Can a quartet of goofballs with superpowers actually save the world?
The press conference for the Netflix series Wonderfools (Written by Heo Da-jung / Directed by Yoo In-sik) was held on May 12 at the JW Marriott Dongdaemun Square Seoul. Director Yoo In-sik and actors Park Eun-bin, Choi Dae-hoon, Lim Sung-jae, Kim Hae-sook, Son Hyun-joo, Jung Yi-seo, Choi Yoon-ji, and Bae Na-ra all attended the event.
Wonderfools is a comic superpower adventure set in 1999 at the turn of the century. It follows a group of local goofballs who accidentally gain superpowers and struggle to protect the world against villains threatening peace.
Director Yoo In-sik introduced the show, saying, “Set in 1999 during an era where doomsday theories were rampant, four people called ‘goofballs’ suddenly gain special abilities. It is a story about what happens when they face a mission to save the world. You could call it a comic superhero adventure drama.”
Regarding his motivation for the project, he shared, “I’ve always loved the superhero genre. I had a dream of making the kind of movies that keep people glued to their seats even after the credits roll, and the original concept made my heart race again. I started this because I felt I could give viewers the same excitement I felt as a child.” He added, “I believe this genre should be fundamentally enjoyable. Just like the thrill you feel the moment you buckle your seatbelt at an amusement park, I hope viewers enjoy the laughter and excitement until the very end, and then feel a warm emotion.”
He also revealed details about the production process: “The world in 1999 doesn’t look drastically different at first glance, and clothing isn’t immediately obvious either. That’s why the art and prop teams paid a lot of attention to detail. We included things like popular graffiti from that time and Y2K emergency kits. Since the characters need to stand out, we focused on details that viewers would notice if they looked closely.”
Park Eun-bin takes on the lead role of Eun-chaeni. “Eun-chaeni is the carefree granddaughter of the owner of the most successful restaurant in Haeseong City. She’s a reckless troublemaker who lives for today, saying whatever is on her mind because she doesn’t know when she might die. Because of this, she’s nicknamed ‘the mess of Haeseong City.’ While living as a local fixture in Haeseong City, she suddenly gains the power of teleportation,” Park explained.
When asked why she chose Wonderfools, Park Eun-bin said, “When I first read the script, I thought it was ingenious and that it would be fun to bring this to life. The character’s way of thinking was quite simple. I had a lot of joyful experiences while getting to know her world, and I think viewers will have a great time if they follow along.”
About the atmosphere on set, she shared, “Thankfully, everything seemed to lead to Chaeni, which made it a lot of fun. I think we can show some true team chemistry. There were many challenging scenes, so it always felt like a challenge, but we filmed it happily. The set was full of laughter and the atmosphere was great.” She added, “Since the script was so funny, I almost felt pressured about whether I could make it funny enough, but seeing everyone else work so hard on their characters, I realized I didn’t have to be the funny one and could just focus on being serious.”
Expectations for the show’s success are high, as Director Yoo In-sik, Park Eun-bin, Lim Sung-jae, and Choi Dae-hoon reunite after their work on Extraordinary Attorney Woo.
Director Yoo In-sik promised, “It seems like people overseas are viewing the project favorably, so I hope we hit number one globally. If we do, I’ll create and upload some special content.”
Wonderfools will be released on May 15 at 5 PM.
