“He has filmed so many works”… The great damage that ‘drug suspect’ Yoo Ah In may bring to his colleagues
There is an argument over whether the work in which Yoo Ah In, who is accused of taking drugs, plays the lead role should or should not be released.
According to reports on March 7th, Yoo Ah In is currently under suspicion of habitually using propofol more than 100 times from 2021 to 2023 at hospitals located in Gangnam and Yongsan. Yoo Ah In’s agency UAA explained that the propofol use was due to a fear of needles, but recent investigations by the National Forensic Service revealed that cocaine was also detected in Yoo Ah In’s body. The police have officially launched an investigation and are currently analyzing medical records and conducting interviews with relevant parties.
In the case of works that have selected Yoo Ah In as the main character but have not proceeded with the filming, the best way is to replace the cast. In the case of Netflix’s “Hellbound Season 2”, Kim Sung Cheol would replace Yoo Ah In to portray the role of Jeong Jin Soo. The problem is the three works that Yoo Ah In has completed filming during the Covid-19 pandemic, which are “The Match”, “Hi.5” and Netflix’s series “Goodbye Earth”.
The article points out that the damage caused by Yoo Ah In’s replacement affects not only him but also other actors and crew members who worked with him on the unreleased productions.
In particular, “The Match,” in which Yoo Ah In plays the role of a genius Go player Lee Chang Ho, also stars Lee Byung Hun as the opponent Cho Hun Hyun. The movie, which depicts the legendary match between the two legendary Go players, was filmed from late 2020 to April 2021 and has been highly anticipated by fans. However, Yoo Ah In’s drug scandal has cast a shadow over the movie’s release, which has been delayed indefinitely.
Yoo Ah In was cast as the main character Ki Dong in the movie “Hi.5”, which tells the story of five people who gain superpowers, is a production by Kang Hyung Chul, who has previously directed successful films such as “Scandal Makers”, “Sunny,” and “Tazza” and also stars Lee Jae In, Ahn Jae Hong, Ra Mi Ran, and Kim Hee Won. The Netflix series “Goodbye Earth” depicts the life of people 200 days before an asteroid collision. It is based on the novel of the same name, and was written by Jung Sung Joo, who also wrote the script for “The Insider”.
The key point of the current debate is that editing can only reduce Yoo Ah In’s screen time in the works but cannot erase his appearance completely.
Distribution company representative A said, “Because of the special circumstance that the movie has already been completed in advance due to COVID-19, the damage from Yoo Ah In’s controversy is even greater. It has been reported that the production cost of ‘The Match’ alone has exceeded 20 billion won, and when combined with the other two films, the loss can amount to hundreds of billions of won. If the films cannot be released due to the scandal of one actor, the related parties will suffer tremendous losses.”
Film director B stated, “A movie is not just the property of the lead actor, but a large-scale project that involves hundreds of people, including production and distribution companies, directors and staff, and investors. Therefore, we must approach it carefully. However, it is clear that there won’t be many people who agree to release a work that is likely to be shunned due to a serious crime.”
Complaints and criticisms surrounding actor Yoo Ah In and other actors who appeared in the movie continue. Actor Kim Young Woong, who appeared in “Goodbye Earth”, wrote on SNS that “all the happy phone calls about casting and the memories of the first shoot that made my heart flutter are all about to become nothing. If it becomes difficult to release the work due to his wrongdoing. If his crime is true, he is certainly subject to condemnation. There is no intention to criticize or defend him. However, I am just disappointed that ‘Goodbye Earth,’ which was about to be released after all the hard work and sacrifice of many people, may not see the light of day.”
Source: Nate
