IN Main VideoS “Newtopia“Love not only survives the apocalypse – it thrives in it. The Korean series pairs BlackpinkS Jisoo And the acclaimed actor Park Jeong-Min in a romantic comedy with undead turns that is invoiced as a new grip on the zombie genre.
The series follows Lee Jae-Yoon (Park), a late military military service and Kang Young-Joo (Jisoo), a rookie professional, whose relationship is first tested by a division and then by a zombie outbreak in Seoul. Under the leadership of Yoon Sung-Hyun, “Newtopia” aims to mix heartbroken action with light-hearted romance.
“It’s more adorable, humorous and light-hearted-a real zombie-romantic comedy, a” zom-com “, Park says Amount. “The unique was what made me want to be part of this project.” The actor, who admits that he is a Blackpink fan with signed album to prove it, found immediate chemistry with his co-star. “From the very first moment the chemistry between us was great and it was easy to form a close band.”
For Park, the role gave unique creative opportunities. “Being placed in situations that I have never experienced – and probably will never – was the most exciting aspect of working with this series,” he explains. “It opened endless opportunities for imagination, so I could reflect on the different choices I can make if I was in these situations.”
The collaboration between the two routes improved through Jisoo’s presence on the set. “Jisoo is such a wonderful person who never shows any signs of negativity,” Park says. “Working with her helped me keep in touch with my character’s feelings during the film process. Thanks to her, it made it portray her romantic partner in the series feels natural and fun. “
For Jisoo, after following up her success in Disney+ and JTBC’s “Snowdrop” with “Newtopia” offered new challenges, especially in the action department. “This was my first time working on a project in a zombie apocalypse, and I discovered how much I enjoy filming action sequences,” she reveals. The role required almost a year of filming and extensive physical preparation. “I’ve always trained on my days off, stretched myself before I filmed and remained focused during rehearsals to prevent injuries,” she says.
The K-Pop-Star-Turned actress met demanding action scenes, including a particularly taxing sequence with zombies. “One of the toughest scenes that was about fighting and running from zombies in a single take,” she says. “It required a lot of physical strength, and keeping up with all running was a challenge.” Her commitment extended beyond filming hours: “On days with many action scenes, I followed recovery routines such as hot baths and stretches to prevent muscle wounds, no matter how late we ended on the set.”
Park is similar to the series with a “Saga disguised as a zombie series” and makes comparisons with the zombie cult film “Warm Bodies”, which indicates that viewers can find similar fresh appealing. He credits director Yoon Sung-Hyun’s innovative strategy and notes how the creator “goes slightly away from traditional formulas to present a new story and an innovative storytelling style.”
Jisoo emphasizes the show’s unique balance between elements: “A zombie apocalypse may feel like a heavy theme, but” Newtopia “balances the ugly with characters that navigate in the chaos in a unique way, while keeping a humor.”
The series will premiere globally on Prime Video and Korean Streamer Coupang Play on Friday.
