WARNING: Spoilers for Project Wolf HuntingProject Wolf Hunting, currently playing in theaters, is a high-stakes adventure on the high seas from acclaimed Korean filmmaker Kim Hong-sun. Those with sensitive stomachs are cautioned to steel themselves before entering the violence-filled thriller, which pits hardened cops against deadly criminals for two hours of bloody good fun.
With an all-star cast that includes Seo In-guk (Doom At Your Service), Jang Dong-yoon, Jung So-min, and Sung Dong-il, Project Wolf Hunting blends complicated character motivations with a nonstop thrill ride that encapsulates some of the best thrillers to come out of Korea in the last decade. Known for his work in the action genre, with films like Traffickers and The Con Artists under his belt, Kim has recently signed with WME and plans to expand into Hollywood. If his latest project is anything to go by, audiences will be in for several shocks each time.
Screen Rant spoke to Kim Hong-sun about how creative he wanted to get with the brutal fight scenes in Project Wolf Hunting, how his casting process works, and whether he might ever make a romance instead.
Director On Project Wolf Hunting
What inspired this bloody tale of cops versus convicts? Were you more invested in the social message or the supernatural element?
Kim Hong-sun: If you look at my previous film work, you will see that I am influenced by social events. I wanted to show the criminals who were extradited from the Philippines to Korea, and I also wanted to talk about the Korean victims of Japan's colonization of Korea. I wanted to put those together.
Speaking of criminals, Seo In-guk has played characters on the wrong side of the tracks before, but he's never been as openly villainous as he is in Project Wolf Hunting. What about his filmography or aura made him right for the role of Park Jong-du?
Kim Hong-sun: I was impressed by his TV drama called 38 Task Force, and then I bumped into him at some point. I found him very sexy and also very masculine as well.
As you said, Seo In-guk had not played a true villain before my film, so I thought that this would be a good chance for him to expand his range as an actor. I wanted the audience to be reminded of Denzel Washington Training Day, because that was his first villain role. That was my intention.
I know you and the tattooist Aerok designed the tattoos that covered his whole body. What did they represent and what was that process like?
Kim Hong-sun: The character played by Seo In-guk was a bad ass since his teenage days. He was a juvenile delinquent who had already started adding tattoos little by little, one by one, whenever he made money doing some evil deed.
We had a meeting in pre-production about how to design these tattoos, and I knew I didn't want to do something common or redundant in film. I wanted something fresh, so I thought about Japanese style tattoos. I did some Google searching and conferred with my tattoo artist about it. Then it occurred to me that we should use animal tattoos, like this legendary Korean animal called the bong-hwang, [similar to a phoenix], which is a big bird that's also very formidable.
And I used this face tattoo on his body. Half of the tattoo is a skeleton, and the other half is a tiger. When Jong-du dies, you can see that the tattoo falls. He dies, but I wanted to tell the world that he's not really dead, and the tattoo signifies that
On the other hand, Jang Dong-yoon's character almost didn't speak, so you never know what his intentions are. By the end of the film, of course, it's clear that was intentional. How did you work with him to shape Do-il almost without any dialogue?
Kim Hong-sun: The most important thing I wanted to convey with him is that he is a man of mystery. If you look at Jang Dong-yoon, the actor, he has a rather straightforward and orthodox face—meaning he has a very honest face. But he's actually a serial killer, so we had to bring out that feeling so the audience will realize that. I asked him to use his eyes and his gaze, so that we will see what's inside him.
He wants the cop Dae-woong [played by Sung Dong-il] to come to the ship, so he lures him in to show that he has some sort of supernatural ability inside. It was very important for him to maintain that mysterious look.
The fight sequences are masterfully crafted, and so much creativity goes into the kills or even the blood spatter. How intentional were each of those choices and how were the fights choreographed?
Kim Hong-sun: In Korea, showing blood or violence is not that easy. It's rather limited by the audience reaction, and shy away from excessive use of either. You can almost call it a taboo. I knew that, so I discussed it with the investors and production companies, and they said they approved of the level of violence I wanted to express in my film.
We created new blood pumps, and my intention was to do something as real or even more real than what Tarantino does. As you know, blood does not just seep out. If you cut an artery, it might pump out. That's what I wanted, so I'm happy. I understand that some of my audience is not so happy, but fortunately, I am happy.
As your career has progressed, how would you say your interests when it comes to storytelling have evolved? Has the scope of genres you want to explore widened?
Kim Hong-sun: My favorite film is Serendipity, starring Jon Cusack and Kate Beckinsale. I really would like to direct a melodrama or romantic comedy. But I'm also a writer, and when I write my own script, it ends up becoming a thriller. If I direct another screenwriter's work, then I will be able to do melos or romantic comedies.
I'm visualizing a romance about serial killers who fall in love.
Kim Hong-sun: [Laughs] I think it'd be very interesting. Yeah, it's gonna be a lot of fun.
Sung Dong-il worked with you on The Chase as well. How often does your previous work with an actor lead to a more collaborative partnership?
Kim Hong-sun: When I work with actors over time, I like to see their new sides. What new aspect can they bring? There's this expression, "An actor is a man of a thousand faces." They're supposed to be able to play all these different characters, so I have this trust, "He's a good actor, so he will probably do well in this role too."
Sometimes I have actors in my mind when I write characters, or else I write characters first and then look for actors. However, many things have to come together in order to work with an actor. First, their payment or guarantee must be met. Then, their schedules and if they even like the character. In short, being friendly with an actor is not a sure way to cast that person again.
I know you signed with William Morris Endeavor recently. In what ways has working with them expanded your view of the industry?
Kim Hong-sun: I feel very lucky, and I'm very thankful. My expectation is high, so I'm trying to find out how we can collaborate. I'm open to all possibilities. I can bring Korean actors to work in Hollywood, or I can work in Korea with Hollywood actors. And I would like to do it sooner rather than later.
About Project Wolf Hunting
When efforts to extradite notorious convicts from the Philippines to South Korea are stymied by a deadly airport bombing, the Korean authorities commandeer the cargo freighter Frontier Wolf for their next transfer. As a rogues’ gallery of lowlifes, including a callous heir to a criminal empire (Seo In-guk), board the titanic vessel, they are escorted by two dozen hardened detectives, and the vigilant oversight of a hot-headed Coast Guard captain (Sung Dong-il). Despite the heavy security, a plot to seize control of the ship percolates among the prisoners and soon boils over, but what neither cop nor crook appear to be privy to is that they are not the freighter’s only cargo.
Project Wolf Hunting is currently playing in theaters.