

Award-winning filmmaker Byun sums up the film with one word: contradiction. He points to a line in the show that explains all the characters’ actions, “We wage wars in the name of peace. We want to believe lies over the truth. And killers gather and make rules.”

 

Spoiler

 

‘Kill Boksoon’ will be available only on Netflix from March 31.

[Helena]

https://zapzee.net/2023/03/07/ji-chang-wook-in-talks-for-new-police-movie-starring-jeon-do-yeon/
Ji Chang Wook in Talks for New Police Movie Starring Jeon Do Yeon

By KRISHKIM 

Credit: 1st Look, Dispatch

Ji Chang Wook is reportedly joining the new movie Revolver (literal title).

According to a YTN Star report on Tuesday, Ji Chang Wook is in talks for the lead role in Revolver. If he does join the project, he’ll be working with Jeon Do Yeon, who recently finished Crash Course in Romance in success, for the first time.

Revolver tells the story of a former police officer striving forward for her goal. Sanai Pictures produces the movie, which has tabbed The Shameless director Oh Seung Wook as the director. It’s now in its pre-production stage and will start filming later this year.

Meanwhile, Ji Chang Wook has ended his exclusive contract with Glorious Entertainment today. He still hasn’t found his new agency.

 

Source (1, 2)

 

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https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20230307009700315
Jeon Do-yeon cherishes return to bright role in romantic comedy drama

 


By Kim Eun-jung (ejkim@yna.co.kr) | 2023-03-08 08:00:09

 

▲ Actor Jeon Do-yeon attends an online press conference for tvN drama "Crash Course in Romance" on Jan. 9, 2023, in this file photo provided by the Korean cable channel. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

 

▲ A scene from Netflix film "Kill Boksoon" starring Jeon Do-yeon is seen in this photo provided by Netflix. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)



SEOUL, March 8 (Yonhap) -- Jeon Do-yeon is a versatile movie star, but she sometimes wants to let go of expectations of others and be true to herself to extend her acting range.



Over the past three decades, she has built a reputation as a chameleon actor by flawlessly pulling off various roles, including a wife having extramarital affairs, a prostitute with AIDS, a dual role of a mother and a daughter, a female warrior, a lawyer, and the list goes on.



In 2007, she received an international spotlight by winning the best actress from Cannes with her emotionally distraught mother role in Lee Chang-dong's tragic drama "Secret Sunshine."



Since then, Jeon had mostly played dark, serious characters in films and TV dramas, including psychological thriller "Housemaid" (2010), crime noir film "The Shameless" (2015), JTBC drama "Lost" (2021) and others.



Now 50, she is enjoying a resurgence in popularity for her lovely character in local cable channel tvN's series "Crash Course in Romance," which marked her first appearance in a romantic comedy in 17 years.



In the 16-episode series, which wrapped the last episode with its highest viewership rating of 17 percent Sunday, Jeon stars as Nam Haeng-seon, a former national handball player who now operates a side dish shop and tries to support her niece to get to the top school. She falls in love with a math instructor played by Jung Kyung-ho.


"I was surprised this drama could draw such a reaction, and thankful for the attention and love (from fans)," Jeon said during a recent group media interview. "I was consoled by Haeng-seon, and I was happy and enjoyed playing the character."



Although she has been perceived as a serious actor fit for art house movies following her red carpet moments, Jeon said she is a cheerful person and smiles a lot in real life, and missed more relatable characters.



"I was locked in dark, heavy and serious works for much longer than I expected," she said. "I didn't try to box myself in, but people's perspective locked me in a certain frame."



For the upcoming Netflix movie "Kill Boksoon," Jeon stars as a top assassin who juggles motherhood and her risky career, drawing acclaim for her action scenes during its screening at the Berlin International Film Festival last month.



Director Byun Sung-hyun wrote the crime noir action with the actor in mind and had chances to observe Jeon's relationship with her teenage daughter during his visit to her home, according to Jeon.



"I think director Byun took interest in my life as a mother and an actor, and the gap between the two personas. I'm a veteran at work but not a veteran at home," she said.



Jeon appreciated people's high expectations for her performance and thinks she can take even more, but didn't forget to be true to herself.



"Expectations are good, but sometimes I feel burdened. I try really hard not to feel uncomfortable and do things my way," she said.



Being the most celebrated actress in the Korean film industry, Jeon said she is still on a soul-searching journey to find insight in her life and career.



"I still don't know about myself and am in the process of learning. As I am an actor, I keep looking into myself. I am curious about myself," she said. (END)


 

(C) Yonhap News Agency. All Rights Reserved

[Helena]

https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/art/2023/03/688_346733.html
INTERVIEW Jeon Do-yeon wants to share loveliness of her character in 'Crash Course in Love'

By Lee Gyu-lee | 2023-03-08

 

Actress Jeon Do-yeon / Courtesy of Management Soop

Actress Jeon Do-yeon plays the character of a single mom in the tvN's rom-com series "Crash Course in Romance." Courtesy of tvN

Known for her versatile acting career, Jeon Do-yeon has taken on roles in heavy, dark genre series, like a devastated widow in the emotional drama film "Secret Sunshine" which won her best actress at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival.

For the first time in 18 years, the actress picked up a lighthearted, romantic comedy series, playing a lovely, over-enthusiastic single mom in tvN's recent series "Crash Course in Romance."

The series centers on a small food shop owner, Nam Haeng-sun (Jeon). After giving up her career as a national handball player to raise her daughter, she has been making ends meet by selling side dishes to support her high school daughter and autistic son.

One day, her daughter asks Nam to get her into a private math prep class run by a celebrity math instructor, Choi Chi-yeol (Jung Kyung-ho). Nam steps into the cutthroat world of private education for high schoolers, while getting romantically involved with the teacher. The series wrapped up on Sunday with its highest viewership rating of 17 percent.

Jeon said she was hesitant to take the role at first as she found the character to be too high-spirited. 

"I wasn't sure if I could keep up with Haeng-sun's energy. I felt that there's a difference in what I want to do and what I can do, so I turned it down at first," the actress said during an interview with The Korea Times, held at a cafe in Mapo District, Monday. 

"And then I met with the writer (Yang Hee-seung). She told me that although this is a fantasy story, she wanted the character to be realistic and that's how she sees me so she wants me to play the character, which convinced me to join."

A scene from the tvN series "Crash Course in Romance." Courtesy of tvN

The actress shared that she was worried Nam's over-enthusiastic, sometimes nosy, character might come off as too strong to the viewers, adding she wanted viewers to root for the character just as she did. 

"I was concerned if Haeng-sun will be seen as annoying. But I wanted to root for this character. She gave up the life she wanted and lives for her family. She's taking the responsibility for her choice. I wanted to support how she lives her life positively," she said. "She can be nosy and seem annoying because she acts without explanation, but I wanted people to relate to and support her by seeing how hard she's doing it."

She added that she reshaped the tough, high-energy character to be more feminine and lovely to fit her own tone. 

"Haeng-sun the writer created was a lot more strong-minded. And I felt overwhelmed to play a character that has a completely different personality … so it changed to a more lovely character," she said. "I'm actually a bright, funny person like Haeng-sun. Since I've played such dark roles for a long time, many see me as that person. But with this role, it was different so my friends would say this is the Jeon Do-yeon that I know, and now other people got to see that side of me."

[Helena]

https://zapzee.net/2023/03/08/jeon-do-yeon-says-her-daughter-1-reacted-adorbaly-after-watching-crash-course-in-romance-2/
Jeon Do Yeon’s Daughter Has the Cutest Reaction to Her Mom’s Kiss Scene in ‘Crash Course in Romance’

By KRISHKIM | PhotosCredit: Management SOOP

Jeon Do Yeon told various stories in an interview about Crash Course in Romance.

Q1. How do you feel now that the drama has ended?
The drama has grown on me so much, so it felt like I was saying goodbye to my family. I was really sad.

Q2. The final episode recorded ratings of 17%.
We were getting so much attention, so I thought we would reach percent. But a project is considered a success if it garners 10 percent ratings these days. So after we passed the 10 percent mark, I didn’t dwell so much on the number and enjoyed every moment.

Q3. This is your first feel-good series in a while.
It’s been such a long time since I saw myself smile. I wanted to see what I wanted to see myself do, and I was happy to hear people around me say, “I’m glad other people get to see that side of you too.”

Q4. Many said Nam Haeng Sun is a lovely character.
Haeng Sun is a lovely woman. She makes a choice based on what she knows and puts everything into what she’s chosen. I wanted to cheer for the way she lived her life.

Spoiler

Q5. Nam Haeng Seon’s fashion was also a hot topic.
Haeng Sun is an athlete. Although I have never seen an actual athlete, when I saw athletes on television, they seemed feminine when not competing. I thought I should wear something not too frilly or uncomfortable, so I thought of jeans. But I didn’t know I would be wearing jeans until the end of the drama.

Q6. Are you satisfied with how the story ended?
Everyone becomes a family in the end. Personally, I’m satisfied that it was a happy ending. 

Q7. The kiss scene at the end made headlines.
I think we did a good job – it wasn’t awkward at all. It was my first time shooting a kiss scene with so many people around me. It was awkward and embarrassing. I laughed in that scene, and I was really laughing. The director showed it as it was, and I thought it wasn’t bad at all.

Q8. How did your family react?
My middle school daughter said she couldn’t watch her mother act in a romance drama. She said that her friend at school asked her, “What is it like watching your mother kissing another man?” One time she texted me – “Seeing you act makes my heart cringe, and it’s so sweet that my teeth are gonna rot.” I thought her expression was just adorable.

Q9. What did you gain through ‘Crash Course in Romance’?
Good viewership ratings? All actors want to be loved by the public. Every actor desires to be appreciated by the audience. We select projects with that goal in mind, but the outcome may not always be what we anticipate. I never imagined that Crash Course in Romance would garner so much love and attention.

Q10. Can this year be considered “the year of Jeon Do Yeon”?
I always think every year is my year to shine. Whether something worked out for me or not, there was never a year that wasn’t “the year of Jeon Do Yeon.” That’s how I’ve always thought.

Source ( 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 )

 

—

https://kdramadiary.com/feature/jeon-do-yeon-interview-crash-course-in-romance/
INTERVIEW: Jeon Do Yeon Speaks About The Challenges and Happiness Working On “Crash Course In Romance”

March 8, 2023

Recently concluded, Crash Course In Romance amazed viewers with its sincere story and vibrant characters headlined by renowned actress Jeon Do Yeon.

Spoiler

The series scored impressive viewership ratings and created well-deserved domestic and overseas buzz.

In the drama, Jeon Do yeon portrays Nam Haeng-seon, a former national handball player who becomes a side dish store owner to provide for her family, a niece that she took in as her own daughter and a brother with Asperger Syndrome.

Known for poignant roles, the actress reveals that even her close acquaintances had fun watching the series that truly embodies her in real life.

“I’m a cheerful and bright person, but since I’ve been working on heavy projects for so long, I seem to be seen as a dark and heavy character. In fact, I’m not like that, so people around me seem to have the most fun watching this drama.”

Voicing out her preparations for her character, Jeon mentioned reading the script a lot so she can bring life to Haeng-seon’s charm of speaking quickly and talking to herself a lot.

When asked if she felt the popularity of Crash Course In Romance, she responds that young people don’t know her well.

“When my daughter goes to school, her friends say they’re watching my drama well. Seeing such reactions, I thought, ‘This is a work that both children and adults can watch.’ I also enjoyed it. I like watching it. It made me feel better.”

On Working Together With The Cast of Crash Course In Romance

Sharing the situation while shooting the series, Jeon vouched for a fun filming environment. She adds how they all filmed happily and the set was filled with laughter.

Jeon Do Yeon, who debuted with an advertisement in 1990, is constantly meeting the public with a new look. Regarding her character reinventions, she reveals the secret to her career outlook.

“I hope my heart doesn’t get old. I think it would be nice. That’s different from being immature, but my heart doesn’t age. That’s why I think I can meet the characters with a blank slate.”

In a previous interview, Jung Kyung Ho referred to Jeon Do Yeon as a sincere actor and expressed his respect for her. 

Acknowledging her junior actor’s praise, she explained how acting can be fake to some extent. Thankfully, she is able to bring out the things she feels and perceives.

