[Upcoming Drama 2019-2021] Kingdom, 킹덤 - Joo Ji Hoon, Bae Doo Na - Netflix - One-Episode-Special to premiere in 2021

[liddi]

“Kingdom: Ashin Of The North” Shows The Epic Scale Of The Production In Behind-The-Scenes Photos

TV/FILM

Jul 25, 2021

by C. Hong

 

Netflix’s “Kingdom: Ashin of the North” shared some behind-the-scenes photos from set.

“Kingdom: Ashin of the North” is an extension of the second season of the hit Netflix series “Kingdom.” It is a special episode dedicated to Ashin, a character played by Jun Ji Hyun, who was briefly seen at the end of the second season. The first two seasons were set in the kingdom of Joseon, but the spin-off is set in the frigid northern regions.

Although it is a special episode as opposed to a full season, the behind-the-scenes photos show that the production was on a large scale to accommodate the show’s historical time period as well as its new regional setting. In one photo, Jun Ji Hyun prepares for an archery action scene with the director. Her character, Ashin, carries the trauma of losing her loved ones and takes down zombies with her bow and arrow.

Park Byung Eun reprises his role from the second season as Min Chi Rok, a military commander. In the photo, he is shown in full costume discussing a scene with the director in the middle of a large and elaborate set. Other actors spotted in the stills include Kim Si Ah and Kim Roe Ha, who are joining the show for the first time as a younger version of Ashin and her father.

The photos also show the scale of the props, including the boxes in which the resurrected corpses are being kept, as well as high-flying wire action to recreate a fierce zombie tiger attack.

Spoiler

Kim Roe Ha said, “I remember the first filming, as well as our main set location, Burak, the best. It was the place where I realized the scale of ‘Kingdom: Ashin of the North.” Goo Gyo Hwan, who plays Aida Khan, the leader of a fierce warrior tribe that threatens the northern regions as well as the Joseon kingdom, said, “Aida Khan’s costume left a big impression on me. The staff spent a lot of time and effort on it so that I could focus on immersing myself into the role. It was a blessing for me to be able to wear those clothes and play this character.” Director Kim Sung Hoon said, “The speed and tension of the action scenes could not have been created without the hard work of the production staff.”

“Kingdom: Ashin of the North” premiered on Netflix on July 23.

 

cr. Soompi

[Helena]

https://zapzee.net/2021/07/29/kingdom-writer-kim-eun-hee-talks-about-working-with-jun-ji-hyun-and-the-possibility-of-kingdom-3/
‘Kingdom’ Writer Kim Eun Hee Talks About Working with Jun Ji Hyun and the Possibility of ‘Kingdom 3’

by krishkim

Credit: Netflix

On Thursday, writer Kim Eun Hee of the Kingdom series held a video interview. During it, she opened up about working with Jun Ji Hyun and the possibility of Kingdom 3.

Kingdom: Ashin of the North is a special episode of Netflix’s Kingdom series. Released on the 23rd, the show unraveled the secret behind the resurrection plant that enforced a great tragedy on Joseon and the story of Ashin.

Writer Kim revealed that she wrote the script of Ashin while thinking about Jun Ji Hyun.

“Jun Ji Hyun is so awesome, and I know that she has lots of fancy images to her. But I found the eyes that she showed in Assassination and The Berlin File so charming,” she shared. “If she said no to the casting, I was going to kneel down and beg her. When I thought about who else could play Ashin, I couldn’t think of anyone.”

 

Spoiler

Credit: Netflix

When asked about the possibility of season 3 of Kingdom, Kim answered, “Actually, Ashin of the North is like a prequel to seasons 1 and 2. If that’s the case, then there must have been someone who knew about the resurrection plant even before that. It’s just my imagination as a writer, but I think someone must have known about the plant when the north barrier collapsed.”

