Latest news with #PrettyCrazy
Indian Express
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Ahn Bo Hyun jokes about ‘questioning' his testosterone levels, says he's ‘good at looking pathetic' ahead of Pretty Crazy with Girls' Generation's Yoona
Ahn Bo Hyun is taking another shot at softer roles after a long run of strong, intimidating characters that earned him Netflix's 'tough guy' tag. The actor will next share the screen with Girls' Generation's Yoona in the upcoming movie Pretty Crazy. Speaking to The Korea Herald, the My Name star explained why he often lands such roles, given his buff frame and cartoonishly large hands. In reality, he says, he's a carefree guy with a 'dopey charm.' Also read: K-pop band NCT stops accepting gifts from obsessive fans; warns against altering flight tickets and making excessive physical contact: 'Stop chasing idols' Ahn's upcoming movie Pretty Crazy, with Yoona, is nothing like the roles fans usually associate him with. From the arrogant chaebol heir tormenting Park Seo Joon in Itaewon Class to Han So Hee's punch-throwing romantic interest in My Name, and nearly killing Jung Hae In in I, Executioner, his characters have always carried a certain intensity. But this time, he's stepping into a genre fast disappearing in the Korean entertainment scene, the fantasy rom-com. Yoona, the K-pop idol turned actor, plays a beautiful woman who transforms into a demon every night, with no memory of it by morning. Ahn takes on the role of Gil Goo, an unemployed man stuck cleaning up the mess her demon side leaves behind. Gil Goo is awkward, jobless, and hopelessly in love. He follows his crush everywhere and pretends to 'bump into' her. When he gets the job of looking after her at night, he treats her with almost motherly care. Ahn laughed, 'Watching myself, I realised I'm really good at looking pathetic, genuinely wronged and pitiful.' And, out of all his macho characters, surprisingly, he relates the most with Gil Goo. 'I don't talk like him, but I could definitely sympathise. People have a hard time believing it because I look so tough and all, but Gil Goo exists inside me too. I've had my own periods of deep uncertainty, times when I cared too much about what others thought,' Ahn said. Also read: BTS' RM on craving a 'simple life' to feel alive; reveals why he can't do it for long: 'I feel becoming closer to my true self when…' Off-screen, Ahn admits he's detail-oriented and loves to cook big meals. 'I know it doesn't match how I look, but I love cooking elaborate meals for myself, arranging things just so. I like cute little things to the point where you'd question my testosterone levels. I clean obsessively, do laundry religiously.' For Ahn, his character in the show is less comedic and more about growth. The character goes from being a directionless man to someone willing to do anything for to help Seon Ji (Yoona) break her curse. 'It's a coming-of-age story,' Ahn added. 'This broken guy meets someone, accepts a crazy reality, and realises he can make a difference.' The actor opened up about one of the final scenes where he broke down in tears unexpectedly and cried so hard his eyes swelled, leading the crew to pause filming. 'I wasn't supposed to cry, it could be seen as romantic love, but I'd grown so attached to her character.' Pretty Crazy is coming on August 13.
Korea Herald
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Korea Herald
Interview: Ahn Bo-hyun trades tough for tender
K-drama heavyweight embraces vulnerability in 'Pretty Crazy,' playing unemployed softie who tends to demon-possessed woman Ahn Bo-hyun has played his share of tough guys. An alpha male par excellence of Korean dramas, he has terrorized Park Seo-jun as the sneering chaebol heir in "Itaewon Class" and thrown punches alongside Han So-hee in Netflix's "My Name." On the big screen, Ahn has nearly battled Jung Hae-in to the death in "I, Executioner." Meeting him at a Samcheong-dong cafe on Thursday, it's clear why he gets cast this way. The guy stands nearly 190 centimeters tall with a muscular and imposing boxer's frame — he was one, winning gold medals as a teenager before pivoting to modeling, then acting. His hands are cartoonishly huge. But it's his eyes that captivate: set deep beneath heavy brows, they carry an intensity that doesn't translate on screen. "People think I'm intimidating when I don't smile because of how I look," he says, laughing. "But when I do smile, they say I have this dopey charm." "Pretty Crazy," the upcoming fantasy rom-com pairing Ahn with Girls' Generation's Lim Yoona, is an interesting specimen in a number of ways. For one, it bills itself as a romantic comedy in an industry where the genre's virtually extinct. Its premise is drenched in comic-book silliness about a beauty who transforms into a demon every night with no memory the next morning. The film can't decide what it wants to be, and it shows. More interesting is how it throws its A-list leads into completely unexpected territory: Yoona as a jabbering woman wreaking havoc, and Ahn as Gil-goo, a clueless unemployed loser tasked with her nightly care. The role screams pitiful. Gil-goo tails his crush around town, staging "accidental" meetings after falling for her at first sight. When he takes the gig babysitting her possessed alter ego, he mothers her with obsessive care. Gil-goo is a vanilla nice guy, worlds apart from the masculinity Ahn typically projects. "Watching myself on the big screen, I realized I'm really good at looking pathetic," he says. "Like, genuinely wronged and pitiful." He found surprising common ground with the character, though. "I don't talk like him, but I could definitely sympathize. People have a hard time believing it because