Director Park Chan-wook Unveils Behind-the-Scenes of 'Cobweb' (Eojjeolsugeobda); Original Title 'Neck' & Lee Byung-hun, Song Hye-kyo's Memorable Scene Revealed

Acclaimed director Park Chan-wook has shed light on the intriguing behind-the-scenes stories of his latest film, 'Cobweb' (original title: Eojjeolsugeobda), captivating the attention of fans.

Appearing on the MBC FM4U radio show 'Jeong-u-ui Hope Song with Kim Shin-young' on the afternoon of the 29th, Park expressed his deep affection for 'Cobweb,' which has successfully surpassed one million viewers within just five days of its release. He revealed, "I first read the original novel in 2004-2005, and from then on, I wanted to adapt it into a film."

He continued, "At the time, the Korean film industry was small, making it daunting to acquire the rights to an American novel. However, I didn't give up and began conceptualizing the project. Even as I moved on to other works, I consistently worked on this film," highlighting the project's long gestation period.

The director also disclosed that the film's original title was intended to be 'Neck' (Mogaji). "For 'The Handmaiden,' I decided on the title while writing Kim Tae-ri's dialogue. For this one, I wanted to use 'Neck.' The original novel's title was 'Axe,' but everyone opposed it. It likely had to do with the atmosphere of my previous films," he explained.

He singled out a particular scene involving actors Lee Byung-hun and Song Hye-kyo as a memorable highlight. "When Lee Byung-hun suspects his wife's affair and Song Hye-kyo asks him, 'How could you do this?', he replies, 'Because you are too beautiful.' Song Hye-kyo then retorts, 'You're handsome too,' leaving Lee Byung-hun speechless. That moment was personally the funniest to me," he shared.

Furthermore, Park expressed his satisfaction with the scene featuring Jo Yong-pil's hit song 'Gochujabari.' "The song and the scene seemed mismatched at first, but they surprisingly harmonized. This scene, placed in the middle of the film, is the most entertaining part," he stated confidently.

Meanwhile, 'Cobweb' tells the story of 'Man-su' (played by Lee Byung-hun), a salaryman who felt his life was perfectly content, only to be abruptly fired. The film follows his battle to protect his family, his hard-earned home, and his pursuit of re-employment.

Netizens commented, "Director Park Chan-wook's unique sensibility shines through in this film," "I'm really looking forward to the chemistry between actors Lee Byung-hun and Song Hye-kyo," and "The original title 'Neck' makes me even more curious!" expressing their anticipation for the movie.