She continued, “So it will most likely be about the story of the very beginning of the resurrection plant. Nothing about season 3 is set in stone, so I can’t say much. But I’ve already come out with how I personally hope season 3 will end.”
 

Source (1, 2)
Translator Kim Hoyeun: If you are a fan of K-drama, K-movie, and K-pop, I am your guy. I will continue to provide you with up-to-date K-entertainment news.

 

—

 

http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20210729000786
[Herald Interview] Global zombie sensation ‘Kingdom’ director hopes to quench fans’ thirst

By Lee Si-jin | Jul 29, 2021

Kingdom: Ashin of the North” director Kim Seong-hun (Netflix)

A single 92-minute episode of historical zombie thriller “Kingdom” was not meant to be a hit, according to director Kim Seong-hun, who has headed the series since 2019.

“‘Kingdom: Ashin of the North’ is more like a prequel or a stepping stone for the next season,” Kim said during an online interview with a group of reporters on Wednesday. “I was very focused on expanding the “Kingdom” universe and explaining the story of Ashin, I was glad that the fans enjoyed the episode very much.”

The new character Ashin (Jun Ji-hyun, or Jun Gianna, and Kim Sia) carries the storyline and explains why the country was threatened by a mysterious plague and flesh-eating zombies.

“The creative members, including screenwriter Kim Eun-hee and I, had the choice of starting the next season with the stories from the past to introduce Ashin and the backstory of ‘saengsacho,’ or the resurrection plant. But we were worried that the story might get too static and uninteresting. So we chose to shoot a single episode to offer a concrete background information for the possible “Kingdom Season 3.”

Asked why the the zombie scenes were different from those in the previous season, Kim said he had wanted to highlight the feelings of Ashin and the story of the excluded people. Unlike the impressive zombie scenes from the past, such as Lord Ahn Hyeon (Huh Joon-ho) chasing the enemy with multiple arrows and his body impaled by a spear and the senior ministers of the court struggling with a long spear that has pierced their bodies, the zombies in “Kingdom: Ashin of the North” are merely frightening, flesh-eating creatures.

“People often think that the zombies are insensitive and emotionless. But I have directed the zombies to pour out their emotions and individual stories through their actions. Take Lord Ahn Hyeon, for instance. His eyes were strongly focused on biting the villain of the series Lord Cho Hak-ju. Ahn Hyeon’s unending chase represented anger and hostility, which mesmerized fans around the world. In this single episode, I wanted to focus solely on the character Ashin, so the audiences may feel that the zombie scenes were less dynamic than before,” Kim told The Korea Herald.

 

Spoiler

Poster for “Kingdom: Ashin of the North” (Netflix)

Toward the end of the interview, Kim expressed how satisfied he is with the series so far.

“The latest episode offered a rich backstory, which will lead the next season with excitement and energy,” he said.

“Kingdom: Ashin of the North” is now available on Netflix.

 

By Lee Si-jin (sj_lee@heraldcorp.com)

[partyon]

EVENT: Goong (Princess Hours) re-watch party!

 

Chingus, join us for a Goong re-watch event starting on Monday August 2.

 

This is one of those classic dramas that contributed to the first Hallyu Wave and shot Ju Ji Hoon, Yoon Eun Hye & Song Ji Hyo to fame.

It doesn't matter if you have already watched it or if you are watching it for the first time, everyone is welcome to join!

 

 

All EOs will be watching it too. Do join us!

 

Your Event Organizers,

@confusedheart326 @agenth @Sleepy Owl @Lmangla @partyon

[Helena]

https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20210730004100315
(Yonhap Interview) 'Kingdom' screenwriter says Netflix series is all about politics

By Lee Minji  | July 30, 2021

 

 

SEOUL, July 30 (Yonhap) -- South Korean screenwriter Kim Eun-hee of Netflix's original Korean series "Kingdom" has said the popular zombie sequel based in medieval Korea boils down to politics.

