Hwang Jung-min on running from morning till night for Korean film Hope: “I have never said, ‘It’s too hard, I can’t run anymore’”
Veteran actor Hwang Jung-min, known for his acclaimed performance in Ode to My Father, takes on a physically demanding role in the upcoming Korean sci-fi thriller Hope, with his character required to run at a fast pace through much of the film. For the actor, the running itself was not necessarily the biggest challenge. Instead, it was the Western boots he wore for the role that made the physically demanding sequences more complicated.
Reflecting on the shoot, Hwang Jung-min revealed that there were days when he had to run from morning until the end of the day. However, the actor, who enjoys running in his personal life, said he was able to keep up with the demanding schedule. “We even shot scenes where I ran from morning until the end. But I run quite well. I also enjoy running, and I have never said, ‘It’s too hard, I can’t run anymore,’ so I think I am managing well,” he shared.
The real difficulty came from having to run in Western boots, which required him to keep his toes curled while moving. Hwang explained that the footwear became an important consideration depending on what was visible on camera. “It was just difficult because I wore Western boots and had to run with my toes curled,” he said. When his feet were visible in a scene, he wore the boots, while scenes where his feet were not shown allowed him to switch to sneakers and run more comfortably.
Eventually, however, Hwang found himself getting used to the boots as they stretched and fit his feet better. What began as an additional challenge gradually became less of an issue, to the point that changing shoes started feeling unnecessary. “Later, as the boots stretched and fit my feet better, I found it too troublesome to change shoes, so I just ran in the boots,” he recalled.
The experience reflects the physical demands Hwang took on for Hope, where his character’s journey requires him to remain on the move through much of the film. While the actor was already comfortable with running, adapting to the Western boots added an unexpected layer to the challenge, making the seemingly simple task of running one of the more memorable physical aspects of the shoot.
Written and directed by acclaimed filmmaker Na Hong-jin, Hope will now arrive in Indian theatres on October 23. The film stars Hwang Jung-min alongside Michael Fassbender, Alicia Vikander and Jung Ho Yeon, bringing together an international ensemble for the sci-fi action thriller. With cinematography by Hong Kyung-pyo, known for his work on Parasite, the film will be released across the country by Star Entertainment in English, Hindi bringing a large-scale Korean cinematic spectacle to Indian audiences.
English Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OFaJzL83y0Q
Hindi Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5zlfPKPmAjM
About Star Entertainment
Established in 1980, Star Entertainment has been bringing exceptional international cinema to Indian audiences for over four decades. One of India’s leading independent film distribution companies, Star specialises in sourcing and distributing films and television programming across Hollywood, European and Asian markets, with a strong track record in Korean cinema. Operating on an all-rights distribution model, the company acquires and distributes premium international content across theatrical, television and digital platforms. With over 100 international titles released theatrically in India and a portfolio of more than 1,000 titles across television and digital platforms, its catalogue includes celebrated films such as Dirty Dancing, City of God, Pan’s Labyrinth, The Intouchables, Léon: The Professional and Ip Man, among others.