'The WONDERfools' director on whether Cha Eun Woo's tax-related controversy led to production change
On March 15 (local time), the Korean Film Council reported that The King’s Warden has surpassed 13.4 million moviegoers, becoming one of the top 5 box office hits in the history of Korean cinema and the theatre-released Korean film most attended since the COVID-19 pandemic.
Set in 1457, The King’s Warden tells the story of a headman who voluntarily makes the village an exile site to revive it, and of a young former king who has been dethroned and exiled.
Amid the buzz of the film's success, attention is also drawn to lead actor Park Ji Hoon's (Weak Hero Class 1) extreme weight loss.
In the K-movie, the actor plays Lee Hong Wi, played by Park Ji Hoon, who had his throne taken from him at a young age, while his loyal subjects were executed for treason. Living under the weight of guilt and helplessness, Lee Hong Wi meets Eom Heung Do (Yoo Hai Jin), the village chief of Gwangcheongol, in exile, and through sharing hardship and companionship with him, gradually regains the will to live.
Some time ago, Park Ji Hoon had an interview for the movie, during which he spoke about his weight loss for the character.
"It was really simple and really hard. I just didn't eat. I would eat a slice of apple, and I couldn't sleep and felt so exhausted. I wanted to bring that look to life. Rather than just appearing gaunt, I wanted to convey something even more extreme. I wanted to give off the impression of being nothing but skin and bones, so I thought I just had to stop eating. I didn't think exercise would do it. I just starved myself."
Park Ji Hoon also said that before filming began, he had been on vacation, spending his time eating freely, relaxing, and not stressing over anything. “At that time, I probably weighed a little over 70 kg. I lost about 15 kg. It was [over a period] of a little more than two and a half months."
At the same time, when asked whether filming scenes in which his character eats was difficult, he replied, "The thought of wanting to eat didn't occur to me. When I saw food, I would throw up immediately even if I only ate [a little]. My physical condition was at its worst. It did taste good when I ate it. But I didn’t feel like eating. When I had something salty, I remember thinking, 'This is good.'"
He also said, "I like eating, but I felt I needed to actually feel hungry for that emotion to show on my face," and added, "Since apples are the fruit I dislike, I chose them to suppress my appetite."
