(Korean Movies) The Witch Part 2. The Other One, 2021

“Research must go on.
However, isolate new genetically modified organisms from the world.”
– 1975 The Asilomar Conference –

[ HOT ISSUE ]

The 'witch' is back!
'Genre Film Master' directed by Park Hoon-jung and the original production crew
A bigger and more powerful 'Witch Universe'

In 2018, the movie <Witch>, which received attention for its sensuous and original action, character full of personality, unpredictable storyline and tense development that could not be seen in existing Korean films, was praised for opening a new era in Korean-style female action and gained enthusiastic fandom. It sparked and was a success. And in 2022, the long-awaited sequel to <Witch>, <Witch Part2. The Other One (hereinafter referred to as <Witch 2>) is back after 4 years. <Witch 2> is an action movie depicting what happens when forces chasing her for different purposes gather in front of a 'girl' who survives alone in a devastated secret laboratory and comes out of the world.

A secret laboratory 'Ark' that has been devastated by indiscriminate attacks by an unknown group. 'Girl', who has set foot outside the world for the first time in her life, surviving alone where the witch project was taking place, happens to meet the siblings 'Kyung-hee' and 'Dae-gil' and live together on their farm, gradually adjusting to their warm daily life. Meanwhile, forces with different purposes begin to gather in search of the missing 'girl', and the hidden nature of the 'girl' who encounters them is awakened.

From the crime noir <New World>, which depicts the story of three men intertwined with the police, the organization, loyalty and mission, to the mystery action film <The Witch>, which captures the unstoppable action of powerful female characters, emotional noir depicting the story of a man and a woman standing at the end of life. Until <Night in Paradise>. Director Park Hoon-jung, who has established himself as the unrivaled 'genre film master' in the Korean film industry by providing a new genre of pleasure in each work, presents the second story of <The Witch>. <Witch 2> heralds the expansion of the 'Witch Universe' by capturing the origins of the witch project along with the appearance of a new witch 'girl' (Cynthia) and various characters surrounding 'girl'. Based on the unique setting and background of the first part, director Park Hoon-jung raises expectations by foretelling a bigger worldview, upgraded scale, and more intense and original action.

Here, the original production team of <Witch> works together for <Witch 2> to add perfection. From director Park Hoon-jung’s directorial debut <Blood Battle> to <VIP>, <Witch> and <Paradise Night> with cinematographer Kim Young-ho, who boasts a fantastic breath, <Veteran> <Inside Men> <Taxi Driver> <But Evil> Please save me from>, art director Jo Ha-seong, who represents the Korean film industry, works with director Park Hoon-jeong for the sixth time to add trust. Artistic Director Choi Hyun-seok of <Daeho>, <Princess Deokhye>, <The Managers of Namsan> and <Night in Paradise>, and Mog Music Director of <Spying> <Crime City> <Peninsula> <But Save Me from Evil> and <Paradise Night> In addition to the martial arts director Kim Jung-min, who was well-received for his fresh and unconventional action through <The Witch>, the protagonists of the box-office myth of <The Witch> will unite once again to continue the 'Witch Universe', which has become even bigger and stronger.

Another 'witch' awakens!
The second witch 'Cynthia' was born with a competition ratio of 1,408:1
Park Eun-bin, Seo Eun-soo, Jin-goo, Sung Yu-bin, Jo Min-soo, Lee Jong-suk, Kim Dami
A colorful and fresh casting ensemble!

Actors with various charms and solid acting skills, including Cynthia, who is gathering a lot of attention as the second witch in 'Witch Universe', Park Eun-bin, Seo Eun-soo, Jin-goo, Sung Yu-bin, Jo Min-soo, Lee Jong-suk, and Kim Dami, all came to <Witch 2>. It boasts a more colorful and fresh ensemble.

Rookie actress Cynthia, who was selected as a new witch through 3 rounds of auditions through a fierce competition of 1,408:1, took on the role of a 'girl' who woke up in a secret research lab. Cynthia, who was praised by cinematographer Kim Young-ho as “an actress who makes people curious about the story with a mysterious atmosphere and eyes that contains something,” like the lines in the play, delicately depicts the complex aspects of the character, who does not know what kind of monster he will turn into. It amplifies the curiosity about the 'Witch Universe'. Park Eun-bin, who has established herself as an actress who can be trusted with excellent character digestibility regardless of genre, such as dramas [Stove League], [Do you like Brahms?] and [Love Mom], takes on the role of 'Kyung-hee' who protects the 'girl' he met by chance, perfect acting with Cynthia boast of breathing. From the drama [My Golden Life] to the movie <Your Wedding> and <Kingmaker>, Seo Eun-soo takes on the role of 'Johyun', a head office agent secretly chasing a 'girl' In addition, Jin-goo, an individualistic actor who has shown his presence in major works such as the drama [Descendants of the Sun] and the movie <Mother>, <26 Years> and <Myeongryang>, decomposes into the boss of an organization that targets 'girls', and doubles the tension of the play. make it In addition, Seong Yu-bin, who emerged as a blue chip in Chungmuro through <Children who survived> <Battle of Bongo-dong> and <Genre Romance>, plays the role of 'Daegil', the younger brother of 'Kyung-hee' and the only friend of 'Girl'. richly fill the

On the other hand, veteran actor Jo Min-soo, who enhances the immersion of the play with absorbing acting in each work such as the movie <Pieta>, <Law of Sensuality> and the drama [Piano] Baek's twin brother and the creator of the witch project, 'Baek Chief' takes the lead in the 'witch universe'. Actor Lee Jong-suk, who boasts of pioneering works such as [I Hear Your Voice][Doctor Stranger][W][While You Were Sleeping], took on the role of 'Jang', who is in charge of pursuing the missing 'girl' It returns to attract attention. Lastly, through her first lead role on the screen, <The Witch>, she swept the Rookie of the Year awards at various film festivals that year and received attention as a 'Monster Rookie'. It comes back and radiates an irreplaceable presence.

