Park Bo-young, right, and Kim Sung-cheol pose during a press conference for Disney+ crime thriller "Gold Land" at Conrad Seoul, Monday. Yonhap
What choices would people make if they suddenly came into possession of 150 billion won ($102 million) worth of gold bars? The upcoming Disney+ original series "Gold Land" seeks to answer that question.
Co-written by Hwang Jo-yoon — the screenwriter behind Park Chan-wook’s 2003 masterpiece "Oldboy" — the series is a survival thriller that follows Hee-ju (Park Bo-young), a young woman who finds herself embroiled in a chaotic web of greed and betrayal after discovering a massive stash of smuggled gold, fighting to keep the fortune for herself.
Beyond the heart-pounding suspense, the series promises a deep dive into the complexities of human nature and the fragility of relationships.
Park takes on her first role in a crime series as a customs officer whose desires are awakened by the accidental discovery.
"I was looking for a genre challenge," Park said during a press conference at Conrad Seoul, Monday.
"The director noted that most people see me as the type of person who would return found gold. He suggested that seeing someone with that 'honest' image make the opposite choice would trigger a unique reaction from the audience. That perspective is what ultimately won me over."
Shifting away from her bright onscreen persona, Park leaned into the character’s grim background through a physical transformation. "To express Hee-ju’s sense of lack, I lost weight and minimized my makeup as the production went on," she said.
Park Bo-young in a scene from Disney+ thriller "Gold Land" / Courtesy of Walt Disney Company Korea
Director Kim Sung-hoon, the filmmaker behind "Confidential Assignment" (2017) and "Rampant" (2018), characterized the series as a thriller fueled by "the suspense of internal desire." Kim lauded Park’s dedication to the gritty role, noting her willingness to embrace the character's mental and physical unraveling. "She completely shed her public persona to disappear into the role of Kim Hee-ju," he said.
Source: Korea Times News
