‘Colony’, which just made a triumphant return from the 79th Cannes Film Festival, is finally ready to meet Korean audiences.
The press and distribution screening for ‘Colony’ took place on the 20th at CGV Yongsan I-Park Mall in Seoul. Actors Jun Ji-hyun, Koo Kyo-hwan, Ji Chang-wook, Shin Hyun-bin, Kim Shin-rok, and Director Yeon Sang-ho were all in attendance.
Releasing on the 21st, ‘Colony’ follows the desperate struggle of survivors trapped in a locked-down building as they face infected beings that evolve in unpredictable ways. The film is helmed by Director Yeon Sang-ho, the mastermind behind ‘Train to Busan’, ‘Peninsula’, and ‘Face’.
‘Colony’ garnered global attention after being officially invited to the Midnight Screening section of the 79th Cannes Film Festival before its release. This marks Director Yeon’s fourth time on the Cannes red carpet, following ‘The King of Pigs’ (2012, Director’s Fortnight), ‘Train to Busan’ (2016, Midnight Screening), and ‘Peninsula’ (2020, Official Selection). He shared, “Cannes is truly a festival. I am so happy to showcase our film to so many people. But seeing it today with the reporters in the CGV IMAX theater felt even better (laughs). I think it will be even better when it opens tomorrow. I hope people enjoy it as a fun zombie movie.”
Regarding the most memorable foreign press reviews, he noted, “I did worry about whether the various stories regarding AI in current society would be conveyed well.” He added, “Fortunately, the foreign reporters read the message well, which was impressive. Every country has works with its own unique characteristics. ‘Face’ is a bit like that, but ‘Colony’ is a work that handles universal themes and suspense well. I was surprised and happy that the foreign reporters asked questions exactly as I had intended.”
Jun Ji-hyun, who stepped on the Cannes red carpet for the first time in her life, expressed her joy, saying, “It was a grateful occasion to introduce our film, but I actually came back having received a huge amount of energy.” Koo Kyo-hwan also couldn’t hide his emotion, recalling, “As soon as the premiere screening ended at 3 AM, I walked back to my accommodation. A foreigner on the street recognized me and greeted me, asking if I was Seo Young-cheol from ‘Colony’. I don’t think I’ve ever been happier as an actor. I can still remember that person’s smile.”
Ji Chang-wook said, “Every single day was overwhelming. Excitement and nervousness coexisted, but I had a great time at the festival.” Shin Hyun-bin added, “I was nervous and excited when the film was first revealed, and I’m grateful for the warm welcome. That energy helped me enjoy my schedule there.” Kim Shin-rok shared, “In Cannes, I could feel the passionate reverence and respect for cinema from people all over the world. It was like a dream for me. I was happy to go to Cannes with the ‘Colony’ team.” She continued, “While it’s praise for our film, it felt like praise for cinema itself, which made me want to meet Korean audiences as soon as possible.”
Jun Ji-hyun played Kwon Se-jung, a biotechnologist and leader of the survivors. She revealed, “Since Kwon Se-jung is a biotechnology professor, I wondered if it would be okay for a professor to be good at action.” She added, “I consulted a lot with the director on set and tried to film with a lot of restraint. Since she is a character who manages to escape crises, I tried to maintain an appropriate level.”
Koo Kyo-hwan, who played the biological doctor Seo Young-cheol responsible for the outbreak, explained, “Since Seo Young-cheol was experiencing this kind of interaction for the first time, I acted roughly using my facial muscles and my whole body. Then, when the communication improved, I moved with brief flickers. In the final duel scene with Se-jung, I used stronger hand and foot gestures because things were out of control.” He added, “Director Yeon Sang-ho gave such great guidance on set that I am essentially the director’s mirror.” To this, Director Yeon joked, “We call that ‘magnesium deficiency action’.”
Ji Chang-wook, who played Choi Hyun-seok, a security team employee at the Dung-uri Building, said, “It was wondrous when I first encountered the zombies on set. I was constantly amazed by their makeup and movements. It helped me a lot with my acting. Thanks to their great performances, I think I was able to give good reactions.”
He also spoke about the sibling chemistry he shared with Kim Shin-rok. Ji Chang-wook said, “It was interesting to see human nature revealed in the work. From the moment I first saw the script, I empathized a lot with the character Hyun-seok. I could relate to the thoughts about family and the vulnerability of relationships when in danger.” In response, Kim Shin-rok stated, “Although our backstory isn’t detailed in the script, I thought a lot about how to effectively show our emotional connection.”
Specifically, Ji Chang-wook delivers a powerful performance while carrying Kim Shin-rok, whose character has a leg disability. He said, “I never felt burdened throughout the filming. Rather, carrying my ‘noona’ made me rely on her more. While there was some physical fatigue, in a way, I felt emotionally connected to her.”
Shin Hyun-bin played Gong Seol-hee, who handles the dilemmas and decisions during the incident, while Kim Shin-rok played Choi Hyun-hee, adding tension in desperate crises. Shin Hyun-bin portrays the current wife of Han Gyu-sung (played by Go Soo), while Jun Ji-hyun plays the ex-wife, showcasing a unique relationship. Regarding this, she said, “I thought it was a unique relationship from the moment I first saw the script. Usually, when an ex-wife and a current wife meet over one man, it’s full of tension. In ‘Colony’, they appear as a relationship where they do what they want most and trust and cooperate with each other.” She added, “I found this setting to be fresh.”
Kim Shin-rok shared, “Everyone appearing in the movie has their own conditions and vulnerabilities for survival. I am Hyun-seok’s older sister, an IT professional, and a person with a disability. I thought the emotional connection with my brother was important, so I wanted to show it intuitively.”
Finally, Director Yeon spoke about the film, saying, “I didn’t prepare to make a zombie movie from the start. I thought about the potential fears of this society. What I felt was collective thinking through high-speed information exchange, and I discussed the helplessness of individuality with writer Choi Kyu-seok while writing the script.”
He continued, “At the end of that thought process, I felt this work could become a zombie film. I imagined zombies that update themselves, whether in the wrong or right direction. Also, they are different from the zombies in my previous works. While I mainly worked with breakdancers or stuntmen before, this time it was a difficult task to physically express the abstract concept of moving with collective intelligence.” He added, “I recruited a modern dance team, told them the feeling I wanted, and finally felt that the zombies I imagined were completed,” sparking curiosity among future viewers.
