Actors Gang Dong Won, Um Tae Goo, and Park Ji Hyun have teamed up for the movie ‘Wild Thing’, which is set to bring plenty of laughs to theaters this summer.
A press screening and conference for ‘Wild Thing’ was held on the afternoon of the 18th at Lotte Cinema Lotte World Mall in Songpa-gu, Seoul. Actors Gang Dong Won, Um Tae Goo, Park Ji Hyun, Oh Jung Se, and Director Son Jae Gon attended the event.
‘Wild Thing’ is a comedy about ‘Triangle’, a three-member co-ed dance group that once dominated the music scene but disbanded overnight after an unexpected incident. Now, 20 years later, they embark on a reckless challenge to seize a chance at a comeback.
Gang Dong Won plays Hyun Woo, the former leader of ‘Triangle’ who has since become a broadcaster just to make a living. Gang Dong Won shared, “Since I’m part of the generation that grew up watching them, I wanted to homage the styles of my senior singers. I think I filmed while coming up with various ideas.”
To perfectly embody Hyun Woo, Gang Dong Won reportedly learned how to dance and sing, visiting the practice room every day to master choreography like hip-hop and b-boying. Recalling the experience, he said, “I approached it as if I were filming another action movie. Since the character is an idol singer from a breakdance background, I spent an enormous amount of time learning to dance. As actors, performing on stage was a challenge. For an actor, looking at the camera results in an NG, but for an idol, NOT looking at the camera is an NG. Every single part of singing and dancing while looking at the camera was a challenge.”
Um Tae Goo takes on a transformation as Sang Goo, a former rapper who now works as an insurance agent. He reportedly visited the JYP Entertainment building for five months to learn how to rap. Um Tae Goo expressed his gratitude, saying, “Everything from the rapping, the genre, the choreography, to the high-tension character was a challenge. Still, I tried my best to follow what my rap teacher taught me. The costume and makeup teams created the look so well that I felt like I had a great weapon. I think it turned out well thanks to their help.”
He added, “I was scared, but the script was so interesting. Since Gang Dong Won was already cast, I really wanted to join him. I focused on how to faithfully deliver what was in the script.”
Park Ji Hyun plays Do Mi, the center of ‘Triangle’ and currently a daughter-in-law of a chaebol family. Park Ji Hyun, who decided to join the cast without hesitation after falling for Do Mi’s honesty and easygoing nature, revealed, “I loved Lee Hyori of Fin.K.L back then. She felt like an icon of that era. I tried to reference her freshness, sexiness, and eye-smile.”
She further explained her focus, saying, “The director and staff captured the sensibility of the era so well that just being on set felt like being in that time. I researched what words and speaking styles were used back then. I also wanted to show the passage of time between the 20s and 40s.”
Adding to the cast, Oh Jung Se plays the scene-stealing role of Seong Gon, a tragic ballad prince turned hunter. Starting with, “I hope many audience members laugh at me,” Oh Jung Se confessed that he put a lot of thought into the character’s speech and nuances.
He also encouraged expectations, saying, “You can really feel the strong scent of sweat from Triangle. Before watching, I thought it was just a funny movie, but I think it’s also a heartwarming one.”
Meanwhile, ‘Wild Thing’ will be released on June 3.
