Lee Gyu-lee is a business writer at The Korea Times, focusing primarily on IT & telecommunications, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and KOTRA. Prior to this, she has covered a wide range of cultural news, from film, television and K-pop to lifestyle and fashion.
INTERVIEW Kim Woo-bin on message of love and happiness in 'Black Knight'
Actor Kim Woo-bin plays the role of a deliveryman, 5-8, in Netflix's new series “Black Knight.” Courtesy of Netflix
By Lee Gyu-lee
By Lee Gyu-lee
“With this series, I hope people remind themselves they are precious, deserve to be happy and loved,” actor Kim Woo-bin said when ask about the message he wanted to deliver through his latest series, “Black Knight.”
Actor Kim Woo-bin / Courtesy of Netflix
Netflix's new original blockbuster series, which hit the platform on May 12, follows a dystopian Korea, swept by heavy air pollution, where people suffer from a lack of oxygen. A former refugee-turned-legendary courier, 5-8 (Kim Woo-bin) delivers oxygen and necessities to the residents, fighting off the “hunters” who are after goods to steal.
Aside from his regular job, he leads a group of vigilantes with fellow deliverymen, called black knights, to help other refugees. Along with the refugee, Sa-wol (Kang Yoo-seok), 5-8 challenges the brutal social hierarchy, set by the de-facto ruler, Cheonmyeong Group and its ruthless heir, Ryu Seok (Song Seung-heon), to save humanity.
The six-part sci-fi action series, based on the webcomic named "Delivery Knight," is created by filmmaker Cho Ui-seok, who previously helmed the action films "Master" (2016) and "Golden Slumber" (2018).
Kim shared that reuniting with the director after the film “Master” was one of the key reasons to take part in the series.
“I really liked that I got to work with director Cho again. He told me to trust him. When he first made the offer, it only had scripts up to episodes 3-4. But I had such good memories working with him in the past, so I wanted to work with him again,” he said.
“At the time, everyone was still wearing masks. So after reading the script, I felt that this could actually happen and found it interesting.”
A scene from the series "Black Knight" / Courtesy of Netflix
Kim's character was born as a refugee and after witnessing a tragic massacre in his neighborhood, he makes it his mission to stand by the underprivileged and fight against discrimination.
“5-8 has the rage and trauma of being abandoned just because he was born as a refugee and going through struggles. He's a person who pursues ways for more people to have happiness and a good life. So I tried to keep reminding myself of that mindset while I was filming,” he said. “Rather than putting emphasis on the external factors, I tried to focus on why 5-8 has such thoughts and the reasons behind his being and actions.”
Throughout the series, the actor shows off dynamic action sequences from fighting off the hunters to infiltrating the powerful Cheonmyeong Group. He noted that he tried to show two different styles of action, before the character becomes a deliveryman to after that happens.
“In the present, (his moves) are more refined, restrained, and seasoned through all the experience he had. But in the past, he has a lack of experience so (his moves) are rougher and unsophisticated. Yet, there's a rage. So I had that in mind when I made the scenes. I hope that was delivered,” he said.
The series debuted on the top of the platform's official weekly streaming chart for non-English TV shows, Wednesday.
The actor said he was surprised by its performance.
“I tried not to have my hopes up because if you do, it will be more disappointing. My goal was to introduce this series to as many people as possible. But I was surprised how many people are watching the series,” he said. “The actors are very much enjoying [the success] and I'm thankful for every moment.”