She returns the appreciation by lauding Jung Kyung Ho’s genuine personality. He commends how he greets everyone with sincerity.

Likewise, she also cmpliments Roh Yoon Seo for her confidence and doing a great job. She deems Roh resembles Hae-yi a lot.

Talking about Nam family in the series, Jeon Do Yeon recounted the chemistry that effortlessly flowed among them.

“It’s a family that should be very familiar, but everyone was a little shy. But what I really liked was that no one tried to overcome that awkwardness. If that was the case, wouldn’t it be uncomfortable or burdensome? It was amazing that we also developed a sense of intimacy among us..”

On Fond Memories While Filming

Adorning Nam Haeng-seon’s charm with how she talks fast, Jeon expressed that she just followed the script. Similar to her character, the actress reveals she’s good at cooking and housekeeping.

Confessing to her worries when the drama premiered at a 4% rating, she is utterly grateful that the ratings picked up and even scored a whopping 20% rating on the final episode.

“I didn’t expect to receive this much attention and love. Everyone was so happy. I think I enjoyed watching the last episode while crying and laughing.”

Happy about her recent project, Jeon asserts having no regrets for the effort she gave in the series.

“I worked hard enough that I don’t have any regrets. The romance between Haeng-seon and Chi-yeol is cute and fun, so I want to keep watching it. But we recognized that the story itself wasn’t just a romantic comedy, there were many stories, so there was nothing regrettable about the flow.”

Speaking about what she admired about Haeng-seon, Jeon Do Yeon profoundly answers the striking charm of the character.

“It was a sense of responsibility. I liked the way Haeng-seon lived to the best of her own choices. I also live and want to live like that, and that kind of image touched me a lot. In a way, Haengseon is ignorant and can be a nuisance, but I wanted to make Haengseon want to be understood by people.”

On Career Perspectives

Jeon Do-yeon, who does not use social media, conveys her thoughts about social media comments.

“I saw the comments in the beginning, but then I decide not to look at them. Everyone wants to see what they want to see, don’t they? I didn’t look for it because I thought it was unnecessary to look for an uncomfortable reaction.”

On that note, she also addresses why she’s not using SNS. She relays how she used to do Cyworld in the past when she was young. She posted pictures, drank, and wrote emotional articles. Those things caused her to be hurt.

“That was when I was in my 20s… People keep changing. Whether they grow badly or well, they keep changing. People only remember what I said in the past, and it became ‘she’s like this, but why is she like that’. So, I felt like something was restraining me. I made a choice. I think communication can only be done through my work.”

Breaking her silence for a romantic-comedy comeback, Jeon Do Yeon communicated wanting to do a bright work.

“I think comedy is the most difficult. Writing, directing, and acting are all difficult. But the reason I got to do this work is CP Cho Moon-joo, who worked with me on The Good Wife. He is someone who knows me well. I have a bright side, but I was very sad because I always only do dark works.”

Shedding light on one of the concerns about the series, the prominent actress relayed her thoughts about the disparity evident in the rom-com projects.

“‘It’s still a world where women are judged by their age and set standards. Romantic comedies aren’t just for young people, and I think they can do it even after 10 years of age. I want to live confidently for myself. I don’t choose a work, venture, or take on challenges in order to break a specific notion already established by people. I think the kind of work breaks the mold.”

 

All episodes of Crash Course In Romance starring Jeon Do Yeon and Jung Kyung Ho are streaming on Netflix!

 

Source: xportsnews (1 , 2 , 3 , 4)

Photos: tvN Drama | Management SOOP

[Helena]

https://kdramadiary.com/feature/kill-boksoon-press-conference/
PRESS CONFERENCE: “Kill Boksoon” Promises Intense Action and Compelling Characters To Amaze Viewers

March 23, 2023

 

Spoiler

 

 

 

Before the official launch, the lead cast and director of Kill Boksoon convey interesting stories while filming.

Director Byun Hyun-sung together with Kill Boksoon lead stars Jeon Do Yeon, Sol Kyung Gu, Esom, Kim Si A and Koo Kyo Hwan share eventful experiences while working on the film.

Kill Boksoon is an action film following Boksoon, who leads a double life of an ordinary single mom and a legendary killer at a top-tier killing agency, MK Ent.

It garnered attention by being officially invited to the 73rd annual Berlin International Film Festival for the Berlinale Special.

Casting Process

Revealing he was eager to work with Jeon Do Yeon even then, Director Byun shared how he proposed to the stellar actress.
“I really thought long and hard about what kind of movie I can work on together with Do-yeon. She’s been in so many great movies, most of them being quite dark and deep. Because her dark and deep movies are really great movies, I didn’t want to fight heads-on. I wanted to go around it. That’s why I chose an action genre film.“

Regarding her first action movie, Jeon Do Yeon relayed how she was intrigued and eager to work on it. She also confesses her worries if she can pull off the action scenes.
“I actually want to try a lot of different genres but chances don’t come that easy. So, I was very happy when he proposed an action film. It was my first time deciding to go into a project without reading the scenario so I was happy but I did have my reservations too.”

Sol Kyung Gu who marks Kill Boksoon as his third project with Director Byun has complete trust in the director and the crew. Consequently, he did not hesitate when the movie was offered to him.
“This indeed is my third collaboration with him ever since The Merciless. I mean there was really no reason to say no. I think I’m a fan of Director Byun’s films. I love working with him and the crew from The Merciless was the same crew that worked together on Kill Boksoon so I think we had excellent teamwork. I think of the three collaborations this film is at the grandest level, so it really was a no-brainer.“

For her character Jae-young who is quite different from her in real life, Kim Si A was drawn effortlessly. She admits being curious as to how she would play a character that is her exact opposite.

Esom, who confessed the contract killing genre is something she loves working on, remarks the story of a female contract killer piqued her interest.
“I loved the interesting theme of a female killer, as well as the fact that I get to work with a director and actors that I really admire. So, I made up my mind even before reading the script.“

Lastly, Koo Kyo Hwan also enjoyed the script and earnestly wanted to work with Director Byun.
“As I was reading the lines in the scenario, they were just so fun to read and I was dying to know how life will be breathed into these actions and words. I am a fan of Director Byun and I have trust and hopes for his work, so I wanted to be part of the whole process.“

On Character Preparations and Immersions

Fresh off the heels of the well-loved series, Crash Course In Romance, top-tier actress Jeon Do Yeon expounds on her preparation for her role. She explains in a way, she also leads a double life.
“While I’m definitely not an assassin, I’m also leading kind of a double life – of a mother and of an actress. So, it didn’t come to me as too new.“

Sol Kyung Gu details his character Cha Min-kyu as like a God in the contract-killing scene, setting all the industry rules – but there is one exception. That exception is Gil Boksoon and he always wants her by his side. When Boksoon has second thoughts about her contract renewal, he wants to keep her as a “blade” by his side no matter what.
“Min-kyu met with the 17-year-old Boksoon, became her master and mentor so he is like a savior to her in a way. He’s that strong but when it comes to Boksoon he could get really narrow-minded and always goes soft on her. So he has this blind love for her. I mean, this film is packed with action, I have some action scenes too, but to me, this was more about romance with Boksoon than action with her.“

To express her character Jae-young, Kim Si A drew inspiration from her sister to portray a daring and confident girl.
“Because she’s so different from me, I had to start off by trying to adapt to the way she spoke. My little sister actually is quite like Jae-young. I tried to observe her to learn her traits that resembled Jae-young. Director Byun and Do-yeon also gave me advice, telling me that maybe it’d work well if I got rid of the girly vibe, so I put on some weight and changed my hairstyle.“

Describing her character, Esom shares Min-hee is the younger sister of Cha Min-kyu, the Chairman of MK Ent., as well as the director of MK Ent. She holds a special affection towards her brother and the fact that her brother’s got a soft spot for Boksoon, among all the other killers, just gets on her nerves. She always keeps Boksoon in check.
“I thought of her as someone who is simple-minded but someone who is quite strange and unpredictable. I relied heavily on the directions given by the director on set – I loved his very raw directions and I had a lot of fun shooting. I was following along with the director’s lead and there we had a very unpredictable character.“

Koo Kyo Hwan delineates his character Hee-sung as someone who wants to be acknowledged. He is quite a character so the actor opted not to delve into who he is and drew inspiration from Director Byun from whom the character was derived. Koo specifically picks Director Byun’s passion.

Adding his insights into the creation of Hee-sung’s character, Director Byun revealed the part of himself that was added in Hee-sung.
“What I mean by adding myself to the Hee-sung character is that in talk I’m idealistic and revolutionary but in action I compromise with what’s given to me and I go after the money. I think I have that duality inside me and I was quite dissatisfied with my reality when I was in my twenties.”

On cue, Koo Kyo Hwan adorably quips how he knew all along that Director Byun has a rebellious spirit. He attests to how it helped him in developing his character.

Kill Boksoon’s Creative Process

Conveying his creative intentions for Kill Boksoon, Director Byun referenced how contract killing is not something new. Thus, he tweaked it by conceiving the story of actors and movie sets.

Substituting actors with killers, he also paid tribute to Jeon Do Yeon and Sol Kyung Gu.
“In the movie, they sometimes call assassins “knives”. And there is this one scene where Min-hee tells Min-kyu that old knives become dull and ultimately useless – referring to Boksoon. And Min-kyu replies by saying that dull knives hurt more. Those lines are my way of paying tribute to Do-yeon and Kyung-gu. I wanted to make sure it’s not too upfront and subtle, but I think it was too subtle so I wanted to bring it up today.“

Director Byun also delineates the effort for the action scenes in the film. He worked hard and long with the stunt coordinator, director of photography, and production designer. The actors also had lots of training.  Nonetheless, he asserts how he focused on the characters.
“To Boksoon, this movie may be a story of personal growth; to Min-kyu, a melodrama; to Si-A, an educational movie – not the one where the mom educates her child but the other way around. So, I really put a lot of emphasis on the characters and the actors. This story deals with a very unrealistic story but with universal values. So when tying those together sometimes I had to be more thick-skinned. Sometimes I would have to shoot in a way so that an unrealistic story seems realistic, and sometimes I had to portray a universal and realistic story in a comic-book fashion. So, I put the most time into finding those connections, the links between those.“

Responding to a media interview, Director Byun reveals some of the inspirations incorporated in the film. He also chronicles how in naming his characters, he would do it randomly. Just like how he used Jeon’s aunt’s name Bok-soon in the film.
“I have always been a big fan of Scorsese films – I always watch them. A lot of people tell me that there’s a little bit of Tarantino in my films too. As I said before, I am a big fan of Kyung-gu and Do-yeon and Korean films in the early 2000s. I try to take after those films. For action scenes, I try to follow the style of director Lee Myung-se, but his style is just so immaculate I can’t be half as good.“

On Pulling Off The Action Scenes

Speaking of the intense action scenes, the lead stars narrate their woes and keenness to commit to their roles.