"Kingdom: Ashin of the North," released last week, is a 92-minute prequel to the global Korean zombie sensation "Kingdom" (2019). The series is the first Korean original drama show produced by Netflix, and released its second season in 2020.

The latest project unfolds through a female warrior named Ashin -- played by actress Jun Ji-hyun -- who is closest to the secret of the resurrection plant, which prompts a mysterious plague that turns people into zombies in Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910).

By putting Jun -- a marginal figure in the hierarchal and male-dominated society -- at the center of the story, Kim thrusts viewers to ask questions on identity, status, politics and the consequences of greed.

This photo, provided by Netflix, shows South Korean screenwriter Kim Eun-hee behind the original series "Kingdom: Ashin of the North." (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

"It's about what politics is. Flawed politics created resentment, and there will be a consequence of gaining the plant that brings dead people to life," Kim said in an online interview with a group of reporters on Thursday.

"If we go deeper and deeper, it all boils down to politics. The pain that comes from politics, the price we have to pay for pain, they are the message that penetrates the series."

To better convey this message, she intentionally chose Ashin -- a person with a tragic personal story and peripheral social background -- as the central figure of the plot, which will serve as a stepping stone to season three.

"I tried to talk about the sentiment of 'han' in hope of having people of a wider social class, or those who were dominated, lead the third season," Kim said, referring to the Korean term "han" which means a deeply embedded feeling of sorrow, anger and resentment.

"The lowest class is the biggest victim of wrong politics. I thought I could show their pain and through that pain more vividly convey the meaning of what politics is."

This image provided by Netflix shows a poster for "Kingdom: Ashin of the North." (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

Kim, who is often dubbed the "queen of genre dramas" for her excellent storytelling in poignant works like "Sign," "Three Days" and "Signal," said she did not expect the worldwide popularity the zombie series has gained.

Nor did she feel the pressure to put out a commercially-successful series.

"I'm the world's biggest coward," she said, grinning bashfully. "The actual pressure was on whether I could put out real quality work."

When asked about the secret behind its global success -- having reached No. 2 on Netflix's global film ranking -- she mentioned how the work brought together seemingly disparate elements of Korean and Western culture.

"We didn't go into the series considering we should put this in for the global audience. We intensely pondered on the message of the series, which we thought was interesting. It made us effectively merge the most Korean (elements) of Joseon Dynasty and the most Western (elements) of zombies."

Despite the global success, the writer said she will probably stick to Korean themes and topics for her works going forward rather than expand her storytelling to foreign subjects.

"I'm a Korean and even if I do research, I naturally think of stories with Korean backgrounds and context. I did get interested in the Silk Road as I researched the northern regions for 'Kingdom,' but the root is Joseon," she said. "I think Korean colors will remain (in my works)."

This photo, provided by Netflix, shows South Korean screenwriter Kim Eun-hee behind the original series "Kingdom: Ashin of the North." (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

Having built up a successful career as a drama writer after starting out as a sub-writer for TV reality series, Kim said the core value that she tries to stick to is staying alert on conveying the story's message.

"When I was starting out and senior producers pointed out the importance of the underlying message, I thought being fun was enough," she recalled. "But now I know that's what matters. When I'm stuck or shaken up, there's always something that I've been missing. I always put top priority on what story I want to tell and try to stick to it ... I try to put a purpose in the smallest detail."

Kim, now working on the tvN drama "Mount Jiri" -- a mystery drama based on the eponymous Korean mountain featuring Jun and actor Ju Ji-hoon who've both appeared in "Kingdom" -- said her goal is to write scripts that trigger empathy.

"I feel as if I'm partnering with (teams) that help me (write) more fun, thought-provoking and valuable scripts. I don't want to disappoint (people) but not everyone can always perfectly like (what I write). I do think that I should write scripts that people could empathize with."

