Families and the police get involved and their precious friendship is threatened.
“I never felt I could make this screenplay into an actual movie because it had so many dark factors in it,” Choi said in a recent interview with the Korea JoongAng Daily.
He added that as a grown-up, he wanted to make a film that feels like a letter of apology from adults.
“I wrote this screenplay almost 10 years ago when I was in my mid-20s. The structure was a lot different at the time. It wasn’t as heavy. But when I went through it again, I wanted to insert things that I missed as an immature man. I got to reflect on myself while revising it,” he said.
However, when asked if the film would be too discouraging to viewers in their 20s, the 37-year-old replied, “I wanted to tell the younger audience that it’s okay and they’ve done nothing wrong.”
“They might feel hopeless at times when fighting with adults and their stereotypes, but you know what? It is not their fault.”
The upcoming movie has also been generating buzz thanks to its stellar cast.
Ryu has skyrocketed to stardom after appearing in the recent drama “Reply 1988,” and Kim Joon-myeon is a K-pop star who is making his big-screen debut. Kim Ji-soo and Kim Hee-chan are also rising stars in the film scene.
The casting process took four months of public auditions, the production company revealed.
“What I consider most important when casting actors is not how they look or act flawlessly, but whether we are on the same track about the direction in which this screenplay has to go,” said Choi. “In that sense, Ji-soo, who takes on the central character, as well as others, were perfectly cast. I was very, very lucky.”
According to Choi, each actor possesses a distinctive charm, which helped create synergy among themselves as well as with him.
“In the case of Kim Ji-soo, it was kind of love-at-first-sight. He was a perfect match for Yong-bi, who only existed in my imagination. For me, he had those looks and charm that nailed the typical image of youth stars,” Choi said. “Ryu, on the other hand, is not your typical type of a star, but he has that natural talent, soaking up the character once the camera is rolling.”
Choi said he was just starting to love cinema when he wrote the screenplay for “One Way Trip,” which is why he wanted to extend that pleasure on set by forming an environment everyone could enjoy. His efforts are evident in the film, and he hopes the audience can experience the same joy.
The film opens nationwide Thursday.
BY JIN EUN-SOO[jin.eunsoo@joongang.co.kr]
