A special work depicting the afterlife is coming to the home theater.

On the afternoon of the 18th, an online production conference JTBC new Saturday-Sunday drama ‘More Beautiful than Heaven’ (directed by Kim Seok-yoon, written by Lee Nam-gyu and Kim Soo-jin)was held.Kim Hye-ja, Son Seok-goo, Han Ji-min, Lee Jung-eun, Chun Ho-jin, Ryu Deok-hwan, and director Kim Seok-yoon attended the event.

‘More Beautiful Than Heaven’ is a romantic comedy that transcends the present life as Lee Hae-sook(played by Kim Hye-ja)arrives in heaven in her 80s and reunites with her husband Go Nak-joon(played by Son Suk-goo)who has become younger and looks like a 30-year-old.It contains the dynamic story of Lee Hae-sook’s entrance into heaven as she begins her second life at the end of her life called death.Director Kim Suk-yoon of ‘The Light in Your Eyes’ and writers Lee Nam-gyu and Kim Soo-jin have teamed up again for this work.The film stars Kim Hye-ja, Son Suk-goo, Han Ji-min, Lee Jung-eun, Chun Ho-jin, and Ryu Deok-hwan, who are collectively known as the ‘Kim Suk-yoon Division’.



Director Kim Seok-yoon said, “I feel like I’m being evaluated ahead of the first broadcast.I put my best effort into making it, so I’m excited that it will be delivered as a gift to the viewers.”

Director Kim Seok-yoon explained the work, saying,“ ‘More Beautiful Than Heaven’ was a project that started with Ms.Kim Hye-ja in mind from the planning stage.That’s why the two writers who worked together on ‘The Light in Your Eyes’ stopped writing their own scripts and participated in ‘More Beautiful Than Heaven,’ which is called the ‘Kim Hye-ja Project.’ So, this is a project that pondered how to create a platform where actress Kim Hye-ja can pour everything she has into it.I wanted to create a project that would be fun and touching.It’s a project tailored to Kim Hye-ja.”

Director Kim Seok-yoon said, “Aside from Ms.Kim Hye-ja, other actors also responded to the casting call when there was no script.I am so grateful.That is why I was able to complete the character settings while understanding each character.I think the liveliness came out better than in other works because all the actors wore their characters like tailored suits rather than ready-made clothes.”



Regarding the story of the afterlife, “I thought about various settings that actress Kim Hye-ja could try, and that was ‘the story of the afterlife.’ I thought a lot about the afterlife divided into heaven and hell.First of all, hell appears in about one episode of the entire film.I tried to portray a place that no one would ever want to go to.Most of the rest is a space called heaven.Rather than a simple fantasy, I wanted to create a space where people can do things they couldn’t do in this world in a familiar space, so that viewers can easily accept the story that the film wants to tell.Of course, there are intentionally unnatural parts.I thought that the unrealistic parts that seem like a cartoon at first glance might be showing heaven.”

Kim Hye-ja, who plays the lead character Lee Hae-sook, said, “I acted as written in the script.Lee Hae-sook has a terrible love for her husband.She is a woman who was thrown into this dangerous world without any preparation after her husband suddenly got into an accident.How hard must it have been for her.But she later meets[her husband]in heaven.Lee Hae-sook would normally say she would go back to her youth, but she goes back to the age of 80, when her husband said she was the prettiest.She believes her husband who always says, ‘You are the prettiest now,’ and goes to heaven at the age of 80.But her husband is the only one who has become younger,” making people laugh.

He then said, “So, how much more can there be to talk about? I think that Hae-sook Lee is a character that all viewers can relate to.”

Regarding the reason for appearing, he said, “When I heard that the director was Kim Seok-yoon, I thought, ‘I have to do it.’When I read the synopsis, the story was interesting.So I thought I had to do it no matter what.I personally really like director Kim Seok-yoon.” He continued, “There are many stories about relationships, but I thought that the beautiful, unbroken relationship between Lee Hae-sook and Ko Nak-joon would not happen in real life.That’s why I wanted to do this work even more.”

Regarding the driving force that keeps him acting, he said, “Acting is the only thing I want to do,” and “Acting is the only field I’m interested in.I just don’t know anything else.If I were told to do something else, I’d get zero points.I just love acting the most and I’m happy.Director Kim Seok-yoon and everyone I worked with helped me out, so acting was really easy.I’m so grateful.”

Kim Hye-ja said about “More Beautiful than Heaven”, “I drew the beauty between people, including myself.When I saw the finished work, I thought that it might actually be my last work.I think it ended satisfactorily.”

Kim Hye-ja also recommended Son Seok-gu for casting.Kim Hye-ja said, “While watching ‘Liberation Diary,’ I thought, ‘He’s a really good actor, ‘and when director Kim Seok-yoon was talking about the actor to play the husband character, Son Seok-gu came to mind.” She continued, “When we acted together, it was just as I had imagined.He’s really young, but he did a great job leading.I’m so grateful that he stayed by my side like a husband.”



Son Seok-gu recalled, “It’s an honor.One day, director Kim Seok-yoon suddenly called me and said that Ms.Kim Hye-ja had ‘picked’ me.At that time, I was hailing a taxi on the street.I told her that I would do it no matter what, even though she was so shocked.I asked if it was a melodrama, but I said yes.”

Regarding his chemistry with Kim Hye-ja, he said, “In the mind of the character Go Nak-jun, there is only Lee Hae-sook.All his actions and words are for Lee Hae-sook.Rather, it was clear.It wasn’t a difficult performance.I tried to act with all my heart.I think the acting was more realized thanks to the teacher.The teacher acts with all her heart even during rehearsals.I thought I shouldn’t be even a little bit clever.That’s why I tried to act as a character who only looks at Lee Hae-sook.”

Kim Hye-ja, the ‘nation’s mother ‘, and Son Seok-gu, who received attention with the word’ admiration ‘, will act together as a special couple.What kind of emotion will the story of heaven, which goes beyond the external age difference and depicts the internal time of the couple, bring?

‘ More Beautiful than Heaven’ will first air at 10:40 PM on the 19th.

Hong Se-young, reporter for Donga.com projecthong@donga.com

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