Hollywood actor Rami Malek has returned with his new work ‘The Amateur.’

On the morning of the 9th, an online press conference was held for the movie ‘The Amateur.’ Lead actor Rami Malek and director James Hawes attended.

‘The Amateur’ (directed by James Hawes, distributed in Korea by Walt Disney Company Korea) is an intelligent spy thriller featuring CIA cryptanalyst Charlie Heller (played by Rami Malek) who, lacking any field experience, confronts a massive terrorist organization using his exceptional intellect and skills to avenge his slain wife. Set in locations worldwide including London, Paris, Madrid, and Istanbul, the film provides viewers with a wealth of action, including pursuit scenes involving drones, helicopters, and marine boats.

Rami Malek portrayed Charlie Heller, a CIA cryptanalyst who carries out missions to seek revenge for his wife's death. Although Charlie Heller exhibits a genius aptitude in cryptanalysis, he is perceived as a boring nerd due to his sole focus on work. When he decides to undergo special training to carry out his revenge, everyone underestimates him due to his lack of field experience. However, he surprises everyone with his high intelligence and analytical skills. While he does not dominate the field like a veteran agent, he completes a devastating revenge through intelligent play utilizing scientific knowledge.

Rami Malek, who gained international fame for portraying Freddie Mercury of the legendary rock band Queen in 'Bohemian Rhapsody,' sparked attention after winning his first Academy Award for Best Actor at the 91st Academy Awards the following year. 'Bohemian Rhapsody' also became a box office sensation in Korea, surpassing 9.94 million cumulative viewers.

Regarding the release in Korea, Rami Malek said, "It is an incredibly proud and moving moment. Today, audiences in Korea will be the first to see it," adding, "This movie learned a lot from Korean cinema to create such a wonderful genre film. I hope viewers can assess whether it was well-made and aligns with their tastes." The director also noted, "I cannot hide my joy on the release day."

Rami Malek commented on his character, stating, "Personally, I have challenged myself with typical heroes throughout my career. If there is a standard and a mold, it is my goal as an artist to break that mold. When choosing my next project, I select with intention after much contemplation rather than for profit. In this movie, I thought about how the espionage genre could appeal to audiences. It began with the ambition of how someone overlooked by others could appear extraordinary."

‘The Amateur’ is based on a source material of the same name. The director mentioned during the adaptation process, “It started from a powerful character. I felt that when combined with an actor, it could refresh the espionage genre. In this case, the protagonist is not James Bond but an unexpected hero emerges.”

The director explained, "The original book was published in 1981, during the Cold War era. I approached it with a passion for politicizing the political, cultural, and technological contexts. Prague was known as a city of spies, but it is not so today. We moved the filming to Istanbul, which is in the periphery of Europe, as it has been under-filmed politically. There’s also technology that had to be addressed; back then, there were no mobile phones, and surveillance technology was not as pervasive as it is now. By bringing it to the present, mobile surveillance technology became an asset that made the film enjoyable and posed a new challenge for the director. One shocking aspect was that there was technology I thought would be possible in the near future that is already available, which was quite frightening."

Rami Malek, who received great love for 'Bohemian Rhapsody,' specifically mentioned Korean audiences, saying, "The feelings I had at that time are truly indescribable. I recall telling the studio that Korean audiences really loved 'Bohemian Rhapsody,' reflecting on the moving moments. I consider it a great honor and a humbling experience. I learned a lot from the Korean films produced over the years, and I liked them very much. I felt honored to receive such great love from Korean audiences in a place that has produced such excellent films."

He also added, “To note, ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ is also an underdog story. It’s a story about someone no one expected to truly achieve something special.” He stated, “In that regard, ‘The Amateur’ resonates as the protagonist is an unexpected hero who overcomes various barriers to accomplish something extraordinary.”

Finally, Rami Malek said, “It is immensely moving that Korean audiences will be the first in the world to see our film. We made it with great pride,” adding, “In the West, we take our interpretation to follow the great examples of Korean films. If ‘The Amateur’ were to be adapted into another Korean film, I would consider it a tremendous honor. I hope everyone can gather to see it on the big screen.”

In the meantime, ‘The Amateur’ was released in domestic theaters on the 9th.


[Photo] Walt Disney Company Korea

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