'The King of Kings' Director: "Casting of Lee Byung-hun, Lee Hanee, and Jin Sun-kyu Completed Before North American Success"

Director Jang Sung-ho of the animated film 'The King of Kings' revealed that the star-studded voice cast, including Lee Byung-hun, Lee Hanee, Jin Sun-kyu, and Yang Dong-geun, was finalized before the movie's success in North America.

At a press and distribution screening of 'The King of Kings' held at CGV Yongsan in Seoul on the afternoon of the 2nd, Director Jang Sung-ho said, "It seems we had an incredibly good fortune with casting. Even Hollywood was amazed at the actors we managed to cast. People in the film industry asked me how I managed such casting, calling it a once-in-a-lifetime lineup. It seems the quality of our material really resonated with them."

He added, "Regarding the Korean voice cast, some might think it was due to the film's positive reception in the US, but it was actually completed before that. We had interest from certain individuals who helped us swiftly finalize the casting. When we approached the actors, they almost immediately accepted with enthusiasm."

The English voice cast of 'The King of Kings' includes Kenneth Branagh, Uma Thurman, Mark Hamill, Pierce Brosnan, Roman Griffin Davis, Forest Whitaker, Ben Kingsley, and Oscar Isaac, while the Korean version features Lee Byung-hun, Jin Sun-kyu, Lee Hanee, Yang Dong-geun, Cha In-pyo, Kwon Oh-joong, and Jang Kwang.

Notably, Lee Byung-hun and Lee Hanee, voicing Charles Dickens and his wife Catherine respectively, showcased voice acting skills on par with professional voice actors.

'The King of Kings' is a journey into the greatest story ever told, set 2000 years ago, with the renowned British author Charles Dickens and his youngest son, Walter. Released in North America in April, it grossed $63 million at the box office, marking the highest box office success for a Korean film to date.

Following its North American debut, the film has opened in about 40 countries across Europe and beyond, and is set to officially meet South Korean audiences on July 16th. 

(SBS Entertainment News | Kim Ji-hye)