FLOWER OF EVIL
PRODUCTION PRESENTATION
22 JULY 2020
 
The Flower of Evil production presentation at the press
conference held on 22 July 2020 had the most interesting interactions. It was
attended by Director Kim Chul Gyu, Lee Joon Gi, Moon Chae Won, Jang Hee Jin and Seo Hyun Woo. Intelligent questions regarding the unique drama and the personal opinions of the celebrities were posed by the smart emcee and a well-prepared reporter from SportsChosun.
 
One cannot talk about any drama press conference without mentioning
the fashion of the celebrities at the centre of attention. Lee Joon Gi, the
handsome multihyphenate, stood out in his black ensemble from Berluti’s Spring-Summer
2020 collection. The double-breasted coat accentuated his broad shoulders. Lee’s
stunning masculine looks made him extremely desirable.
 
Moon Chae Won looked lovely in her glittery dark blue dress and
Jang Hee Jin looked elegant in her black and white gown. Needless to say, Seo
Hyun Woo startled in his ‘loud FOE undercover
reporter street wear’.
Kim Cheol Gyu, the illustrious director, wore an olive-green jacket
matched with a pair of blue pants and blue T-shirt. Missing from the line-up was the mysterious scriptwriter, Yoo
Jung Hee. Strangely, nothing can be gleaned about her from the Internet.
 
The conference started with a short trailer for Flower of Evil. One gets the idea that
the essence of the story is the power of love to change fate. The unique story,
which seems to be presented with many symbols and metaphoric puzzles, has an
interesting colour palette. It augurs well for the audience if the thrilling video
clip is the precursor of other exciting stories to come.
 
To say that the director has seduction in mind is putting it
mildly. Or else why would we see Baek
Hee Sung shirtless, or hugging and kissing Cha Ji Won multiple times? Nobody is
complaining. Many viewers, in fact, are begging for more. Fans know that Lee
is the weapon of mass seduction.
  
