[Photo&] Jeon Ji-hyun and Koo Kyo-hwan… Sang-ho Yeon’s “K Zombie” ‘Hive’ draws 5 minutes of standing ovation at Cannes

Actress Jun Ji-hyun and Koo Kyo-hwan star in director Yeon Sang-ho’s latest work, “Hive”, which completely took over the 79th Cannes International Film Festival. Officially invited to the Midnight Screening section, “Hive” screens on the 16th (local time) at the Lumière Grand Theatre for the world premiere, winning explosive praise from critics and film fans around the world.

Standing ovation that lasted 5 minutes… Jeon Ji-hyun’s return that mesmerized Cannes

“After the screening, when the audience claps and brings it to a close, I got so choked up. It was moving to screen a Korean film in France, and to see so many foreigners genuinely love it—clapping and creating a point of connection between cultures.”

Immediately after the screening, the audience filled the 2,300-seat grand theater and poured out an intense standing ovation for a full five minutes. Jeon Ji-hyun said, “When the screening ended and the audience clapped and wrapped things up, I got really choked up,” adding, “I was deeply moved by the fact that Korean films can form a deep cultural resonance right here at Cannes in France.” It was the moment Jeon Ji-hyun, now firmly positioned as a new persona in what director Yeon Sang-ho has built as the so-called ‘Yeoniverse,’ began to fully expand her global trajectory through this work.

Jeon Ji-hyun transformed into a biotechnologist—The essence of K-zombie action

‘Hive’ is a work that, with a shopping mall isolated by a large-scale infection outbreak as its backdrop, portrays the survivors’ desperate struggle in a dense, immersive way. Playing the role of Kwon Se-jeong, a tough biotechnologist who leads the survivors’ group in the film, Jeon Ji-hyun flawlessly handled extreme action without sparing herself. Her action performance, combined with a solid narrative, has been assessed as raising the level of the K-zombie genre by one notch. Jeon Ji-hyun said, “I want to become my director’s persona within the true Yeoniverse by moving diligently,” expressing her strong determination to continue collaborating going forward.

Madness comparable to ‘Joker’… A rediscovery of Koo Kyo-hwan’s daring villain role

The bold villain, Seo Young-cheol, who faces off against Jeon Ji-hyun, is played by actor Koo Kyo-hwan, delivering an overwhelming performance. A character that triggers a horrifying zombie incident in the name of humanity’s evolution—and controls them with an unsettling kind of madness. Major overseas outlets praised Koo Kyo-hwan’s acting, saying it is comparable to the film ‘Joker’. In response, Koo Kyo-hwan said, “It’s an honor just to be compared to ‘Joker,’ and I’ll never forget the exhilarating emotion of the Cannes red carpet for the rest of my life,” sharing her candid thoughts.

Koo Kyo-hwan added, “(The mention of ‘Joker’) is so flattering,” saying, “I thought, ‘Oh, you introduced the character named Seo Young-cheol well to the audience.’” Then she continued, “The tension Seo Young-cheol brings wasn’t something I created; it was made by the reactions of the other actors,” expressing it modestly by saying, “The atmosphere of the characters looking at a chain of events created Seo Young-cheol.”

A new horizon for K-content… Aiming straight at global box-office success

Assessed as presenting a new paradigm for Korean-style zombie stories, ‘Hive’ picks up the intense energy of Cannes and sets out to hunt for global box-office success. With an original world and the explosive synergy between the actors, all eyes are on what kind of ripple effect the film will create across theaters worldwide—and what the industry at large will make of it.