[Dispatch=Lee Ah-jin] “I practiced over and over again to properly show the skills of an idol who used to be at the top.” (Kang Dong-won)

A new comedy film that warmly touches audiences’ hearts has arrived. Oh Jung-se smiled and said, “Before watching it, I thought it would simply be a funny movie, but it’s also a work that leaves your heart feeling warm.”

The film ‘Wild Thing’ (directed by Son Jae-gon) tells the comeback story of a top idol group that dominated the music industry in the early 2000s. The members let go of their former glory and support one another as they struggle to stand on stage once again.

The movie also powerfully stimulates nostalgia. By faithfully recreating idol group styling from the era, it heightens the fun for viewers. Kang Dong-won even perfectly pulls off late-1990s fashion and a full head spin performance.

The actors’ hard work is evident in the high-quality performances. At times, it feels as though viewers are watching a real idol group on stage. The music video sequence that closes the film also delivers another layer of entertainment.

On top of that, the deeply human stories of the protagonists fighting for their comeback add emotional depth. Their determination to overcome harsh realities creates touching moments, delivering not only laughter but genuine comfort.

The ‘Wild Thing’ team held a press screening and media conference on May 18 at Lotte Cinema World Tower in Songpa-gu, Seoul. Actors Kang Dong-won, Uhm Tae-goo, Park Ji-hyun, Oh Jung-se, and director Son Jae-gon attended the event.

‘Wild Thing’ is a comedy set in the Korean music industry of the early 2000s. It follows the comeback project of “Triangle,” a once wildly popular co-ed trio.

The members’ present-day reality is far different from their glamorous past. Their lives are difficult and bittersweet. Each member stakes everything on the comeback stage for different reasons — for money, to reclaim lost youth, or to pursue an enduring passion for rap.

Triangle’s sincere challenge moves audiences emotionally. Director Son explained, “Each protagonist has a different message and personal story. I wanted to create characters audiences would genuinely want to root for.”

The appearance of idol styling from the late 1990s and early 2000s strongly evokes nostalgia. Son noted, “If we only brought back early-2000s styling, it didn’t feel retro enough because current trends overlap with it. So we mixed in 1990s styles as well.”

The movie also adds catharsis through energetic action scenes. One standout sequence features Triangle in a police chase as they race to make it to a live broadcast. Son emphasized, “I wanted to incorporate action into the comedy to create more diverse forms of humor.”

Kang Dong-won plays Hwang Hyun-woo, Triangle’s leader and main dancer. Hyun-woo even loses his last remaining source of income — his job as a radio DJ. However, after unexpectedly landing a chance to perform at the Gangwon Expo celebration stage, he reunites the group.

For Kang Dong-won, playing an idol itself was a huge challenge. He shared, “The script was too fun to give up because of the dancing. I approached it thinking of it as a type of action film.”

He pushed himself physically to create realistic dance performances. He spent a long time learning breakdancing and even performed the head spin himself, which serves as the highlight of Triangle’s stage performance.

“I sought out a professional dancer and learned the moves,” he said with a laugh. “I practiced head spins so much that my neck muscles became stronger. Thankfully, I managed to finish filming safely without rupturing a disc.”

He also paid close attention to styling. The looks were inspired by first-generation idol groups such as H.O.T. and Shinhwa. Kang said, “I wanted to pay homage to the styling of the idol seniors I grew up watching.”

Uhm Tae-goo plays Goo Sang-gu, Triangle’s rapper. Though lacking in rap skills, he overflows with passion. He struggles desperately to return to the stage in hopes of covering the losses from his failed solo album.

He especially focused on his rap acting. “I tried my best to absorb everything my teacher taught me. The styling team also did such a great job with the idol looks that it helped reduce the pressure on set,” he recalled.

Park Ji-hyun transforms into Byeon Do-mi, the group’s center member. After the group disbands, she lives as the daughter-in-law of a wealthy family, but unable to suppress her star qualities, she eventually returns to the stage.

“When acting as an idol, I thought about senior Lee Hyori from Fin.K.L. For the daughter-in-law scenes, I wanted to emphasize a more elegant image that came with age,” she explained.

Oh Jung-se appears as Choi Sung-gon, an unlucky ballad prince dreaming of a comeback on the same stage as Triangle. He hilariously portrayed an excessively kind stage manner.

“I focused most on Sung-gon’s desperation toward the stage,” he said. “Whether during the police chase or running so he wouldn’t be late for the live broadcast, I always tried to pour out as much passion as possible.”

One of the biggest highlights of the film is Triangle’s stage performances, which rival those of real idol groups. From the innocence of rookie idols to the desperation displayed during the Expo performance, the stages capture every emotion. Their highly polished facial expressions and performances are convincing enough to rival active idols today.

Park Ji-hyun recalled, “The senior actors took it so seriously that I didn’t even dare make mistakes. Especially Uhm Tae-goo — he must have winked a million times. As the center member, I barely had any chance to wink myself.”

Kang Dong-won added, “Actors usually aren’t supposed to look directly at the camera, but since we were playing idols, we had to stare into it. I became so focused on finding the camera and avoiding NGs that I naturally became more serious too.”

Choi Sung-gon’s Expo performance is also one of the movie’s standout scenes. Even amid a broadcast accident, he stubbornly continues singing. Oh Jung-se explained, “I wanted to portray Sung-gon constantly hypnotizing himself and immersing himself into the stage, despite having drifted far away from life as a singer.”

Lastly, Oh Jung-se emphasized, “Wild Thing isn’t just funny. It’s deeply soaked with the sweat and struggles of its protagonists. Audiences will feel both laughter and heartfelt emotion.”

Meanwhile, ‘Wild Thing’ will premiere in theaters on June 3.

[Photo by Lee Seung-hoon]