Actor Kim Sung-cheol brings a chilling, devilish presence to "Project Y".
At a press screening and Q&A held Jan. 8 at Lotte Cinema World Tower in Seoul, Kim addressed the near-total lack of backstory for his character, “Boss To,” saying, “I didn’t think he needed one.”
“The director also felt that giving him a backstory would dull his appeal as a villain,” he continued. “I wanted To to exist simply as the force opposing our two heroines―almost like ‘dirty money’ itself, some ominous substance. In plain terms, I wanted him to feel demonic.”
Director Lee Hwan added, “In the script, Boss To has a prehistory, but we decided there was no need to show it on screen. I wanted him to start off evil from the jump. If we added reasons, it would turn cliche and feel needy. Rather than showing a gentlemanly yet sensitive type, we chose to hit hard from the very first scene.”
Set in the glittering heart of the city, "Project Y" follows two women on the brink who steal a stash of illicit cash and gold, setting off a high-stakes spiral. Kim plays Boss To, a nightlife operator running an illegal sports-betting ring, who goes head-to-head with Mi-seon (Han So-hee) and Do-kyung (Jeon Jong-seo).
The film opens Jan. 21.
(SBS Entertainment News | Kim Ji-hye)