 

Spoiler

This image provided by Netflix shows a scene from "Kingdom: Ashin of the North." (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

mlee@yna.co.kr
(END)

[Helena]

https://k-odyssey.com/news/newsview.php?ncode=1065600367574190
'Kingdom: Ashin of the North'..."focused on expressing 'han (恨)' rather than good or evil", said writer Kim Eun-hee

 

2021-07-29

 

▲ This photo, provided by Netflix (American content platform and production company), shows Kim Eun-hee, the creator of the South Korean zombie series "Kingdom". (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

SEOUL, July 29 (Yonhap) – “The keyword for season 1 was hunger, for season 2 was blood status. Season 3 is a story of ‘han’ (a deep resentment) which has started from ‘Ashin of the North’. All stories are ultimately linked to the question of what is politics. When politics go wrong, the party in biggest pain is the ruled class and their most serious hardship will be hunger and a han.” 

Playwright Kim Eun-hee (49) who stuck a flag on Korea’s creature historical genre to the world, gave an explanation as above about her recent “Kingdom: Ashin of the North” (Ashin) which will act as a flagstone between season 2 and 3. 

On the 29th, Kim said, “ ”Ashin” is a prequel of season 1 and 2. This was a result of my personal imagining about maybe there could have been a person who already had known of the resurrection plant. This episode is like a steppingstone to the Northern world”, and “every time we release a series, I, myself cannot believe all the anticipation and compliments. “Is this possible?”, “Did we really make it this far?”. I have nothing to say but immense gratitude”, on an online interview. 

“Ashin” is a single episode dealing with the background of the other series, which had to keep down the speed or breathtaking actions compared to the previous ones. 

At this, the writer explained, “I was more focused on expressing the feeling and the reason of the han, the strong resentment of the Northerner Ashin buried deep inside her. So, I wonderend more of about the depth of the emotion rather than actions. I could say, this may be the darkest story I have ever written.”

She also said, “when investigated, the north had harsher survival conditions than the south, and I wanted the viewers to understand that. The creepy, cold and gloomy atmosphere seems to have been well portraited”

Views differ about having set Ashin a Jurchen, not a Joseon person and a woman at the bottom of the hierarchy or about the Joseon militaries using of her. 

Kim “wanted to depict the han of Ashin living in the edge of world regardless of good and evil. Perfect good or perfect evil does not exist but in the end, there turns out to be a cause and the provider of that cause to a certain person’s behavior.” 

“Wouldn’t there have been an unavoidable reason for Min Chi-rok (by Park Byeon-eun) acting as demonstrated in the drama in Joseon under pandemic? Of course, if we show a character with a rather more various personalities in season 3, it will undo some of the misunderstandings that the drama depicts the Joseon military as the evil side and heroizes Jurchen”, added the writer. 

She also expressed absolute credit and gratitude towards actress Jun Ginna (more known as Jun Ji-hyun) for her passionate work. 

“Actress Jun Ji-hyun is largely known for her charismatic and flashy impression, but my eyes captured a sad glitter in her eyes when watching “Assassination” and “The Berlin File”. This inspired me that maybe if Ashin is acted by an actor like her, the character’s deep sadness could stand out along with its stern looks as a warrior. This made me start writing the script with Jun Ji-hyun in mind. I was on my knees to beg for her acceptance, and I really thank her so much for saying yes. (laughs)” Jun Ji-hyun is also leading Kim’s next production “Mount Jiri” which is to be aired on tvN. 

About the situation that “Kingdom” series have settled as the No.1 global contents, “It’s like dreaming”, “Ironically the series are the stories most Korean. I knew that the foreigner would love zombies, but they also liked the Korean style including the costumes and the palace. Maybe they were curious of something new”, commented Kim. 

Kim was called a star-writer having presented outstanding genre dramas such as “Sign”, “Phantom”, “Three Days” and “Signal” and now her title has upgraded to a representative storyteller of Korea. Due to this background, the watchers’ anticipation and attention seems to have become hotter than ever. 

