Hoyeon, the South Korean actress and former model, recently returned to New York City to promote her first feature film, Hope. The alien thriller, directed by Na Hong-jin, marks a significant professional shift for the star as she moves from the runway to high-intensity cinema.
The 1990s Hope Harbor setting and Hoyeon's role as Sung-ae
In the film Hope, Hoyeon portrays a junior officer named Sung-ae in a secluded South Korean town called Hope Harbor during the 1990s. according to the report, the plot centers on a humanoid-alien monster that attacks the town, forcing the competent Sung-ae to step up when the bumbling police chief, played by Hwang Jung-min, fails to handle the threat. The film's scale is amplified by a global cast, including Alicia Vikander, Michael Fassbender, and Taylor Russell, who all play additional aliens.
Hoyeon notes that director Na Hong-jin designed the human characters to represent different facets of humanity, with Sung-ae specifically embodying "goodwill." The narrative intentionally subverts traditional gender roles by making the female officer the capable lead while the male counterpart remains ineffective,emphasizing that the story is not a traditional romance but a study of clashing perspectives.
Six months of stunt prep and the struggle with vintage Hyundai Stellars
To prepare for the physical demands of Hope, Hoyeon underwent six months of rigorous stunt training. This preparation included weightlifting and learning to operate a 12-pound rifle, which she used during filming in South Korea and the forests of Romania. As the report says, the actress found the technical aspects of driving more difficult than the weaponry.
The production utilized vintage Hyundai Stellars as police cars, all of which were manual transmissions and reportedly defective. Hoyeon had to learn to drive a stick shift for the role, a process that included a highway incident where her car abruptly stopped and required police assistance. Despite these hurdles, she successfully earned her manual license on her first attempt.
The jump from 400,000 to 15 million Instagram followers
Hoyeon's current cinematic ambitions are rooted in a career defined by rapid, massive growth. Before her acting breakthrough , she was a competitive model who appeared as a runner-up on Korea's Next Top Model and later became a Louis Vuitton exclusive during her first Paris Fashion Week in 2016. At one peak, she walked in 23 different shows in a single season, including Miu Miu and Marc Jacobs.
This trajectory shifted permanently in September 2021 with the release of the Netflix series Squid Game. The show became a global phenomenon, racking up 1.65 billion cumulative viewing hours in its first 28 days. For Hoyeon , the fame was instantaneous; her Instagram following surged from 400,000 to 15 million within three weeks of the premiere, eventually leading to an Emmy and a SAG Award for her role as Kang Sae-byeok.
Blue hair for a new Netflix series and the loss of an 'innocent mindset'
While promoting Hope, Hoyeon revealed a new look—bright blue hair—for an upcoming Netflix Korean drama where she plays a live streamer.. This role comes as the actress reflects on the psychological toll of sudden global stardom. She admitted to feeling that she was losing her "innocent mindset" and expressed a desire to return to a simpler state of being after the overwhelming press tours that followed Squid Game.
Despite her success, some details regarding her current projects remain vague. The source mentions the new Netflix series but does not provide its title, leaving readers to wonder about the plot of this live-streaming drama. Additionally, while the report notes that DC Studios head James Gunn praised Hope on Instagram, it remains unclear if this indicates any future collaborations between the actress and the American studio.
Comments 0