The premise of the upcoming Netflix original Korean series “Chicken Nugget” is so outlandish that viewers would likely ask the same question again and again: A women turned into … what?

Based on the eponymous Naver webtoon, the 10-part comic thriller depicts the bizarre journey of a father (played by Ryu Seung-ryong) whose only daughter (Kim You-jung) is transformed into a chicken nugget after entering a mysterious machine. Alongside him is an intern (Ahn Jae-hong) at the machine company, who secretly admires the boss’s daughter and becomes entangled in the strange events.

“When I first read the webtoon, I initially burst out laughing in disbelief,” director Lee Byeong-heon said, best known for his box-office hit “Extreme Job” (2019) which drew more than 16 million moviegoers in South Korea.

“But it kept drawing me back. I couldn’t shake the story from my mind for days, so I eventually decided to give it a go,” he said.

He was confident that he could craft a compelling story from the original webtoon b
y expanding on the subject matter and fleshing out the storyline, the director said.

It is Lee’s second collaboration with both main actors, Ryu and Ahn, following their work together in “Extreme Job” and the JTBC drama “Be Melodramatic” (2019), respectively.

The director said the two actors naturally came to his mind during the casting stage. “I couldn’t consider any other options, given they are two of the funniest actors, and their resemblance to the characters in the original webtoon is striking,” he said.

“I acted with all my might to the extent that a chicken nugget really looked like my daughter. I felt like I almost became Liam Neeson in ‘Taken,'” Ryu said, alluding to the film where Neeson undertakes a mission to rescue his daughter.

“I believe it’s going to be a big match (between me and Neeson),” he joked.

Ahn expressed genuine excitement about the quirkiness and eccentricity of the story.

“I’ve never encountered anything quite like it before, let alone imagined it in even my wildest dreams,”
he said.

His character, Go Baek-joong, who harbors a crush on Min-ah, the daughter of his boss, Choi Seon-man, is the only person who witnesses Min-ah’s transformation into a chicken nugget.

“As soon as I read the webtoon, I knew I had to take on the role,” he said. “The only adjustment I made was to part my hairline slightly differently, and I noticed a striking resemblance,” he added.

He described the series as a feel-good show that audiences will quickly become hooked on.

“You will find yourself watching all 10 episodes in one sitting.”

While Kim You-jung’s appearance in the series is limited due to her character’s early transformation into a chicken nugget, she also delivers an impressive and comedic performance, the director said.

“I deliberated extensively on how to portray my character effectively despite having limited screen time. While on set, I engaged in various entertaining experiences, such as flying on a wire and wearing a giant head mask resembling a nugget,” actress Kim said.

The quirk
y drama is scheduled to be released Friday.

Source: Yonhap News Agency