Producer Lim Eun-jung of the film 'The King and the Man' (directed by Jang Hang-jun) shared insights into director Jang's humorous promise regarding the film's success.
On the 11th, at a café in Samcheong-dong, Seoul, Lim Eun-jung, the CEO of Ondaworks and producer of 'The King and the Man,' discussed the film's journey.
'The King and the Man' tells the story of the dethroned King Danjong and the village chief Eom Heung-do in exile in Yeongwol. The film became a box office hit, attracting 11.88 million viewers by the 10th.
Director Jang Hang-jun initially joked about changing his name, undergoing plastic surgery, or naturalizing if the film hit 10 million views, but later changed his promise to a 'coffee event.'
Lim shared, "I was watching the director on the radio via YouTube and thought, 'Should I teleport and stop him?'" she laughed. "I tried to convince him for about a week that a minor cosmetic procedure might be okay. But he said, 'That would mean acknowledging it as a promise,' and as a comedian, he wanted to keep it light-hearted."
When asked why she chose director Jang, known for his comedic image, for this film, Lim explained, "Whether it's a comedy or tragedy wasn't important to me. Respect, admiration, and warmth for the characters were crucial." She added, "I didn't start with extensive historical knowledge. I wanted to create a historical drama based on the unique geography of Cheongnyongpo and the exile setting. The director emphasized both character and commercial aspects, suggesting we expand the theme to 'a story of today.' He believed the story should be accessible, not confined to a distant village."
Lim initially proposed a co-production with BA Entertainment, but CEO Jang Won-seok initially declined. Lim said, "I learned that director Jang was working on a script at BA, so I proposed a co-production to CEO Jang. After much consideration, he declined with a lengthy message, citing the risks of a historical drama. However, after seeing the revised script by director Jang, he decided to join." She concluded, "After many rejections and persistent efforts, we achieved a great result with this film."
Reported by Kim Ji-won, TenAsia bella@tenasia.co.kr