"Big Deal" production report meeting was held without the director in attendance, and the actors were cautious in providing specific answers as a legal decision has yet to be made.

The production report meeting for the film "Big Deal" took place on the morning of 24th at the Megabox COEX in Seoul. The main cast members, including Yoo Hae-jin, Lee Je-hoon, Son Hyun-joo, and Choi Young-jun, were present.

"Big Deal" (distributed by SHOWBOX, produced by The Lamp) depicts the story of Jong-rok (played by Yoo Hae-jin), the finance director of a soju company whose life revolves around soju, and In-beom (played by Lee Je-hoon), an employee of a global investment firm that solely seeks profit, as they confront the fate of Korean soju during the 1997 IMF financial crisis.

At the production report meeting, Director Choi Yoon-jin notably did not attend, as the production company The Lamp and the director are currently experiencing internal conflicts. Originally filmed under the title "Moral Hazard," the project had completed filming, with the first edit finished; however, it has faced controversies arising from a copyright dispute over the script during post-production in 2023. Director Choi received a notice from the production company last September stating his termination, and he subsequently filed for a court injunction to suspend the effectiveness of the termination of the directing contract. The production company claims the reason for the director's dismissal is that "the director deceived us about writing a solo script and later we learned that there was another original creator. Trust was broken, and the first edit was also poor, making it impossible to work with him further."

As both sides engage in legal battles, there is concern about potential damage to the film ahead of its release. A ruling from the court on the injunction is expected soon.

During the event, questions were raised to the actors regarding the director's absence, and MC Park Kyung-rim noted, "Today, we unfortunately only gathered the cast," adding, "There are legal considerations regarding the film that prevent us from providing specific answers at this time. We ask for your understanding in this matter. Once a legal decision is made, we plan to either issue a separate statement or arrange a session to discuss related issues. We appreciate your understanding."

Meanwhile, "Big Deal" is set to be released on June 3rd.

[Photo] Reporter Cho Eun-jung

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