Kim Seon-ho returns to screen with film debut in 'The Childe'

The Korea Times

The Korea Times

Entertainment & Arts

Mon, October 2, 2023 | 06:52

Films

Kim Seon-ho returns to screen with film debut in 'The Childe'

Posted : 2023-05-23 13:28

Updated : 2023-05-24 16:31

From left, Kang Tae-ju, Go Ara, Kim Seon-ho, and Kim Kang-woo pose during a press conference for the new action film "The Childe," held in Gwangjin District, Seoul, Monday. Courtesy of NEW

By Lee Gyu-lee

Actor Kim Seon-ho is set to make his film debut with the title role in the upcoming noir action movie, "The Childe," as his first screen project in two years since the hit rom-com series, "Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha" (2021).

Park Hoon-jung, who is known for directing the action films "The Witch: Part 1. The Subversion," (2018) and its sequel, "The Witch: Part 2. The Other One" (2022) and "New World" (2013), will see the new movie holding its premiere on June 21.The film revolves around a boxer, named Marco (Kang Tae-ju), who is born to a Korean father and Filipino mother. He leaves the Philippines and travels to Korea in hopes of finding his father who abandoned him.

While trying to track down his father, he gets involved with some bad people, including a mysterious man known as, Childe (Kim Seon-ho), and a rich heir, Director Han (Kim Kang-woo), who chases after him for his own reasons.

"(My character) comes out of nowhere and starts following Marco around, calling him a friend. And he disrupts (Marco's) surroundings and destroys everything with a smile and puppy eyes," Kim Seon-ho said of his character, during a press conference for the film, held in Gwangjin District, Seoul, Monday.

"As this is the side that I've never shown before (in acting), I'm both excited and scared of how people will see it. But regardless, I really enjoyed working on the film. There's no word to describe how happy I am to challenge myself in a new spectrum as an actor."

A poster for the film "The Childe" / Courtesy of NEW

The actor took some time off from screen acting following a scandal in 2021 after his ex-girlfriend accused him of coercing her to get an abortion.

The film's director shared that although he did give second thoughts to casting the actor since the scandal, he felt it was inevitable as he was the right fit for the character.

"When I wrote the character, 'Childe,' I created him as cold, straight-headed, and ruthless, but he's also quirky, has his own sense of humor, and is charming in different ways. The character has different layers and I found the layers that fit the character from Kim Seon-ho's face," he said.

"It would be a lie if I didn't hesitate (to cast him for the role) but I didn't have a second choice. And now I think I made the right choice."

The director, who has a long filmography of action films, hinted that his latest flick will be much faster-paced than his previous works.

"This movie took off as a dark story, but as I filmed it, it felt much lighter. There are a lot of chase scenes from the beginning to the end of the movie," he said. "This film might feel like a fast-paced movie, unlike my previous films. I tried to get rid of the dark nuance and not include the scenes that might feel excessively emotionally draining."

gyulee@koreatimes.co.kr