Project Wolf Hunting writer/director Kim Hong-Sun recently spoke with The Illuminerdi about his brutal new Korean action movie.
Project Wolf Hunting is an original story about what can go wrong on a cargo ship transporting dozens of violent criminals from one country to another. Serial killer Park Jang-du leads the takeover of the ship, and a violent, merciless bloodbath ensues. The body count in this violent onslaught of horrific and gnarly action would make Michael Myers blush, and any good movie with a high body count should feature some one-of-a-kind kills.
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Writer/Director Kim Hong-sun spoke about his approach to blood and guts, and murder straight from Chewbacca’s playbook in Project Wolf Hunting.
PROJECT WOLF HUNTING DIRECTOR ON GOREY REALISM IN CINEMA
“I know that one of [Sam Raimi’s} well known films is Evil Dead. Sorting all of these horror films that we know well, yes, they have creative ways of killing. And Friday the 13th! This entire series, Friday the 13th, the more the series progresses, the filmmakers and creators have to come up with different ways to kill characters. However, I never thought that my movie would be a film with horror or slasher films. I was just making an action film with a much more heightened way of showing these, you know, these actions. Meaning the killing was for not for nothing. The characters were killing each other to ultimately ensure their own survival, meaning they kill to live.
For example, you mentioned that arm scene, but it’s not because the Alpha wanted to just do it in a creative way. It’s more like the arm was right there, maybe the arm was stretched out, so he just grabbed it cause it was the realistic solution, and pulled it out because he was able to. And so my actions are based on reality. You know, that’s at least my realistic imagination. This is going to happen realistically, that was the basis of all these actions.”
-Kim Hong-sun, director of Project Wolf Hunting
The Evil Dead and Friday The 13th franchises have racked up a tremendous body count over the years. Those iconic franchises have been spilling blood and dropping bodies for decades, and though Project Wolf Hunting is more action than horror, those iconic works of the macabre had some influence on this new Korean action-horror hybrid. Though details about the mysterious “Alpha” are best saved for the theater, there is obviously a deadly creature lurking somewhere within Kim Hong-sun’s new nightmare.
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Project Wolf Hunting features an ensemble cast, and not everyone will make it to the end credits. Whether they fall prey to Alpha, the serial killers and murderers onboard the ship or each other is only a matter of time really. The trailer for this new theatrical exclusive promises a grim, gritty, edge-of-your-seat adventure not intended for the faint of heart. Project Wolf Hunting began its theatrical run in North America on October 7, 2022.
Speaking about the influence that other Korean works of entertainment and art have had on his work, Kim Hong-sun shared the following with The Illuminerdi.
PROJECT WOLF HUNTING DIRECTOR ON KOREAN CULTURAL INFLUENCE
“Yes. I have to say that I have been influenced tremendously personally. It’s been 10 years since I started making movies, and if I include TV shows that I’ve been making, for 20 years I’ve been in this industry. And so, yes, of course I’m aware that the Korean films are really well received, starting with the most notable examples are Parasite and Squid Game. Also, K-Pop has a large influence. Which made me realize that the Korean culture, the Korean stories we’re making can have an impact and be communicable beyond our borders, our national borders.
Martin Scorsese said this, that the most personal thing is actually the most universal that can be communicated. So I really believe in that, so that we try to communicate the Korean, the filmmakers, the creators to the rest of the world, and the world is also very receptive to what we are trying to communicate. And that’s very, very encouraging. And it’s also inspiring. So that is going to inform my next work.”
-Kim Hong-sun, director of Project Wolf Hunting
Martin Scorsese’s message about the personality of universal communication is a powerful one, and it may be a surprising part of Project Wolf Hunting. Parasite and Squid Game are two exceptionally popular and critically acclaimed projects to come out of South Korean entertainment in recent years. As writer/director Kim Hong-sun stated, K-pop has exploded in popularity on a global scale lately, and that has introduced many people to the wonders and possibilities of South Korean culture.
Project Wolf Hunting joins this movement of creative, unique international storytelling seeking an audience at home, in North America, and beyond. It will be fascinating to witness how this inspiration eventually informs the future work of Kim Hong-Sun, either through a sequel or a brand new story.
PROJECT WOLF HUNTING IS IN THEATERS OCTOBER 7, 2022
Project Wolf Hunting is the exciting new tale of a prison transport gone horribly wrong, and it may be showing at a theater near you, so buy a ticket today!
Kim Hong-sun wrote and directed Project Wolf Hunting. Project Wolf Hunting stars Seo In-guk as Park Jong-doo, Jang Dong-Yoon as Lee Do-il, Choi Gwi-Hwa as Alpha, Sung Dong-il as Dae-Woong, Park Ho-san as Lee Seok-woo, Jung So-min as Lee Da-yeon, Ko Chang-Seok as Go Kun-bae, Jang Young-Nam as Choi Myeong-ju, Son Jong-Hak as Soo-Cheol, Lee Sung-Wook as Kyung-ho, Hong Ji-Yoon as Eun-ji, Jung Moon-sung as Kyu-Tae.
Are you looking forward to seeing Project Wolf Hunting? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below or on our social media!
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