“I was quite scared and unsure but I kept telling myself that I have to pull it off no matter what. No matter what happens, I’m going to get this done. And I had to keep practicing because the set piece wasn’t me with the action team but me with the other actors, and sometimes the actors might get quite emotional once we’re rolling. So, we had to make sure that we had lots of practice so we don’t accidentally get anyone hurt. Also, director Byun prefers long takes when it comes to action sequences – while it was scary it gave me catharsis when I finished a scene. So, I have a lot of different feelings swirling inside me.” – Jeon Do Yeon

“It was my first time working with a robot arm – we set it up and it moved accordingly. The setting took up to one hour and because the robot arm moves only in a fixed radius, the actors also had to do their actions within that radius. If we get too emotional, as Do-yeon said, and go overboard, then we might be hit by the robot arm and that is something we did not want so we were quite nervous at first. But later on, it was very interesting. So, we have some intense action scenes and these characters fight with their lives on the line but on the set, we had so much fun. I did see the film on the screen and I felt that our action scenes were crisp and light. Lethal but crisp.” – Sol Kyung Gu

“We had lots of rehearsals. I felt like it was more like choreography than an action set-piece. So rather than doing things on our own, it was like a synchronized team dance. So, I really loved how we all worked as a team for those scenes.” – Koo Kyo Hwan

Accordingly, Director Byun expresses his gratitude for the actors’ willingness to deliver the essence of the story he conceived.
“I was grateful but I felt very sorry at the same time. I actually thought of giving up midway. Because I could see it was so physically challenging for the actors, I even said that I will never shoot an action movie ever again. So, I would just stop them and say I will make something out of this, but the actors said let’s try one more time, just one more time. So, I felt an immense amount of gratitude but I did feel very bad looking at them struggling.“

Director Byun Hyun Sung’s Brilliance

Putting forward the superb and meticulous directing of Director Byun, Jeon Do Yeon was amazed at his effort. She is usually one who would add her own color to her character. However, Director Byun has already plated everything for them. Later, she adapted to his style and ended up asking his opinions when she shot the scenes.
“I’ve been acting for quite some time and I’ve been in many different projects; but every time I am in a new project, I have a thirst for a new experience. I want to go to a set and pull out a new side of me that I don’t even know. I realized that usually, directors would just let me be and see what kind of emotions flowed out of me, but Director Byun, had everything planned out, down to every detail including the way I move, how I tilt my head, and everything. So It was fun to try out this approach. I wouldn’t just be myself but I would tailor to the director’s detailed plan including the tilt of my face and my emotions. I was curious how it was going to turn out. It was very intriguing. Of course, it wasn’t easy in the beginning.“

Agreeing with that, Sol Kyung Gu affirmed how Director Byun worked hard on pre-production, coming up with a storyboard.
“If you look at the storyboard, you can basically see how the movie will unfold. He works on the storyboard multiple times, pouring so much effort into pre-production. So, when he shoots, he tries to stick to the storyboard. I mean there could be some scenes added, but mostly he sticks to the storyboard. When we look at the final cut, it’s basically the on-set edit version”.

Jeon Do Yeon’s First Action Challenge

Known for her unrivaled acting skills, Jeon Do Yeon seals another focal character in Kill Boksoon. Sharing her third movie with Sol Kyung Gu, the two actors’ chemistry continues to be seamless.

Reassured because she knows Sol Kyung Gu is always there for her, Jeon Do Yeon points out how while filming the actor waited and looked out for her.

Singing praises to his co-star, Sol Kyung Gu was amazed at how Jeon Do Yeon mustered her strength to overcome her limits while shooting.
“Jeon Do Yeon is Jeon Do Yeon. period. She worked so hard and I feel worried about her because she has to always keep up with the standard, she has for herself. I told her that nobody other than you can pull this role off.“

Elaborating on her preparation, Jeon Do Yeon talked about how she did not make any drastic changes to how she packaged her face as a killer and a mother. Director Byun utilized the different sides and angles of her face to show the duality of her character. She honestly conveys that physical effort was the real challenge when she was filming.
“What was most challenging was that I really wanted to effortlessly carry out the action sequences, but my body just wouldn’t live up to my hopes. I wanted to do well so badly that I really pushed myself and tried to overcome my limits. While I really pushed myself, I still think I could have done better in some of the action scenes.“

Notably, a special appearance of Hwang Jung Min, Jeon’s co-star in Secret Sunshine is highly anticipated in Kill Boksoon.

Director Byun is grateful for her connection with the revered actor which sealed Hwang’s appearance. Likewise, Jeon Do Yeon is happy and grateful for Hwang Jung Min’s effort to shoot even when it was at the time of COVID situation.

Inviting the viewers, the lead stars and Director Byun took turns pitching interest for their latest project.

Kill Boksoon unfolds exclusively on Netflix on March 31! 

Photos/Videos: Netflix

[Helena]

https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/2023/03/24/entertainment/movies/Korea-Kill-Boksoon-Jeon-Doyeon/20230324151853982.html
Motherly love and killer instincts combine in new Netflix film 'Kill Boksoon'

BY LIM JEONG-WON [lim.jeongwon@joongang.co.kr] | March 24, 2023

 

A scene from ″Kill Boksoon″ [NETFLIX]

The new Netflix crime action film starring award-winning actor Jeon Do-yeon, “Kill Boksoon,” is a black comedy delivered with Korean sensibilities.  

Jeon, whose career spans three decades and who has won a long list of accolades including Best Actress at Cannes, stars as a single mother who is secretly part of an assassins’ organization. 

Jeon plays Boksoon, who is faced with the dilemma of renewing her contract with MK ENT, a secret assassins’ organization, while facing issues at home with her teenage daughter.

While ”Kill Boksoon” has attracted much attention — having been invited to the Berlinale International Film Festival this year — Jeon thinks the film is "not just another hitman story.” 

 

From left, director Byun Sung-hyun, actors Sol Kyung-gu, Esom, Jeon Do-yeon, Kim Si-a and Koo Kyo-hwan pose for a photo during a press conference at the Grand InterContinental Seoul Parnas in Gangnam District, southern Seoul on March 21. [NEWS1]

“I play a single mother who is also a killer, which is parallel to how I myself in real life am an actor and a mother,” said Jeon during a press conference for “Kill Boksoon” at the Grand InterContinental Seoul Parnas in Gangnam District, southern Seoul on March 21. “I always aspire to try out a wide range of roles, and break out from my own image. I took on the role of Boksoon because I felt that this role is not like any other I have done.” 

Jeon is accompanied by actors Esom, Sol Kyung-gu, Koo Kyo-hwan and newcomer Kim Si-a. The ensemble cast made much synergy and the combination of their characters gave the film a variety of dynamics, according to the actors. 

“Our film is mostly an action movie, but I think my character Cha Min-kyu brings an element of romance with Jeon’s character Boksoon,” said Sol during the press conference. “We hope with the global release of ‘Kill Boksoon,’ audiences will see the various dynamics of the characters.” 

Koo also praised the multidimensionality of the characters including that of his own role Han Hee-seong and expressed his gratitude for “getting the chance to work with Jeon.” Koo plays another hitman in the assassins’ organization. 

 

Spoiler

A scene from ″Kill Boksoon″ [NETFLIX]

“My character Hee-seong is someone you cannot fathom the more you get to know him,” said Koo. “So I played him with that curiosity in mind. The action scenes were particularly enjoyable to shoot — we acted them as if doing choreography for a dance, almost.” 

“Kill Boksoon” is special in that the film has particularly Korean sensibilities that are incorporated with elements of an action or assassin film, the director and cast agreed. 

“The comedic scenes are very Korean, and the film — since it deals with the relationship between a mother and a daughter as well — has Korean sensibilities,” said Jeon. “But I think also that ‘Kill Boksoon’ will appeal to global audiences on Netflix since the story is also universal in a sense.” 

 

Spoiler

Actor Jeon Do-yeon speaks during a press conference for ″Kill Boksoon″ at the Grand InterContinental Seoul Parnas in Gangnam District, southern Seoul on March 21. [NEWS1]

Director Byun Sung-hyun, who previously directed acclaimed films such as “Kingmaker” (2022) and “The Merciless” (2017), expressed how unreal the experience of having “Kill Boksoon” screened at the Berlinale film festival this year was. 

“There were over 1,800 people in attendance at the screening at the Berlinale,” said Byun during the press conference. “All those people gave wholehearted reactions during the screening and it felt like they were feeling in tune with the story of our film. It was truly an uplifting experience.” 

Byun wrote “Kill Boksoon” with the aim of “giving a new spin” to the well-known and sometimes trite format of assassin films, said the director. 

“I wanted to bring something new to the old genre of assassin films,” said Byun. “I wrote the script by thinking of parallels between assassins and actors, in a sense.” 

Having “Kill Boksoon” released through Netflix is also a huge opportunity, according to Byun. 

“Through Netflix we have the chance to introduce all these great actors to global audiences,” said Byun. “It is a real opportunity and we are looking forward to viewers’ reactions to our film.” 

“Kill Boksoon” is set for worldwide release on March 31 on Netflix.

 

———

https://zapzee.net/2023/03/21/jeon-do-yeon-on-returning-with-action-movie-kill-boksoon-after-crash-course-in-romance/
Jeon Do Yeon on Returning with Action Movie ‘Kill Boksoon’ After ‘Crash Course in Romance’

By KRISHKIM 

 

Credit: iMBC

Actress Jeon Do Yeon expressed her aspirations to showcase a completely different work from her previous drama, Crash Course in Romance.

On the 21st, Kill Boksoon held a press conference in Samsung-dong, Seoul. The lead actress Jeon Do Yeon shared, “I didn’t expect Kill Boksoon to be released so quickly after Crash Course in Romance. People are saying it’s the story of a ‘double life of Nam Haeng Sun (Jeon Do Yeon’s role in Crash Course in Romance),’ so the director is worried.”

Kill Boksoon follows Gil Bok Soon (Jeon Do Yeon), a legendary killer in the business and a single mother struggling with parenting, as she gets caught up in an unavoidable confrontation right before renewing her contract with the company.

Gil Bok Soon, played by Jeon Do Yeon, is a character who lives a double life as a professional killer and a single mother. Her impeccable skills in killing got her the nickname “Kill Bok Soon,” but at home, she’s a mother struggling to raise her 15-year-old daughter alone.

In particular, Jeon Do Yeon received great love as a lovely single mother running a side-dish store while raising her daughter in her previous drama Crash Course in Romance. After the movie’s overall plot was released, some reacted that Nam Haeng Sun changed her job from a side-dish store owner to a contract killer.”

The actress said, “I didn’t feel any discomfort because I also live a double life as an actress and a mother,” and added, “There were more stunts than I expected, but I was just happy to receive an offer of this genre, which doesn’t happen very often.”

She then recalled, “I kept training, brainwashing myself that ‘I have to do it even if I get hurt.’ And we were very careful not to hurt each other. It was difficult and scary, but the sense of accomplishment was great after I finished it.”

Meanwhile, Kill Boksoon is helmed and penned by The Merciless and Kingmaker director Byun Sung Hyun. It will be released on the 31st.

Source (1)

[Helena]

https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/art/2023/03/689_347535.html
'Kill Boksoon' star Jeon Do-yeon talks about why she signed up without reading script

By Kwak Yeon-soo | 2023-03-21

From left, actors Seol Kyung-gu, E Som, Jeon Do-yeon, Kim Sia and Koo Kyo-hwan pose during a press conference for the film, "Kill Boksoon," held at the Grand InterContinental Seoul, Tuesday. Courtesy of Netflix

Before she even got her hands on the script for "Kill Boksoon," Jeon Do-yeon said she had already committed to the Netflix film. Eager to take on different roles and different genres, she agreed to be the co-lead with Seol Kyung-gu. "Kill Boksoon" marks their third collaboration following "I Wish I had a Wife" (2001) and "Birthday" (2019).

"I've always wanted to do action movies, so I was intrigued by director Byun Sung-hyun's proposal. But I didn't really know about the specifics of the movie because the script wasn't ready," she said during a press conference for the film, Tuesday. "After reading the script, I got scared because the action and fight scenes were more intense than I expected."

Director Byun, a self-proclaimed fan of Jeon, admitted that he offered her the role of a professional killer because he realized that she didn't have many action roles in her filmography.

"I first met Jeon when I visited Seol on the set of 'Birthday.' We kept in touch after our first encounter. One day, she called me and asked if I'd be interested in directing a film written by someone else. I said I want to write my original story and asked her if she'd be interested in starring in my next movie. She said yes," he said, adding that from then on, he started to write a script, which portrays a female lead that fits the bill perfectly for Jeon.

Seol, who worked closely with director Byun on "The Merciless" (2017) and "Kingmaker" (2021), shared the same sentiments and agreed to be part of "Kill Boksoon", also without looking at the script. In the film, he plays the role of Cha Min-kyu, the head of a contract-killing agency.

"I had trust in Byun's abilities as a writer and director. What fascinates me is his meticulous directing style. During the pre-production stage, he has a complete image of the film based on pre-sketches. This allows him to shoot only what he needs during filming," he said.

 

Spoiler

Actress Jeon Do-yeon in a scene from the film, "Kill Boksoon" / Courtesy of Netflix

"Kill Boksoon" tells the story of Gil Bok-soon, a single mother and hired killer who struggles with her work-life balance. Right before her contract renewal, she gets involved in an unavoidable kill-or-be-killed situation.

