Director Pil Gam-sung Reveals Casting Secrets of Cat 'Aeyongi' in 'Zombie Daughter'

Director Pil Gam-sung has shared the behind-the-scenes story of casting the cat character 'Aeyongi' in the film 'Zombie Daughter'.

On the 29th, at a café in Samcheong-dong, Seoul, director Pil Gam-sung discussed his film 'Zombie Daughter'.

'Zombie Daughter' is a comedic drama about a doting father who undergoes secret training to protect his daughter, the last remaining zombie in the world. The film is based on a webtoon of the same name.

In the original webtoon, the cat 'Aeyongi' is as important as the main characters and serves as the mascot of 'Zombie Daughter'. The cat's presence is irreplaceable in the film as well. Given that cats are more independent and harder to train than dogs, bringing Aeyongi to life was a significant challenge for the production team. They searched nationwide for a cat resembling Aeyongi, ultimately selecting 'Geumdongi' from an audition of four cats.

Director Pil humorously introduced Aeyongi as a "formally auditioned actor." He added, "I believe Aeyongi is the identity and soul of 'Zombie Daughter', so it was essential to include the character. Despite concerns about the difficulty of training a cat, I was determined to succeed, being a cat owner myself. I had a bold confidence that if we cast the right cat, it would work out."

He continued, "We recruited cats with filming experience from across the country, and four were selected for the final audition, which was more about assessing adaptability." He laughed, "As soon as we let them down, the other cats hid or ran away, which was expected. But this one lay down in front of the table with a 'what are you going to do about it' expression. I knew it was the one. Even when I picked it up, it had a 'this too shall pass' look. It was handsome, and I liked it."

Director Pil expressed his affection, saying, "Geumdongi performed excellently during filming. I tried to wrap up quickly, but this cat adapted well to the set. It felt like 'the cat's gratitude'. As a cat owner, it was heartwarming to see such a response. Geumdongi was one of the main actors, so it was very important."

'Zombie Daughter' is set to release on the 30th.

Reporter Kim Ji-won, TenAsia bella@tenasia.co.kr