“Actually, I am not that recognizable, when I am not accompanied by my husband (director Jang Hang-jun, actively taking part in variety shows)”, and with a smile she added, “I always hope not to be criticized with my hard work rather than to think of the pressure. As the creator, I thank Netflix for welcoming a story like “Kingdom”.”

She is now in the verge of releasing her next production “Mount Jiri”, and there are fans still waiting for sequels for “Kingdom” and her another famous drama “Signal”. The writer answered to such anticipation saying that all possibilities are open and there are numerous stories to be made, which brought out more enthusiasm from the fans. 

“Because there is an unfinished tale in “Signal” season 1, I am willing to and desiring to continue the drama in any way. Also, I naturally get to think of the past stories of “Kingdom”’s Prince Lee Chang (by Ju Ji-hoon) and of course of other main characters too.”  (END)

(C) Yonhap News Agency. All Rights Reserved

 

——

 

http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20210801000156
[Herald Interview] Star screenwriter Kim Eun-hee returns with darkest ‘Kingdom’ episode

By Song Seung-hyun | Aug 1, 2021

Screenwriter Kim Eun-hee(Netflix)

Living up to her nickname as the “Korean Agatha Christie,” screenwriter Kim Eun-hee came back with the darkest episode yet of the global hit Netflix series “Kingdom” (2019).

“Kingdom: Ashin of the North,” which was released on July 23, centers around a new character Ashin (played by Jun Ji-hyun, or Gianna Jun, and Kim Sia) who is a lower-class tribe member living in what is now known as Hamgyong Province, North Korea. After Ashin finds out about her father’s death, she plans for revenge.

The 92-minute prequel also focuses on telling the backstory of the so-called resurrection plant, or “saengsacho” in Korean, which causes a mysterious plague that turns people into zombies in the medieval Joseon era (1392-1910) in the “Kingdom” series.

“I have been writing dark stories but this is so far the darkest,” Kim said during an interview with a group of reporters via Zoom on Thursday. “My previous works always still included hopeful messages but the prequel is different. I focused on ‘han’ of lower-class people.”

Han refers to a unique Korean concept that encompasses a wide range of emotions including suffering, despair, rage, helplessness, sorrow, resentment, bitterness, grief, a sense of oppression, persecution and injustice.

Although the new episode casts a gloomy shadow on the story with the main character’s reckless journey of revenge, Kim explained that Ashin is not a villain, and there is a different side to her that audiences have not seen.

“I think that there isn’t such thing as absolute good and evil. I think different characters’ history builds up their personalities,” Kim said. “This is also the reason why I am hoping to tell more stories about different characters’ growth in season three.”

Kim added that she is currently preparing to pitch the story for the drama’s season three to Netflix and gave fans a teaser of what could unfold.

“Ashin and Crown Prince Lee Chang (played by Ju Ji-hoon) will definitely meet in season three. The mysterious plague will also spread again and their cause, as well as how the characters deal with the situation will be included,” Kim said. 

Even after writing multiple hit TV series, Kim said creating a new and unique story that can satisfy everyone was still not easy.

“There are times when I can write effortlessly. That is when I realize that it can’t be good,” Kim said. “If I can write easily, it is because I chose the easy route that I can easily come up with. When I show that work to people their responses are negative. So I learned that if it is too easy, it cannot be good.” 

Kim also talked about where she got her idea for the “Kingdom” series.

“I think it is from drinking alcohol, reading books, watching movies, and observing people,” Kim said. “It is difficult to pinpoint one. But I loved history as a kid. And there was a time when I was into foreign zombie films. The thought of connecting the two elements together did not come to me immediately but later it came to me naturally.”

 

Spoiler

A scene from Netflix’s new episode “Kingdom: Ashin of the North” starring Jun Ji-hyun (Netflix)

Discussions with actors, writers as well as her husband film director Jang Hang-jun were also helpful. 

“We talked while having a drink. Maybe the alcohol played the big part,” she joked.

