Baek Byung-yeul is a journalist at The Korea Times focused on cultural content, including films and cultural events in South Korea. You can contact him at baekby@koreatimes.co.kr to share your insights.
Doomsday survival saga ‘Omniscient Reader’ to blend reality, fantasy
From right, actors Ahn Hyo-seop, Chae Soo-bin, director Kim Byung-woo and actors Nana, Lee Min-ho and Shin Seung-ho pose during a press conference for their movie "Omniscient Reader” at a theater in Seoul, Tuesday. Yonhap
By Baek Byung-yeul
"Omniscient Reader,” an upcoming movie based on the popular web novel of the same name, aims to immerse audiences in a postapocalyptic world by showing how characters survive on the delicate balance of reality and fantasy, according to its director Kim Byung-woo.
"We actively incorporated aspects of the original novel that we found captivating and suitable for cinematic depiction," Kim said during a press conference in Seoul Tuesday. "During the adaptation process, there were inevitably gaps that we had to fill."
"Omniscient Reader" tells the story of Kim Dok-ja (Ahn Hyo-seop), the sole reader of a web novel that concludes after more than a decade of serialization. On the day of its finale, the fictional world suddenly becomes reality. Kim Dok-ja, along with the novel's protagonist Yoo Joong-hyuk (Lee Min-ho) and their companions, must navigate this collapsed world to survive.
The initial questions of the director, known for his previous works such as "The Terror, LIVE" (2013) and "Take Point" (2018), concerned how to bring such a grand narrative to the screen.
"When I first started reading this novel, it was a huge question for me," he said. "I was reading the web novel in its early stages. How the story would unfold later was important. It couldn't just be pure fantasy. The movie starts in reality but unfolds as fantasy. How to blend reality and fantasy was the most crucial aspect."
Kim said there was a process of compression and adaptation of the original novel version to make it into a two-hour film version.
"When making a two-hour film, a certain degree of distortion and sacrifices inevitably occur," Kim said. "I, too, loved the original work immensely, so I thought it would be best to maintain the original author's intention and fun as much as possible, but some modifications and adaptations were necessary to fit the film."
Poster for upcoming movie "Omniscient Reader" / Courtesy of Lotte Entertainment
Lee, the lead actor who plays the hero within the novel, expressed his belief that the film's themes of collective survival in a collapsing world will resonate deeply with contemporary audiences. He added that he decided to take on the role after reading the script at a time when he felt society was becoming increasingly individualized and isolated.
"I think the emotions of overcoming adversity together in a ruined world is something necessary in this era, and it will resonate with today's audiences," Lee said.
Ahn, who portrays the reader determined to change the outcome in a world where the novel's ending unfolds in reality, shared that his initial curiosity about the film version made him join the project.
"When I first received the script, I was most curious about how it would be brought to life as a movie," Ahn said. "It was a film on a scale I hadn't seen before in Korea."
He further emphasized the movie's underlying message. "The most important thing was the film's philosophy. I liked the message that we shouldn't live alone but rather all live together,” Ahn added.
The film also features a strong ensemble cast. Chae Soo-bin plays Yoo Sang-ah, Dok-ja's colleague who confronts the novel-turned-reality alongside him. Shin Seung-ho takes on the role of Lee Hyun-sung, a soldier who provides significant help, while Nana portrays Jung Hee-won, who is saved by Dok-ja. BLACKPINK's Jisoo plays Lee Ji-hye, a high school student who follows Yoo Joong-hyuk.
"Omniscient Reader” hits theaters on July 23.