I look so tough and all, but Gil-goo exists inside me too. I've had my own periods of deep uncertainty, times when I cared too much about what others thought." "I'm actually really detail-oriented," he continues. "I know it doesn't match how I look, but I love cooking elaborate meals for myself, arranging things just so. I like cute little things to the point where you'd question my testosterone levels. I clean obsessively, do laundry religiously." For Ahn, the role was something deeper than comic relief; he saw a narrative about a loser maturing through caring for someone else for the first time. Gil-goo goes to absurd lengths to save Seon-ji from her curse, digging up backyards, stealing phones and racing to the middle of nowhere on Jeju Island. He's awkward in these missions but utterly sincere. "It's a coming-of-age story. This broken guy who can't stand up to anyone meets Seon-ji and her demon side, accepts this insane situation as truth, and realizes he can actually help someone, that he can matter." This understanding allowed him to sink deeply into the character. During the film's tearjerker finale, when Gil-goo finally addresses the demon by her real name, Ahn found himself overwhelmed. "I cried so hard shooting that scene. I wasn't supposed to — if I cry, it looks like romantic love. But I'd developed such affection for the demon character. My eyes swelled up so badly we had to pause filming until they went down." After all, for Ahn, playing someone so gentle turned out to be a revelation. "When Gil-goo's unintentional actions or way of speaking made people laugh, the feedback was immediate — the crew cracking up, the director smiling.
Korea Herald
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Korea Herald
Yoona becomes the devil she fakes
K-pop icon trades pristine image for cartoonish evil in upcoming rom-com "I think I have both sides in me — that's why I was drawn to these characters," Lim Yoona says at a Samcheong-dong cafe on Thursday. She's talking about her dual role in "Pretty Crazy," where she plays a picture-perfect bakery owner who transforms into a demon every night with no memory of it come morning. For nearly two decades, Yoona has been Korea's sweetheart. She's been the face of dozens of brands and the star of TV dramas everyone's mother watches, all while perpetually glowing with a celebrity aura. This time around, she's trading that impeccable image for something wildly off-brand: a girl whose nocturnal possession turns her into a maniac in frizzy hair and clashing patterns, wreaking havoc until dawn. "Pretty Crazy" reunites Yoona with director Lee Sang-geun, who gave her a career-defining lead in 2019's disaster comedy "Exit." Now this one's an exercise in pure comic-book silliness, where an unemployed man (Ahn Bo-hyun) takes a part-time job watching his demon-possessed neighbor through her nightly episodes. Other than being largely forgettable, the breathtakingly mediocre film has one undeniable virtue of giving viewers a front-row seat to Yoona torching her image with gleeful abandon. Her daytime Seon-ji is predictable — sweet, elegant, the girl you'd bring home to mom. After dark, she becomes something like Jim Carrey on a bender with her voice rocketing between growls and squeaks, and her body contorting through scenes where she's scarfing down grass, sprinting through streets like a feral cat and, best of all, taking a cannonball dive into the Han River. "I thought at first it might be embarrassing on set with all the staff watching," she admits. "But once we started rolling, I just fell into it completely. Sometimes I wondered — isn't this too much? But the exaggeration was the whole point." The character is much more than a woman possessed, she explains. She's someone young and desperately insecure, trying to act scary, overcompensating with big gestures and wild expressions. "The demon has to seem like she's faking it, because she is." Even finding the right laugh took weeks. She and director Lee tested different tones, volumes and rhythms until they landed on something appropriately unhinged. "That laugh became the baseline for everything else. Once I had that, I knew exactly how big to go with everything." "Not that I laugh like that in real life," she adds quickly. At 35, Yoona still occupies that rarefied air in Korean entertainment. She centered Girls' Generation through their 18-year reign as Asia's biggest girl group. Her acting success came immediately when her 2008 drama "You Are My Destiny" hit 41.5 percent viewership ratings, numbers that aren't seen anymore. Her stature has only grown over the past decade: "Exit" became 2019's surprise box office smash and "King the Land" dominated Netflix globally in 2023. Her career has been one long victory lap in an industry where most flame out within years. "People see this smooth trajectory, but I'm constantly questioning myself," she says. "Every project starts as a question mark. Can I do this? How should I approach it? I overthink everything, then work until that question becomes an exclamation point." The self-doubt seems at odds with someone who's been winning since seventeen, but even superstars like Yoona can't escape doubts about what comes next. She debuted at 17 as the fresh-faced center of a girl group. Eighteen years later, she's a seasoned veteran figuring out which challenges she still wants to take on. "In my 20s, I thought I could solve everything through experience. Now I realize real choices require knowing yourself. What does Lim Yoon-ah actually like, separate from Yoona of Girls' Generation or Yoona the actress?" She pauses, as if to consider the weight of that question. "Maybe that's what maturing means? Finally asking those questions?"
