▲ A poster of Netflix' new series "Goodbye Earth," provided by the OTT streamer on April 19, 2024. (Yonhap)

 

SEOUL, April 19 (Yonhap) -- With only 200 days left until Earth collides with an asteroid, what will the world look like on the brink of impending doom?

 

The Netflix series 'Goodbye Earth,' unveiling on the 26th, portrays various facets of humanity within a society confronting its end.

 

Lead actress Ahn Eun-jin, speaking at the production presentation of 'Fool of the End' held at a hotel in Itaewon-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul on the 19th, revealed the reason for joining the project, saying, "When I first read the script, the ending was so impactful that my heart raced."

 

Based on the eponymous novel by Japanese author Isaka Kotaro, 'Fool of the End' is set against the chaos in Korea, with reports of an asteroid colliding with Earth and the Korean Peninsula becoming a collision zone.

 

▲ Actors Jeon Sung-woo (L), Ahn Eun-jin (C) and Kim Yoon-hye, the main casts of Netflix' new series "Goodbye Earth," pose for photos at the show's media event held in Seoul on April 19, 2024. (Yonhap)

 

Ahn Eun-jin plays Jin Se-gyeong, a middle school technology home economics teacher who struggles to protect children while awaiting the end.

 

Following the asteroid incident and school closures, she starts volunteering at the Woongcheon City Hall's Department of Children and Youth, living out the remaining time for the sake of the children.

 

Ahn said, "Se-gyeong has only one thing in her heart - protecting the children," adding, "She pours her heart into the children, determined to protect them, becoming a figure who faces the end together with them."

 

Unlike typical works dealing with preventing asteroid collisions or saving Earth, 'Fool of the End' focuses on humans confronting a major disaster without giving up on life until the end.

 

Director Kim Jin-min, known for Netflix series like 'Extracurricular' and 'My Name,' directed the series and introduced 'Fool of the End' as a unique dystopian work.

 

He expressed, "This isn't a common survival and struggle story; it's a work that asks what I would do if I were faced with the end. Among the works I've created, this is the most philosophical."

 

▲ Kim Jin-min, the director of Netflix' new series "Goodbye Earth," speaks at the show's media event held in Seoul on April 19, 2024. (Yonhap)

 

Originally scheduled for release last year, 'Fool of the End' was delayed due to one of the lead actors, Yoo Ah-in, facing trial for habitual use of propofol and other medical narcotics.

 

Yoo Ah-in plays Ha Yun-sang, Se-gyeong's longtime lover and a biotechnology researcher, and remains in the production as planned.

 

Director Kim explained, "I felt obligated to minimize viewer discomfort," adding, "Although we edited Yoo Ah-in's scenes and reduced his screen time, we couldn't remove him entirely as he is a central character to the story."

 

He emphasized, "We worked hard enough, and I don't think it's a piece that deserves criticism. This is a story about people who didn't flee or chose not to flee from the collision zone in Korea. You may have seen stories about heroes saving Earth, but those who choose to stay with their loved ones until the end are the true heroes we aimed to portray in this work."

 

 

 

 

 

 

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