PD Hyeon Jung-wan: "The concept for 'Hide and Seek Game' was inspired by the chase scenes in 'Infinite Challenge'... There is absolutely no pre-arrangement regarding Park Ji-min becoming the seeker" [Interview ①]

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

PD Hyeon Jung-wan directly revealed the behind-the-scenes story of "Hide and Seek Game."

An interview with PD Hyeon Jung-wan of Disney+'s variety show "Hide and Seek Game" was conducted on the 13th at a cafe on Bukchon-ro in Jongno-gu, Seoul.

"Hide and Seek Game," the new work by PD Hyeon Jung-wan of "Game of Blood," is an extreme experiential chase survival variety show that combines the familiar game of hide-and-seek with the tension of psychological warfare. "Hide and Seek Game," which was first released on September 30, consists of 10 episodes, and Episodes 7 and 8 will be released simultaneously on the upcoming 14th.

Hwang Jae-gyun, Pponey Bottle, Kyung Soo-jin, Malwang, Jang Eun-sil, Park Ji-min, Kim Ddol-ddol, Yang Da-il, Yook Jun-seo, Ji Ji-won, Shin Ji-eun, Yoon Sang-hyeon, and Lee Jun-su appeared in "Hide and Seek Game." In particular, Hwang Jae-gyun entered the survival arena after retiring from professional baseball, while YouTuber Malwang boasted an overwhelming physique and unexpected "brainy" traits.

YouTuber Kim Ddol-ddol was active with political maneuvering and humor, and Lee Jun-su, the son of actor Lee Jong-hyuk, was reborn as "Tong Jun-su," who does not hesitate to betray and collude, unlike his cute image from the past MBC variety show "Dad! Where Are We Going?" Actor Yoon Sang-hyeon stood out with exceptional speed, leveraging his strengths as a relay runner during his school days. YouTuber Pponey Bottle and announcer Park Ji-min caused tension that evoked a sense of imminent crisis.

PD Hyeon Jung-wan's directing skills and the cast's performances made "Hide and Seek Game" a hot topic. According to "LACOI," a broadcast content value information analysis system operated by the Korea Communications Commission, in the "OTT Variety Show Trending Cast Ranking" surveyed from September 28 to October 2, the 13th cast members of "Hide and Seek Game" occupied ranks 1 through 13. Pponey Bottle took 1st place, Lee Jun-su 2nd, and Hwang Jae-gyun 3rd, followed by Jang Eun-sil (4th), Malwang (5th), Ji Ji-won (6th), Park Ji-min (7th), Yang Da-il (8th), Yook Jun-seo (9th), Kim Ddol-ddol (10th), Yoon Sang-hyeon (11th), Kyung Soo-jin (12th), and Shin Ji-eun (13th).

-What are your thoughts on the release of "Hide and Seek Game"?

▶It was a new IP, so there were difficult aspects, but it was fun. It was also new to work with Disney+. Domestic platforms usually release episodes simultaneously once production is complete, but for overseas platform works, we had to finish editing about three months before the release. Since we could not show it externally, we actively incorporated opinions internally.

-What were the internal reactions to "Hide and Seek Game"?

▶They were good. (Laughter) We were unsure if it would be fun or sluggish, but after watching it together internally, we added some parts and removed others.

-How did you come up with the game format for "Hide and Seek Game"?

▶I previously enjoyed directing chase scenes as an assistant director on "Infinite Challenge," so I was inspired by that. I felt that if we only played Mafia, the cast's success or failure would be too unpredictable. I tried to make it interesting by mixing a chase with a story-driven Mafia game.

-What criteria did you use for location scouting?

▶Since they had to run, it needed to be spacious, and since they should not see each other, there also needed to be obstacles. The camera directors ran along with them, and one of the camera directors said this shoot was the hardest for him. About 100 cameras were deployed.

-How did you recruit the cast?

▶I considered both existing and new cast members equally. I recruited people who could perform well physically, mentally, and politically. So, we brought in survival characters different from before.

-Mr. Hwang Jae-gyun's appearance stands out the most.

▶Mr. Hwang Jae-gyun said he originally liked survival shows. It also coincided with the period when he was planning to do broadcasting after retiring as a baseball player, so he appeared in "Hide and Seek Game."

-Pponey Bottle and Mr./Ms. Park Ji-min have deepened their connection with you by appearing in both "Game of Blood" and "Hide and Seek Game."

▶Both of them are very enthusiastic, but there is also something missing. That makes it interesting. (Laughter) They say they are incompatible with each other, so there might be some changes in the future.

-Was there a cast member whose unexpected side you discovered after filming?

▶Mr. Yoon Sang-hyeon exceeded expectations. Since he said he liked survival shows, I wondered how well he would do, but he did even better than expected. I thought Mr. Lee Jun-su might be a character who smiles brightly while being caught, but it turned out he knew how to strike first from behind. Jun-su called his father, actor Lee Jong-hyuk, saying this was the most fun among all the broadcasts he had done. (Laughter) I expected Mr. Kim Ddol-ddol because he said he is good at Mafia games. I was curious what Mr. Yook Jun-seo would show when it came time to lie, as he is usually straightforward.

-Did you have a specific person in mind for the seeker? There were also viewer reactions suggesting that Park Ji-min becoming the seeker was pre-arranged.

▶Park Ji-min was not pre-arranged; he truly became the seeker randomly.

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original