Kim Eun Hee, the master of genre, returns with a Korean occult mystery drama called “Revenant.” The anticipation is even higher with the collaboration of Kim Tae Ri and Oh Jung Se, who are known for their box-office successes.
The production presentation for the SBS new Friday-Saturday drama “Revenant” was held on the 23rd afternoon at the SBS building. Director Lee Jung Lim and actors Kim Tae Ri, Oh Jung Se, and Hong Kyung attended the event.
“Revenant” is a story about a poor young woman named San-young (played by Kim Tae Ri) who can see revenants, and a folklorist named Hae-sang (played by Oh Jung Se) who unravels mysterious deaths. Star writer Kim Eun Hee, known for works like “Sign,” “Ghost,” “Signal,” and “Kingdom,” and director Lee Jung Lim, who showed meticulous sensibility in “VIP,” joined forces for this project.
“Revenant” is touted as a Korean-style occult drama. Director Lee Jung Lim explained the difference from Western occultism, saying, “Exorcism is not included. I based the story on folklore, native beliefs, legends, and myths that our ancestors have believed in for a long time.”
When asked about the level of horror, the director said, “We aimed to show the maximum level that can be within the age limit of 15 and above. As we continued filming, I became more familiar with fear and ended up directing more provocatively. But although it’s scary, it has a subtle sense of fun, so I think you’ll find it okay until the end.”
Kim Tae Ri plays Gu San-young, a civil service exam candidate who works part-time during the day to support her financially struggling mother and prepares for the 9th-grade civil service exam at night.
When asked about her first impression of the script, Kim Tae Ri said, “I remember more about hearing the explanation from the writer than when I first received the script. The material felt very fresh to me. When dealing with folklore, I thought about how many ghosts and stories there would be in our country. Just thinking about it, there seemed to be endless episodes. Adding the keyword of youth to it made it even more interesting.”
Challenging her first genre work through “Revenant,” Kim Tae Ri mentioned the difficulty of portraying two characters with a single face. She said, “It was more challenging to act the revenant because San-young’s character was already dominant due to her starting the filming first. The solution was to focus on each character in every scene. I thought about what kind of person San-young was originally and what desires she had. Asking myself those questions helped me find the answer.”
Oh Jung Se portrays Yeom Hae-sang, a folklorist, and professor from a wealthy family background. Hae-sang has been able to see spirits and gods since he was young, and he initially pretended not to be afraid of them. However, he starts delving into finding the revenant who killed his mother.
Oh Jung Se commented, “When I read the script from Hae-sang’s perspective, it felt like walking through a swamp, and when the fog cleared, the spaces and props I passed through turned into the narrative of a creepy story. It was refreshing.”
When asked about their chemistry, Kim Tae Ri said, “It was really good.” Oh Jung Se said, “I received a lot of help,” and Hong Kyung expressed her gratitude, saying, “I relied on them a lot.”
When asked about their desired ratings, Kim Tae Ri said, “I hope for 20% combined for the first and second episodes.” Oh Jung Se jokingly said, “15% for the first episode and 15% for the second episode, totaling 30%.”
Regarding the points to watch in the drama, Director Lee said, “Just the fact that it’s written by Kim Eun Hee and features these three actors explains it all, in my opinion.” Kim Tae Ri emphasized, ” If you follow the story and solve the mystery together, it will be an enjoyable drama.” Oh Jung Se requested viewers’ interest, saying, “I hope it seeps into your heart as you watch.”
“Revenant” premiered on the 23rd at 10 p.m. Have you seen the new drama yet?
Source: (A)
