Jun Ji-hyun returns in Yeon Sang-ho's film

“I wanted the performance to feel raw and immediate, rather than overly rehearsed.”

Actress Jun Ji-hyun returns to the big screen for the first time in 11 years with “Cluster,” the latest film from director Yeon Sang-ho. Speaking at a production briefing on April 6 at Yongsan I’Park Mall in Seoul, she said joining the project was especially meaningful as a longtime admirer of the director.

“I’ve long been a fan of director Yeon’s work, so it’s a pleasure to be here,” she said. “It’s exciting to return to film after such a long break.” She last appeared on the big screen in 2015’s “Assassination.”

Scheduled for release next month, “Cluster” builds on Yeon’s “K-zombie” universe, which began with “Train to Busan” in 2016 and continued with “Peninsula” in 2020. The film follows survivors trapped inside a building during a mysterious outbreak as they confront infected beings that evolve in unpredictable ways.

Jun plays Kwon Se-jeong, a biotechnologist and leader of the survivor group. She said she focused on staying responsive to the moment on set to keep her performance from feeling calculated.

“It’s been a while since I last worked on a film, so there is some pressure,” Jeon said. “But I believe this is a project that will live up to expectations.”

Yeon described zombie films as a genre that effectively captures underlying social anxieties. He said the rapid spread of information and the erosion of individual identity reflect one of the defining fears of modern society, which shaped the film’s premise.

He added that the infected in “Cluster” evolve in ways that diverge sharply from humans. “At first, they appear primitive, moving on all fours,” he said. “But as their numbers grow, they evolve, and the speed and nature of that evolution are entirely different from humans.”

Yeon also praised Jun’s performance, saying she delivers a wide emotional range within a single film. “She brings together cynicism, playfulness and seriousness in a tightly controlled performance,” the director said.


김도연 repokim@donga.com