[OSENWORLD] Lee Min-ho reflected on the challenges—and surprising creative gains—of playing Yoo Joong-hyuk in the upcoming fantasy epic Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint.
Speaking at the July 15 press screening at Megabox COEX in Seoul, Lee was joined by co-stars Ahn Hyo-seop, Chae Soo-bin, Nana, Shin Seung-ho, and director Kim Byung-woo. The highly anticipated film hits theaters on July 23.
Based on a globally beloved web novel of the same name, Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint imagines a world where a long-running serialized novel becomes reality the moment it ends. Ahn Hyo-seop stars as Kim Dok-ja, the story’s sole reader who must team up with the novel’s original protagonist Yoo Joong-hyuk (played by Lee Min-ho) to survive a world collapsing into chaos.
The film carries a reported production budget of ₩30 billion (approximately $22 million) and follows in the footsteps of a successful webtoon adaptation. It also features appearances by top Korean stars, including BLACKPINK’s Jisoo, amplifying anticipation among global fans.
For Lee Min-ho, the film marks his return to cinema after a decade, following his 2015 film Gangnam Blues. “It’s been 10 years since my last movie, so I’m very curious how audiences will respond,” he said, acknowledging the nerves of his big-screen comeback.
Given its fantasy setting, much of Lee’s performance was filmed in front of blue screens. “This kind of acting will likely become more common,” he said. “As actors, we’ll have to rely more on imagination and creativity. I don’t usually daydream, but this project really pushed me to imagine in ways I hadn’t before. It was an enriching experience.”
On Yoo Joong-hyuk, Lee added, “Our lives also have predetermined ends, but what matters is the journey. Yoo Joong-hyuk, I think, was waiting for someone to bring him peace—a savior. He was likely living in uncertainty, just waiting. But maybe the end, for him, was also the beginning of something new.”
/k_inside@osen.co.kr
