"Dog Days with Pets as Protagonists"…Spreading Love and Hope, Recharging Humanity

Movie 'Dog Days' Press Screening

Showing Love and Hope Through Pets
Yoo Hae-jin: "Reminds Me of Sanche and Winter from 'Three Meals a Day'"

Actor Yoo Hae-jin [Photo by Yonhap News]

The movie 'Dog Days,' which will recharge humanity drained by heinous crimes and various incidents and accidents, will be released in theaters on the 7th of next month. Although a host of prominent actors such as Youn Yuh-jung and Yoo Hae-jin appear, the main characters are the companion dogs. It tells a story of love and hope through cute and lovable companion dogs.

Yoo Hae-jin, who plays the lead role, said at the press screening of the movie 'Dog Days' held on the afternoon of the 24th at Yongsan CGV in Ichon-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, "I am grateful and fortunate to have a companion dog," adding, "I hope the bond and warmth between dogs and humans will be well conveyed."

'Dog Days' depicts the story of lonely people, such as a successful architect and an MZ rider, who meet special companions and live their lives. It was produced by JK Film, which attracted over ten million viewers with director Yoon Je-kyun's films 'Haeundae' (2009) and 'Ode to My Father' (2014), and also made 'The Himalayas' (2015) and 'Confidential Assignment' 1 & 2 (2017 & 2022). This is the directorial debut of Kim Deok-min, who was an assistant director for the films 'Keys to the Heart' (2018) and 'Hero' (2022). Director Kim emphasized, "The keywords are relationships and growth," adding, "I focused on stories about growing a step forward through relationships encountered in everyday life."

Youn Yuh-jung plays Min-seo, a world-renowned architect with a strong personality. The prickly yet warm Min-seo overlaps with the real-life personality of the actress. She said, "In the first script I received, the character's name was 'Youn Yuh-jung,' but I asked to change it. If they were forcing me to appear, they probably wrote it to be similar to me. Since the personality was similar, it was not uncomfortable," which brought laughter. She also said, "I usually get roles as a grandmother or mother. It was tiresome, but I decided to enjoy this job that has become my daily life every moment. At this age, I put on makeup and wear heels to meet you all. I am grateful."

Movie 'Dog Days' stills
[Photo by Yonhap News]

Yoo Hae-jin plays a neat and organized single man. His affectionate interaction with his companion dog, Chief (Wawa), in the movie feels heartwarming. It also reminds one of his friendly interactions with dogs, cats, and chickens on the variety show 'Three Meals a Day.' He said, "Chief reminded me a lot of Sanche during filming. He was particularly gentle. I also once raised a Chihuahua of the same breed. It also reminded me of my former companion dog, Winter."

He revealed that animal trainers and veterinarians were present on set during filming. Director Kim explained the process, saying, "I received advice that the time of companion dogs is different from human time. We fixed the camera and waited for the friends (dogs) to act." He added, "Thanks to the dedicated trainers leading the way, we finished safely, healthily, and pleasantly without any accidents."

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