Jeon Ji-hyun carried by Gu Kyo-hwan... Director Yoon Sang-ho brings a new world to zombie films with 'COLONY' [Comprehensive]

*This content was translated by AI.

'COLONY' overturns the conventional formula of zombie films. Director Yoon Sang-ho posed a question about "humanity" with a new setting of an infected entity possessing collective intelligence.

The press screening of the film 'COLONY' (directed by Yoon Sang-ho) was held at Seoul Yongsan-gu CGV Yongsan i-Park Mall on the 20th. Director Yoon Sang-ho, Jeon Ji-hyun, Gu Kyo-hwan, Ji Chang-wook, Shin Hyun-bin, and Kim Shin-rok attended the event and shared various stories.

'COLONY' is a film about isolated survivors trapped inside a building sealed off by an unidentified infection outbreak, fighting against infected individuals who evolve in unpredictable forms.

Director Yoon Sang-ho, who introduced the world to the birth of a unique Korean zombie genre with 'Train to Busan', returns to the screen with 'COLONY', rebooting the zombie genre itself.

Regarding the starting point of the work, director Yoon Sang-ho stated, "The part I am interested in is humanism, and I have been thinking about what it means to be human. I found it interesting how AI (artificial intelligence) operates, and it felt like a sum of universal thinking."

He continued, "Since that power is so strong, I thought individuality becomes powerless. Conversely, I considered that individuality might be the essence of humanity, which led me to introduce a character named Kwon Se-jeong who has the authority to express minority opinions."

Actor Jeon Ji-hyun, making her screen comeback after 11 years, plays Kwon Se-jeong, the leader of the survivors. She said, "As a biomedical doctor, I probably worried about whether I could suddenly perform action scenes well. In a way, I restrained myself a lot during filming. Since the character avoids crises in any situation, I acted while maintaining an appropriate level."

Previously active in another zombie film, 'KINGDOM: Ashin of the North', Jeon Ji-hyun explained, "What I liked about the 'COLONY' script was the connectivity within it. Previous infected individuals showed individual, uncontrollable behavior, whereas the infected in 'COLONY' evolve in real time and move like a mass; that is the difference."

Director Yoon Sang-ho also mentioned Jeon Ji-hyun's close-up shots. He smiled and said, "It's natural. The thing I worried about most while making this film is that the rules change, and the audience must follow them continuously. If the audience misses the rules, they cannot enjoy the film. The face that discovers and realizes the rules is mostly Kwon Se-jeong. Like a period or comma in a sentence, she had to appear repeatedly within the film."

While the characters in director Yoon Sang-ho's previous works, 'Train to Busan' and 'Peninsula', were thrown into situations where the origin of the zombie virus was unknown, the infection outbreak in 'COLONY' begins due to the twisted beliefs of biologist Seo Young-cheol (played by Gu Kyo-hwan), who aims to propel humanity to the next stage.

Gu Kyo-hwan, who plays the three-dimensional villain Seo Young-cheol hiding his intentions behind an unreadable expression, said, "This is also my first experience with such interaction and network." He added, "I tried to use my facial muscles roughly, and when communication became sluggish, I expressed it with just a brief blink."

He said, "In the final showdown with Se-jeong, I used more hand gestures, foot movements, and muscles in situations where I couldn't control myself. The face action was carried out strictly under the director's guidance." Director Yoon Sang-ho added, "We called it 'magnesium deficiency action' among ourselves."

Regarding the part he focused on, Gu Kyo-hwan said, "If I were to immerse myself in the infected and Seo Young-cheol, I would call them our children. I acted in a way that connected behaviorally with our children, and it felt very reassuring and special to create together. I was even inspired by watching their acting, and creating a role together was a reassuring, happy, and special experience." He then asked, "Are they doing well?" bringing laughter.

Ji Chang-wook, playing Choi Hyun-seok, a security team employee at the Dongwuri Building, undergoes the greatest change in all aspects of emotion, action, and character.

Director Yoon Sang-ho said, "Hyun-seok fights throughout the action with something like a long pole. In pre-production, we thought of connecting a kitchen knife to the pole, but as the character of Hyun-seok undergoes a dramatic change, I thought it would be good to have a difference in the action, so I directed him to fight with a short knife."

He continued, "Actor Ji Chang-wook is so good at action that I thought the excitement of the action could come out through body movements alone, so I tried to achieve it by just following with a telephoto lens."

Ji Chang-wook said, "When I first met the zombies on set, I was amazed. Their makeup and movements were so impressive, and acting in front of them could not have been so comfortable. I received a lot of help. I think it was the first time I looked so intently at the zombies' eyes. Thanks to that, I think good reactions could come out."

Especially, he focused on acting while concentrating on his relationship with his older sister Hyun-hee (played by Kim Shin-rok), saying, "'COLONY' was very interesting in revealing human nature. The character Hyun-seok was also one I could relate to a lot when reading the script. When in danger, the thoughts about family and the vulnerability of relationships were relatable." Kim Shin-rok also stated, "Although the relationship between the two is not detailed in the script, I wondered if their emotional connection could be shown well."

Ji Chang-wook, who also carried Kim Shin-rok while acting in the film, said, "I never felt burdened during filming. Since the siblings were carried in every part of the movie, I felt I relied on them a lot. Being together, I unconsciously relied on them and gained strength. Physically, there was no fatigue, but in a way, I felt emotionally connected to my older sister and exerted more effort."

Shin Hyun-bin took on the role of Gong Seon-hee, who is a Myeong Gong-hak-bu (Prof.), a special investigation team member, and also a victim's family member. She emphasized, "She is someone trying to resolve this situation from the outside and is also a victim's family member. I wondered how to maintain balance to give persuasiveness to the film and the character. I tried to solve the situation as an expert while simultaneously trying not to forget my emotions."

Especially, unlike the existing simple genre conventions, the survivors in 'COLONY' cannot predict the behavior and attack patterns of the evolving infected.

Director Yoon Sang-ho stated, "Initially, I did not prepare to make a zombie film. I thought about the potential fears in this society. What I felt was collective thinking through ultra-fast information exchange and the powerlessness of individuality felt from it, which I discussed with writer Choi Kyu-seok."

He continued, "At the end of that thought, I considered that this work could become a zombie film. I thought of zombies that update themselves, whether in the wrong direction or the right one. They are different from the zombies in my previous works. I worked a lot with break dancers and stuntmen. In this work, it was a difficult task to physically express the abstract concept of moving with collective intelligence. Unlike my previous works, I hired a modern dance team and conveyed the feeling I wanted. I felt that the zombie I imagined was completed."

Meanwhile, the break-even point for 'COLONY' is approximately 3 million viewers, and it will be released on the 21st.

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*This content was translated by AI.