Lee Jung-jae says his Cannes directorial debut Hunt is just as political as Squid Game

Lee Jung-jae, who played the role in Squid Game, said that the tone of his directorial debut Hunt is very similar to the dystopian drama.

By: Entertainment Desk

New Delhi | May 19, 2022 02:06 PM IST

2 min read

Squid Game Season 2 will stream on Netflix. (Photo: Netflix)

Lee Jung-jae who became an international sensation after the Korean show Squid Game, is making his directorial debut with the spy thriller Hunt, which will premiere at the ongoing Cannes Festival. The actor was the first Asian to win the Critics Choice and Screen Actors Guild Awards for lead actor drama in Squid Game.

Speaking to Variety, Lee Jung-jae said that the themes of Hunt were quite similar to Squid Game. As Squid Game delves into intricate socio-political matters, Lee says that Hunt is about political manipulation and propaganda.

At its core, Hunt is about issues of disinformation, propaganda and political manipulation. He said, “The film is set 40 years ago, in the early 1980s. And at that time, there was a lot of control of the media, control over information and fake news. And I thought we’re now in 2022 [we wouldn’t] see that anymore. But there are a lot of people still processing information to their advantage, making fake news and propaganda. It still is relevant to this day. I thought that if I use this subject matter to make a movie it could really get to the heart of the people now.”

Also Read | Explained: How Korean wave is so much more than just Netflix’s Squid Game

Lee also mentioned that he had taken over from other filmmakers for the job. He said, “When they wrote the script and tried directing, it wasn’t the subject matter that I wanted to focus on the most. So I took it into my own hands. What I wanted to focus on the most is that the fact that people who still use fake information and [twist] news to their political advantage still exist.”

Squid Game revolved around several cash-strapped contestants who accept an invitation to compete in a children’s game for a handsome prize. However, the stakes are deadly. The show starred Lee Jung-jae in the lead role, along with Park Hae-so and Ho-yeon Jung and Wi Ha-joon. The series has been renewed for a second season.

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