[Interview] Ryu Jun-yeol "I Fulfilled My Dream of Working with Director Choi Dong-hoon through 'Alien+In'"

'Alien+in' Mureuk role Ryu Jun-yeol
Ten million director Choi Dong-hoon’s first new work in 7 years
Korean-style SF action, knocking on the summer market
"A movie that starts and ends with wire"

Ryu Jun-yeol / Photo by C-JeS Entertainment

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Isul] "Somewhere in between, neither this nor that. I liked the adjective 'Eolchigi' attached to the Taoist. No one can be perfect, right? The fact that the movie 'Alien+in' talks about the past, the present, and somewhere in between really resonated with me. Muruk is a somewhat lacking character but one you want to fill in, which made him even more appealing."

Actor Ryu Jun-yeol (36) plays Muruk, an Eolchigi Taoist trying to get his hands on the divine sword in the movie 'Alien+in' (directed by Choi Dong-hoon). He said he really liked the adjective 'Eolchigi' written in the scenario and found himself empathizing with its meaning after looking it up in the dictionary.

Ryu Jun-yeol, who became known through the drama 'Reply 1988' (2015), has solidified his position in Chungmuro by appearing in films such as 'Socialphobia' (2015), 'The King' (2016), 'A Taxi Driver' (2017), 'Money', 'Believer' (2018), and 'The Battle of Bongodong' (2019). After taking a short break, he returned to work with director Choi Dong-hoon after three years.

'Alien+in' is the new work by director Choi Dong-hoon, who directed 'Tazza' (2006), 'Jeon Woo-chi' (2009), and the 10-million viewer films 'The Thieves' (2012) and 'Assassination' (2015), released after seven years. Parts 1 and 2 were completed simultaneously after a 387-day production period. Part 1 will be released on the 20th, and Part 2 is planned for release in 2023.

Ryu Jun-yeol recalled, "Director Choi Dong-hoon and I talked about making a cheerful and enjoyable movie. The cheerful atmosphere on set was reflected in the film. We filmed for over a year, and the memories from that time come back vividly. Watching the movie brought back fun memories from filming, which made me emotional."

Muruk is a self-proclaimed 'Sword Master of Magic' from the late Goryeo period, but in reality, he is just an Eolchigi Taoist who clumsily imitates others' magic. Together with the cats Uwong and Jawang hidden in his always-carried fan, he sets out to find the divine sword with a bounty of 2,000 pieces of cotton cloth. During the struggle for the sword, he uses various magic techniques. Ryu Jun-yeol laughed, "You can say I've watched every movie with swords or wire action." He added, "The director and I searched through countless movies one by one, discussing what genres didn't suit Muruk and how to approach it differently. Sometimes we would say, 'Forget that, let's try something else.'"

"Wire action is similar to film work. Several people coordinate to pull the wires. When the actor flies, rhythm and timing are crucial. About ten people work together, and when everything from takeoff to landing is perfect, you hear applause and the director's 'Cut.' Since this project started and ended with wire work, the filming process is memorable."

Ryu Jun-yeol trained in gymnastics to perform Muruk's action scenes. "I really like exercising, so I thought, 'How hard can it be?' and started. Training with elite athletes gave me energy. The most important consideration in the action was balance. I think the scenes the audience sees are from the very last take."

"I didn't approach it thinking, 'I'll show something' or 'I'll give it my all.' We all enjoyed reading the script cheerfully. I joyfully imagined how to connect and communicate with the audience and found answers that way. Through that process, I think I realized something as an actor, just like Muruk."

His connection with the director goes back to his rookie days. Sitting down with his agency's CEO, he expressed his wish to appear in a film by director Choi Dong-hoon. Time passed, and that dream came true. Ryu Jun-yeol said, "One day, my CEO called and said, 'It looks like you can do it this time.' The moment I heard that, I got emotional. Even now, thinking about it makes me emotional; I felt happy and grateful."

"Director Choi Dong-hoon and I are like chat partners. The conversations we share are really fun. Even if we talk about the same things repeatedly, it never gets boring. Our meeting times differ, but our parting times are always the same. Recently, when we met, we talked until sunrise. Whether 'Alien+in' has parts 3, 4, or more, or whatever form it takes, I want to be part of it. I feel a bit regretful that I couldn't show everything of myself, but if I have the hope to show more in the next work, maybe we can keep working together."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.