Toward the end of the interview, Kim confessed that she is a big fan of actor Jun Ji-hyun who played Ashin in the new “Kingdom” episode and complimented her acting.

Jun also plays ranger Seo Yi-kang in Kim’s upcoming tvN drama “Mount Jiri.”

“Actually the ‘Kingdom’ episode and ‘Mount Jiri’ were filmed simultaneously,” the screenwriter said. “Ashin shows the extreme feelings of han through her eyes without many lines. On the other hand, Seo Yi-kang is like a more grown-up version of the character Jun played in the movie ‘My Sassy Girl.’ She is lively and bright. I don’t know how she successfully pulled off the two different characters.”

“Kingdom: Ashin of the North” is now available on Netflix.

 

By Song Seung-hyun (ssh@heraldcorp.com)

[plainenglish]

You might be interested in my comprehensive analysis of the cinematography of "Kingdom" Seasons 1 and 2 and of "Ashin of the North" at https://campusconnection.blogspot.com/2020/03/kingdom-season-1-and-season-2-synopsis.html

[Helena]

https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/2021/08/04/entertainment/movies/Kim-Eunhee-Kingdom-Kingdom-universe/20210804161900416.html
"Kingdom" writer Kim Eun-hee lets some secrets slip ahead of season 3

August 4, 2021

The special episode of “Kingdom: Ashin of the North” released on July 23 offered fans of the Netflix series another step into writer Kim Eun-hee's world.

Anticipation had been high for months ahead of the episode's release, not only because of fans of the zombie series but also because it features hallyu, or Korean Wave, star Jun Ji-hyun, also known as Gianna Jun, as the main protagonist, Ashin.

Reviews of have been mixed with the special leading to even more questions about the origin and functions of "saengsacho," the resurrection plant which turns people into zombies, and how the relationships between newly introduced characters, mainly Ashin, Ai Da Gan (played by actor Koo Kyo-hwan), the leader of the Pajeowi (one of the powerful tribes of Jurchen) military, and the reappearing characters from the original “Kingdom” universe — Min Chi-rok (played by actor Park Byung-eun), the head of the Royal Commandery, the ex-Crown Prince of Joseon Lee Chang (played by Ju Ji-hoon) and physician’s assistant Seo-bi (played by Bae Doo-na) will play out.

Negative responses have mainly come from ardent fans who were disappointed with the length of the spin-off, but all in all most viewers have been satisfied with how Kim incorporated Ashin into her “Kingdom” universe as Joseon’s Hawk Eye/necromancer of saengsacho.

Last week, the Korea JoongAng Daily managed to glean some insight into the secrets of the resurrection plant and perhaps a preview of what's to come in the third season of “Kingdom” straight from Kim herself. The following are edited excerpts.

 

Q. How did you think of the overall setting for this episode? What inspired you to explore the northern regions of Joseon from which the saengsacho derive?
  
A. Since the plant gravitates toward the cold I naturally came to think that it originated from the north, so I began my research there. While looking through Daedongyeojido [a 19th-century map of the Korean Peninsula by Korean geographer and cartographer Kim Jeong-ho in 1861], I discovered Pyesa-gun [a military hub established on the upper Amrok River to defend against Jurchen from the northwestern regions]. In the records, it said that it was completed during the reign of King Sejong (1397-1450) and abandoned during the reign of King Sejo (1417-1468). The records didn’t specify the reason why it was abandoned — just citing difficulties of proper defense. And its name pops up again during the reign of King Sukjong (1661-1720) — there was an appeal suggesting that the king consider restoring the function of the military hub, but it remained in ruins. To be in ruins from the times of King Sejo to King Sukjong — that’s a long time, and I began to imagine if there was another underlying reason behind its demolishment. [For the narrative], someone might have discovered the secret behind the resurrection plant which grew in Pyesa-gun, which was why it was abandoned in the first place. 

