“We Want a BTS Challenge!” Gang Dong-won, Um Tae-gu, and Park Ji-hyun Go Full Idol Mode in ‘Wild Thing’

The movie ‘Wild Thing’ has raised expectations by sharing the surprising behind-the-scenes stories of Gang Dong-won, Um Tae-gu, and Park Ji-hyun’s transformation into idols.

A production report for ‘Wild Thing’ (directed by Son Jae-gon) was held on the morning of the 7th at Lotte Cinema Konkuk University Entrance in Seoul. Actors Gang Dong-won, Um Tae-gu, Park Ji-hyun, and Oh Jung-se, along with director Son Jae-gon, attended the event.

Releasing on June 3, ‘Wild Thing’ is a comedy about ‘Triangle,’ a three-member co-ed dance group that once swept the music industry but disbanded overnight due to an unexpected incident. Now, 20 years later, they take on a reckless challenge to seize a chance at a comeback.

Gang Dong-won introduced his character, saying, “I’m the leader of Triangle, in charge of dance and vocals. After the team disbanded due to an incident, I’ve been barely scraping by with small jobs while staying connected to the entertainment industry. I want to keep working and make a comeback, but I’m a character who is being forgotten by everyone.”

He added, “While preparing for this project, I realized how hard idols must have it and grew to respect them. Comedy is my favorite genre, and the script was so fun. I loved that it had a definitive ending rather than an open one. The story of the four characters racing toward the ending was so interesting, which is why I wanted to do it.”

Regarding his rap practice, Um Tae-gu revealed, “I tried to go as often as possible before filming and practiced whenever I had a gap for about five months.”

On why he chose the project, he said, “The script was very interesting. I also really liked the director during our meeting, so I decided to join.”

Park Ji-hyun explained her choice to play the role of Domi, “I was already a fan of director Son Jae-gon and enjoyed his previous works. When I read the script, I had a strong desire to express the duality of Domi’s character, and I was craving comedy. I felt like I finally found a project that could quench my thirst for comic acting.”

She continued, “Like Um Tae-gu sunbae said, when the script came to me, both senior actors were already cast. As I read it and immersed myself, it was so fun. I couldn’t imagine Gang Dong-won sunbae doing b-boying or Um Tae-gu sunbae rapping, so I thought it would be hilarious and decided to do it.”

Director Son Jae-gon mentioned, “I worried about what colors to use for the protagonists’ balloons. Since there weren’t many colors left unused, I went with the primary colors: red, green, and blue.”

Oh Jung-se shared his motivation, “The story was interesting, and I wanted to work with the director. I was curious to see what kind of work would come out if this story were told in the director’s style. I think many people, not just me, couldn’t imagine this. Those question marks made me curious and excited.”

Director Son Jae-gon introduced Shin Ha-kyun, who plays the agency CEO, “He appears as the CEO of the agency that cast and produced the three Triangle members. He’s a kind of ‘evil’ agency CEO, but he expressed it in a cute way rather than being truly malicious.”

Regarding the title track ‘Love is’, he stated, “When we first started working on it, the small rule was that it had to evoke the atmosphere of that time, but also be something modern audiences would enjoy. I also asked for it to be something that sounds great the first time you hear it in a theater. It’s a basic request, but the composer did a great job.”

Um Tae-gu shared his rap preparation process, “I practiced hard at JYP Entertainment. Since I used a private booth, I didn’t get to see any other idols.”

Oh Jung-se talked about his song in the movie, ‘I Like You’, saying, “When I first received the song, I let out a hollow laugh, but as I kept listening, it was actually so good that I started smiling. I had many discussions with the choreography teacher.”

Director Son Jae-gon expressed confidence in the stage scenes, “Several performance scenes appear during filming. We worked with actual concert production staff to create the stage and set up the filming equipment. Every stage scene in the movie was co-created by the film crew and a real concert performance team.”

Gang Dong-won recalled, “Many of the extras who came were young. I wondered if they knew who I was. I thought they might be thinking, ‘What is that ahjussi doing over there?’ Since they didn’t know the script, I wondered what they were thinking. They probably didn’t expect me to actually perform an idol stage.”

