“As the Korean film industry is going through a tough time, we need to think of ways to achieve maximum efficiency with minimal costs. Ultimately, it comes down to production costs. Good content doesn’t necessarily come from a big budget. I believe that’s how we can overcome the crisis. We need to strengthen mid-budget films.”
Actor Jung Joon-ho (55) returns with the film ‘Hitman’ Season 2 (directed by Choi Won-seok, hereafter ‘Hitman 2’). Following his bromance with younger colleagues, he also navigates a (one-sided) love line, showing confidence by stating, “It surpasses the previous installment in every aspect.”
Recently, Jung Joon-ho met at a café in Samcheong-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, and introduced ‘Hitman 2’ as “a comic action family film that anyone can enjoy comfortably, regardless of personal preferences, and even without having seen the previous installment.”
He mentioned, “A common characteristic when working on series films is a sense of ‘brotherhood.’ There’s a challenging mission to show something new while maintaining the world and strengths of the previous work. The sense of camaraderie felt during the process of solving that is significant,” he laughed.
When asked, “Did you solve it?” he smiled and replied, “A satisfactory result.” Jung Joon-ho noted, “Season 1 received meaningful results and evaluations even during the difficult times of the COVID-19 pandemic. We achieved our goals to some extent, and I’m personally happy that Season 2 was made. We worked hard on this one too. Our director always aims for 10 million viewers and is an ‘infinite positivity king’ who only speaks good words, and I think that energy is well captured.”
“My son loves movies and is quite a gaming enthusiast, and he gave ‘Hitman 2’ a very positive review. He’s not usually generous with compliments... He said it could reach 5 million viewers? I felt good to be recognized by my son, and I also really enjoyed it. I have some expectations for its box office performance. Haha!”
However, regarding his own performance, he expressed regret, saying, “I should have been more ambitious.” Jung Joon-ho explained, “As a senior, I feel the need to yield when working with juniors. I focus on creating an environment where they can fully express themselves. But when I saw the final cut, I realized they are all great actors with overflowing energy, and I felt I should have pushed myself more in my performance to better highlight the character’s charm.”
‘Hitman 2’ depicts the more challenging writing journey of Jun (played by Kwon Sang-woo), a legendary former National Intelligence Service assassin turned writer who has fallen from grace. It is the sequel to ‘Hitman,’ which attracted 2.4 million viewers even during the difficult times of the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic. Jung Joon-ho plays the role of NIS Director Deok-kyu, while Lee Yi-kyung plays the role of NIS ace agent Cheol.
Continuing the bickering duo dynamic with Lee Yi-kyung from the first film, he said, “Lee Yi-kyung is incredibly quick-witted and has no barriers. Since the previous installment, there has been an invisible competition between us, and it was the same this time.” He added, “Usually, when acting with a senior, if they improvise and it seems okay, I just go along with it, but Lee Yi-kyung responds and reacts back. So I also respond back, and we ended up having an endless improv battle. He’s really not one to yield.”
He also remarked, “It’s amazing how many ideas he comes up with; he has a lot of improvisation. He was the only one I had to be cautious of while filming. His usual personality is friendly and cute, and he’s really warm and gentle with the older guys,” showing affection.
Jung Joon-ho has participated in many series films such as ‘The Glory of Family,’ ‘Two Cops,’ and ‘Hitman.’ He stated, “In the case of ‘Hitman,’ the charm of those assigned the special mission of the kite becomes the core, tightly bonding them together. Not only in the film but also in life, Kwon Sang-woo’s determination for this movie is strong. This film cannot continue without Kwon Sang-woo,” continuously praising his junior colleagues.
In conclusion, he said, “These days, the theater industry is very tough. The word ‘crisis’ has been repeatedly mentioned for years,” and emphasized, “If Chungmuro is to survive, there is only one way. We need to reduce production costs. We must focus solely on content, even if it means making sacrifices.”
“I believe actors should also approach it from the perspective of investors. After that, it’s the audience. The audience is cold. They don’t consider how it was made or what was invested; they only judge based on the final product. Therefore, we need to mobilize everything we can to focus on ‘good content’ in the most rational and efficient way (with minimal capital) within the given environment. This will require the consideration and sacrifice of many people. It’s no longer an era where we can just spend a lot of money to make a big splash and compete with glamour. The essence itself must be solid. Everyone knows this, but no one yields. However, I believe that is the only way to revival.” (Continued in Interview ②)
