CANNES, France -
Lee Jung-jae, the award-winning star of Netflix's “Squid Sport,” spent years growing the Nineteen Eighties-set Korean spy thriller “Hunt” earlier than electing to direct himself. He did it a bit reluctantly, with out large plans to proceed filmmaking. However Lee did have a imaginative and prescient for what it might be - and the place it might premiere.
“Earlier than deciding to direct, I believed I simply wished to make a really enjoyable movie,” Lee says. “After I received my fingers on it and began writing the script myself, I really wished to return to Cannes. As a result of I wished to return to Cannes, I needed to discover the subject material that might resonate with the worldwide viewers.”
Few actors know extra about capturing the eye of the worldwide viewers than Lee. Already certainly one of Korea's high film stars, the 49-year-old Lee is on the nexus of the “Squid Sport” phenomenon, starring within the dystopic collection that - subtitles and all - grew to become Netflix's most-watched present in some 90 nations.
Now, Lee is in Cannes to premiere “Hunt,” which is taking part in in Cannes' midnight part and being shopped for worldwide distribution. The movie will take a look at how far Lee can additional lengthen his already borderless profession. Earlier this 12 months, Lee signed with the Hollywood powerhouse company CAA. And he grants that he has some Hollywood ambitions.
“Working in Hollywood would positively be an excellent expertise for me,” Lee mentioned in an interview in Cannes shortly earlier than “Hunt” premiered. “If there was an excellent match for me, an excellent character, I would positively like to hitch. However proper now, I really feel like international audiences are wanting extra Korean content material and Korea-made TV reveals and movies. So I'd work in Korea as nicely very diligently. I may appear a bit grasping, but when there was a task for me in Hollywood, I would positively like to try this, too.”
But when Lee's ascension to being an more and more world-renown actor typifies the pop-culture energy of as we speak's Korea, his movie is about in an earlier, much less harmonious chapter in Korean historical past. “Hunt” takes place a number of years after South Korean president Park Chung-hee was assassinated in 1979 by the chief of the Korean Central Intelligence Company, a coup that ushered within the navy dictatorship of Chun Doo-hwan. “Hunt” is loosely impressed by his subsequent 1983 assassination try orchestrated by North Korea.
“The '80s in Korea was after we had the rapidest development ever,” says Lee. “However democracy did not develop as a lot as a result of there was a navy dictatorship and the media was below full management of the federal government. So I did hear lots from the older technology and my dad and mom about these authorities controls. I additionally witnessed myself school protests.”
“Hunt” grippingly follows a pair of brokers (one is performed by Lee, the opposite by Jung Woo-sung) who're each assigned to uncover a North Korean mole throughout the company. Lee - not merely dipping his toe right into a modest directorial debut - proves expert at mounting large-scale motion sequences and marshalling a dense plot whereas managing to maintain the suspense up.
“Lots of people instructed me that I ought to change the setting to now,” Lee mentioned, talking by an interpreter. “However within the '80s, there was a number of management of data and other people have been making an attempt to learn from faux info and misinformation. I feel that also exists now in 2022. Nonetheless there are teams that attempt to profit from these controls of data and propaganda.
“We now stay in a world world that is related,” he provides. “We haven't any silos between us. If there's an issue or difficulty, we've got to all work on it to beat it.”
Lee is usually requested how his life has modified since “Squid Sport” by Western journalists who is likely to be much less accustomed to his practically three many years as a high star in Korea in movies like “An Affair,” “New World” and “The Housemaid.”
Lee laughs. “It is pure as a result of lots of people within the West won't have identified me earlier than `Squid Sport.”'
That is altering quickly, although. Lee will return for season two of “Squid Sport,” which the collection' creator Hwang Dong-hyuk just lately mentioned must be anticipated in 2023 or 2024. The primary season already led to Lee turning into the primary Asian actor win the Display Actors Guild Award for greatest male performer. Lee was so stunned - except for contemplating himself an underdog, he is a giant “Succession” fan - that he by no means managed to drag out the speech he had written in his pocket.
“It nonetheless,” Lee says smiling and shaking his head, “looks like a dream to me.”
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