Sung Joon, Chuu, and Swings are bringing something unusual to theaters as their 53-episode short-form drama has been transformed into a single vertical movie, offering audiences a different way to experience the story.
On November 12, a press screening for Wild Eyes: The Crown Prince's Woman was held at Lotte Cinema World Tower in Seoul, attended by director Jo Ba Reun and cast members Sung Joon, Chuu, and Swings, whose real name is Moon Ji Hoon.
Unlike traditional films, Wild Eyes: The Crown Prince's Woman uses a vertical screen format, similar to videos commonly watched on smartphones.
The historical romance follows Crown Prince Lee Hyun, played by Sung Joon, who is known as Wild Eyes because of his intimidating eyes.
Chuu plays Eun Woo, an assassin who disguises herself as a palace maid to approach the crown prince. However, her mission becomes complicated when unexpected romantic feelings begin to develop.
What makes the project particularly interesting is how its original 53 short episodes were adapted into one continuous movie.
Director Jo Ba Reun explained that he approached the story differently from the beginning.
“Since I had mainly written movie scripts, even when writing episodes 1 through 53, I think I wrote them as one complete story rather than separate episodes,” he shared.
He added, “Instead of thinking about where to divide each episode, I wanted to create a movie where everything flowed naturally as one story.”
According to the director, the movie version did not require extensive editing because the original narrative was already designed to connect smoothly.
However, several adjustments were made to improve the theatrical experience.
The production team removed certain scenes originally included to maintain viewers' attention between short episodes. The sound design was also changed, with some romantic moments using a different musical approach to place greater focus on the characters' emotions.
The director also explained that filming vertically changed how the actors appeared on screen.
“With horizontal cinema, there are many things to show, including the sets and production design. But with vertical cinema, I felt that almost 90% of what viewers see is the actor,” he said.
Because of this, he paid particular attention to the characters and performances.
Sung Joon, who previously worked with Jo Ba Reun on The Grotesque Mansion, admitted that the unfamiliar format initially made him nervous.
“It was my first time trying this format, so I was worried. But I had worked well with the director before, so I could take on the challenge without too much pressure,” he explained.
He added that acting itself was not significantly different, although the vertical framing made facial expressions and small acting details more noticeable.
Meanwhile, Chuu expressed excitement about seeing a short-form production presented in theaters.
“Short-form dramas are becoming very popular, so I was excited to try one. When I heard it would also be shown in theaters, I looked forward to it even more,” she shared.
After watching the theatrical version, Chuu said the larger screen and sound made the experience feel more immersive and lively.
Swings, who is taking on his second acting project, also described the experience as refreshing and said he would gladly try a similar production again.
With a 53-episode short drama being presented as a continuous vertical movie, Wild Eyes: The Crown Prince's Woman offers an unusual approach to combining short-form storytelling with a theatrical release.
The film is scheduled to open exclusively at Lotte Cinema on November 18.
Sung Joon, Chuu, and Swings are bringing something unusual to theaters as their 53-episode short-form drama has been transformed into a single vertical movie, offering audiences a different way to experience the story.
On November 12, a press screening for Wild Eyes: The Crown Prince's Woman was held at Lotte Cinema World Tower in Seoul, attended by director Jo Ba Reun and cast members Sung Joon, Chuu, and Swings, whose real name is Moon Ji Hoon.
Unlike traditional films, Wild Eyes: The Crown Prince's Woman uses a vertical screen format, similar to videos commonly watched on smartphones.
The historical romance follows Crown Prince Lee Hyun, played by Sung Joon, who is known as Wild Eyes because of his intimidating eyes.
Chuu plays Eun Woo, an assassin who disguises herself as a palace maid to approach the crown prince. However, her mission becomes complicated when unexpected romantic feelings begin to develop.
What makes the project particularly interesting is how its original 53 short episodes were adapted into one continuous movie.
Director Jo Ba Reun explained that he approached the story differently from the beginning.
“Since I had mainly written movie scripts, even when writing episodes 1 through 53, I think I wrote them as one complete story rather than separate episodes,” he shared.
He added, “Instead of thinking about where to divide each episode, I wanted to create a movie where everything flowed naturally as one story.”
According to the director, the movie version did not require extensive editing because the original narrative was already designed to connect smoothly.
However, several adjustments were made to improve the theatrical experience.
The production team removed certain scenes originally included to maintain viewers' attention between short episodes. The sound design was also changed, with some romantic moments using a different musical approach to place greater focus on the characters' emotions.
The director also explained that filming vertically changed how the actors appeared on screen.
“With horizontal cinema, there are many things to show, including the sets and production design. But with vertical cinema, I felt that almost 90% of what viewers see is the actor,” he said.
Because of this, he paid particular attention to the characters and performances.
Sung Joon, who previously worked with Jo Ba Reun on The Grotesque Mansion, admitted that the unfamiliar format initially made him nervous.
“It was my first time trying this format, so I was worried. But I had worked well with the director before, so I could take on the challenge without too much pressure,” he explained.
He added that acting itself was not significantly different, although the vertical framing made facial expressions and small acting details more noticeable.
Meanwhile, Chuu expressed excitement about seeing a short-form production presented in theaters.
“Short-form dramas are becoming very popular, so I was excited to try one. When I heard it would also be shown in theaters, I looked forward to it even more,” she shared.
After watching the theatrical version, Chuu said the larger screen and sound made the experience feel more immersive and lively.
Swings, who is taking on his second acting project, also described the experience as refreshing and said he would gladly try a similar production again.
With a 53-episode short drama being presented as a continuous vertical movie, Wild Eyes: The Crown Prince's Woman offers an unusual approach to combining short-form storytelling with a theatrical release.
The film is scheduled to open exclusively at Lotte Cinema on November 18.
