“We are confident in our box office success!”
What more adjectives are needed? Yoo Hae-jin, Kang Ha-neul, Park Hae-joon, and Ryu Kyung-soo have come together for the new film ‘Opposition’.
Kang Ha-neul stated at the production report for the film ‘Opposition’ (directed by Hwang Byeong-guk) held at the Samsung Megabox COEX in Seoul on the morning of the 13th, “When I read the script and get to the end in one sitting, I feel connected to the work. At first, I thought it was about politics when I saw the title, but it turned out not to be the case when I read the script.”
He continued, “The structure of the script had a charm that made me want to keep reading,” and introduced his character Lee Kang-soo as “a character who lives between legality and illegality, confident and assertive.”
He added, “The director suggested that it would be good to have specific props, so I wore sunglasses and a watch. The color red was a key point,” and “The concept was to always wear red shoes, which allowed me to act comfortably. Wearing red made me feel passionate and assertive.”
Director Hwang Byeong-guk also mentioned, “As many people have anticipated, it is not a political film,” adding, “I wanted to convey both the caution regarding drugs and the thrill of the genre.”
Director Hwang explained, “The concept of the film was rhythm and pace,” and “I asked all the actors to deliver their lines quickly and with rhythm. I wanted it to express how they change to achieve their desires in a multi-dimensional way, and we discussed this for a long time.”
He further shared, “I visited a drug rehabilitation center for research. What shocked me was that there was a drug user in their 20s with an IQ of about 65, who was exempt from military service. They couldn’t even find their mobile phone when a call came in. Another case involved students who ranked 1st, 2nd, and 3rd in their class coming in for drug treatment. I wanted to maintain the seriousness and danger of drugs while creating a film that keeps the audience engaged without a moment to breathe, leaving them with a sense of exhilaration when it ends.”
‘Opposition’ is a crime action film that unfolds as a broker designing the drug scene in South Korea, ‘Opposition’, a prosecutor aiming for higher status, and a detective who is committed to eradicating drug crimes, each with different objectives. It deals with the ‘Opposition’, a real but shrouded figure in the back dealings of drug investigations.
Yoo Hae-jin, who collaborated with Kang Ha-neul and Park Hae-joon for the first time in ‘Opposition’, praised, “Kang Ha-neul has such great energy. That was naturally good, and he is really smart,” adding, “When he comes up with an idea and suggests it, his judgment is accurate and quick. So, shooting scenes with him felt like they flowed smoothly.”
Regarding Park Hae-joon, he said, “We didn’t shoot that many scenes together, but what I felt this time was that he is quite clumsy,” which drew laughter, and added, “His acting is great, and his clumsy side in daily life seemed very human.”
Yoo Hae-jin plays the role of prosecutor Koo Kwan-hee, who leads Lee Kang-soo down the path of the Opposition. He stated, “As the director mentioned, I was attracted to the fact that I could show a film based on the Opposition to the audience for the first time. It could easily become a cliché film, but it felt fresh,” and “A representative prop that can express the prosecutor Koo Kwan-hee well is the nameplate. He is a very ambitious prosecutor trying to survive in a fierce prosecution organization and rise to the top. I thought a lot about how to express this ambition naturally without overdoing it.”
Ryu Kyung-soo, who plays the son of a leading presidential candidate, Jo Hoon, described his character as “someone whose life has gone as he pleased, with an arrogant personality.” He continued, “Since he is a friend who has dabbled in drugs, I listened to a lot of the director’s interviews and looked for documentaries and interviews, even conducting interviews myself to think about realistic expressions.”
He also mentioned, “Personally, Park Hae-joon is charismatic and sexy. He has always been a senior I admired,” and “I learned a lot from Yoo Hae-jin. His jokes transcend dimensions. Kang Ha-neul is full of energy, and if he wasn’t, I felt like I would become the bad guy. Chae Won-bin is really good at acting. It was always a learning experience.”
Meanwhile, Kang Ha-neul is set to release both ‘Streaming’ and ‘Opposition’ around the same time. He said, “It’s an unexpected coincidence,” adding, “I’m grateful for the release timing that many people have considered. I hope both works are well-received, and I don’t want to feel ashamed.”
He continued, “Honestly, I don’t think my appearance will solve the drought, nor do I wish for that. Everyone wants to see good works. I hope it’s a good Korean film that is a good work, and I hope it’s our film.”
‘Opposition’ is set to be released on April 23.
