Cast and director discuss high-stakes adaptation at Seoul press event
What happens when you‘re the only person who’s read an obscure web novel, and then its story becomes reality?
That mind-bending premise drives “Omniscient Reader: The Prophet,” this summer’s most ambitious tentpole in local theatres, built on a web comic juggernaut that‘s amassed over 425 million views worldwide since its launch in 2020.
Adapted from the smash hit web novel "Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint" which first launched in 2018 and later spawned the comic, the film has everything riding on it — a bankable IP, cutting-edge visual effects, and a marquee cast including Lee Min-ho and Blackpink’s Jisoo. With a reported 30 billion won ($22.5 million) production budget, it‘s Korean cinema’s biggest bet this season, with industry eyes watching whether it can revive a historically sluggish box office.
On Tuesday, director Kim Byung-woo and the main cast gathered for a press conference at Lotte Cinema Konkuk University, with Jisoo absent due to scheduling conflicts. The weight of adapting the beloved source material was not lost on anyone present.
“The pressure of it all was real,” said Ahn Hyo-seop, who makes his feature film debut as Dok-ja, the story‘s everyman protagonist suddenly thrust into a collapsing world. “But rather than thinking of it as my big movie debut, I just focused on playing a character I found fascinating.”
Lee Min-ho spoke about the unique challenge of portraying Joong-hyuk, the novel’s near-mythic character who relives time in endless loops to perfect survival. “I usually stay away from characters who are overly idealized or already fan favorites,” he said. “Joong-hyuk is already so complete. It felt like a lot to live up to. I don’t know if I‘d meet the fans’ expectations, but I really gave it my all.”
The film delivers no shortage of spectacle. Trailer clips shown to the press revealed effects-heavy set pieces stretching from subway tunnels to city-wide chaos, with each character boasting their own weapon and skillset in full RPG style.
“I found myself falling in love with action through this project,” said Nana, who takes on her first action role as the dagger-wielding Hee-won. “Now I want to become an action star.” Her intensity seemed to have left an impression. Lee Min-ho joked that her “raw, hungry eyes were kind of intimidating.”
But beneath the epic scale, director Kim emphasized the story’s grounding in the real world. “I didn’t want this to feel like a fantasy removed from our lives,” he said. “The point was to root it in something familiar because these characters are facing challenges that reflect our own reality.”
Lee Min-ho built on that idea, noting how the film taps into timely social themes. “We live in such a disconnected, individualistic world,” he said. “But this story shows that even in the middle of collapse, people can still find strength through each other. That really stuck with me.”
As promotional materials for the film began rolling out, fans of the original series raised concerns over changes made in the adaptation -- especially the decision to have Jisoo’s character use guns instead of her signature swords. Director Kim addressed the shift head-on: “As someone who loves the original, I understand those concerns. But when adapting for film, certain changes are necessary to fit the medium.”
“We were fully aware of how tough things are for cinemas right now,” he added. “That’s exactly why we didn’t want to lean on the usual tricks. We wanted to deliver something truly fresh.”
“Omniscient Reader: The Prophet” opens in theaters July 23.
moonkihoon@heraldcorp.com
