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.
Hit comedy 'Okay! Madam' returns with luxury cruise sequel
Uhm Jung-hwa in a scene from "Okay! Madam: Bon Voyage” / Courtesy of CGV Pictures
By Baek Byung-yeul
The action-comedy film "Okay! Madam," which drew over 1.22 million viewers amid the COVID-19 pandemic in August 2020, is returning with its sequel, "Okay! Madam: Bon Voyage."
Director Lee Cheol-ha expressed his deep gratitude and excitement about the sequel, recalling the bittersweet memories of releasing the original film during the height of the pandemic.
"I remember looking back at the situation six years ago when the pandemic was spreading and prebooked tickets were being canceled, which made the actors very sad during our promotional events," Lee said during a press conference in Seoul on Monday.
"It was heartbreaking that our hard work could not reach more viewers at the time, but we were so grateful that many people still watched it, and the film generated good revenue through streaming platforms, which allowed us to make this sequel."
From left, actors Lee Sang-yoon, Park Sung-woong, Uhm Jung-hwa and Bae Jung-nam pose during a press conference for their movie "Okay! Madam: Bon Voyage” at a theater in Seoul, Monday. Yonhap
The sequel expands its universe from an airplane in the first movie to a massive luxury cruise ship, following a former secret agent Mi-young (Uhm Jung-hwa) and her family, who get caught up in a cruise hijacking in the middle of the ocean.
Lead actor Uhm also expressed her excitement about returning to the franchise after six years and reunited with her onscreen husband.
"We became so close that everything felt completely natural, and the shooting felt so comfortable that it did not even feel like work," Uhm said.
Uhm also showed pride in completing the intense action scenes safely with the help of the martial arts director and her co-stars.
"I love doing action scenes, so I worked really hard," the 56-year-old actor said, before jokingly sending a message to Hollywood action star Tom Cruise to meet and run together someday.
Park Jin-joo, left, and Park Sung-woong in a scene from "Okay! Madam: Bon Voyage” / Courtesy of CGV Pictures
Actor Park Sung-woong, who plays Mi-young's husband Seok-hwan, also said the reunion with the cast brought a welcoming and warm atmosphere.
"When the three of us took a family photo, it brought back all the memories from six years ago, and it was such a welcoming set," Park said.
Actor Lee Sang-yoon, who plays Mi-young's former colleague Cheol-seung, teased his character's transformation for the new film.
"This time, I tried a drastic new hairstyle and my character holds a secret," Lee said.
Actor Bae Jung-nam, returning as the flight attendant Hyun-min, who has now become the protagonist of a luxury cruise wedding, highlighted the strong chemistry among the cast members.
"The actors are so close that we always ate dinner and talked after filming, so it felt less like a shoot and more like going on a cruise trip with friends," Bae said.
Park Jin-joo, who plays Sun-a, the head of the cruise ship's cabin management team, thanked Park for making her feel comfortable during comedy scenes.
"He gave me complete trust and accepted whatever I did, which took away my burden regarding the comedy elements," she said.
Choi Soo-young in a scene from "Okay! Madam: Bon Voyage” / Courtesy of CGV Pictures
Choi Soo-young, who plays Anya, the charismatic leader of the criminal organization hijacking the ship, embraced the meaningful challenge of taking on her first villain role.
"I wanted to create a female villain who possesses both charisma and humor rather than just being scary," Choi said.
"Okay! Madam: Bon Voyage” will hit local theaters on Aug. 12.