After I chose the region, I decided to include Seongjeoyain (deriving from the actual ethnic group from Jurchen which was under the protection of the Joseon Dynasty since King Sejong). The ethnic group actually lived near the Duman River but for the narrative of the story, I set them up near the Amrok River, where Pyesa-gun was located.

When I read about these Seongjeoyain, I was saddened by how they were treated. Just imagine, they were always looted by other northern tribes, which is why they accepted Joseon’s helping hand to live under their protection. But even though they lived under the rules of the Joseon for more than a century, they were always the minority, the outsiders who were never accepted into mainstream society. As I read about this group who belonged nowhere, I naturally thought about having someone from the tribe as the protagonist of my story. That’s how Ashin came to be.

Q: Ashin discovered some of the secrets behind saengsacho from deciphering the paintings on the ruined walls of Pyesa-gun, but who initially drew the instructions remains unknown in the episode, while there seems to be more secrets about the plant waiting to be uncovered. Can you give us a little hint about how the plant will impact the “Kingdom” universe in the future?

A:  Although this episode is an introduction to the character of Ashin, the region of Pyesa-gun also holds a great importance related to the many secrets behind the resurrection plant, which is also why the place imposes a threat. And remember, the parasite from the plant still remains in the bitten baby king from the second season, although its effects are yet to be manifested within him. So there are secrets within the palace. The secret behind the saengsacho is the plant hates the heat but why its effects become contagious when the heat is applied to the plant is all explained in Pyesa-gun, and I believe this place holds the crucial key about how to prevent or slow down the further spread of the disease.

 

Q:  So Ashin hasn't yet learned the secret behind the contagious element of the plant?

Yes, Ashin doesn’t know yet, and this factor will become a highly crucial factor to carry on the narrative for the third season. Very few have discovered the secret behind its contagious quality up until the second season. The zombie bite becomes contagious when people cook a bitten corpse in a soup and consume it.

The only people that Ashin willingly brought back from the dead were her tribe people [who were massacred by the Pajeowi] and she would have never thought to use the plant as a weapon until she discovered the real reason behind her people’s death. Due to the explosion of extreme fury and hate, she exacts revenge upon Min Chi-rok’s military camp, but she has yet to discover its contagiousness.

Director Kim Seong-hun showed me how he portrayed that scene [when Ashin plants saengsacho within the soldiers] when the first soldier-turned-zombie bites one of the two other soldiers, he dies. He doesn’t turn into a zombie, just like how the servant dies harmlessly after he was bitten by the former king at the beginning of the first season. Ashin just got her hands on a large cluster of the plant and created more zombies. So one of the highlights of the third season will be when Ashin finally gets her hands on Seobi’s journal [which contains all the secrets she discovered through her experience].

 

Q: A lot of viewers say they felt betrayed by Min Chi-rok’s decision to turn Ashin's tribe over to the Pajeowi because he appeared to be a loyal and trustworthy servant of Lee Chang in the previous season.

As shown in the second season, Min Chi-rok is a fiercely loyal character who I believed would do anything for the sake of his country. In a way, I think his background is similar to that of Lord Ahn Hyeon (played by actor Huh Joon-ho). Ahn Hyeon was the model example of a flawless leader driven by his belief of Confucian values, but he agreed to sacrifice the minority for the greater good — in this case it was to save the country from Japanese invasion. So he spends the rest of his life burdened by his guilt, which is somehow alleviated when he sacrificed himself to help Lee Chang. What viewers could anticipate for the third season is seeing how Min Chi-rok’s guilt manifests in the story due to his betrayal.

Q:  Some commented on the lack of action scenes in which Ashin trains herself to become a master of archery.

I believe that Ashin continued to practice archery not because she wanted to train, but out of necessity. She promised her father when he left that she would take care of their family, which is why, after she turned her people into zombies after the massacre, she used her skills to feed them. Ashin doesn't realize until the end that the zombies crave fresh, human blood, and I believe she would have gone through a trial-and-error process to discover that. She was the sole survivor, the only person who can feed these people, so she had no choice but to continue shooting arrows for their survival.