In one memorable scene, Baek is deliciously shirtless and he’s gazing into
the mirror. In another red-hot scene, Baek
Hee Soon and Cha Ji Won, his wife, are locked in a passionate embrace and are feverishly smooching each other. When Cha undresses him, a thrill of anticipation
must have shot through the audience. Suddenly a scar comes into view. Did anyone else notice the scar on his neck?
One would not forget another scene in which the young Cha Ji Won reaches out to give Baek a peck on
the lips. Baek Hee Sung kisses her. Lee looks gorgeous in his bleached blond mullet look in this scene. He is a stunning ‘sunshine blond’. His hair has a dark base; some bits of black are obvious in his sideburns. If he had
curled his hair, he might have qualified as the Asian version of the Greek
God. No wonder Cha Ji Won was smitten. It is clear that she had made the first move to stake her
territory.
It was expected that the dynamic Flower of Evil team would be
probed with questions by the very professional emcee in the press conference.
But, two interesting questions were directed at Lee Joon Gi by Moon Ji Young,
the enthusiastic and diligent SportsChosun
reporter. The results from the ‘interrogation’ were astounding. The two
questioners mined very revealing, intriguing and unexpected answers from the
five well-known personalities. Some of their answers must have
left the viewers open-mouthed. The interaction, smiles and laughter among them
give the impression that they are quite comfortable in each other’s presence.
When queried about the drama, Lee Joon Gi adroitly likens the
multifaceted story to a complicated puzzle which involves a few characters. The
various pieces of the puzzle include those from their story of Love, Pain,
Trust and Betrayal. When Truth, the key piece of the puzzle falls into place,
the puzzle would be completed. The analogy drawn between the drama and a
puzzle is apt.
When Lee was offered the role of Baek Hee Sung, his
first thought was while it would be a difficult role, it, however, has the capacity for stirring up a lot of
emotions. He divulged that he phoned Moon Chae Won to ask for her opinion. Probably, he knew that she was also offered a role in the same drama. Her response was
positive and with her encouragement, he met up with the director. Director
Kim welcome him aboard. Even when Lee wasn’t filming, he would stick around
the set and brainstorm with the director to generate ideas. Lee Joon Gi and
Moon Chae Won, also studied the scripts together.
It was apparent that both Lee Joon Gi and Moon Chae Won were
rather frank in their replies to the questions posed to them.
Lee revealed that his reunion with Moon Chae Won, whom he
described as a brilliant actress, is a dream come true. Their previous
collaboration, Criminal Minds, was three years ago. In the 2017 drama,
they portrayed profilers. The actress has revealed that she loves melodramas.
Convinced that he has good synergy with the actress, he wanted to do a melodrama
with her before he got too old.
In actual fact, at the end of the filming of Criminal Minds, he
wondered whether they would be able to meet again in a light-hearted drama. Although
Flower of Evil is not a light romantic project but an intense drama, Lee
was excited and happy all the same. His dream has come true. It is apparent that they
are quite comfortable with each other.
Being the passionate and intense professional that he is, he disclosed that his goal
as an actor is to satisfy the audience. He is convinced that their chemistry which stems from his synergistic
partnership with Moon Chae Won would create an unforgettable drama.
When the emcee requested Moon Chae Won to respond to his
enthusiastic comments, Lee directed his power gaze at her. She was not
intimidated. In fact, his intense look persuaded her to tease him. Moon Chae
Won let it be known that when she was in high school, she would often go to
movie theatres and toy with the dream of being an actor.
At this point, Lee Joon Gi must have blushed and he then rested his head on his hands. Moon Chae Won touched his
shoulder. He seemed to have anticipated what she was going to say.
She made no secret of the fact that she and her friend fell for
him after his 2005 movie, The King
and The Clown, had become a box office hit. She touched him again, this
time on the arm, to tell him that he shouldn’t be embarrassed.
One is certain that she had previously confessed her teenage
secret to him. It is unsurprising that many teenage girls and young women
have fallen head over heels in love with Lee Joon Gi since then.
And hey, presto, unbelievably, she is now living her dream. Imagine being able to boast of two drama projects with the actor whom she has admired since high school. It is a dream come true for Moon Chae Won. Who says fairy
tales don’t come true? She thinks it’s fate. ‘You never really know what life would bring. I’m fated to meet him
in the projects and I work with him with no regrets.’
The stunning revelation must have made many jaws drop. My, was the
38-year old superstar embarrassed! Lee responded that he felt old but then, Moon
Chae Won is only 4 years younger than Lee Joon Gi.
Jang Hee Jin, who often plays dark characters, revealed that Flower of Evil is her second project
with the director, so the drama is also reunion not only for her and Director
Kim but also for her and Lee Joon Gi. In The Scholar Who Walks the Night, her character's love for Kim Sung Yeol, the scholar
vampire, played by Lee Joon Gi, was unrequited. She lauds Lee’s innate
ability in creating a great
atmosphere on the set. ‘He is such a
good mood booster and thanks to him, I’ll be able to have wonderful memories.’ She promised to show a refreshing Do Hae Soo to the audience.
Seo Hyun Woo, who portrays Kim Moo Jin, disclosed that he was excited and thrilled because Moo Jin is
his first ever main role. Kim
Moo Jin is a reporter who is constantly preoccupied with garnering more website followers and attention from the public and as such, he is torn between his conscience and his
obsession with securing exclusive news.
 
Perhaps Director Kim seemed to have the most intense grilling. He
was requested to define the genre of Flower of Evil, which he
describes as an ‘intensely emotional chase thriller’. Although he did
not hem and haw, he wasn’t precise. He did not define it as a ‘Thriller-Melodrama’,
‘Psychological Thriller-Melodrama’ or something to that effect. Was he
being secretive? He spoke of it as 'a melodrama in the guise of mystery and
suspense'. He explained it at length. Come to think of it, the
director did not want to divulge any secrets but intended to spring some
surprises. The audience would be taken on a thrilling and breathless trip
with tense situations and unexpected twists and turns, all of which will happen
at breakneck speed. The ‘chase’ he talked about not only refers to physical
chases but also to the pursuit for the naked truth.
Director Kim declared that the word ‘unique’ applies to Flower
of Evil. Its biggest strength is its originality. The drama has a unique
story structure and unique characters. He was confident that the viewers would
not have watched such a story before. No one will be able to predict what
happens next. The director’s words heightened expectations.
When asked to describe the four actors, Director Kim thought that
it was an unappealing task to do so in their presence. He described the
harmonious filming set with the presence of the 4 actors. Though
different, they not only complemented each other well but also exerted a positive
influence on one another.
The director unequivocally believes the actors are perfectly cast as they could easily disappear into their characters.      
The 16-episode Flower
of Evil, the most highly anticipated
drama of 2020, is written by Yoo Jung
Hee, directed by Kim Cheol Gyu, and produced by Monster Union and Studio Dragon.
|
PRESS CONFERENCE VIDEOS
PART 1 
PART 2
PART 3
PART 4
PART 5
PART 6
            |