This actor turned down Gong Yoo’s role in “Train to Busan”, said the script was “too bland”?

A famous Korean actor might be in deep regrets as “Train to Busan” became one of Korea’s biggest cinematic works 

The Korean movie “Train to Busan” basically kick-started “the zombie craze” in Korea, and was a big box office hit with ticket sales totaling to 72.7 million USD – a huge profit compared to the 8.5 million USD production cost. In fact, the movie’s popularity has transcended way outside Korea, to the point Hollywood is making an adaptation called “Last Train to New York”. 

“Train to Busan” follows the male lead Seok Woo, and his daughter, who tried to survive on a zombie-filled train heading to Busan. Playing the courageous, righteous, and kind-hearted Seok Woo is none other than famous actor Gong Yoo, who has starred in famous K-dramas like “Coffee Prince”, “Goblin”, “The Silent Sea”, and has confirmed to star in the second season of “Squid Game”.

However, despite his outstanding performance, Gong Yoo wasn’t the first choice of the “Train to Busan” production crew. Instead, the male lead role was first offered to famous actor Won Bin, who eventually turned down the movie for he found the script “bland” and the leading character “unremarkable”. Of course, “Train to Busan” managed to become the complete opposite, drawing critical acclaim for both its story and Gong Yoo’s role in the project. 

Many audiences believe that Won Bin may feel a lot of regret for having missed out on such a successful work. However, “Train to Busan” is only one among numerous other projects Won Bin has turned down, and massive hits like “Descendants of The Sun” are also on the actor’s rejection list. Regarding Won Bin, who has been missing from the acting scene for over a decade, he previously shared that there has been no work that really inspired him. As of the moment, the actor is still famous despite his long hiatus, and netizens have been begging for him to return to acting.

Source: K14