A scene from "Blood Free," starring Ju Ji-hoon (left) and Han Hyo-joo (Disney+)
Disney+'s original series "Blood Free" will explore the philosophical quandary of how humans should approach food production through its authentic portrayal of the near-future.
The 10-part suspense thriller series follows the story of Yoon Ja-yoo (played by Han Hyo-joo), the CEO of a biological engineering company named BF, and her bodyguard Woo Chae-woon (played by Ju Ji-hoon).
The series, written by award-winning screenplay writer Lee Soo-yeon, narrates the story that unfolds after Yoon manages to produce state-of-the-art lab-grown meat and encounters a multitude of life-threatening challenges.
Lee said her choice of the subject of lab-grown meat as the main theme of the series stemmed from her desire for a future where animals need not be slaughtered for consumption and forests need not be destroyed for food production. Lee previously penned the script for tvN's thriller drama series "Stranger" and was awarded the best screenplay award in the television category at the 54th Baeksang Arts Awards.
Park Chul-hwan, who helmed the series, said he aimed to make the series look as realistic as possible.
"Since the backdrop of the drama series depicts events 1 to 2 years ahead of today, the strategy was to integrate realistic elements into the series as seamlessly as possible," said Park, during a press conference held in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, Monday.
"Taking into consideration that the technology for artificial intelligence and producing cultured meats currently exists, I reflected how real-life companies in such fields operate," he said.
Actor Ju said the series asks how humans should approach food production in the future.
"'Blood Free' incorporates somewhat weighty or thought-provoking themes into its narrative, but simultaneously lowers the entry barrier and encourages us all to ponder, 'How about exploring stories like this?'" said Ju.
In one of the several action-packed scenes, Ju single-handedly fights a group of 17 people.
"Given its near-future setting, I leaned towards portraying realistic action scenes over futuristic ones," he said.
"We discussed extensively how to shoot the action scenes and opted for authenticity over flashy sequences," he added.
For Han, who played the role of the enigmatic researcher-turned-CEO, the primary focus was on portraying her character with an air of mystery, making it challenging for the viewers to categorize her as either good or evil.
"I changed my usual voice tone to make it quieter than before. I tried to have Yoon have the feel of a dried-up leaf," said Han.
"Reviewing the script, I thought the script for 'Blood Free' was clever," Han added.
The first two episodes of "Blood Free" will stream Wednesday on Disney+.
Han Hyo-joo (left) and Ju Ji-hoon pose for a photo during a press conference held in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, Monday. (Newsis)
MOST POPULAR