A high-tension crime drama, "The Mantis: Original Sin" follows a detective who must team up with his estranged mother ― a serial killer nicknamed “Mantis” after brutally murdering five men ― to stop further killings. With a genre-savvy creative team and heavyweight cast, anticipation has been building ahead of its debut.
Director Byun Young-joo and writer Lee Young-jong opened up about why they cast Ko and Jang ― and what it was like watching them bring Jung Yi-shin and Cha Soo-yeol to life on set.
“As soon as I read the script, I knew I wanted Ko Hyun-jung as Jung Yi-shin,” Byun recalls. “She’s unmatched at playing layered emotions ― strong yet fragile, composed yet fractured. And as a longtime fan, I desperately wanted to work with a legend like Ko. We sent her the script, and about 10 days later she said yes. My heart was pounding.”
Byun says Jang Dong-yoon won his over with his turn in "Like Flowers in Sand." “He’s a captivating actor who somehow carries a boyish vibe and a young man’s gravity at the same time. There’s a gentle sincerity there, and a hint of hurt ― that delicacy made me want to cast him.”
The director also shared a moment on set that cemented his conviction about the show. “Our first shoot with Ko was a nighttime rain scene at a small house in a seaside village ― a chilling, blood-soaked sequence. Watching her, in a thin outfit, drenched under cold late-autumn winds, deliver that performance outdoors, I knew we were on the right path.”
“As for Jang, he has a director’s eye,” he adds. “He comes in thinking not just about his own scenes but the rhythm with everyone around him ― the mark of a true leading man. He has this habit of pushing for greater synergy with his partners, and as a director that made me happy every day.”
Writer Lee Young-jong felt just as elated about the casting. “I was walking down the street when I got the call that Ko Hyun-jung would play Jung Yi-shin,” he says. “After I hung up, I screamed ― right there in the middle of the road. Every writer dreams of perfect casting, but it rarely happens. It happened to me.”
“Jang Dong-yoon was also someone I’d been watching,” Lee continues. “He takes on wildly different roles from drama to drama, and even when those characters’ temperaments are miles apart, he makes each feel natural in his own way. Cha Soo-yeol is outwardly calm but carries a storm of anxiety inside ― I was thrilled because I knew he’d capture that better than anyone.”
Both Byun and Lee say working with Ko and Jang has been a joy ― from the moment they heard the news to the long nights on set ― thanks to performances that exceeded expectations. Soon, audiences will get to see it for themselves.
"The Mantis: Original Sin" premieres Friday, Sept. 5 at 9:50 p.m. KST on SBS, following "The Winning Try."
(SBS Entertainment News | Kang Sun-ae)