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| ▲ Actors Lee Hye-young (L), Kim Sung-cheol (C), and director Min Kyu-dong attend the production conference event for film "The Old Woman With The Knife" at Lotte Cinema, Konkuk University, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul, on March 27, 2025. (Yonhap) |
SEOUL, March 27 (Yonhap) -- "I felt it was destined as soon as I saw actress Lee Hye-young. The traces of her life, energy, and aura were transmitted. It felt like she had been preparing for 'The Old Woman With The Knife' for a long time."
Filmmaker Min Kyu-dong, who directed the movie The Old Woman With The Knife, recalled his first meeting with the lead actress Lee Hye-young at the production report event held on Thursday at Lotte Cinema at Konkuk University.
He said, "It felt like she embodied the character 'Jok' (the old woman killer in the movie)."
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| ▲ Actors Kim Sung-cheol (L), Lee Hye-young (R) and director Min Kyu-dong attend the production conference event for film "The Old Woman With The Knife" at Lotte Cinema, Konkuk University, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul, on March 27, 2025. (Yonhap) |
The film, set to be released on May 1, portrays the battle between Jok (played by Lee Hye-young), a legendary 60-something female killer, and Toro (played by Kim Sung-cheol), a young male killer. The film is based on the bestselling novel of the same name by author Koo Byeong-mo.
With a solid fanbase for the novel and the unique appearance of an older female killer—something rarely seen in Korean films—the casting attracted a lot of attention from the production stage. Lee Hye-young, who was at the top of fans' "virtual casting" list, was cast as the character of Jok, which became a hot topic.
Lee said, "There are many great actors around my age, so I wondered why I was chosen. Maybe it's because I didn't get Botox (so I naturally aged), and that's why I was cast," laughing.
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| ▲ This poster of "The Old Woman With The Knife" is provided by film distributor NEW. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) |
Kim Sung-cheol was cast as Toro, the mysterious killer who is the rising ace of a contract killing company, Shinseong Bangyeok, and pursues Jok. Min praised Kim, saying, "His charisma, performance, and energy on stage in musicals are amazing. Toro is not an overly masculine character, but Kim Sung-cheol still has a boyish charm, so he fit the role well."
Kim, who had always wanted to challenge himself with action roles, confirmed his appearance without much hesitation after reading the script that Min offered. However, he recalled struggling on set due to the rough action scenes and long takes (shooting long scenes without cutting).
Kim said, "I thought it would take about five takes for Toro's first appearance, but the director didn’t say ‘OK.’ In the end, we shot the same scene 17 times."
Lee, who had some fear of action acting, also recalled injuring herself during the shoot. She said, "If it weren’t for the martial arts director and stunt actors, these scenes wouldn't have been possible. The editing was also very well done."
Thanks to the realistic action, The Old Woman With The Knife received praise from international media after being screened at the Berlin International Film Festival last month, with one outlet saying, "Imagine John Wick with a knife instead of a gun."
Min shared a foreign review stating that the film contains reflections on aging and life, emphasizing that The Old Woman With The Knife is not just an action film.
He said, "In The Old Woman With The Knife, the characters fight with their bodies and minds. I believe the real battle is between the body and the mind. As a result, the audience will witness human life and feel an emotional aftertaste for a long time."
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