'COLONY' Director Yeon Sang-ho: "Is Jeon Ji-hyun the only reflector? No special treatment.. It's just how she was born" [Interview ②]

*This content was translated by AI.

Director Yeon Sang-ho of 'COLONY' shared his impressions of working with actress Jeon Ji-hyun.

On the 26th, I had a wide-ranging conversation with director Yeon Sang-ho, who handled both direction and screenwriting for the film 'COLONY', at a café on Samcheong-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul.

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

Director Yeon Sang-ho worked with Jeon Ji-hyun for the first time, portraying Kwon Se-jeong, the leader of the survivors. He said, "I felt that actress Jeon Ji-hyun is a professional actor and, fundamentally, a very open person. 'The scenes where she exchanges acting with actor Kwon Koo-hwan have a unique style and might not be easy to accept, but she acted with a completely open attitude.'"

He added, "Surprisingly, she has a rather plain personality. 'Even though action acting can be very difficult, she tried to do most of it herself. I really liked that part.'"

He also spoke about the casting process. Director Yeon said, "When I gave her the script, I think she thought of it as a role that would guide the audience through this story. 'She really liked the story itself, and after I gave her the script, we had a meeting very quickly, and I think she decided right there.'"

He continued, "At that time, I had never met actress Jeon Ji-hyun in person. 'Coincidentally, actor Kang Dong-won was working on a project called 'Polaris,' so I asked him to inquire. When I contacted him, I remember he replied, 'She's right next to me.'" He explained, "'Director Heo Myeong-haeng, who co-directed 'Polaris,' is also the martial arts director for our film, and the same goes for the CG supervisor. I think she must have heard various things from the staff around her while filming 'Polaris.'"

In particular, Director Yeon Sang-ho emphasized, "When thinking of female characters in genre films, I cannot help but think of actress Jeon Ji-hyun. 'I truly thought she was a tailor-made actress who fits perfectly. I also have a desire to make an action film with actress Jeon Ji-hyun.'"

He then said, "I heard many people say that only actress Jeon Ji-hyun seemed to shine more. People around me even said, 'Didn't you just put a reflector on actress Jeon Ji-hyun?' But there is absolutely nothing like that. 'How can you do anything when she was born looking like that?'"

He also added, "In the ending scene, the protagonist Kwon Se-jeong comes out wearing only a white T-shirt and jeans. At first, I was worried, but once we actually started filming, the clothes were not a problem. '(Jeon Ji-hyun) is an actress who can wear anything.'"

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*This content was translated by AI.