Actor Cha Seung-won is returning with director Park Chan-wook and writer Noh Hee-kyung.

As director Park and writer Noh are considered ‘masters’ in the film and drama industries, respectively, expectations are high both inside and outside the industry for the synergy that Cha Seung-won will show with them. Having shown polar opposite charms in the entertainment show ‘Three Meals a Day Lights’ last year, which was loved for its signature friendly charm, and in the film ‘The Emperor: Owner of the Mask’, in which he played a despicable king, he is expected to once again show off his versatile charm.

This year, Cha Seung-won will present the film ‘Inevitably’ with ‘world-renowned director’ Park Chan-wook. This is Cha Seung-won‘s first theatrical film in four years since ‘Sinkhole’ in 2021, and is considered one of the most anticipated films of the year. Cha Seung-won has worked with director Park for the first time through this film.

This film, based on the 1999 novel ‘The Axe’ by author Donald Westlake, which was adapted into the screen in 2005 by director Costa-Gavras for ‘The Axe: A Guide to Hiring a Dangerous Job’, is drawing extraordinary attention from global fans, not just in Korea, as it is known as Director Park’s ‘life‘s project’ that he has been preparing for a long time.

The film depicts the story of Man-su, a company employee who was living a satisfactory life, as he prepares for his own battle to get a new job in order to protect his wife, two children, and the house he had worked hard to build after being fired. In the drama, Cha Seung-won plays the role of Ko Si-jo, Man-su’s rival, and sets up an unpredictable confrontation with Lee Byung-hun, who plays Man-su.

Following director Park Chan-wook‘s masterpiece, Choi Seung-won has raised expectations by confirming his appearance in the new Netflix series ‘Slowly and Intensely’ (tentative title) by writer Noh Hee-kyung, who is called the ‘life drama maker’ for writing ‘Dear My Friends’, ‘It’s Okay, That‘s Love’, ‘That Winter, The Wind Blows’, ‘The World They Live In’.

Cha Seung-won first worked with writer Noh in tvN’s ‘Our Blues’ in 2022, and received rave reviews for his delicate portrayal of the ordinary and weak ‘ordinary person’.

This drama is set in Korea in the 1960s and 1980s, when barbarism and violence were rampant. Set in the entertainment industry, it depicts the growth story of those who threw themselves into dreaming of brilliant success despite having nothing. Cha Seung-won plays Gil-yeo, the greatest composer of his time and a big shot in the music industry who made all the singers he helped successful, and he stars alongside Song Hye-kyo as Min-ja and Gong Yoo as Dong-goo, who are stepping into the music industry.

Reporter Seungmi Lee smlee@donga.com

This article is automatically translated using Google AI. If you notice any inaccuracies, please let us know at allkstar@donga.com.