'Witch' is a genre soon!
Unique worldview and intense and original action
The birth of the theater film movie everyone has been waiting for

The original production team, who showed a unique action style with a unique worldview and intense hitting in <Witch>, is expected to foretell an upgraded scale and powerful action in <Witch 2>.

Cinematographer Kim Young-ho, who said, “As much as the expanded worldview, the camera walking and action situations are more than 100 times wider, bigger and faster than in the first film,” citing the expansibility of the space as the most different from the first film. If <The Witch> exquisitely utilized the characteristics of a limited space, such as climbing a wall or jumping high from the ceiling, <Witch 2> is reminiscent of the potential of a 'girl' who escaped from a closed secret laboratory and came out of the world. With the vast natural scenery of Jeju Island as a background, it offers a unique attraction. In particular, in the second half of the action sequence, which takes place on a ranch five times the size of a soccer stadium, the movement of the characters extends beyond the X and Y axes to the Z axis as much as the expanded space. will tell The shooting team, martial arts team, CG team, and special effects team went through meticulous calculations and constant discussions from pre-production to filming in order to realize the enormous scale and speedy movements of the camera and characters in more detail, and the know-how accumulated in <Witch> It is said that a more drastic attempt could be made based on trust and confidence.

On the other hand, at the request of director Park Hoon-jung, who wanted “a new action taking place in a new space,” martial arts director Kim Jung-min said, “I emphasized the dynamism, strength, and style that come out of simplicity, but above all, focused on the action derived from the character. ” he said. In <Witch 2>, where various characters appear newly, the character's unique action style was carefully designed in consideration of each character's abilities, personality, and dialogue. The unpredictable ability of a 'girl' is an action that emphasizes the overwhelming power that is revealed in an instant in a concise and still manner. It was set up for action. Actors also make efforts to immerse themselves in the character, such as posture, gait, and basic training, as well as carrying their weapons such as knives and guns with them at all times and even putting them at their bedside when sleeping in order to perfectly master their action styles. It is said to have been tilted The action of <Witch 2>, completed through this process, presents a different scale and spectacular spectacle, and will give the audience who have been waiting for the <Witch> series a satisfaction that exceeds their expectations.

[ PRODUCTION NOTE ]

higher, faster, harder
Action Pleasure Index 100%! Implementation of dense action sequences

Since more characters appeared than in the previous film and the filming took place in a space that was expanded several times, there was a criterion that the action of <Witch 2> should be higher, faster, and much stronger. Martial arts director Kim Jung-min, who was with me from the first episode, also added to the worries several times. It was necessary to maintain the action style unique to the <Witch> series, which was different from the existing Korean films, in the context of the expanded scale and increased amount of action. “It’s not a flashy movement, but it has to be cool, and even if it’s concise and simple, it has to have a style. The only way to accomplish this mission was to think about ideas,” said director Kim Jung-min, who actively introduced wire action, which was not used much in the first part, and collaborated with the CG team for scenes that could not be expressed with wire action. In front of a huge blue screen installed on an open set after overcoming the wind of Jeju, the actors performed cool actions by hanging on a wire, and in the expanded space, a character who had to extend along the X, Y, and Z axes while maintaining a high speed of more than half a tempo. Some 3D characters were introduced to implement their movements. In particular, the action sequence in the second half, in which the main characters are dispatched, is the highlight of <Witch 2>. Including 'Girl', 'Johyun''s headquarters, the organization led by 'Yongdu', and the Shanghai rap 'Tou Four', characters with their own personalities and abilities compete in a confrontation across a dense forest and a vast ranch. As a scene, it is planned to present an action sequence with a pleasure index of 100% to the audience with a vivid sense of hit, speed, and dramatic direction.

Overwhelming visuals realized in the great Mother Nature
All locations in Jeju Island where the sweat and passion of the staff is added!

All filming of <Witch 2> took place on Jeju Island, which was the setting for the ending scene of <The Witch>. Most of the filming took place on location and on open sets, and the spaces of Jeju that are commonly seen in everyday life, such as the vast wilderness, old churches, universities, golf courses, and exhibition halls, were completely melted into the space in the witch's universe through the hands of the staff. Jeju Stone Culture Park is a modern and minimalist secret research institute 'Ark' where a 'girl' spent her whole life. turned into a mansion. 'Kyung-hee's farm, produced as an open set, was realized as an ordinary but warm space with a sense of life, unlike the places mentioned above. Art director Ha Seong-seong, who was in charge of the production design, said, “It is a warm space where a girl first meets, and at the same time a space that has a double meaning where the girl runs away after being destroyed by external elements.” Kyunghee’s farm contains both good and evil explained On the other hand, it went through a formidable process to capture the overwhelming visuals of Jeju, which embraces the vast nature, in the film. Due to the fickle weather in Jeju, all the staff always had to be fully prepared. Sudden strong winds or heavy rain were not uncommon, and there were cases where the temperature dropped sharply to below freezing depending on the region. The staff always prepared extra clothes and blankets, as well as hot packs and heating appliances for the shoot. In particular, the beautiful snowy landscape revealed in the trailer was born in a completely unexpected situation due to the heavy snowfall that fell on Jeju Island for the first time in 60 years. The current scene was achieved thanks to the efforts of the staff who constantly cleared and piled up snow to match the angle, and Cynthia's passion, who wore thin lab coats and walked on the snow countless times barefoot.