The cast of the movie 'Holy Night: Demon Hunters' unanimously regarded Ma Dong-seok as 'the director' and 'the mood maker.' Expectations are rising for a new chemistry ensemble centered around Ma Dong-seok of 'One Punch Man.'

On the morning of 2nd, a production presentation for the movie 'Holy Night: Demon Hunters' (screenplay/director Lim Dae-hee, provided/distributed by Lotte Entertainment, produced by Big Punch Pictures Nova Film, abbreviated as Holy Night) took place at Lotte Cinema at the Konkuk University entrance in Jayang-dong, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul. The main actors of the film, Ma Dong-seok, Jung Ji-so, Kyung Soo-jin, Seo Hyun, and Lee Da-wit, attended and discussed the film under the host, broadcaster Park Kyung-rim.

'Holy Night' is an occult action film where the 'Holy Night' team consisting of the darkness-solving team 'Bau' (Ma Dong-seok), Sharon (Seo Hyun), and Kim-gun (Lee Da-wit) punishes evil beings in a city plunged into chaos by a cult that worships evil. Actress Jung Ji-so plays Eun-seo, a girl possessed by a demon, while actress Kyung Soo-jin plays Jung-won, Eun-seo's sister who solicits the 'Holy Night' team.

There is anticipation over whether Ma Dong-seok's 'big punch,' which takes out villains and even demons, will work in the occult genre. Seo Hyun is reported to have accepted the role after reading the script in just over an hour. He noted, "I couldn't take my eyes off it while sitting. There was no room for hesitation. The script was so fun, and just the thought of acting with senior Ma Dong-seok made it something I couldn't miss. I'm not one for the kind of 'push and pull' that involves waiting a day. It has to be secured; Sharon is mine."

In response, Ma Dong-seok said, "I was so grateful. We always wait anxiously after giving the script, and it was a long time waiting for a response, but I was very thankful for the quick reply. In fact, Sharon is not an easy character. It was a challenge for her, and we trusted Seo Hyun because we had seen her other works. She did a tremendous job this time, so we believed in her."

Ma Dong-seok continued about teamwork, saying, "The chemistry was great both on and off the camera. It was intense with a mix of horror and action, and we had a lot of strong feelings. We had so much fun filming together. The really tough part was that this time, because Jung Ji-so and Kyung Soo-jin expressed a lot of emotions, it must have been challenging for them, yet they enjoyed filming on set."

Seo Hyun praised Ma Dong-seok, saying, "He is a senior whom you cannot help but love in every aspect." He emphasized, "He takes great care of everyone on the set." Kyung Soo-jin added, "Our set could become serious, but even if he says the same thing, the atmosphere brightens up. He is the mood maker."

Ma Dong-seok remarked, "Kyung Soo-jin is a member of the boxing gym where I am the director, so she casually said 'director' in a way." In response, Lee Da-wit added, "I also loved it a lot," which brought laughter.

Ma Dong-seok expressed, "I am so happy to hear the actors we shot and acted with have good feelings towards us. I didn't just grant a role; I also participated in production, so I am extremely thankful to these actors. The webtoon of 'Holy Night' is also being serialized, and I have created a bit of this universe, so I would like to return later with another story. I want to come together again like this."

On the other hand, Lee Da-wit mentioned that when the camera is off, he learned action but added, "I learned it, but Kim-gun fights desperately. So I mainly get hit and dodge. It's not glamorous dodging; you have to dodge with the resolve that if it scratches you, you're dead. I don't really know why, but at some point, the senior started to teach me boxing. So during filming, it wasn't used, but I kept practicing jabs in the corner. At first, he just guided me, but one day he took something out of his bag and urged me to try it," he laughed.

In response, Park Kyung-rim prompted Lee Da-wit to demonstrate boxing action on the spot, and even Ma Dong-seok got up to join in, creating laughter. Ma Dong-seok said, "I think this is the first time in nearly 20 years that I have done boxing at a production presentation," smiling and creating a friendly atmosphere.

For the first time, Jung Ji-so is taking on the challenge of acting possessed by a demon. In response, Ma Dong-seok said, "I believe this will be a rediscovery of Jung Ji-so. I am certain of it. Usually, roles where evil is entrenched are difficult to act and involve a lot of pain, but Eun-seo has various facets. It must have been very difficult to act out multiple personalities, but Jung Ji-so did exceptionally well at 200%. I think you will witness Jung Ji-so's rediscovery and remarkable performance in the movie."

Conversely, Jung Ji-so was touched by Ma Dong-seok's consideration. She said, "I always played pitiful roles, roles that get beaten. This is my first role to intimidate others. So, it's exhausting and draining. But both Dong-seok and other seniors supported me even when they were tired. The set with Dong-seok is originally lively, so the energy was overwhelming. I had a lot of action scenes, but the stunt people I worked with were complete professionals, making me feel comfortable and being considerate in unseen ways," she said, bowing in gratitude.

Above all, Ma Dong-seok commented on the 'Holy Night' members, saying, "When I first cast Yoon Kye-sang in 'The Outlaws,' some people were puzzled. But he did incredibly well, didn't he?" He added, "This time, not only Seo Hyun but also Lee Da-wit, Kyung Soo-jin, and Jung Ji-so have created really new characters. I think they did well in roles they hadn't done before, which is something I appreciate."

'Holy Night' is set to be released on the 30th.

[Photo] OSEN reporter Lee Dae-sun.

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