Director Park Hoon-jung expands 'The Witch' universe with series 'The Tyrant' on Disney+

The upcoming Disney+ action series "The Tyrant" is set to expand the universe of director Park Hoon-jung's successful action film series "The Witch," promising nonstop action and a dynamic narrative for viewers.

From left, actors Kim Kang-woo, Jo Yoon-su, director Park Hoon-jung, actors Kim Seon-ho and Cha Seung-won pose at a press conference for Disney+'s "The Tyrant" held in Gangnam District, southern Seoul, on Monday. [NEWS1]

The upcoming Disney+ action series "The Tyrant" is set to expand the universe of director Park Hoon-jung's successful action film series "The Witch," promising nonstop action and a dynamic narrative for viewers.

“The series is an extension of ‘The Witch,’ set within its expansive universe,” director Park said during a press conference held in Gangnam District, southern Seoul, on Monday, ahead of its release on Aug. 14.

"The Witch" series, comprising "The Witch: Part 1. The Subversion" (2018) and its sequel "The Witch: Part 2. The Other One" (2022), achieved commercial success with its unique storyline featuring powerful characters and breathtaking action sequences.

"The Tyrant," an upcoming action thriller, also revolves around superpowers, focusing on the battle to secure the last sample from a clandestine project known as the “Tyrant Program,” conducted by Korea’s intelligence agency. This sample, which went missing during a transportation mishap, contains a drug capable of developing a superpowered gene.

“Fans of ‘The Witch’ series will find many elements they can recognize while watching 'The Tyrant,'” the director added.

Director Park Hoon-jung speaks during a press conference held in Gangnam District, southern Seoul, on Monday. [NEWS1]

Despite these connections, the cast emphasized that the series has its own uniqueness compared to the previous sequels, saying that though the series exists in the same world as “The Witch,” it is a totally different story.

“If the film ‘The Witch’ is a story from the east, ‘The Tyrant’ revolves around the story happening in the west,” actor Cha Seung-won said. “So, I mean to say that the series is a totally opposite story.”

“But there is always a high possibility for the two worlds to meet,” Cha added.

"The Tyrant" represents Park’s inaugural venture into television drama. He acknowledged the challenges, expressing his respect for everyone involved in creating a series. The director was behind numerous hit action films, including “New World” (2013), “The Witch” series and crime film “V.I.P.” (2017).

A still from upcoming Disney+ action series ″The Tyrant″ [WALT DISNEY COMPANY KOREA]

A still from upcoming Disney+ action series ″The Tyrant″ [WALT DISNEY COMPANY KOREA]

“I guess that as I only made films, I struggled in figuring out series elements, such as pacing,” Park said. “As the pace and other factors are different, I put a lot of effort into filling in those blank spots.”

The director also revealed that the series underwent a massive change during its production, as it was first planned out and shot to become a film but was changed into a series during the process. “It was difficult to make such a change in the middle of its production, especially as I am a newbie in the series field.”

The series features a stellar cast, including Cha as Lim Sang, Kim Seon-ho as Director Choe, Kim Kang-woo as Paul and Jo Yoon-su as Chae Ja-gyeong. Cha, Kim Seon-ho and Kim Kang-woo have previously collaborated with Park on his films, which has fostered a trusted working relationship.

This has also led the director to have faith in the actors' ability to carry out their characters flawlessly.

“The biggest strength of Park’s films is that when he shoots a genre work, he doesn’t show hesitation,” Cha said, who worked with Park in his action noir film “Night in Paradise” (2021), which was invited to the 77th Venice International Film Festival. “Each character has their own fierceness, and I wondered how Park would bring them to life.”

A still from upcoming Disney+ action series ″The Tyrant″ [WALT DISNEY COMPANY KOREA]

Kim Seon-ho and Kim Kang-woo both collaborated with the director on his latest film, “The Childe” (2023). They said that when they saw the script, the depiction of the characters captivated them and enticed them to work with the director again.

“I enjoyed the feeling of all four characters running toward their ends like a runaway train when reading the script,” Kim Kang-woo said.

What intrigued Kim Seon-ho about the series was his character, adding that the role was something that he had never done before in his previous work.

However, for Jo, the series is the actor’s first collaboration with Park, but also her first lead role. Park is known for discovering new talent in the acting scene, as he often casts rookies for his films. This was the case for actor Kim Da-mi.

“The character [Ja-gyeong] had to be an unknown face,” Park said. “In the series, Ja-gyeong is known by her name, but is also a little mysterious. I thought that the actor who would take on this role also should be like that. I believe that I have cast the perfect actor for the role.”

“Also among the actors I met, Jo is the best at using her fists,” Park added. “Almost all the action scenes that involve fist fighting Jo did without using body doubles.”

Jo also said that Park asked her if she had hit many people in the past after her first shoot, explaining that she tried to portray the ruthlessness of her character through her actions.

A still from Disney+ upcoming action series ″The Tyrant″ [WALT DISNEY COMPANY KOREA]

Regarding action, Cha also avoided using body doubles during his action scenes because he wanted the scenes to be more natural. When using body doubles, Cha said there are usually differences in body movements.

The series is set to air all four of its episodes on Disney+.

“It has action, tension and various narratives within it,” Cha said. “I think the series is a series that can be watched in a single breath.”

BY KIM JI-YE [kim.jiye@joongang.co.kr]