Director Byun explained that he focused on depicting the complex relationship between characters.

"For Bok-soon, it's a coming-of-age story, for Min-kyu, it's a melodrama and for Bok-soon's daughter, Jae-young, it's an educational movie that teaches lessons about parenting and the mother-daughter relationship. I put extra effort into making the unrealistic setup as realistic as possible," he said.

The director revealed that he almost gave up filming action scenes because it was emotionally draining to watch actors suffer. "The action scenes were physically demanding, so it was stressful for me to watch them do it over and over again. At one point, I told them, 'Don't worry about it. I'll do something about it during the editing process.' However, the actors pushed past their limits and gave it their all on the screen."

Jeon said the film has both local cultural elements and universal appeal. "Our movie combines action and black comedy that audiences beyond Korea can relate with," she said.

"Kill Boksoon," which premiered at the 73rd Berlin Film Festival, will debut on Netflix on March 31.

 

—

http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20230321000617
Do or die: Actor Jeon Do-yeon's approach to 'Kill Boksoon' action scenes

By Kim Da-sol (ddd@heraldcorp.com) | Mar 21, 2023

Jeon Do-yeon in “Kill Boksoon” (Netflix)

Cannes-winning actor Jeon Do-yeon said she practiced a "do or die" mindset for her role as a top assassin in her first-ever action film, “Kill Boksoon."

“I was particularly careful about doing action scenes and practiced a lot because I had to (work with) fellow actors, not stuntpeople. I worried about getting too emotional and overdoing the action scenes,” she told reporters during a press conference held at the Grand InterContinental Seoul Parnas on Tuesday.

“Contrary to my wish to flawlessly perform the action scenes, I had trouble moving my body,” she laughed, adding that most of the action scenes were shot long-take.

Jeon plays the lead character Gil Bok-soon, a legendary female assassin who juggles killing and parenting her teenage daughter Jae-young (Kim Si-a).

“The Merciless” (2017) and “Kingmaker” (2022) director Byun Sung-hyun has put his signature stylish mise-en-scene, multi-dimensional characters and sensuous action sequence involving punches, kicks and shoot outs into this Netflix dark comedy film.

“The concept of a contract killing company has become familiar after ‘John Wick.’ But I wanted to tweak it a bit by adding different sources, such as replacing the concept of killers with actors based on my personal respect for actors Jeon and Sol Kyung-gu,” director Byun told reporters.

In the film, the killing company is referred to as an entertainment firm, and an assassination mission is called “shooting a project.”

Despite a variety of martial arts, Byun said the film is not just about action but about Bok-soon’s personal development and Min-kyu’s romance. It is also a family film that has a universally understandable and relatable story line, according to the director.

Actor Sol Kyung-gu stars as Cha Min-kyu, head of MK Entertainment, who discovers Gil’s talent early on, while Lee Som stars as Cha Min-hee, the firm's executive director.

It is Jeon and Sol’s third project together after “Birthday” (2019) and “I Wish I Had a Wife” (2001).

“For me, Sol is like a mountain, I always feel relieved to see him next to me,” said Jeon.

“I felt sorry watching Jeon doing action scenes, because it was apparent that she is an actor who wants to overcome her limits -- and she did just that. I told her that no one but her could have taken up the role,” said Sol.

“D.P.” and “Kingdom” actor Koo Kyo-hwan plays Han Hee-sung, a killer whose talent is neither recognized nor appreciated by the company.

“Director Byun told me that part of him has been projected on my character, Hee-sung, who thinks ideally and talk innovatively, but compromises with reality and ends up following money,” said Koo.

The upcoming action thriller “Kill Boksoon” will be released on Netflix on March 31. The release follows the film's world premiere at the 73rd Berlin International Film Festival last month.

 

Spoiler

Sol Kyung-gu (right) and Lee Som in “Kill Boksoon” (Netflix)

 

—

https://k-odyssey.com/news/newsview.php?ncode=1065573468014447
Actress Jeon Do-yeon of movie 'Kill Boksoon' "Action movie I wasn't afraid to get injured while acting"

YonhapNews / 2023-03-22 09:37:17
(This article is translated from Korean to English by Joonha Yoo)

▲This photo, provided by Netflix, shows cast members and director of movie 'Kill Boksoon.' (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

Spoiler

▲This photo, provided by Netflix, shows actress Jeon Do-yeon. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

 

▲This photo, provided by Netflix, shows director Byun Sung-hyun. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

 

 ▲This photo, provided by Netflix, shows actor Sol Kyung-gu. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

 

SEOUL March 22 (Yonhap) -- During the press conference of Netflix movie “Kill Boksoon” held in Intercontinental hotel located in Gangnam Seoul on March 21, actress Jeon Do-yeon said “Even if I face my limit, I wanted to push through and continue on with the production.  When I was done with the production, I was very satisfied with the result.”



“In my mind, I was flying around everywhere but my body could not follow what I imagined.  Despite of potential physical damage I just plowed through because I wanted to make the movie more complete and look better. Despite of my effort there are some scenes where I still feel like I could improve on some aspects.”


The upcoming movie “Kill Boksoon” which will drop on March 31 depicts a story of professional contract killer Gil Bok-soon acted by Jeon Do-yeon who gets caught up in a fight against her company as her contract is about to expire. Gil Bok-soon the protagonist is merciless contract killer within the world of profession, however she is a regular mother figure at home who deals with daughter who is going through puberty.



Actress Jeon Do-yeon: “Although I am not familiar with the profession of contract killers, however I know what it’s like to be a mother while having a profession therefore acting throughout the production was not as hard as expected and to settle into the protagonist mindset.”



The movie is directed by Byeon Sung-hyun who is known for his productions “Kingmaker,” from 2021, “The Merciless,” in 2016.



From constructing period of the movie, director had planned on featuring actress Jeon Do-yeon for the role of the protagonist Gil Bok-soon. Director stated “I thought a lot about what kind of movie I could possibly work on with actress Jeon Do-yeon, and when I looked through her history of acting she didn’t really have that many action movies, therefore I selected the genre first and moved on throughout the process of building the needed structure of the movie.”



“When encountering actress Jeon Do-yeon, she was very different person in settings of her household and in settings of movie sets, therefore I came to think that if I were to create a character who is a contract killer but at the same time mother to a child or children.”


This is the first time director Byun Sung-hyun fully dedicated his entire movie in genre of action. While seeing his actors and actresses struggle throughout the production, “I felt really thankful for everyone who have participated in the production, however I talked to the camera director that we should not engage in an action movie ever again.”



The movie “Kill Bok-soon” features various actors and actresses such as Sol Kyung-gu, Esom , Koo Kyo-hwan and more. Sol KyungGu acted out the CEO, Cha Min-kyu of the company of contract killers, MK. ENT, where as Esom acted out the brother figure of the CEO of MK Entertainment Cha Min-hee, and Koo Kyo-hwan acted out the character Han Hee-seong an affiliated killer of Gil Bok-soon and actress Kim Si-a as the daughter of Gil Bok-soon, Gil Jae-yeong.



Actor Sol Kyung-gu stated “Cha Min-kyu met Gil Bok-soon when he was only 17 years old and became a mentor like figure.  Although the movie is very physical and engaged in a lot of action scenes I tried to approach the movie as a mellow instead.”


As for being part of the production with director Byun Sung-hyun for the third time, actor disclosed “There was no specific reason for me to turn down the offer, I think I like the way he constructs the movies.”


The movie “Kill Boksoon” was invited to the Berlin International Film Festival’s special section under the non competition division. 



Actress Jeon Do-yeon: “It was my first time being invited to Berlin international film festival, it was an honorable moment and I still can remember very vividly how nervous I was in that theater at that time.”



Director Byun: “We screened ‘Kill Boksoon’ in front of over 1800 audiences, and the result was very successful, and at that moment I realized that a lot of people feel connected to what I am trying to say, therefore I was very happy.” (END)
 

(C) Yonhap News Agency. All Rights Reserved

[Helena]

https://zapzee.net/2023/03/30/jeon-do-yeon-talks-about-the-price-of-going-shirtless-in-happy-end/
Jeon Do Yeon Talks About the Price of Going Shirtless in ‘Happy End’

By HANA LEE 

 

Credit: tvN

Jeon Do Yeon recently shared photos of herself in her 20s and her house filled with various plants on tvN’s You Quiz on the Block.

During the show, she was asked about things she enjoys doing. She said, “I love plants, like trees and flowers, and enjoy growing and watering them. They don’t bother me. I don’t have to entertain them. Even though they require care, they just sit there and don’t demand from me.”

The actress is often spotted wearing no makeup when there is no filming schedule. She explained, “I don’t like putting on makeup, and personally, I like my bare face. I think people look the prettiest in their bare faces, so I don’t wear makeup on a daily basis.”

Her past photos, which recently became a hot topic online, were also mentioned. Yoo Jae Suk, who went to the same college as she did, recalled the past and pointed to one of the images featuring her wearing long, straight hair, saying, “I saw her when she was in her first year. I think this one looks most similar to her back then. My friend had a crush on her.”

In response, Jeon Do Yeon showed her confidence in her bare face and said, “As I just said, I love my bare face. I think I looked cute when I was young. I love the natural vibe.”

Jeon Do Yeon previously appeared in the 1999 film Happy End as a woman having an affair with her ex-lover. She shared why she chose to star in it, saying, “I am not so sure if I can talk about this, but there were only two types of movies back in 1999: movies that star Han Suk Kyu and those that do not. At a young age, I wanted to prove that even movies without him could be successful,” showing the pride and trust she had in herself as an actress.

Jeon Do Yeon made huge waves in the industry as she decided to join a film that required her to shoot shirtless scenes at the peak of her popularity. At that time, society did not view the actress going shirtless in a good light. She recalled, “Everyone disagreed with my decision. That was the toughest decision ever for me. I never expected my mom would cry that much when I tried to persuade her. She was worried that I would not be able to find a good spouse, and I persuaded her by saying that I did not become an actress to find a good one.”

The star said she was hurt a lot after completing filming. She stated, “I did not think too much when making such a decision, but I ended up losing all the endorsement deals after shooting the film. Only after I finished filming it did I know why. That’s when I learned about how actresses are typically viewed and what they are asked of.” She added, “That realization really hurt me, but that also helped me learn a lot. I think I became mentally stronger when I did something against people.”

Source (1, 2)
 

——

https://k-odyssey.com/news/newsview.php?ncode=1065594961160917
Characters completed by great actors

YonhapNews / 2023-03-26 15:36:22
(This article is translated from Korean to English by Yunhee Cho.)

▲ These photos, provided by JTBC, Disney+, and tvN, show Cho Seung-woo, Choi Min-sik, and Jeon Do-yeon. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

Spoiler

 

SEOUL, Mar. 26 (Yonhap) -- It is the writer who creates the character, but it is the actor's job to complete the character.

The three characters, a genius musician-turned-lawyer (Cho Seung-woo), a casino king (Choi Min-sik) who explodes calm charisma, and a lovely side dish store owner (Jeon Do-yeon), have similarity that they have been completed with the settings suggested by the actors.

By adding the interpretation and ideas of the actors to the writer's scenario, it was reborn as a character that fits the drama and the actor's body.

 

▲ These photos, provided by JTBC, show Cho Seung-woo from 'Divorce Attorney Shin.' (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

According to the broadcaster on Sunday, Cho Seung-woo reinvented Shin Sung-han, the main character of the JTBC drama "Divorce Attorney Shin," which is currently airing, into a completely different character from the original.

Cho Seung-woo is an actor well known for saving the details of character expressions by changing his lines or putting on his own settings.

In the original webtoon of the same name, Shin Sung-han always wears a neat suit, frowns, and gives off a cool image that he cannot throw one single joke. On the other hand, Shin Sung-han, played by Cho Seung-woo, is much more free-spirited and eccentric.

In particular, the drama added a setting that Shin Sung-han, unlike the original webtoon, turned into a lawyer while serving as a music professor in Germany. Shin Sung-han sings Na Hoon-a's "Tes brother” seriously while listening to trot for his labor song and describes the client's case as "like Mozart Piano Concerto No. 23 ll."

