entertainments
Entered2024.04.08 12:05 Modified2024.04.08 12:05
Expectations placed on the ‘dominant species’
Attention is focused on whether ‘Dominant Servant’ will be able to break the slump of lead actor Joo Ji-hoon and writer Lee Soo-yeon.
The production presentation for the Disney Plus original series ‘Dominant Species’ was held at a hotel in Yeouido-dong, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul on the 8th. Ju Ji-hoon attended along with Han Hyo-joo, Lee Hee-jun, Lee Moo-saeng, and director Park Cheol-hwan. ‘Dominant Species’ Yoon Yoo (played by Han Hyo-joo), the CEO of BF, a biotechnology company that opened a new era of artificial cultured meat, and Woo Chae-woon (played by Joo Ji-hoon), a retired officer-turned bodyguard who deliberately approached her, are involved in mysterious deaths and incidents. It is a suspense thriller drama where you get caught up in the drama and chase after the truth behind it. The ‘Secret Forest’ series drew even greater expectations as it was a new work by writer Soo-yeon Lee two years after her previous work, Disney Plus’ ‘Grid’, and a series for Joo Ji-hoon three years after tvN’s ‘Jirisan’.
In particular, given that their previous work failed to meet expectations at the box office, attention is focused on whether they will be able to make up for it through ‘Dominant Species’.
Woo Chae-woon, played by Joo Ji-hoon, approaches his BF group member Yoon Ja-yu in order to find out who is behind the terrorist incident that shook his life. The setting is that when he was a soldier, a mysterious terrorist incident targeting the president occurred in the unit where he was working, and he was seriously injured and was discharged. He is greatly loved for his wide acting spectrum in each of his works. He plans to portray everything from intense action acting to delicate emotional acting through ‘Dominant Species’. Joo Ji-hoon expressed confidence, saying that he paid attention to not only the character’s narrative but also the action, and said, “It is a work with a lot to see.” Joo Ji-hoon said, “We plan to show a near-future action set in the near future,” and added, “We also filmed a 17 to 1 action scene. Even if you prepare a lot, the chance of injury is high, but I think we filmed it well and had fun with it.” .
In addition, he stimulated curiosity by explaining, “I was filmed wearing a full-body suit,” and, “The ‘Along with the Gods’ series is a fantasy film, so I already had experience shooting CG, but this time, I felt embarrassed and naked while doing it alone.”
Han Hyo-joo expressed her confidence in the script, saying, “My heart was racing” at writer Lee Soo-yeon’s script. Yun Yu, played by Han Hyo-joo, is the founder and current CEO of BF, a global biotechnology company. He dreams of a perfect day when not a single inch of land will be destroyed for food, and he is leading the global pear rearing market, but he is plagued by vicious threats from those who oppose his beliefs. There have always been threats against him since the beginning of the business, but due to the recent culture media rumors, death threats from unknown people, and large-scale hacking incidents, Woo Chae-woon, a retired officer, is hired as a dedicated bodyguard.
Han Hyo-joo said, “I thought it was a smart script with smart material that could be done right at this time. So I read it right away, and I liked it so much that I wrote a diary. It was so memorable and exciting.”
He also said, “One of the characteristics of writer Lee Soo-yeon’s screenplay was that many scenes were expressed long,” and “These days, each scene has become shorter, so it rarely lasts longer than a minute when filming or acting, but filming with long takes made acting more fun.” “There was,” he said. Ju Ji-hoon also agreed with this. Joo Ji-hoon praised the script, saying, “Writer Soo-yeon Lee’s script does a great job of mixing material worth thinking about with an interesting story,” and added, “That was amazing.”
Each actor’s acting transformation is also considered a point to watch.
Lee Hee-jun was cast as Seon Woo-jae, the Prime Minister of the Republic of Korea who is gaining the trust of the people. Despite his good-natured appearance, Seon Woo-jae is an ambitious and powerful man who thinks he is the most superior being. As the eldest son of the Dawson Group, the number one business in Korea, he shows a favorable attitude towards BF Group and Yoon Ja-yu, but behind the scenes he has different intentions.
Lee Hee-jun laughed and said, “Of all the characters I have played, this is the highest-ranking character,” and added, “Every time I filmed a meal scene with my father, we filmed it at a restaurant in a super luxurious building.” He added, “The whiskey on display was enormous,” adding, “I’ve never seen anything like that in my life, but through this role, I’ve been to a lot of luxurious, expensive places.”
Lee Moo-saeng played the role of On-san, Yoon Ja-yu’s friend for 20 years and the general manager of technology who manages the overall BF Group. Onsan stands out as a meticulous and rational scientist, but in front of Yoon Ja-yu, he shows his human side and stays by her side and becomes a strong supporter. With the appearance of Woo Chae-woon, various incidents continue to occur in the BF group, and while he is wary of him, he is a character who maintains his own focus even in complex situations.
Lee Moo-saeng said, “Our work is a story about relationships,” and expressed his wish, “I am Yoon Ja-yu’s co-worker for 20 years, and there are different points to talk about depending on each relationship. I hope you will keep an eye on those aspects.” Meanwhile, ‘Dominant Species’ will be released twice every Wednesday after its first release on the 10th.
Kim So-yeon, Hankyung.com reporter [email protected]
