Cinematographer Chung Chung-hoon solidifies his role in Hollywood with 'Wonka'

Korean cinematographer Chung Chung-hoon discusses his experience shooting the upcoming film "Wonka" in Hollywood and his entry into the American filmmaking scene, as well as his future projects.

A scene from "Wonka" starring Timothee Chalamet as the titular Willy Wonka and shot by Korean cinematographer Chung Chung-hoon [WARNER BROS. KOREA]

Korean talent has been making its way into Hollywood over the past few years, not just in acting, directing and screenwriting but also in less talked about areas such as cinematography. Upcoming blockbuster “Wonka,” based on the popular “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” novel and films, was shot by Korean cinematographer Chung Chung-hoon, whose Hollywood career spans one decade and more than 10 films.

Chung is best known for his work with director Park Chan-wook, shooting classics such as “Oldboy” (2003), “Lady Vengeance” (2005), “Thirst” (2009), “Stoker” (2013) and “The Handmaiden” (2016) with the auteur. His entry into Hollywood came with “Stoker,” after which Chung worked on American productions such as “It” (2017), “Zombieland: Double Tap” (2019) and “Last Night in Soho” (2021).

“Now it has come to the point where people don’t consider me a ‘Korean cinematographer’ per se, but wholly as another established cinematographer in Hollywood,” Chung said during an online interview with Korean reporters ahead of the release of “Wonka” on Jan. 31. “I think people in the industry are now considering me based entirely on my talent, and not where I come from.”

“Wonka” is a musical fantasy film centering on the early years of Willy Wonka, one of the central characters in the “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” novel, telling the story of how the chocolatier set up his first chocolate shop and met the Oompa-Loompas. As the film includes extravagant sets and fantastical elements such as characters flying around after eating special chocolates, Chung had a lot to consider in the film's shooting.

Cinematographer Chung Chung-hoon [MATT KENNEDY]

“I put a lot of thought into blending the fantasy elements of the story into the scenes seamlessly — I wanted to help the audience assimilate with the film and the characters and feel that they are a part of the story,” Chung said. “In a film like ‘Wonka’ where the scenes and sets are very flashy and colorful, it is easy to get caught up in the extravagance and have the camera follow every bit and try to highlight that. But if the camera doesn’t distance itself from the extravagance, it will only leave the audience overwhelmed and perhaps even confused. So I had to keep that distance well and control the way the camera moved.”

Working with director Paul King, who made the hit family comedy film “Paddington” (2014) and its 2017 sequel before “Wonka,” was very smooth and communicative, Chung said.

“There were no difficulties in working and communicating with King because our thoughts and ideas on the film were very similar,” Chung said. “It was a delight to work with him because we didn’t waste any time coordinating options for the scenes and filming.”

Actors Timothée Chalamet and Hugh Grant, who play Willy Wonka and Lofty — the first Oompa-Loompa that Willy meets — were both very hard-working and humble despite their world-famous status, according to Chung.

A scene from "Wonka" [WARNER BROS. KOREA]

“Chalamet is incredibly diligent and down-to-earth, and so is Grant,” Chung said. “When you are working with them, you don’t feel that they are these stars who everyone knows. There is, of course, the fact that both of them are very good-looking, but working with them and seeing how dedicated they are, I thought this is why people love them so much.”

With the advent of Korean films’ global recognition and popularity, Koreans working in overseas film industries such as Chung are feeling that attention more directly.

“I met people coming up to me and telling me that they had enjoyed Korean films that even I had never heard about,” Chung said. “Not just famous works like ‘Oldboy’ — which I worked on — or the recent ‘Parasite,’ but older and lesser known films too. It is amazing how far Korean films have come.”

In October last year, Chung was invited to the American Society of Cinematographers, becoming the first and only Korean member of the prestigious society. With the invitation, Chung has been using the post-nominal letters “ASC” after his name in the credits — but the meaning of this extends further than just the surface.

“Being invited to the ASC has not changed much for me in terms of working environment or anything like that, but it’s very meaningful in that the invitation is a recognition of me as a colleague in the American filmmaking scene,” Chung said. “I am no longer an outsider in the industry but accepted as part of the crowd, which is a significant recognition.”

Actors Timothee Chalamet, left, and Hugh Grant in "Wonka" ]WARNER BROS. KOREA]

Chung’s next project after “Wonka” is the horror film “Heretic,” which is already in post-production. What the cinematographer will shoot next is undecided, but Chung says he would like to work on something that requires his unique talents as a cinematographer.

“I trained in directing and acting when studying film, so I like to think that I understand those parts of filmmaking better than others,” Chung said. “Each film that I shoot feels like the most challenging work that I have done so far, but I am always excited to take part in new stories, genres and works. Right now, I am pretty nervous about how the Korean audience will see ‘Wonka,’ but I hope the response will be good.”

BY LIM JEONG-WON [lim.jeongwon@joongang.co.kr]