“Along with the Gods” is a South Korean film series that topped box offices across Asia. The series’ producer, Won Dong-Yeon, spoke at a seminar on Feb. 25 in New York about the making of the films.
Based on a webtoon of the same name, “Along with the Gods” is an action fantasy series that tells the story of a dead firefighter and his trip to the afterlife, where he goes through trials in order to find redemption.
Although fantasy movies are not uncommon in Asia, Won Dong-Yeon said this series is unique. In an interview with NTD at the seminar presented by the Korean Cultural Center New York and the Korea Society, Won shared about the films’ theme of reincarnation.
“The people around me probably not only have a connection with me in this lifetime, but also the next lifetimes. Western audiences, especially those who had a Christian cultural background, may not be familiar with it. I didn’t expect the films to be this popular in the West, it really surprised me,” Wong said.
The next two installments of the series will be filmed in 2019. Won said the new films will have better visual effects, but he also emphasized the importance of good storylines.
“If the films lack a good plot, no matter how good is the visual effects, music or acting, there’s very little meaning in the works,” Wong explained.
The third and fourth installments will incorporate more of the world views from the author of the original webtoon. Won hopes audiences will take away something meaningful after watching the films.
NTD reporters Hyesoo Yoon and Jin Park contributed to this report.
