Netflix has confirmed the production of its new Korean sci-fi film “Jung-E”(WT) directed by Yeon Sang-ho. The streamer also confirmed the cast which includes Kang Soo-youn, Kim Hyun-joo, and Ryu Kyung-soo as the main characters.
The film is set in the 22nd century when climate change has rendered Earth uninhabitable, and mankind is forced to live in a man-made shelter. An internal war breaks out, and its result hinges on the success of the brain cloning technology of the legendary robot mercenary Jung-E. With Train to Busan, Peninsula, and Hellbound, director Yeon Sang-ho has been redefining the future of Korean cinema. For this movie, he focuses on fundamental themes of brain cloning and human-like mercenary robots.
It's also worth noting his casting choices. Kang Soo-youn is back after an eight-year absence. She is the first Korean actress to win Best Actress at The Venice Film Festival, one of the "Big Three" film festivals, for her role in The Surrogate Womb, released in 1986. Her previous roles in Blue in You and Ladies of the Palace, among others, cemented her reputation as a renowned actor who paved the way for a renaissance in Korean cinema. She portrays Seo-hyeon, the team leader of a brain cloning and artificial intelligence facility. She is in charge of testing the cloning of Jung-E’s brain and combat abilities.
Kim Hyun-joo plays the titular role of Jung-E, the most elite soldier of the allied forces fighting the shelter troops and a subject of brain-clone experiments. With powerful performances in diverse dramas such as Watcher and Undercover, Kim will arouse complex emotions through her portrayal of the “legendary mercenary” fighting in dynamic and exciting action combat scenes and suffering through recurrent brain cloning testing.
Ryu Kyung-soo plays Sang-hun, the director of the research center who is hell-bent on cloning Jung-E’s brain in order to lead the allied troops to victory. His character in this film is a complete 180-degree transformation from his prior roles in the dramas Itaewon Class and Lovestruck in the City, as well as the film A Resistance. After working with director Yeon Sang-ho on his upcoming Netflix Series, Hellbound, Kim Hyun-joo, and Ryu Kyung-soo will continue to collaborate with him.
Jung-E(WT) has many things going for it: it is director Yeon Sang-ho’s imaginative new sci-fi film; it explores the novel concept of brain cloning a "legendary mercenary" in the 22nd century; it features the legendary actor Kang Soo-youn and transformative roles for both Kim Hyun-joo and Ryu Kyung-soo, and it is packed with spectacular and realistic action.
Produced by Climax Studio, the Netflix Film Jung-E(WT) will be released only on Netflix.