At a recent press conference, Cho Seung-woo said, "I asked the writer to set up expressing emotions with music," adding, "When I look into the client's case, I wanted Shin Sung-han to be expressed as if he was playing a song like a former pianist and interpreting a score."

Viewers' reactions are positive. Analysts say that the divine sly and pleasant charm saves the atmosphere of the court drama dealing with heavy cases and that it is refreshing to point out the core of the client's case by comparing it to music.

 

▲ This photo, provided by Disney+, shows Disney+ original series 'Big Bet.' (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

 

▲ This photo, provided by Disney+, shows Choi Min-sik from Disney+ original series 'Big Bet.' (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) 

Choi Min-sik, the main character of the Disney+ original series "Big Bet," is also a character that actively reflects the actor's ideas.

Choi Min-sik said in an interview with the media, "I am very attached to ‘Big Bet’ because it is a work created by directors and actors putting their heads together on the spot as if they were studying for exams."

He explained, "Cha Moo-sik thinks he is a businessman in his own way, so I put a setting that he will restrain his emotions as much as possible when trading."

Cha Moo-sik, who takes over the Philippine casino industry with his thick guts, does not shout or present fancy actions, but he is a character who calmly explodes charisma.

When he threatens the other person, he always speaks kindly and gently. However, the words uttered are violent enough to freeze a person for a moment.

"Should I get permission from you?" and "Then you should ask me a favor politely," and "Half honorifics," which are mixed with honorifics and informal language, and the way of killing the other person's energy by spouting polite harsh words, make the character Cha Moo-sik stand out even more.

 

▲ These photos, provided by tvN, show Jeon Do-yeon in 'Crash Course in Romance.' (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

Nam Haeng-seon, the main character of the drama "Crash Course in Romanace," which ended recently, was also expressed differently from the first synopsis through Jeon Do-yeon's interpretation.

Nam Haeng-seon, who has a brave and warm personality who gives up her national team career for her family and runs a side dish store, is full of love. If we point out mistakes of her saying things in a wrong way such as "My heart is fluttering," "Police are the people's club," she is portrayed as a lovely character who cannot be hated even if you just step forward and worsen the situation.

Jeon Do-yeon said, "The Nam Haeng-seon was originally a much more tough character, but it was diluted by me."

"The writer originally wanted me to express my tension much higher, but it was burdensome, and I thought it was impossible to play someone completely different from me," she said. "I strongly asked to change it because it's not late."

A broadcasting official said, "It is the writer who creates the character, but it is the actor who completes the character," adding, "It is an example of synergy with the experienced character interpretation and acting skills of leading actors." (END)
 

(C) Yonhap News Agency. All Rights Reserved

 

[Helena]

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/kill-boksoon-byun-sung-hyun-interview-1235364619/
‘Kill Boksoon’ Filmmaker Talks Netflix Action Thriller With Shades of Female ‘John Wick’
Byun Sung-hyun's well-received hitwoman flick stars Jeon Do-yeon as a single mom who's also secretly a contract killer.

BY SOOMEE PARK | MARCH 30, 2023 9:27PM

Kill Boksoon (L to R) Lee Yeon as Kim Young-ji, Jeon Do-yeon as Gil Boksoon in 'Kill Boksoon' NO JU-HAN/NETFLIX

 

Director Byun Sung-hyun was baffled when he first learned that his feature film Kill Boksoon would be invited to the Berlin International Film Festival last month.

“I didn’t expect it at all,” he said at a press conference for Kill Boksoon held in Seoul earlier this month. “I thought Kill Bok-soon was not the type of film that would be selected by a festival like Berlin. It’s a genre film. But the screening took place in a theater of 1,800 seats and I was very moved to see the audiences empathizing with the story.”

The action thriller and Netflix original, which launches on March 31 on the streaming service, traces the story of a female assassin named Boksoon (played by the accomplished Korean actress Jeon Do-yeon) who is also a single mom to a teenage daughter. The contrasts of the heroine’s life as a killer and a mother is an interesting juxtaposition in the film, especially as the story progresses and the daughter confesses that she is in love with a girl at her school, revealing how both mother and daughter have been hiding key aspects of their lives. With a title and setting that makes reference to Kill Bill’s female assassin and John Wick’s contract killers, the film is full of stylish and choreographed action scenes and dystopian spaces.

Byun, a longtime fan of Jeon, winner of the Cannes Film Festival’s best actress award in 2007 for Lee Chang-dong’s Secret Sunshine, says that the film was inspired by his observations of the actress’ interactions with her real-life daughter. 

“We met and had many conversations to get ideas for a film, and I learned that there was a great gap between her roles as a mother and an actress. Then I thought that it would be interesting to show this juxtaposition through a character who has a job of both raising a person and killing a person.” 

Byun, already known for the fine editing of his previous films The Merciless (2017) and Kingmaker (2022), wanted vigorous stunts and sword fight scenes for Kill Boksoon — a style of filmmaking that was totally new to Jeon. 

“I was both thankful and uncomfortable when I was filming the action scenes,” he said. “In some scenes, I was about to give up after seeing the actors struggle so much. I finally said I would find my way around it through editing, but the actors insisted that they would do it one more time. I was very grateful, but it was also quite painful watching them suffer. I told my director of photography that I would never shoot an action movie again.” 
 

‘Kill Boksoon’ NO JU-HAN/NETFLIX

The film is full of paradoxes. Aside from the heroine’s opposing roles as both killer and mother, Boksoon, her name, is an old-fashioned name typically used in the countryside for dogs or women. 

“I couldn’t come up with the heroine’s name for a while. I tend to use the names of the people I know when I write a script. Then one day [when we met], a name for Jeon’s aunt popped up on her phone as ‘aunt Boksoon.’ Right away, I wanted to use that name. Jeon insisted she didn’t want to use the name, but I ended up using it anyway.” 

Despite the stylized action scenes, the film also makes bold statements about capitalism and ethics in contemporary society. MK ENT, an agency that hires hundreds of contract killers in the film, tells its employees that they are different from other independent agencies who hire freelancers and kill anyone (even children) for money. The film begins with Booksoon on an assignment to kill a Japanese yakuza boss. But instead of killing him with a gun, she brings up a conversation she had with her daughter about fair competition and offers to fight him first-to-fist instead. 

“Because it’s a genre film, I consciously put in a lot of conceptual dialogue that might resonate with the era we live in,” he says. “The film delves into many contradicting ideas and it wouldn’t make any sense to emphasize the ethics because it’s ultimately a story about killing people. I guess I wanted to say that everything in the world is contradictory, and has both evil and good sides. If someone were to ask me ‘what is ethical,’ my conclusion is that as long as you don’t lose a sense of dignity you’re fine.” 

The film is also an homage to the two veteran actors – Jeon and longtime Korean leading man, Sol Kyung-gu, who plays the head of MK ENT and is secretly in love with Boksoon. The two actors appeared opposite one another near the start of their careers in Park Heung-sik’s 2001 romantic comedy, I Wish I Had a Wife.

“There is a line in the film that being stabbed with old knives hurts more. It was my tribute to the two actors,” Byun says.  

 

Spoiler

‘Kill Boksoon’ NO JU-HAN/NETFLIX

 

[Helena]

https://about.netflix.com/en/news/kill-boksoon-premiere
Action-Packed ‘Kill Boksoon’ Explores the Double Life of a Legendary Hitwoman and Single Mother

 

 

By Publicist Julie Lee (juliel@netflix.com) | 30 March 2023

Loving single mother. Lethal hired assassin. These vocations may seem worlds apart, but both find themselves intertwined in the double life of Gil Boksoon (Jeon Do-yeon).

Premiering only on Netflix today, the action-packed film Kill Boksoon follows a week in the life of this atypical working mother, who gets thrown into a “kill-or-get-killed” situation after she has second thoughts about renewing her contract with MK Ent, a top-tier hitman agency. 

Hired killer Gil Boksoon (Jeon Do-yeon) is having second thoughts about her career choice.

The reason for her change in heart? Her increasingly strained relationship with her teenage daughter, Gil Jae-young (Kim Si-A). As Boksoon reflects in one scene, “Killing people is simple compared to raising a kid.”

Directed by Byun Sung-hyun (The Merciless, Kingmaker), the film was invited to the prestigious Berlin International Film Festival and marks Jeon’s first full-fledged action film.

Inspired by real-life conversations

The film’s concept was largely based on Byun’s personal conversations with Jeon, who was the first Korean to win the Best Actress award at the 60th Cannes Film Festival for her performance in 2007 film Secret Sunshine.

The two were introduced by Sul Kyung-gu, who collaborated with Byun thrice and plays Cha Min-kyu, the chairman of hitman agency MK Ent in Kill Boksoon.

Gil Boksoon (Jeon Do-yeon) leads a double life as an assassin and a mother.

Byun was particularly inspired by the real-life conversations that Jeon had with her 14-year-old daughter.
“I felt that the mom Jeon Do-yeon and the actress Jeon Do-yeon are two quite different people... If I replace acting in her life with killing, that would be very contradictory and ironic,” says Byun.

An unlikely story with universal values

Intentionally veering away from the typical action film storyline about revenge that culminates in a grand finale fight, Byun wanted to put a twist to the cliché portrayal of contract killers, highlighting the drama within the action.

Even the action sequences were thoughtfully choreographed to bring out the layers of each character involved. Byun did this by observing the demeanor of his actors — how they laugh, smile and talk in a natural setting — and incorporating them into the action scenes.

 

Spoiler

(from left) Kim Si-A plays Gil Jae-young, the daughter of Gil Boksoon portrayed by Jeon Do-yeon.

Although the plotline of Kill Boksoon is unlikely to happen in real life, the film’s layered characters demonstrate universal values like personal growth and the importance of family that everyday audiences can relate to.

Says Byun: “Rather than an action film where everything blows up, it’s an educational movie, not one where the mom educates her child but the other way round.”

Watch ‘Kill Boksoon’ only on Netflix from today.

https://www.netflix.com/title/81478985

[Helena]

https://zapzee.net/2023/03/31/3-highlights-of-upcoming-netflix-action-movie-kill-boksoon/
Highlights of Upcoming Netflix Action Movie ‘Kill Boksoon’

By KRISHKIM

Kill Boksoon follows Gil Bok Soon (Jeon Do Yeon), a legendary killer in the business and a single mother struggling with parenting, as she gets caught up in an unavoidable confrontation right before renewing her contract with the company. This highly-anticipated movie will be released on Netflix at 4PM KST.

 

#The Thrilling World of Killers of MK ENT

 

Set in the background of MK ENT, which has grown contract killing into a legitimate global business, Kill Boksoon depicts the diverse stories of unique killers. The film’s unique hitman universe, where the assassination company is referred to as “Entertainment,” the hit job is a “work,” and the assassination plan is a “scenario,” is enough to catch the audience’s attention. Additionally, the movie offers a variety of attractive features, including the three-dimensional narratives of individual characters with their own stories, refreshing acting ensembles of actors who perfectly embody their characters, and unconventional stunts never seen before in Korean action films.

#Actors’ Irreplaceable Synergy

One of the movie’s highlights is the unbeatable synergy of actors who completely disappeared into their roles. From Jeon Do Yeon and Sul Kyung Gu to Kim Sia, Esom, and Koo Kyo Hwan, the actors’ distinct presence is felt in their fresh acting ensemble. Jeon Do Yeon, who plays Gil Bok Soon, the best hitman in the industry, pulls off flashy stunts and depicts the struggle as a woman leading a double life as a hitman and a mother. Sul Kyung Gu, who shows limitless acting skills regardless of genre, showcases ruthless actions as MK ENT’s CEO, Cha Min Kyu. Kim Sia, who plays Gil Bok Soon’s daughter, Gil Jae Young, portrays a confident character with a turbulent relationship with her mother and friends. Esom, who plays Cha Min Kyu’s sister and MK ENT director, Cha Min Hee, completes a unique character with her unique storytelling power, adding vitality to the movie. Lastly, Koo Kyo Hwan, who is loved for his irreplaceable charm, plays the MK ENT hitman Hee Sung, depicting his complex inner struggles against the insurmountable ranking system (within the hitman agency), although he likes and respects Gil Bok Soon.