Korea Herald
09-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Korea Herald
Lim Yoon-a leads genre-bending 'Pretty Crazy' from hitmaker behind 'Exit'
'Exit' stars Cho Jung-seok and Lim Yoon-a clash in a summer box office battle Never mind red flags — picture the girl next door turning into a demon at night. In "Pretty Crazy," Lim Yoon-a takes on a dual persona in this genre-blending summer entry from the team behind "Exit." "Pretty Crazy" centers on Gil-goo (Ahn Bo-hyun), who falls for Seon-ji (Lim Yoon-a), a new tenant living one floor below. But the budding romance takes a sharp turn when Gil-goo discovers that Seon-ji transforms into a demon each night. Her father soon ropes Gil-goo into the part-time job of protecting her after dark. Backing the film is Film R&K, known for producing consistent summer hits such as "Exit," "Escape from Mogadishu" and "Smugglers," as well as last year's "I, the Executioner." The film reunites Lim with director Lee Sang-geun, following their successful collaboration on "Exit," which drew more than 9.4 million moviegoers during its theatrical run. Lim, an actor as well as a member of K-pop group Girls' Generation, cited their past work together as a key reason she returned. 'I had so many good memories from working on 'Exit,'' Lim said during a press conference held Wednesday in Seoul's Yongsan-gu. 'I remember thinking how happy I'd be if I ever got to work with this team again, and then the director offered me such a lovable character that I gladly agreed to join the project.' Director Lee also reflected on what drove him to make "Pretty Crazy." 'When thinking about what to present as my second film, I felt that since my previous work had a large-scale setup, this time I wanted to create a project that dives deeper into characters and the human experience,' he said. Lim detailed the physical and stylistic changes she underwent to portray Seon-ji's split nature. 'I wanted there to be a clear visual distinction at a glance,' she said. 'Daytime Seon-ji has a pure, clean and girlish image, so I adjusted my hairstyle, wardrobe and even voice tone to reflect that.' She continued, 'For the demonic version of Seonji, I paid attention to every detail from head to toe. While the daytime version has straight hair, the demonic Seon-ji has a curly hairstyle with bold elements. I even got nail art and wore colored contact lenses to show a completely different look. I also tried to differentiate my voice tone, facial expressions and even the way I laughed.' "Pretty Crazy" opens in theaters Aug. 13, shortly following the release of "My Daughter is a Zombie," led by Cho Jung-seok, Lim's "Exit" co-star, now returning as her box office competition. 'I can't believe it's already been six years since 'Exit.' Back then, Cho and I were partners, so it feels meaningful to greet audiences this summer through different films, side by side,' Lim said. ''My Daughter is a Zombie' opens first, and I hope that crowds will continue to pack the theaters with 'Pretty Crazy' right after it.'
Pink Villa
13-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Pink Villa
Pretty Crazy release date out: YoonA and Ahn Bo Hyun's devil-human romance film confirms August premiere
Pretty Crazy is an upcoming South Korean movie, featuring sweet romance, laughter pangs, as well as fantasy elements. YoonA and Ahn Bo Hyun star as the leads in this CJ Entertainment creation, which is a highly anticipated project of the year. On June 12, the production company unveiled the official poster of the film and announced its premiere period. Here's a look at the characters, plot summary, and cast of the exciting movie. Pretty Crazy: Poster reveal The official poster of Pretty Crazy features YoonA and Ahn Bo Hyun in an unusual setting. YoonA, playing Seon Ji, holds Ahn Bo Hyun's (Gil Goo) shoulders and looks at him in an intriguing way. Her gaze indicates her concealed quirky intentions about to come out to the forefront. The horns drawn on her head display a devil-like horror, but in a cartoonish way. Gil Goo's expression conveys his discomfort and confusion at the unfolding event. The night sky setting also hints at an impending ominous event, perhaps something dramatic involving the female lead and the male lead. Pretty Crazy: Release The mystery rom-com movie is set to hit the theatres in August 2025. This 1 hour and 55 minute-long film is directed by Lee Sang Geun, who has previously worked with YoonA on the 2019 box office smash, Exit. Pretty Crazy: Plot and character details The film focuses on Seon Ji, an aspiring patissier who has a secret– she transforms into a wild she-devil every night due to a curse. During the daytime, Seon Ji has no recollection of her nighttime self. One night, her nighttime counterpart encounters Gil Goo, an awkward, jobless neighbor, as Seon Ji's family hires him to watch over her at night. Gil Goo, who is smitten with daytime Seon Ji, becomes determined to break the curse and help both versions of her find their futures. Although he will know her secret, it will not stop him from engaging with her. He does that while navigating his strange late-night dates with the nighttime Seon Ji. Will he complete his mission, or will the she-devil get the best of him? Watch Pretty Crazy to find out!
