김은정
| 2023-06-13 14:49:01
Netflix series-director
Director of Netflix series 'Bloodhounds' unveils grim reality amid pandemic
By Kim Eun-jung
SEOUL, June 13 (Yonhap) -- The new Netflix series "Bloodhounds" deals with an illegal money-lending business that preys on cash-strapped people amid the COVID-19 pandemic to tell stories of their pain and struggles, its director said Tuesday.
The eight-part action series, written and directed by Kim Joo-hwan, follows two promising boxers (played by Woo Do-hwan and Lee Sang-yi) who set foot in the world of private money exchanges and fight against ruthless loan sharks.
Premiered on Friday, "Bloodhounds" ranked second on Netflix's TV show chart Tuesday, according to the streaming analytics site FlixPatrol.
Kim, who took the helm of "Midnight Runners" (2017) and "The Divine Fury" (2019), said working on his first drama series adapted from a popular webtoon was much harder than his past film projects, but it was the best option for the heavy subject.
"The overall structure is based on the original work that deals with loan sharks, but I added a lot of elements," Kim said during a group media interview. "I wanted to adapt it into a drama series to tell in-depth stories of characters and highlight their conflicts."
In the series, loan sharks target small business owners who need money in a hurry amid the pandemic-driven slump and charge them extremely high interest rates. The terms are written in tiny letters so debtors can't easily notice them and result in catastrophic consequences.
Kim said he wanted to realistically portray victims' suffering as similar cases have occurred in other parts of the world.
"I think writers should live with contemporary people. Everybody was affected by the pandemic, and some of them suffered," he said. "I tried to show their pain and the process of overcoming obstacles to connect viewers across the world."
One of the most challenging parts was that the director had to hurriedly revise the script after cast member Kim Sae-ron caused a car accident while driving under the influence in May 2022, when filming was still under way.
After the accident, the director cut some scenes involving Kim Sae-ron, starring as Cha Hyun-joo, who teams up with the boxing duo to fight against villains in the first six episodes. He then revised the last two episodes to remove her character.
"When I first saw the news (of Kim Sae-ron), I just froze," Kim Joo-hwan said. "I had to put production on hold for one month and rewrote the script. As I had to write about 80 pages within a month to maintain my team and not to cause additional costs, I was under huge pressure and my body began to ache."
Despite the unexpected obstacle, Kim said he could carry on thanks to the strong chemistry between Woo and Lee, and their useful tips on action scenes and narratives in the last two episodes.
When asked whether there will be a second season, Kim was open to the possibility.
"I think it is an open-ended story," he said. "If 'Bloodhounds' gains global popularity, it can come back because the main characters are alive (at the end)."
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