#Unique Worldview with Thrilling Stunts

 

Another highlight is the unique universe of Kill Boksoon that came to life with limitless imagination, including the killer society and the range of various weapons. The movie’s unique world is based on the concept of a “parallel universe,” where a giant hitman company exists in the heart of Seoul. Director Byun Sung Hyun devoted himself to presenting action scenes that would stick in viewers’ minds, starting with the scenario work and sketching out the scenes in his head, which he then completed through organic collaboration with the cinematographer, martial arts director, and art director. Jeon Do Yeon also spent a long time training and lifting weights to perfect the action scenes of the best hitman. Sul Kyung Gu also pulled off a tireless performance while filming action scenes for three to four days, adding realism to his character. Kill Boksoon utilized “robot arms,” which are capable of precise and rapid shooting, to create unique and polished action scenes that fully immerse the viewers and leave them awestruck.

Source: Netflix

[Helena]

https://www.dorkaholics.com/kill-boksoon-meet-jeon-do-yeon-gil-bok-soon/
Kill Boksoon: Meet Jeon Do-yeon (Gil Bok-soon)

by Neil Bui | March 31, 2023

 

 

With the Netflix release of Kill Boksoon this Friday, Dorkaholics had the opportunity to speak with Jeon Do-yeon about her leading role in the film alongside other journalists. During this special event, a variety of topics were covered including the mother-daughter dynamic, catharsis, the demanding action sequences, delivering lines in another language, and her process of selecting roles all came up in discussion.

Freelance writer Kaitlin Stevens kicked off the roundtable by asking about the closeness and distance of the mother-daughter relationship in the film.

“I know there’s a lot of secrets between mother and daughter, and in the end, when it seems that everything is on the table, there’s a closeness between mother and daughter again,” Stevens said. “Do you think that that’s because secrets were revealed, or because mother and daughter both realized that they just wanted to protect each other?”

While Jeon Do-yeon agreed when it came to the characters in the film, she believes there is a healthy balance in secrets when it comes to real life.

“Instead of I guess revealing the secrets for Boksoon and Jae-young, I think they kind of shared their thoughts on those secrets and that’s how they got to grow together as people. And I think it’s a very open end for the movie,” Jeon Do-yeon said. “I personally don’t think that you have to expose all of your secrets in order to have a good relationship. Sometimes I think secrets are needed to have a healthier relationship.”

She went on to discuss her real-life relationship with her own daughter.

“I have a daughter myself and I’m looking at my mother-daughter relationship. I think there is a place where people do need secrets, so I don’t think it was necessarily because they shared their secrets, but after sharing their secrets, they could have talks,” Jeon Do-yeon said. “That’s what was more important.”

Bina Lee, the features writer and editor at Soompi, noted the difference in characters for Jeon Do-yeon when comparing this current role to a previous one, and asked if there was any catharsis in playing a distinctly new role.

“I recently watched your Korean drama Crash Course in Romance, and I was a huge fan. Your character in the Kill Boksoon is very different from Crash Course,” Lee said. “Did you feel a bit of catharsis playing this particular role because it’s very different from some of the other roles you’ve done?”

Jeon Do-yeon responded by sharing that the catharsis she felt from this role was more about challenging low expectations for female-led action films by delivering a quality performance, more so than playing an unfamiliar role.

“I would say that I didn’t really feel a sense of catharsis when I was shooting for Kill Boksoon. But the fact that director Byun came to me with this movie and asked me to do Kill Boksoon did give me a sense of catharsis because this is what I have to work on as well,” Jeon Do-yeon said. “I think people just basically have very low expectations for female killers or you know, female action movies. And I want to make sure that I go beyond that and make sure that people are interested in female killers and action. So that was the part that I felt a lot of catharsis.”

Kill Boksoon Jeon Do-yeon as Gil Boksoon in Kill Boksoon Cr. No Ju-han/Netflix © 2023

She went on to point out the common thread between herself and these two characters, specifically all three of them being mothers.

“And also, I just want to add that my character Haeng-seon in Crash Course in Romance and Bok-soon in Kill Boksoon, are two polar opposites as you said,” Jeon Do-yeon said. “But you know me, myself as an actress, so Jeon Do-yeon, Bok-soon and Haeng-seon – these three have something in common and that is that we are very hard-working moms that try really hard to look after their kids.”

A key part of the film and its action sequences is how the characters imagine the fights playing out with the potential moves being shown on screen, and so I asked about the experience of filming the same scene in different positions with different results.

“I felt like I was caught up in an endless cycle of action scenes going on and on again. So, I would film one position and then I would think about it, and then I would go shoot another sequence of the same action scene,” Jeon Do-yeon said. “So, I think it was, five times or 10 times more action than I would expect from an action scene. It was a struggle for me.”

Nobuhiro Hosoki, editor-in-chief of Cinema Daily US, recalled the film’s opening scene where Bok-soon is fighting a yakuza member and communicates in Japanese and asked Jeon Do-yeon about her practice with the Japanese language in order to deliver those lines.

“I think it’s always difficult to act in a different language, not your mother tongue, whether it be English or Japanese. But I really tried hard to understand what I was saying in Japanese. I could just memorize the line, but I wanted to make sure that I know what I’m saying so that I could put feelings of Bok-soon into the lines,” Jeon Do-yeon said. “Thank God that I didn’t have really long lines. I just want to say that I really try to understand what I’m saying so that I could add those emotions in the lines when I was speaking Japanese.”

 

Spoiler

Jeon Do-yeon as Gil Boksoon. No Ju-han/Netflix © 2023

Aayush Sharma, entertainment editor of MEA WorldWide, asked what is important to Jeon Do-yeon when it comes to her selection of roles through her career.

“From the very beginning of my career up until now, it was always the scenario that came first. I wanted the scenario to be something that I could relate to, and it had to be a story that I want to tell the audience. But this time it was quite different because I chose to do the film without even looking at the scenario in the very beginning stages,” Jeon Do-yeon said. “So actually, director Byun and I would talk, and we would make the story together. It was a very new type of challenge for me at first because I didn’t look at the scenario when I chose to do it, I didn’t know if I could pull this off well or not.”

She went on to discuss the significance of Kill Boksoon as a film in a genre that many would not expect from her.

“Over the past years, directors have come to me with different genres and I’m very thankful for director Byun for coming to me with such a genre that nobody would expect me to do,” Jeon Do-yeon said. “Because he chose me, I wanted to show people that I could actually be a very versatile actor who could pull off unexpected genres as well.”

In a way this film is dedicated to actors such as Jeon Do-yeon, as she explains how the director of the film, Byun Sung-hyun, even included a line in Kill Boksoon that recognizes veteran actors, their versatility, and their potential.

“And in the movie there’s this phrase that says something about a dull and old knife, and they say it actually gives a bigger wound to you when you use a dull knife. It hurts even more. And director Byun said that it was kind of a tribute to seasoned actors like me and Sol Kyung-gu,” Jeon Do-yeon said. “So, I think this was proof to me that people with longer experience, they could be versatile, they could be really good. So, I really wanted to make sure that I pulled this off really well.”

To wrap up the interview, she was asked if she believes she could be a good hitwoman in real life. And her response sums up the work ethic she demonstrates in the film as discussed during this roundtable.

“If I were a killer, I would try my very best. Yeah, I have to pull it off.”

Get to know Jeon Do-yeon’s latest character Gil Bok-soon in Kill Boksoon, out on Netflix this Friday, March 31, 2023! 
 

 

[Helena]

https://www.dorkaholics.com/kill-boksoon-meet-director-byun-sung-hyun/
Kill Boksoon: Meet Director Byun Sung-hyun

by Neil Bui | March 31, 2023

 

 

Leading up to the release of Kill Boksoon on Netflix, Dorkaholics was invited to a roundtable interview with the film’s director Byun Sung-hyun. And although there were only a few questions, he answered them with such depth, it’s clear that he gave this film his all.

The first question was asked by freelance writer Kaitlin Stevens, who asked about the film’s themes on weakness, especially with the main character being both a killer and a mother, and the impact each part of her life has on the other.

“I know that you were creating the movie with Jeon Do-yeon’s personhood in mind as a mother and there’s a lot of themes of fairness and weakness. Her weakness as being a mother but do you think that it was more a weakness or a strength and also we know that she is the director’s weakness at the end, but it seems that she was everybody else’s weakness too, including the intern who chose to stay loyal to her,” Stevens said. “What about Bok-soon made her everybody’s weakness?”

Byun Sung-hyun’s response also highlighted how Chairman Cha Min-kyu could be viewed from some perspectives as her savior, which means he is able to strike her weaknesses as well.

“The notion of weaknesses, so Bok-soon’s weakness as a mother is the fact that she kills people, and her weakness as a killer is that she has a daughter. That was pretty simple, and the way you illustrated how Boksoon herself becomes a weakness for other characters, for Min-kyu, yes, that was very obvious. And we all want to hide our weaknesses,” Byun said. “And Min-kyu also wanted to hide the fact that Bok-soon was a weakness for him. Bok-soon and Min-kyu, they tug at each other’s weaknesses and Boksoon does it pretty openly. And I think that Min-kyu also does it in a way to Bok-soon. But on the outside, while it seems like Min-kyu is coming at Bok-soon with her weakness, I wanted to portray him as also a savior to Boksoon.”

Byun Sung-hyun identified different scenes which visually communicated this idea of Min-kyu as a savior.

“He is described as a character who can give all and take all away, and Bok-soon as a character says she doesn’t pray to a God. But towards the end of the story, you will find her looking or searching for a godly being, and while she does so, the camera pans on the dead body of Min-kyu,” Byun Sung-hyun said. “So, I tried to bring in that sort of savior metaphor for him. There was also a scene where in the whole death of one of the killer company representatives, the table is shaped in the form of a cross in order to metaphorically bring in that idea of the savior as well.”

Additionally, the intern as well as all characters in the film reflects the feelings of the film’s director towards lead actress Jeon Do-yeon.

“As for the intern, I wanted every character in Kill Boksoon to love and admire Bok-soon, and that was because that’s how I feel about the person and the actor Jeon Do-yeon herself in real life. I think that is how all of the elements came about naturally, because it started from that admiration.”

Soompi’s features editor and writer Bina Lee asked about Byun’s process for coming up with concepts in his films.

“I know that you started this script in this movie based on thinking of Jeon Do-yeon specifically, and you’ve had such an impressive list of projects such as Boolhandang (The Merciless) and Kingmaker,” Lee said. “How do you come up with the concepts of these particular films? Do you have a long list of ideas, or does it just come to you all of a sudden?”

Byun Sung-hyun was embarrassed to admit that does not plan the way most other directors say they do.

“Many directors say, and they actually have a long list of ideas for their upcoming works. I am embarrassed to admit that I’m not the planning type, and so after I’m done with a piece of work, I will wait a while and then think, OK, what next? What do I do now? Sometimes I feel like if you try too hard to think about it, it doesn’t come to me,” Byun Sung-hyun said. “My ideas tend to come to me when I am not intentionally searching for ideas. This was the first time for me where the story all started from an actor, and I feel like it’s also going to be my last time. I think going forward from my future work, I’m going to be focusing more on what kind of stories I want to tell.”

For Kill Boksoon, he really found the story by getting to know Do-yeon over many meetings, formal and informal.

“This time because of the process it was challenging in a way because there was no set story that I wanted to tell but because it was driven from ‘OK, I want to work with Jeon Do-yeon, what do we do?’ I had written the opening sequence, but after even finishing writing the opening, I had to wait for months to continue writing because I just didn’t have the story I wanted to tell,” Byun said. “But over many conversations, and meetings and grabbing drinks with Do-yeon, I got to see the discrepancy and the irony between her being a mother and the top actor in Korea. So, I was really intrigued by that, and it all started from there.”

When it became my turn, I asked about the process of adapting the script and any decisions that were made in regards to the amount of violence and action to either tone down or heighten.

“Except for the scene when Min-kyu becomes very violent with the character Sergeant Shin on the table; except for that, the rest of the film I wanted to make it very much like a comic book,” Byun Sung-hyun said. “And the reason I excluded that particular scene is because that was the climax of the conflict and an important scene in order to show the character Min-kyu’s violence that he holds within, as well as the level of affection that he has for Bok-soon. So that was an intentional decision.”

