“Parasyte: The Grey” press conference gives a peek behind the scenes

On March 26, Netflix held a press conference for the upcoming series “Parasyte: The Grey”. The press conference gave the audience a peek into the worldbuilding, writing, and the workings of the action scenes.

The series will be expanding on the original story of “Parasyte” by Hitoshi Iwaaki. It will be set in Korea, and focusing on Su-in’s journey as she shares her body with the parasite Heidi. 

Director Yeon Sangho has established his footing in the Korean film industry with his talents. Time and time again, he has captured the audience with unique worldbuilding, and riveting stories. With “Parasyte: The Grey”, he will be bringing a new chapter and perspective to the world of Parasyte. Director Yeon Sangho, along with writer Ryu Yongjae, gave new life to said manga by taking the message of ‘coexistence’ one step further.

“I wondered whether people could coexist with other organisms or mutants that are different from them.”

– Director Yeon Sangho

Hitoshi Iwaaki has also shown his excitement for this new expansion of the Parasyte universe. He described the expansion as something that will lead the audience to ‘a world beyond his imagination’.

The talented actors that brought the characters to life

Jeon Sonee steps into a dual role as the human Su-in, who lives in coexistence with Heidi, a parasite that failed to fully take over Su-in’s body. Jeon’s skillful acting conveys the individualities of the two distinct entities in her character.

“I was surprised at how quickly she can move from the emotionally overwhelmed Su-in weeping in one scene to Heidi performing difficult action scenes in the next.”

– Director Yeon Sangho

Koo Kyohwan will play Kangwoo, who returns to his hometown as he is on the run. Realizing that his older sister is acting oddly and that his younger sister is missing, he stumbles upon Su-in. He then decides to join Su-in in her fight against these parasites.

Lee Junghyun brings Junkyung to life, the leader of the anti-parasite task force called Team Grey. After losing her husband to parasites, Junkyung will do anything to destroy each and every one of them. Eventually, this hunt ends up being a game for her.

Kwon Haehyo portrays Cheolmin, a veteran police detective who is also a father figure to Su-in. 

Kim Inkwon plays Wonseok, Cheolmin’s junior colleague who is driven by self-interest. Kim commented that his character gives a sense of reality to the series, as characters like Cheolmin is someone you might have met once or twice.

The imagination and creativity behind-the-scenes

Director Yeon stated that each parasite that appears in the series has distinct characteristics, thus needing a great deal of VFX technology.

“We discussed various possible features for parasites and conducted much research to express these ideas. We strove to stay true to the main concepts in the original story while highlighting differentiating details in realistic ways. To do so, we used varying techniques involving texture, reflection and lighting.”

– VFX supervisor Hong Jeong-ho

On set, the actors were tasked with acting as if they could see what they could not see. To make sure that nothing is out of place, Director Yeon paid great attention to every strand of hair and aspect of the surrounding environment. Multiple discussions and rehearsals were created so that the action scenes felt as authentic as possible.

The multifaceted characters that will traverse the world of “Parasyte: The Grey”

Su-in is a 29-year-old cashier working at a mart. After being faced with a life-threatening event, a parasyte ends up saving her life. This starts Su-in’s coexistence with the parasite Heidi.

“A lonely figure exhausted with life. She has no choice but to coexist with a parasite, but that enlightens her about how valuable life is and how important it is to interact with others.”

-Jeon Sonee

Kangwoo returns to his hometown to go into hiding, but he soon realizes that his family is not the same. With his younger sister missing, he learns about parasites and how they destroyed his family. He eventually meets Su-in, and together they pursue the parasites that roam Korea.

“I approached the story and the character thinking that Kang-woo was on a journey to find his new family.”

-Koo Kyohwan

Junkyung is a well-known profiler and former professor at Korean National Police University. With this, she leads Team Grey, a task force dedicated to annihilating parasites. After losing her beloved husband to a parasite, she shows no mercy to anyone possessed by them. When she becomes suspicious of Su-in, she begins to hunt her down too.

Cheolmin is a senior detective at Namil Police Station and is very protective of Su-in. He acts as a father figure and has been protecting Su-in ever since she was young. In the midst of the chaos, Cheolmin’s top priority remains protecting Su-in.

“Kwon had a thorough understanding of the project and contributed a number of great ideas that fit the role to a tee, which did wonders for the chemistry on set.”

-Director Yeon Sangho about Kwon Haehyo

Wonseok is a detective who works with Cheolmin at Namil Police Station. Driven by his own self-interests, he posed as a fan of Junkyung to appeal to Team Grey.

“An actor with depth and eloquence. Thanks to Kim, materialistic Won-seok became more than a one-dimensional opportunist and showed different layers of regret and anguish.”

-Director Yeon Sangho about Kim Inkwon

Director Yeon introduces “Parasyte: The Grey” as an interesting series filled with suspense and twists. While it is an expansion of the original manga by Hitoshi Iwaaki, it will remain true to the story but still have an identity of its own.

Be sure to check out “Parasyte: The Grey” on Netflix when it releases on April 5!