Q: The final scene of “Kingdom: Ashin of the North” left quite an impact as Ashin listlessly feeds her people live humans. What inspired you to come up with that ending?

Although there aren’t that many records left about Seongjeoyain, I sympathized with how lonely these people would have felt — to live without a sense of belonging or a proper identification of who they are. And if Ashin was the only one who survived, it means that there isn’t a single person left in this world whom she could talk to about her past. I think I naturally came to think of this scene as the I dove deeper into the solitude these people would’ve suffered. Truth to be told, this scene was the very first scene I thought of as I began to write the story for “Kingdom: Ashin of the North.” Sometimes there are stories in which the entire narrative of the story is structured around the climax of the scene — and in “Ashin,” it was this scene.

Q: Can you tell us a little more about how Ashin will be joining the narrative of the third season?

In the third season, the pasts of Ashin and Ai Da Gan hugely impact the narrative, obviously. To be honest, I imagine a bigger epidemic — much more immense compared to the first two seasons — to take place in the next season. As the characters unite or clash to prevent the spread of the plague, Ashin will be at the center of them all.

  

BY LEE JAE-LIM [lee.jaelim@joongang.co.kr]

[liddi]

Love this very insightful, humorous commentary with scriptwriter Kim Eun Hee, PD Kim Seong Hun and Jeon Seok Ho who plays Beom Pal, which reveals a lot particularly in terms of the nature of the plant and its effects, as well as spoilers into S3

 

[liddi]

A fun-filled [again English subbed] Part 2 with PD, scriptwriter and Beom Pal! I didn't realise that KEH and Jeon Seok Ho are good friends, and their interactions are hilarious 

 

[Helena]

https://zapzee.net/2021/08/25/production-for-kingdom-the-crown-prince-put-on-hold/
Production for ‘Kingdom: The Crown Prince’ Put on Hold

by krishkim

The production of ‘Kingdom: The Crown Prince,’ which was planned as the new spinoff of Netflix’s ‘Kingdom‘ series, has been temporarily suspended.

Credit: Netflix

According to industry insiders, the production of Kingdom: The Crown Prince, which planned to begin shooting later this year, was put on hold for various reasons.

Kingdom: The Crown Prince is the second spinoff of the Kingdom series that ignited the K-zombie syndrome. Following the success of the first two seasons, Netflix unveiled its first special episode Kingdom: Ashin of the North in July.

Credit: Netflix, News1

Kingdom: The Crown Prince would be dealing with the past and the present of the crown prince Lee Chang, the hero of the Kingdom series. The project, directed by The Outlaws director Kang Yoon Sung and written by Kim Eun Hee, was planned as a 6-part series. And of course, the title role Lee Chang was to be played by Ju Ji Hoon.

However, the pre-production of the series was prolonged for various reasons. Ju recently joined the new Wavve original film Gentleman as the lead actor. Also, the filming for Kingdom director Kim Sung Hoon’s new movie Kidnapped, which Ju stars in, was pushed back to January. As a result, the production of Kingdom: The Crown Prince has been pushed back indefinitely.

Credit: Netflix

Kidnapped originally planned to start filming overseas in March last year. Yet, it was postponed indefinitely due to the pandemic. Recently, the production company came up with the plan to begin overseas shooting in January. With Gentleman and Kidnapped on Ju’s upcoming schedule, Kingdom: The Crown Prince production won’t happen for quite some time.

Meanwhile, with the postponement, director Kang Yoon Sung will work on his new drama Casino. After finishing his 2019 movie Long Live the King, Kang originally planned to remake the movie Intern. However, because Warner Bros pulled its business out of Korea, his plan to remake Intern had been scrubbed. Since then, he has been preparing for Casino.
 
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