Kingdom shows zombies as you’ve never seen ’em

SEOUL — By this time, I presume that you must have been holding your breath as you follow the zombies in Kingdom, the original series from Korea which has been streaming on Netflix since Jan. 25. Directed by Kim Seong-hun from a story/screenplay by Kim Eun-hee, the series stars Ju Ji-hoon, Bae Doona and Ryu Seung-yong.

It’s the story of a kingdom defeated by corruption and famine while a mysterious rumor of the king’s death spreads along with a strange plague that renders the infected immune to death and hungry for flesh. Lee Chang, the Crown prince (Ju Ji-hoon), falls victim to a conspiracy, sets out on a journey to uncover the evil behind it all and saves his people. Bae Doona plays Seo-bi, a physician who is investigating the cause of the plague and Ryu Seung-yong as the villain Cho Hak-ju, an ambitious character who uses the prince to achieve his goal.

After a session with the three stars at the Harmony Ballroom of Intercontinental Seoul Coex during the Kingdom junket in this city last month, writer Kim and director Kim (“Master of Genre-Driven Stories”) sat for a separate interview with the invited regional journalists, speaking through an interpreter.

“Kingdom is about people who fight against monsters that were created by the insatiable greed of the ruling class and the extreme hunger of the poor people,” explained director Kim.

“The biggest emotion I wanted to convey in the process of the poor people turning into zombies was sorrow,” added writer Kim. “I thought that the characters in the story would be unsure of what these creatures were at first, and therefore they would see the monsters as patients to cure, instead of creatures to kill, and I decided that as a process that had to be depicted in the series.”

Here are more quotes and excerpts, some from the well-prepared Production Notes:

From top: Kingdom stars Ju Ji-hoon, Bae Doona and Ryu Seung-Yong having selfies with fans during the series’ red-carpet premiere and VIP screening. They were fun throughout the junket.

What made you decide to do Kingdom?

Writer Kim: I was always fascinated by zombie stories. I came across a record in the Annals of the Joseon Dynasty which read, “Tens of thousands of people died of a strange disease.” I thought, “Maybe I can portray the plague with zombies. It will be a very interesting way to convey the sufferings and pains of the people of that time.” That’s how I came up with the idea of writing Kingdom.

Director Kim: The biggest reason would be a sense of doing something new. It was new for me to work with writer Kim Eun-hee and the combination of a historical drama and zombies was also new. It was also new to me that I had to work on six episodes unlike what I had been used to, which was to complete about a two-hour-long movie. Most importantly, I was curious about Netflix as a platform.

In the story of Kingdom, which all starts with hunger, elements of pity, fear and anxiety co-exist. So I wanted to portray these elements in a paradoxical way. Examples would be a sharp scream that echoes at dawn breaking the calm of the morning in Joseon, and blood splashing dynamically in the static and classical beauty of the time. I thought putting together contrasting images as these and showing them on the same screen would be the characteristic of Kingdom.

What did you want to talk about through Kingdom?

Writer Kim: Ultimately I wanted to talk about hunger. I thought zombies were essentially monsters whose only remaining sense of is its appetite. Back in the Joseon Dynasty, people were poor and hungry, while those in power or the ruling class would abuse their people through taxation and collection of their harvests. I wanted to depict a period of starvation and poverty with zombies.

What differentiates Kingdom from other zombie films?

Director Kim: I believe Kingdom has a well-structured narrative that has multiple layers and colors. And the entertaining element was brought up to the maximum level with the addition of zombies. You will be able to instantly notice the characteristics of the zombies on the show once you start watching it. The zombies you see in Kingdom have characteristics that have evolved from the universal traits of zombies that we are familiar with. And I think Kingdom is very different from other shows/films in terms of the reasons why the zombies were created.

Photo shows (from left) Lana Chan (publicist of Ad Pub Hub whose clients include Netflix), Clifford Olanday (Esquire), Reyma Devaza (ABS-CBN News Online), Your Funfarer, Angeline Rodriguez (When in Manila), Jojo Panaligan (Bulletin), Ida Aldana (SPOT.PH), Iza Iglesias (Manila Times), Rito Asilo (Inquirer) and Shrey Khetarpal (at the back, Netflix’s regional campaign PR manager-Asia Pacific)

What was it like to work with Ju Ji-hoon, Bae Doona and Ryu Seung-yong?

Director Kim: Ju Ji-hoon has a certain kind of beauty that contains insecurity. His face can portray a bright side, but at the same time it carries a sense of pain and sorrow which reflects the inner state of the character Lee Chang, and I thought he has the aura that represents the era of his character. Ji-hoon really showed a performance that best suits the story and his character, successfully portraying the process of Chang’s transformation from his precarious start to the strength of becoming the true leader of his people, and finally, becoming the champion for his people.

Writer Kim: I wanted the main character Lee Chang to be someone with the power to change the era. But at the same time, I wanted to portray him as an immature Crown prince at the beginning. On the other hand, I wanted the main villain of the story, Cho Hak-ju, to be at the top of the ruling class, the chief state counselor who is so powerful that he can even threaten the King. Seo-bi, the physician, does not give up on hope.

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