Kill Boksoon (L to R) Director Byun Sung-hyun, Esom as Cha Min-hee, Sul Kyung-gu as Cha Min-kyu in Kill Boksoon Cr. No Ju-han/Netflix © 2023

Fitting for Dorkaholics’ comic book fans, it was exciting to hear how he ventured into the realm of comic books for this film.

“I wanted to bring in a very comic book-like feel to the film, which is one of the reasons behind the opening sequence when the character Boksoon you see her beheaded,” Byun Sung-hyun said. “And if you think of how you know her status within the Korean cinema and the industry, I felt like it was a very bold and intriguing way to grab the audience because you will see this extremely famous top actor, she’s the main lead, and within just minutes of the film opening you see her beheaded. I brought it in as sort of a witty flavor, but I did realize some people thought it was over the top and violent.”

Editor-in-chief of Cinema Daily US, Nobuhiro Hosoki, asked about additional precautions following Jeon Do-Yeon being injured on set during filming and her quick return to production.

“When you’re shooting an action film, when you know issues related to safety, it’s just so unpredictable, so literally all you can do is be as cautious as possible. As for the action sequences, I did go in and curdle a little bit of the more complex or risky action sequences, but Do-yeon was actually, she was very eager, and she expressed her intention of just wanting to do everything as was originally written,” Byun Sung-hyun said. “But despite that, I decided to go ahead and sort of adjust a little bit of parts of action scenes that I felt were maybe a little too dangerous. But from the next day, since her injury, Do-yeon and I, we both said we are never doing an action film again… jokingly.”

It turns out that the film did not involve many stunt doubles, requiring changes such as dividing longer takes into shorter ones.

“Because we didn’t have a lot of stunt doubles, most of the action-packed scenes had to be done by the characters themselves because of the certain ways the scenes were made and so no matter how much preparation and training we went through, there were inevitable shortcomings,” Byun Sung-hyun said. “So rather than putting in any extra caution or additional mechanisms or anything, we just made some changes in terms of methodology of the shooting so for some of the longer it takes, we decided to divide it into shorter ones and whatnot.”

Entertainment editor of MEA WorldWide, Aayush Sharma, noted that the film is more than just revenue, it has emotion, which he then asked if it was a conscious decision to do so.

“When you hear the subject matter of pillar and mother-daughter relationships, everybody has a scenario that they can easily predict: either the daughter is kidnapped, or the daughter dies and you want to avenge her, or third, you have to fight in order to protect your daughter,” Byun Sung-hyun said. “And these three things were things that I wanted to make sure we avoided for Kill Boksoon.”

Kill Boksoon (L to R) Kim Si-A as Gil Jae-young, Director Byun Sung-hyun, Jeon Do-yeon as Gil Boksoon in Kill Boksoon Cr. No Ju-han/Netflix © 2023

It was also worth noting that Bok-soon never fights unknown characters throughout the film.

“And in the action scenes as well, and this kind of relates to my answer to the previous question, I wanted to make sure that Bok-soon will never fight anonymous characters in the film. That Bok-soon will only fight characters that the audience has become introduced to or got to know through the story,” Byun Sung-hyun said. “I wanted to make sure it wasn’t going to be a film about motherhood or about motherly love or about sacrifice that was driven by motherhood. I wanted to tell a story where the mother and daughter were individuals on their own who achieved personal growth.”

Byun Sung-hyun was also asked about the use of colors throughout different scenes and any potential meaning behind those choices.

“As for the use of colors, we did use a lot of different colors, but in particular I used a lot of contrast between red and green. Green is the color that represents how the mother wants to see her daughter. And it is the perspective of the mother that portrays how she wants her daughter to be but it’s not the daughter’s actual identity,” Byun Sung-hyun said. “In fact, as you can see in the last scene when Jae-young is wearing a red jacket, her color. The daughter’s color is actually red, exactly like Bok-soon’s color. And it’s also seen in the side dishes that Jae-young always wants to eat versus what the mother always makes her eat.”

The color choices also extended to the literal green room, which makes a rewatch well worth it if these intentional set choices weren’t fully noticed the first time viewing.

“And also, it is seen through the green room and the house plants as well. The scene where Jae-young is coming out to her mother, you will see Bok-soon leave the room filled with plants and see Jae-young within the green room filled with plants, so I tried to draw a contrast there as well,” Byun Sung-hyun said. “And in scenes when they’re changing clothes, if Bok-soon is wearing an all-red suit, you will see that Jae-young is wearing socks maybe that are a little bit red, just to show that she harbors this sense of her that is represented by the color red.”

Catch Byun Sung-hyun’s latest film Kill Boksoon on Netflix starting March 31, 2023. 

[Helena]

https://www.hellokpop.com/featured/5-reasons-to-watch-kill-boksoon/
5 Reasons To Watch “Kill Boksoon”

By abbyinhallyuland | March 26, 2023

 

At the recent press conference of Kill Boksoon, the lead stars and director shared interesting insights and filming stories.

Actors Jeon Do Yeon, Sol Kyung Gu, Kim Si A, Esom and Koo Kyo Hwan joined Director Byun Sung-hyun at the event.

 

Spoiler

 

 

Kill Boksoon is an action film following Boksoon, who leads a double life of an ordinary single mom and a legendary killer at a top-tier killing agency, MK Ent.

Ahead of the Netflix premiere on March 31, here are reasons why you should schedule a binge-watch for Kill Boksoon!

An Internationally Acknowledged Film

The film garnered attention by being officially invited to the 73rd annual Berlin International Film Festival for the Berlinale Special. Accordingly, Director Byun revealed being surprised at the invitation.

“I did not see it coming at all and I thought this film wasn’t the type of film that’d be invited to Berlin, because our film is rather a genre-show. I was deeply honored and delighted that we were invited to Berlin.”

He adds how the movie was screened at a really big theater with 1,800 seats. The audience raved over the movie. Thus, he felt happy that the story he created resonated with the audience.

Jeon Do Yeon’s First Action Genre Challenge

Known for her unrivaled acting skills, Jeon Do Yeon seals another focal character in Kill Boksoon.

Elaborating on her preparation, Jeon Do Yeon talked about how she did not make any drastic changes to how she packaged her face as a killer and a mother. Director Byun utilized the different sides and angles of her face to show the duality of her character. She honestly conveys that physical effort was the real challenge when she was filming.

“What was most challenging was that I really wanted to effortlessly carry out the action sequences, but my body just wouldn’t live up to my hopes. I wanted to do well so badly that I really pushed myself and tried to overcome my limits. While I really pushed myself, I still think I could have done better in some of the action scenes.“

Nicely-Executed Creative Process

Conveying his creative intentions for Kill Boksoon, Director Byun referenced how contract killing is not something new. Thus, he tweaked it by conceiving the story of actors and movie sets.

Substituting actors with killers, he also paid tribute to Jeon Do Yeon and Sol Kyung Gu.

“In the movie, they sometimes call assassins “knives”. And there is this one scene where Min-hee tells Min-kyu that old knives become dull and ultimately useless – referring to Boksoon. And Min-kyu replies by saying that dull knives hurt more. Those lines are my way of paying tribute to Do-yeon and Kyung-gu. I wanted to make sure it’s not too upfront and subtle, but I think it was too subtle so I wanted to bring it up today.“

Director Byun also delineates the effort for the action scenes in the film. He worked hard and long with the stunt coordinator, director of photography, and production designer. The actors also had lots of training.

Intense Action Scenes

Speaking of the intense action scenes, the lead stars narrate their woes and keenness to commit to their roles.

 

“I was quite scared and unsure but I kept telling myself that I have to pull it off no matter what. No matter what happens, I’m going to get this done. And I had to keep practicing because the set piece wasn’t me with the action team but me with the other actors, and sometimes the actors might get quite emotional once we’re rolling. So, we had to make sure that we had lots of practice so we don’t accidentally get anyone hurt. Also, director Byun prefers long takes when it comes to action sequences – while it was scary it gave me catharsis when I finished a scene. So, I have a lot of different feelings swirling inside me.” – Jeon Do Yeon

“It was my first time working with a robot arm – we set it up and it moved accordingly. The setting took up to one hour and because the robot arm moves only in a fixed radius, the actors also had to do their actions within that radius. If we get too emotional, as Do-yeon said, and go overboard, then we might be hit by the robot arm and that is something we did not want so we were quite nervous at first. But later on, it was very interesting. So, we have some intense action scenes and these characters fight with their lives on the line but on the set, we had so much fun. I did see the film on the screen and I felt that our action scenes were crisp and light. Lethal but crisp.” – Sol Kyung Gu

“We had lots of rehearsals. I felt like it was more like choreography than an action set-piece. So rather than doing things on our own, it was like a synchronized team dance. So, I really loved how we all worked as a team for those scenes.” – Koo Kyo Hwan

Director Byun Sung Hyun’s Brilliance

Putting forward the superb and meticulous directing of Director Byun, Jeon Do Yeon was amazed at his effort. She is usually one who would add her own color to her character. However, Director Byun has already plated everything for them. Later, she adapted to his style and ended up asking his opinions when she shot the scenes.

“I’ve been acting for quite some time and I’ve been in many different projects; but every time I am in a new project, I have a thirst for a new experience. I want to go to a set and pull out a new side of me that I don’t even know. I realized that usually, directors would just let me be and see what kind of emotions flowed out of me, but Director Byun, had everything planned out, down to every detail including the way I move, how I tilt my head, and everything. So It was fun to try out this approach. I wouldn’t just be myself but I would tailor to the director’s detailed plan including the tilt of my face and my emotions. I was curious how it was going to turn out. It was very intriguing. Of course, it wasn’t easy in the beginning.“

Agreeing with that, Sol Kyung Gu affirmed how Director Byun worked hard on pre-production, coming up with a storyboard.

“If you look at the storyboard, you can basically see how the movie will unfold. He works on the storyboard multiple times, pouring so much effort into pre-production. So, when he shoots, he tries to stick to the storyboard. I mean there could be some scenes added, but mostly he sticks to the storyboard. When we look at the final cut, it’s basically the on-set edit version”.

Kill Boksoon unfolds exclusively on Netflix, on March 31!

abbyinhallyuland thanks Netflix to the invite to the press conference
All Photos and Video courtesy of Netflix

[Helena]

https://time.com/6267775/kill-boksoon-netflix-action-movie/
How Netflix's Korean Thriller Kill Boksoon Draws From Star Jeon Do-yeon's Real Life

BY LAURA ZORNOSA  | MARCH 31, 2023 5:38 PM EDT

 

Gil Boksoon (Jeon Do-yeon) shows a class of MK trainees how she would, hypothetically, kill Kim Young-ji (Lee Yeon) using nothing but a marker. No Ju-han—Netflix

Over steaming hot plates of tteokbokki (simmered rice cakes), Gil Boksoon (Jeon Do-yeon) vents to her boss about her daughter.

“She used to follow me around when I came home, and she’d tell me about school, even what they had for lunch
 that day,” Boksoon says. “Now she’s always in her room with the door closed. She has all these secrets.”

It sounds like a fairly typical conversation between two adults—a parent airing frustration over the challenges of raising a teen —until it soon becomes clear that things are far from normal.

“Everything that you taught me when I started training: find your opponent’s weakness, their next move, and catch them off guard,” Boksoon tells her boss, “none of that works on her.”

Then, deadpan, she delivers the movie’s logline: “Killing other people is easier than raising a kid.”

Gil Boksoon—known to her colleagues as Kill Boksoon due to her skill—is an assassin with a 100% success rate. Her boss, Cha Min-kyu (Sol Kyung-gu), heads the killing agency MK Ent. in Seoul. And her 15-year-old daughter, Jae-yeong (Kim Si-a), has no idea—she sees her mom as an uncool event planner.

This tightrope walk between assassin and mother is the central premise of Kill Boksoon, a splashy, stylish South Korean crime action film that premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival to critical acclaim in February and comes to Netflix on Friday.

