1. The Top Talent
The talent behind this series is incredible. Park Jeong-min is an award-winning actor who has impeccable acting range. He is known for his impressive acting in films like Dongju: The Portrait of a Poet and Deliver Us from Evil. Jisoo is loved worldwide for being an actor, a solo artist, and a member of the girl group Blackpink. Furthermore, Director Yoon Sung-hyun is known for his acclaimed debut film Bleak Night and Time to Hunt. There’s also a lot of love between them with Park Jeong-min having collaborated with Yoon Sung-hyun many times. The actor said, “I debuted through Director Yoon Sang-hyun’s film Bleak Night and he’s one of the people I'm most thankful to, so there’s no reason to decline if he offers me a role. I have appeared in all of his works but I was never the main character before, but this time I am so I was very thankful.” Park Jeong-min also shared about being a fan of Blackpink and being so excited to work with Jisoo again after appearing in a cameo with her for the film Dr. Cheon and Lost Talisman. Jisoo also echoed these sentiments saying, “When I heard about Park Jeong-min being cast for Newtopia as well, I said it would be such an honor to work with him as well as Director Yoon Sung-hyun.”
2. The K-Zombies
You’ve been living under a rock if you haven’t seen or heard of any Korean zombie films or series. There are numerous zombie flicks that made waves all over the world from Train to Busan to the Kingdom series and All of Us Are Dead. K-zombies are well loved and for good reason as the zombies are utilized in a way that emphasizes characters and relationships that resonate globally. Director Yoon Sung-hyun shared, “I have always liked zombie films and series. I have wanted to do a zombie project for a very long time. When I read the script, it was so fun and I was immediately hooked.” He mentioned the series would feature zombie comedy and you can see unique items being used as weapons for fighting against zombies, He said, “Since I like zombie works so much, I had thought of various props that could be used to help prevent getting bitten like an umbrella and American football uniforms.” Jisoo also commented on how the zombies of Newtopia look a bit different from the typical zombies we have seen thus far. Be sure to watch and see the zombies for yourself!
3. The Fun Action
As typical of any good zombie series, there will be a lot of action to look forward to. Both actors talked about their efforts and preparations they put into their action scenes. Jisoo said, “Before I went to a stunt academy, I wasn’t able to even tumble forward. After training there, I can tumble forward five times in a row. It became so fun that I looked forward to doing it every time I went to the stunt academy. The training helped me film safely and well.” Park Jeong-min shared that due to having to continuously run with the military boots during filming led him to develop plantar fasciitis, but stressed that he is alright now and had a great time filming. He complimented his co-star saying, “I respected Jisoo because she was smiling even though the zombie filming was very difficult and it was such a hot summer.” Jisoo commented that “Filming wasn’t extremely difficult for me. The one thing that was difficult was that the season changed but our clothes didn’t. While it became hot, we had to keep wearing our warmer clothing.” Director Yoon Sung-Hyun also praised Jisoo’s stamina saying she has the best stamina thus far amongst the people he’s worked with.
4. It’s Not Your Typical Zombie Flick
Newtopia will feature some of the things we love most about zombie shows, but the series will also feature some differences that will set itself apart. Jisoo said, “I’ve watched a lot of zombie works, but there were a lot of colorful elements in Newtopia so I thought it would be a unique zombie project.” Director Yoon Sung-hyun explained, “When I first read the script, the most important thing was that something sets it apart from other zombie works because there have been so many of them. This is what I focused on the most. The characters were also very unique. Their distinct characteristics were great.” He further shared that Newtopia will be “a bit more similar to the traditional zombie works of the 70s and 80s” which were more humorous compared to the zombie titles seen after the 2000s. Yoon Sung-hyun also discussed how the music for the series will be interesting. He shared, “At first I thought of using electronic music for the main score but after filming and during the editing process, I thought that animation music would be more suitable. I worked with the music director and we were able to select music that is cute and cartoon-like.”
5. The Love Story
[From left: Park Jeong-min, Jisoo]
At the center of the series is a relatable romance between a conscripted soldier and his girlfriend who has entered the workforce earlier than him. Park Jeong-min disclosed, “Young-joo gets a job before him, and Jae-yoon feels like he should let Young-joo go for her sake.” Director Yoon Sung-hyun added, “Jae-yoon has a lot of worries about work, dating, marriage, etc. With the zombie outbreak, these concerns become meaningless. With the new world, there’s a bit of irony as it’s a new world full of zombies, but there’s also a new hope within it.” Jisoo’s character Young-joo is nicknamed the goddess of the engineering department during her college days. However, after getting a job she finds it more and more difficult to wait for her boyfriend who is fulfilling his military service. She suggests that they take a break, but comes to regret this after the zombie outbreak takes place. Jisoo shared, “Through this disaster, Young-joo realizes her deep love for her boyfriend Jae-yoon.” Watch how their love story expands as they fight through zombies to be reunited.
Enjoy the action, romance, and comedy with weekly episodes from Friday, February 7 through March 21. Don’t forget to watch Newtopia, only on Prime Video!
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