Jung Woo Sung Reveals He Almost Declined Lee Jung Jae’s Offer in ‘Hunt’ – Here’s Why
Jung Woo Sung made a surprising revelation regarding his appearance in Lee Jung Jae's directorial debut, "Hunt." As some of the viewers know, the renowned stars are more than just co-stars but also best friends in real life.
In an interview as cited by Wikitree the award-winning actor talks about his preparation and experience filming the espionage action film.
Jung Woo Sung Reveals He Initially Refused to Star in 'Hunt'
The 49-year-old star shared he declined the casting offer of Lee Jung Jae thrice.
According to Jung Woo Sung, the actor-director told him about the upcoming project and how he wanted to direct and produce it.
"The amount of energy consumed is completely different from when I was only working as an actor," he said, adding "We are both directing and producing, but if the two of us appeared together, the evaluation would be sharper. I thought that it would be better to just challenge the director with a light mind than to put two eggs in a basket and break them."
"Hunt" is Jung Woo Sung and Lee Jung Jae's reunion project after their 1998 movie "City of the Rising Sun."
Lee Jung Jae and Jung Woo Sung
In the movie, the duo transformed into elite agents of the National Intelligence Service (NIS) who are set on a special mission.
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However, while uncovering a shocking truth, they were accused of being a spy and ended up against each other.
As mentioned, it is the "Squid Game" star's first ever project as a director and actor with co-stars Jeon Hye Jin, Go Yoon Jung, and Heo Sung Tae.
'Hunt' Scores 2 Million Viewers
Released on August 10, "Hunt" marked another achievement after hitting another million in viewership.
According to a report, the Korean Film Council shared that Lee Jung Jae and Jung Woo Sung's movie garnered over 2 million moviegoers, a week after its premiere.
In addition, the espionage action film has remained at the number one spot, marking a perfect streak at the Korean box office.
Prior to its theatrical release, "Hunt" was also invited to the Cannes Film Festival 2022 along with other Korean contents like "Broker," "Decision to Leave," and Bae Doona's "The Next Sohee."
Lee Jung Jae’s First Directorial Film ‘Hunt’ Sold in 144 Countries
Interestingly, "Hunt" which was screened in the festival's prestigious Midnight section, received an overwhelming response from the audience after receiving a 7-minute standing ovation.
Adding to the list of the movie's achievements, Deadline reported that Lee Jung Jae's film will be acquired by Magnolia Films.
According to the outlet, Magnolia President Eamonn Bowles was impressed with the actor-director's creation noting how Lee Jung Jae "delivered a wild ride of a film," adding, "It's filled with action sequences of the highest order that are guaranteed to thrill audiences."
With this, the global audience will get to see the intense and entertaining movie, which stars Lee Jung Jae and Jung Woo Sung.