Mother and daughter Gil Jae-young (Kim Si-A) and Gil Boksoon (Jeon Do-yeon) watch the news together. No Ju-han—Netflix

Writer and director Byun Sung-hyun says he dreamt of working with star Jeon Do-yeon for years. The movie’s script offers Jeon a fresh avenue after a string of high-profile romantic films and dramas—like her breakout role in 1997’s The Contact, her international breakthrough in 2007’s Secret Sunshine, and 2015’s The Shameless, which brought her back to the Cannes Film Festival for the fourth time. Speaking with TIME in Korean, with translation by interpreter Haley Hyunyoung Jung, Byun says he wanted to give Jeon an action movie.

“That’s going to give me a better chance of leaving my name as part of one of her representative works in her line of filmography,” he says.

After deciding on the action genre together, the director and actor shifted into crafting the plot, also built around Jeon. Byun immersed himself in Jeon’s life, observing her as a fly on the wall. He found himself especially intrigued by the discrepancy between her career as one of Korea’s top actors and her day-to-day role as a mother to a teenage daughter.

“At times, I could see her struggle as a mother,” Byun says. “And her struggling came as very endearing to me. They felt very lovable.”

Jeon is, in Byun’s words, “the actor of actors.” Boksoon, in the movie, is the killer of killers, an idol to whom her peers look up. The director simply subbed one iconic, demanding profession for another. The commonalities slip into the movie’s terminology: an assassination is called a “show,” the location where it happens is a “set,” “cameras are rolling” once the job starts, trainees are called “interns,” and interns “debut” with their first kill. But the trials and tribulations of motherhood stayed the same.

“When she was speaking with her daughter, or when she would quarrel with her daughter, I would see her, at times, be at a loss for words,” Byun says. “She would just be dumbfounded. I was very intrigued by that.”

After a successful mission, Boksoon returns to MK, walking in on a class of trainees re-creating one of her iconic fights (this one set in a Yeosu urinal). Promising young intern Kim Young-ji (Lee Yeon) is at the top of her class in a field dominated by men, evoking a young Boksoon. (“Girls are really excelling these days,” Boksoon quips after watching her train.) Young-ji is young, serving as a foil for Boksoon’s own daughter, who is kept far away from her mother’s job.

Two turning points of the film, dramatic and emotional, land like a one-two punch: First, Boksoon intentionally throws a job she was working with Young-ji—going against strict company policy—after learning of the parent-child relationship between the client and the target. Young-ji takes the fall and gets fired on the cusp of her debut, an unintended consequence. As Boksoon’s professional world is reeling, her daughter is forced to come out to her due to unforeseen and uncontrollable circumstances. Life is tugging Boksoon to the extreme ends of two deeply difficult jobs.

Kill Boksoon (L to R) Kim Si-A as Gil Jae-young, Jeon Do-yeon as Gil Boksoon in Kill Boksoon No Ju-han—Netflix

Later, when Boksoon and Young-ji try to pick up the pieces over noodles, the dynamic of their mentor-mentee relationship shifts.

“Look, sometimes in this life, things become your fault for no reason, and other times, you get away with things you did,” Boksoon says. “For example, let’s say that you like girls. You’re not doing anything wrong. But to others, it could seem like you are.”

“Isn’t that a little conservative for a hired assassin?” Young-ji replies. “It’s up to us to know if we’ve done wrong. Nobody else can decide that.”

“You kids these days,” Boksoon sighs, “are so wise.”

Speaking with TIME from South Korea, Jeon points out the difficulty of being objective. “At times with my daughter, a single thing that she says can give me a big lesson, in that it makes me realize if that is right or wrong,” Jeon says in Korean, also translated by Haley Hyunyoung Jung. “And at times, because of that, I would be at a loss for words.”

“This is my first time being a mother,” Jeon continues. “And while I may have plans in terms of what kind of mother I want to be, because I am not as skilled, it’s difficult at times. So I feel like, being a mother to my daughter, I grow along with her.”

Irony pervades Kill Boksoon. The main character is a walking paradox, simultaneously taking life, while attempting to shape a life she brought into the world. Byun personified this dichotomy by focusing on the right side of Jeon’s face when Boksoon acted as a mother and the left side when she killed.

“Whenever I see myself in a victim’s eyes as they die, I’m afraid to come home and then have her look at me,” Boksoon confides to her colleague, Han Hee-sung (Koo Kyo-hwan), as they clean up a job. “I’m selfish, ‘cause I won’t quit. I don’t want to give this up for her. Am I unqualified to be a mother?”

Even though this is a mother-daughter story, the director didn’t want the characters to sacrifice themselves for each other. He wanted them to find themselves, together.

“I’ve come to the conclusion that you have to lead a life where you are unashamed of yourself,” Byun says. “I don’t think, honestly speaking, Boksoon is, socially speaking, a good person. But I at least feel that, to herself, she is leading a life that she is unashamed of.”

[Helena]

https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/killer-mum-top-korean-actress-015900348.html
Killer mum: Top S. Korean actress deadly but domestic in action flick

By Claire LEE | Thu, March 30, 2023 at 6:59 PM PDT

South Korean actress Jeon Do-yeon says her experience as a mother was invaluable for her new role in action film "Kill Boksoon" © Handout / Netflix/AFP

Seoul (AFP) – Dispatching assassins is easy, but handling her moody teenage daughter is impossible: one of South Korea's top actresses is back with a new action movie, blending killer fight scenes with parental angst.

Revered in South Korea, Jeon Do-yeon, 50, has won the top acting prize at Cannes and worked with a veritable who's who of Korean directors over a three-decade career.

She's played everything from an HIV-positive prostitute to a Korean housewife wrongly accused of drug smuggling, but it was her personal experience as a mother that proved invaluable for her latest role -- and first action lead -- "Kill Boksoon".

The Tarantino-esque action thriller, which launches Friday on Netflix, was written by filmmaker Byun Sung-hyun -- a confessed Jeon superfan -- with the actress specifically in mind.

"I'm not a killer by profession, but I'm also living a very dual life -- there is my life as an actress, and there's that life as a mother," said Jeon, who like her character Boksoon has a teenage daughter.

Set in the vicious world of corporate assassins and filled with kinetic fight scenes, "Kill Boksoon" is a major departure from Jeon's previous work, mostly serious dramas in which she plays marginalised, persecuted characters.

The actress had to learn the complex choreography required for an action thriller, including for a scene in which Boksoon uses a marker pen as her only weapon.

"I was very scared and afraid... but I thought I just had to pull this one off somehow, even if it meant my body could break down," she said at a recent press conference in Seoul.

- 'Layers of an onion' -

Born in 1973 in the South Korean capital, Jeon made her TV debut in 1992 at age 19. Her real breakthrough came five years later, when her debut film "The Contact" -- a somewhat melancholy South Korean version of "You've Got Mail" -- became a nationwide hit.

Jeon Do-yeon made her breakthrough in the melancholy 1990s romantic film "The Contact" © Handout / Netflix/AFP

In 2007, she became the first South Korean to win the top acting prize at the Cannes International Film Festival, for her performance as a grieving mother in director Lee Chang-dong's "Secret Sunshine".

Since then, Jeon has continued to play memorable characters, including a poor housemaid impregnated by her wealthy boss's husband, who is tricked into terminating the unborn child.

"Taking on a range of characters, often dealing with complex emotions and feelings, like peeling the layers of an onion, Jeon Do-yeon's performances get to the core of what drives her characters," Jason Bechervaise, a Seoul-based film scholar, told AFP.

"Often this is pain -- an emotion that is frequently conveyed in Korean cinema in some form, one that is extremely challenging to channel and convey, yet she's able to do it with such authenticity."

- 'Dull knives hurt more' -

"Kill Boksoon" arrives after South Korea's emergence as a cultural powerhouse, with the global success of the Oscar-winning film "Parasite" and the Netflix series "Squid Game".

The film is Jeon's first project with Netflix, as the streaming giant aggressively invests in Korean content it says is wildly popular with its global audiences.

It is also the first time the 50-year-old actress has taken on a lead role in an action movie, following the recent historic Oscar win for Michelle Yeoh in a female-led action film.

"It is inspiring to see Jeon carve her own path in a patriarchal society, where female celebrities in their mid-twenties are labeled 'hags,'" Areum Jeong, a film expert and visiting scholar at Robert Morris University, told AFP.

Jeon said it was easy to empathise with her assassin character, who struggles to connect with her increasingly secretive daughter and quips in the movie that "killing is easier than raising a child".

Spending three decades at the top of South Korea's notoriously competitive entertainment industry is also "somewhat easier than raising a child", Jeon said.

"With work, I can come up with solutions on my own. But when it comes to a child, there are... things I cannot control."

For director Byun, who said he had been a fan of Jeon since 1992, his latest project was a way to pay homage to Jeon's unparalleled career.

"In this movie, assassins are often called 'knives'. And there is a scene where one says: 'old knives become dull and ultimately useless,' referring to Boksoon," Byun said.

"And a reply to that is 'dull knives hurt more'. Those lines were my way of paying tribute to Do-yeon."

© 2023 AFP

[Helena]

https://nextshark.com/netflix-kill-boksoon-interview
Jeon Do-yeon is an assassin struggling to raise her teen daughter in Netflix’s ‘Kill Boksoon’

At a roundtable discussion held this week, the star and director shared exclusive details about their assassin film dropping on Netflix this Friday

By Ana Yoo | MARCH 31, 2023

 

ACCLAIMED SOUTH KOREAN actor Jeon Do-yeon stars in Netflix’s latest thriller “Kill Boksoon,” written and directed by Byun Sung-hyun.

Jeon plays a seasoned assassin working for an agency named Gil Bok-soon who has a 100% success rate in killing targets. Despite excelling at her work, Bok-soon struggles to raise her teenaged daughter, played by Kim Si-a, and decides to retire so that she can focus on mending their relationship.

On Tuesday, Jeon and Byun sat down for a virtual roundtable and shared exclusive details about the film with NextShark.

 

Spoiler

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Byun Sung-hyun. Credit: Netflix

Byun, a longtime fan of Jeon, was inspired to write a film starring the actor. To his surprise, Jeon agreed to work on the project before even reading the script.

Since Byun has never written a child character in his work before, he spent some time at Jeon’s house observing the interactions between the actor and her real-life daughter — at one point the three even played board games together. 

“It was easy for me to write the lines for the killers. The difficult part was writing the conversations with the kid and the mother,” says Byun.

 

Spoiler

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(L to R) Kim Si-A as Gil Jae-young, Jeon Do-yeon as Gil Boksoon. Credit: No Ju-han/Netflix

“Kill Boksoon” is Jeon’s first lead role in an action film, for which the actor spent four months training to fight with swords and axes and learning choreography for hand-to-hand combat.

When asked about the similarities between herself and Boksoon, Jeon describes empathizing with her character’s double life.

“I’m not a killer, but I think I’m in a pretty similar situation because I’m a mom and an actress, which is like the double life that Boksoon has,” Jeon says.

Jeon then shares that director Byun once described “Kill Boksoon” as being about “not just the daughter learning from her mother. The mother learns from the daughter by talking with her and seeing some new perspectives on the way she should lead her life.”

Jeon’s latest drama, “Crash Course in Romance,” aired its last episode on Netflix earlier this month, and though the actor says that the two projects are “polar opposites,” both essentially deal with a mother who wants to connect with her daughter but doesn’t know how to.

 

Jeon previously has found success portraying mothers, such as in “Secret Sunshine,” which earned her a best actress award at the 60th Cannes Film Festival in 2007.

“Kill Boksoon,” Byun’s latest work as writer-director, also stars Sol Kyung-gu, Esom, Koo Kyung-hwan and Lee Yeon, who most recently portrayed the younger version of Jeon’s character in “Crash Course in Romance.”

This is Jeon and Sol’s third time playing opposite each other in a film. In their most recent project, the 2019 film “Birthday,” the two play a husband and wife suffering after the loss of their eldest son in the 2014 Sewol Ferry tragedy. Their first collaboration was the romance film “I Wish I Had a Wife,” which was released in 2001.

 

Spoiler

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(L to R) Sol Kyung-gu as Cha Min-kyu, Esom as Cha Min-hee. Credit: No Ju-han/Netflix

Jeon commented on their third project together and praised Sol’s acting: “When I read the script, I didn’t really find much romance in it. Only when Sol acted it out, I could feel that there was melodrama in this movie. I think it’s really the power of this actor that made romance possible in ‘Kill Boksoon.'”