All set to bring a unique K-Hero on the small screen, Vigilante launches on Disney+ on November 8.
The series is headlined by Nam Joo Hyuk (Start-Up, Twenty Five Twenty One) as the vengeful vigilante Kim Ji-yong; Yoo Ji Tae (Oldboy, Money Heist: Korea – Joint Economic Area) as Jo Heon, a ruthless detective committed to stopping the Vigilante at any cost; Lee Joon Hyuk (Stranger, Designated Survivor: 60 Days) as Cho Kang-ok; and Kim So Jin (Through The Darkness, The Spy Gone North, The King) as Choi Miryeo, a broadcaster who exposes the Vigilante’s actions.
Tired of seeing the legal system fail, and repeat offenders being set free, Kim Ji-yong decides to step up and do something about it.
At the recent press conference, the director and lead stars spoke about filming stories and what to anticipate in the series.
Nam Joo Hyuk plays the role of Kim Ji-yong, a model police student who protects the law during the day, but who acts as a vigilante who directly judges criminals and evade the law at night, heralding the birth of a new dark hero. The actor currently enlisted in the military, completed filming before enlisting.
A video taken by Nam Joo-hyuk before his enlistment was released. He expressed his regret for not attending the production presentation.
“I feel really regretful. I spent a lot of time thinking and preparing for Vigilante, and I am really grateful to the actors and staff who worked with me. I look forward to it. Please do so and ask for your warm support and interest.”
Yoo Ji Tae plays the role of Jo Heon, a chaser for Vigilante and head of the metropolitan investigation team.
Lee Joon Hyuk plays the role of Jo Kang-ok, a second-generation chaebol who follows Ji-yong as a huge Vigilante fan. Lastly, Kim So Jin plays the role of Choi Mi-ryeo, a reporter racing to exclusively report on the identity of Vigilante.
Director Choi’s Creative Process
Revealing the casting process and details of Vigilante’s K-Hero, Director Choi remarked how he is complex and two-faced.
“We needed an actor who could portray this well. Nam Joo Hyuk has this youthful vibe. I thought it would be fun to express a refreshing and clear feeling, which is a symbol of youth. At the same time, he can show anger, resentment, and sparkling eyes.”
He also expressed confidence in how Nam’s portrayal of Ji-yong is cool and attractive similar to how the character was depicted in the webtoon.
Director Choi Jeong-yeol also mentioned the differences in the actions of each character.
“Jiyong’s action takes advantage of Nam Joo Hyuk’s long limbs. When I thought about what the important action point was for Ji-yong, I thought emotions were the most important. Jo Heon is the most overwhelming. I tried to give him unrivaled power and an overwhelming and terrifying feeling. Jo Kang-ok is very free. I hoped that he would not be stereotyped. Sometimes he seems to follow the opponent’s actions, sometimes he seems to avoid them, but he does it in his own way. I tried to express it freely and to my heart’s content.”
Lead Stars’ Preparations
Yoo Ji Tae, who saw the webtoon before producing the drama, said, shared why he chose Vigilante as his next work.
“I recommended it to people around me because I was confident it could become a global trend. A few years later, this work came to me, and I decided to give it a try, thinking it was fate. I worked hard on filming for a year. I thought it was time for a Korean-style action-hero story to come out, and I confidently thought that work would be ‘Vigilante.“
Sharing his character preparations, the actor said he analyzed the character while obsessing over the lines.
“I had to have excellent physical strength, so I gained 20 kg. I had gained weight before, but increasing muscle mass was a new experience. Appearance was important, so I grew my body the way a bodybuilder did.”
Lee Joon Hyuk echoed the same excitement and regrets the absence of Nam Joo Hyuk because he is serving in the military.
“I’m looking forward to it because the reviews are good. It would have been nice if Joo-hyuk came.”
The actor who received the offer while filming the SBS drama Our Beloved Summer, said, “At the time, I wanted to play a relatively unique role because it was a straightforward character. I watched a webtoon and thought it was unique and fun, so I decided to join it.”
To prepare for his role, he asked the director to put a restriction if needed.
“I watched a lot of documentaries and reality shows for the character. There are a lot of people who live like musicals. Because people like this exist in real life, I was able to do it freely. If it hurts the sense of rhythm, I asked the director to put restrictions on it so I could enjoy it.”
Although this is the first work to be released after the huge success of Crime City 3, which reached the 10-million-mark, Lee Jun-hyuk said, “I am relatively less burdened because I have Yoo Ji Tae and Nam Joo Hyuk.”
“I am very grateful for the work Crime City 3. I hope that the box office success will be of some help to Vigilante.”
He also said, “It’s the same crime story, but unlike Crime City 3, it’s a work with a great meaning in the sense that it gives a valid reason to punish evil. The perspective of the characters is completely different.”
Kim So Jin, who played the role of a reporter gives an overview of her character and how she made her preparations.
“I tried to keep my tenacity and conviction to go to the end until the end. She is a little more mature than the webtoon, has experienced failure, and has been through many hardships. While retaining the feeling of the original work, she is creating a new story. I tried to make our perspective blend together.”
Vigilante will be released for the first time on November 8 only on Disney+.
Photos Courtesy of Disney+