Um Tae-gu revealed, “I did the rehearsal on stage the day before filming. With all the broadcast cameras and lights on me, it felt strange and nerve-wracking. It was the first day the staff saw what I had practiced, and it was strangely fun.”

Park Ji-hyun said, “Although we prepared for a long time, the filming days weren’t that long. The seniors are just too good. Dong-won sunbae was completely immersed in the dance, and while I knew Tae-gu sunbae was an introvert, he became a different person once he hit the stage. He kept practicing beside me. I felt bad that I couldn’t do as well as them. I even felt like I was being overshadowed. Even though I’m the center, he winked so much that I felt a bit lacking.”

Gang Dong-won added, “During filming, I told Ji-hyun, ‘Ji-hyun, you’re born for the stage. You’re someone who shines on stage.'”

Oh Jung-se joked, “The extras who hadn’t seen the script must have had a hard time watching the three of them perform, but I wonder how hard it was to watch my performance. It was a battle with myself. I told myself not to be embarrassed, to overcome it, and that I am a balladeer. I remember filming that with a lot of effort.”

Regarding performing a headspin himself, Gang Dong-won said, “I practiced for about five months. I didn’t start with headspins right away. My understanding of hip-hop was zero. I didn’t even listen to it. I’m more into rock and roll, so I knew nothing about hip-hop. While reading the script, I just thought about how funny it would be if I did the headspin myself. I wanted the audience to find it strangely funny—both pitiful and hilarious. I didn’t know the genre of breakdancing at all. I noticed they don’t put their feet on the ground much; they support their bodies with their hands and dance against gravity. I was confused if it was dancing or gymnastics. Once I decided to do it, it was one of the hardest things I’ve ever learned.”

He added, “I usually practice a lot before filming, but I felt the time was too short for this. If I had more time to practice, I could have spun at least half a turn more.”

Oh Jung-se noted, “Whenever I went to the practice room, he was always in that (headspinning) position,” and Park Ji-hyun also shared, “I was worried because he was drenched in sweat.”

Um Tae-gu said, “I don’t think I’m that much of an introvert. I’m not sure if I’m 180 degrees different, but I remember setting my mindset on stage. On the day of filming, I did it with the mindset that I’d die if I wasn’t cute in this spot. I was motivated by watching Gang Dong-won sunbae practice next to me.”

Park Ji-hyun explained, “Visually, Domi from the past Triangle got a tan. My skin is quite fair, but to capture the vibe of idols from that era, I tanned my skin dark. I also tried to keep the makeup authentic to that period. Since I’m the main vocal, I worked on projecting my voice with good volume.”

Director Son Jae-gon stated regarding the idol episodes he referenced, “I looked at a lot of materials from the 90s to the 2000s. I did a lot of research. However, when deciding on the final style and creating specific episodes, I didn’t take anything specific from a real person. I made decisions within the settings of the movie.”

When asked if he regretted his drastic transformation as an introvert, Um Tae-gu replied, “I wanted to express the character Gu Sang-gu well. I have an introverted side, but I also have an extroverted side. Anyway, I wanted to portray the character well. The moments I regretted were when the acting didn’t come out as intended, or when I felt it wasn’t funny enough and thought it would have been funnier if I’d done it differently.”

Park Ji-hyun mentioned the idols she referenced while experiencing the center role, “I practiced a lot. There are so many idols I referenced. I looked up almost every video of female idols from the 90s and 2000s. While playing the center, I remembered an interview I once did where I said I wanted to try explosive singing and dancing on stage, but that it probably wouldn’t happen because I lacked the ability. I feel like I got to experience that vicariously through this movie.”

When asked if there’s a singer he’d like to do a challenge with to promote the film, Gang Dong-won said, “Suddenly, I think of BTS. It would be an honor if they did a challenge.” Oh Jung-se joked, “I want to do one with the popular singer Park Kyung-lim.”

He added, “It would be rude to actual singers for us to stand on stage. Our skills aren’t at that level. It’s already been a year, so I don’t even remember the choreography well. I don’t know if there will be an opportunity. I really felt the struggles of singers. Preparing for this was so hard.”

Finally, Gang Dong-won said, “I hope people watch this movie and enjoy it while remembering the time they themselves shined,” and Um Tae-gu added, “I hope it’s a time where people can laugh a lot while watching the movie.”