The film Troll Factory was just released in South Korean cinemas on March 27, 2024. This film tells the story of reporter Im Sang Jin (Son Suk Ku), who was suspended after writing a negative article about a large company. Team Allep, manipulating public opinion online, is involved behind the Im Sang Jin case.
In this film, Kim Sung Cheol plays Jjingbboekking, the leader of Team Allep, alongside its members Chattatkat (Kim Dong Hwi) and Paebtaek (Hong Kyung). Through interviews with Sports Chosun, Kim Sung Cheol shared his reasons for choosing this film and the shooting process. Let’s delve into Kim Sung Cheol’s story below!
1. Kim Sung Cheol did not hesitate to star in Troll Factory because the scenario and characters were interesting.
footage of Kim Dong Hwi, Kim Sung Cheol, and Hong Kyung in the film Troll Factory (instagram.com/acemaker.movie)Kim Sung Cheol’s previous film, The Night Owl (2022), was a success upon release. Therefore, he felt pressure to choose his next film project. At that time, the scenario for Troll Factory came to him.
“The scenario for Troll Factory that I received initially felt more provocative than the current version. The Jjingbboekking that I play also has more raw nuance. I wanted to take on the challenge of playing this character. Then, because casting was finished except for my character, I decided to star in it without hesitation,” he explained.
Kim Sung Cheol also mentioned that the staff and actors approached filming with gratitude, considering the difficulties faced by the South Korean film industry last year. “All the actors and shooting staff were grateful and very focused. Filming took place during tough times, and everyone did it with feelings of gratitude,” said Kim Sung Cheol.
2. Kim Sung Cheol had to get used to his partner’s character’s names.
footage of Hong Kyung, Kim Sung Cheol, and Kim Dong Hwi in the film Troll Factory (instagram.com/acemaker.movie)Kim Sung Cheol, alongside Kim Dong Hwi and Hong Kyung, portrays three characters who are part of Team Allep. Their character names sound unique but are difficult to pronounce. Kim Sung Cheol admitted that he practiced calling their characters’ names a lot to avoid sounding awkward.
“I was also worried about whether our names would be well-recognized by the audience. We tried to get used to constantly saying each other’s names through ad libs while filming. Isn’t that a rarely used word? As I said in the production briefing session, I had to practice calling their names because it was difficult to pronounce them.”
3. Kim Sung Cheol said he no longer wants to try the Jjingbboekking hairstyle in real life.
footage of Kim Sung Cheol in the film Troll Factory (instagram.com/acemaker.movie)Kim Sung Cheol sports a two-tone hairstyle with a wolf cut for the character Jjingbboekking. This style was chosen after much discussion by the art and makeup teams. However, Kim Sung Cheol couldn’t dye his hair because he was working on other projects simultaneously. He could only wear stick-on hair during filming Troll Factory.
“The character himself is someone who is immature and not very good at expressing himself, so it’s fun to be able to express what cannot be expressed through this style,” he said.
Kim Sung Cheol then mentioned that he had tried the Jjingbboekking hairstyle. He revealed, “It felt strange because it was a hairstyle that I would never try again in the future.”
4. Kim Sung Cheol was disappointed because he didn’t have a scene with Son Suk Ku in the film Troll Factory.
footage of Kim Sung Cheol in the film Troll Factory (instagram.com/acemaker.movie)While filming, Kim Sung Cheol frequently interacted with Kim Dong Hwi and Hong Kyung. However, he regrets not having any scenes with Son Suk Ku, whom he admires as a senior actor.
“I really respect Son Suk Ku, and when I watched his previous work, I thought, ‘It turns out there are actors in our country who can express themselves like this.’ When I read the script, I was disappointed because my character didn’t meet him in person, and our shooting locations were different,” said Kim Sung Cheol.
He continued, “I really wanted to act directly with Son Suk Ku. But because he visited the shooting location, it was fun. My shoulders heaved as he came. There was a feeling that we were doing this work together.”
Although they rarely met on filming locations, Kim Sung Cheol can often meet Son Suk Ku during promotions. Unfortunately, there is no film release schedule for Troll Factory outside South Korea, including Indonesia. Let’s wait for further updates.