For Kim Woo-Bin Teamwork Was Essential In Creating ‘Black Knight’

Kim Woo-bin’s character in the k-drama Black Knight is no stranger to injustice. He lives in a future time, where the impact of a comet has shrouded the world’s atmosphere in a thick cloud of pollution. The survival of those who remain behind depends on the unfair allotment system that his character 5-8 serves. He does what’s asked of him, but 5-8 also cares about those the system deems worthless.

The world in Black Knight is so polluted it’s not healthy to be outside and the top 1% live in segregated districts based on their social status. The elite rely on specialized delivery drivers to provide them with the oxygen and supplies they need to live. The elite have a QR code that enables them to access what they need. Those without a code live a miserable life as refugees. The only way to rise above refugee status is to become a deliveryman and Kim’s character 5-8 is legendary for his ability to outsmart and outfight the bandits on his daily route.

Such battles entail plenty of action scenes and, according to Kim, there are no shortcuts when it comes to action scenes.

“I think for action scenes only practice makes perfect,” said Kim. “A lot of practice was required. I did have the action scenes I worked on before, so I felt very at ease filming them. That made me feel very comfortable. I got a lot of help with them too. I think to have a really great action sequence, it’s not something one person can pull off on his own. It requires team work and team chemistry, so I was very honored to have such great people on my team working together with me. And I think because they were such great stunt actors we didn’t have any safety issues or incidents. I am really happy about that.”

Was it different from preparing for other action scenes he’s done. Not necessarily. “For everything I work on, communication and practice are most important. There are many people on set and they all have a common goal, which is to produce a really good project.”

Black Knight is based on a webtoon by Lee Yun-kyun, which Kim read when he was preparing for the role. While the Netflix
NFLX
drama recreates the world of the webtoon, the storyline differs, so Kim stayed focused on the script.

Re-creating the world of Black Knight, which also stars Esom and Song Seung-hoon, required plenty of special effects. The special effects were supplied by VFX Studio Westworld, which also worked on the k-series Sweet Home, Squid Game and All of Us Are Dead. Working with VFX is always challenging for an actor, because it requires imagining the scene you are acting in. Kim credits the drama’s crew with helping him realize his scenes.

“I had the best team with me on set,” said Kim. “They would give me a full explanation about how its going to be presented on screen, so they made it easier for me to imagine everything.”

5-8 is a complex character in that he serves the corrupt elite and at the same time aids those condemned to be refugees. The character is ruthless when needed, but he also exhibits compassion. He initially rejects a request by Sa-wol, a refugee boy, played by Kang You-seok. Sa-wol idolizes 5-8 and dreams of becoming a deliveryman. Eventually 5-8 relents and helps Sa-wol achieve his dream, training him to survive in their dangerous world. Good guy or bad guy? A little of both?

“For me he’s a good guy,” said Kim. If he had a choice of playing any character in the drama, he’s sure he would play 5-8 again.