Korea's Ryoo Seung-wan goes for fresh action, relatable characters in 'Veteran' sequel

Record ID: 1814533

  • Title: Korea's Ryoo Seung-wan goes for fresh action, relatable characters in 'Veteran' sequel
  • Date: 21st May 2024
  • Summary: (SOUNDBITE) (Korean) FILMMAKER, RYOO SEUNG-WAN, SAYING: "We've been talking about making a third movie for a while now. We're cautious. The important thing now is that this movie is loved by audiences, so that we are able to make a third instalment. Nothing has been decided yet, apart from our will to make another movie. What I can tell you is that the next movie I make wi
  • Embargoed: 4th June 2024 19:45
  • Keywords: Hwang Jung-min I the Executioner I the Executioner film Jung Hae-in Korean films Ryoo Seung-wan Veteran 2 Veteran 2 film Veteran film
  • Location: CANNES, FRANCE / VARIOUS FILM LOCATIONS
  • City: CANNES, FRANCE / VARIOUS FILM LOCATIONS
  • Country: France
  • Topics: Arts/Culture/Entertainment,Europe,Film
  • Reuters ID: LVA009447521052024RP1
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: PLEASE SEE EDIT 3910-FILMFESTIVAL-CANNES/VETERAN 2-PREMIERE FOR ADDITIONAL PREMIERE FOOTAGE
    Nine years after his box office hit "Veteran," South Korean filmmaker Ryoo Seung-wan is bringing the Major Crime Investigation Division back to the big screen with "Veteran 2".
    The action-thriller, which also goes by the title "I, the Executioner" and stars Hwang Jung-Min and Jung Hae-in, had its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival, where it is showing out of competition, shortly after midnight on Tuesday (May 21).
    It sees veteran actor Hwang, 53, one of Korea's highest-paid movie stars, reprising the role of detective Seo Do-cheol.
    "D.P.", "Snowdrop" and "Something in the Rain" star Jung, 36, takes on the role of mysterious rookie police officer Park Sun-woo, who is brought in to help catch a serial killer targeting perpetrators of crimes.
    Like the first film, "Veteran 2" is written by Ryoo.
    "I actually had a lot of ideas for this sequel, but I kept feeling like I was just rehashing the earlier success, so I kept going. The process involved me throwing out large parts of the story that I had written. And then I realized that it had been five, six, seven years, so naturally, the characters have changed, too," the filmmaker told Reuters following the film's premiere.
    Complicating the investigators' work is an increasing number of social media influencers who livestream from crime scenes in the hope of gaining clicks, likes and new followers.
    "There are a lot of events happening right now, not only in Korea, but all over the world, that involve fake news, situations where information is oversaturated, where there is confusion about what is true, and I thought I would take those things and try to merge them together," said Ryoo.
    The director said his goal was to make the overworked Detective Seo, whose squad feels the effects of high gas prices and low pay, relatable to audiences.
    "I think the main character is special because he's an ordinary person who makes heroic choices. I don't think there's another hero who gets beaten up as much as our character does. And he's troubled by the smallest things in his life and I wanted the audience to identify with him and think 'well, he's no different from me'," said Ryoo.
    Known for his unique action scenes, Ryoo promised the new instalment would not disappoint audiences.
    "I wanted to create action scenes that I hadn't seen in a movie before, and I wanted to make sure that when the audience watches the movie, they feel like they're seeing these type of action scenes for the first time, that it feels fresh. I think we've been able to achieve that, to a certain extent," he said.
    The director said his actors and crew were keen to keep developing the "Veteran" franchise.
    "We've been talking about making a third movie for a while now," he said."
    "The important thing now is that this movie is loved by audiences, so that we are able to make a third instalment. Nothing has been decided yet, apart from our will to make another movie," he said. "What I can tell you is that the next movie I make will not be the third 'Veteran" film but I will certainly try to get it made in less time than the nine years it took between the first and the second films."
    "Veteran 2" is screening out of competition at the 77th Cannes Film Festival.
    (Production: Fedja Grulovic, Noemie Olive, Hanna Rantala)
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