The film was put on hold when a lead actor was arrested for drunk driving.
When the director Kwak Kyung Taek he started shooting The firefighters in May 2020, he thought the COVID-19 pandemic would be the biggest obstacle to the film’s release. But on September 25, 2022, one of the main actors, Kwak Do wonhe was arrested for driving while intoxicated, with his release suspended indefinitely.
Fast forward to November 2024, The firefighters it was finally scheduled for release in December 2024. During the press conference, the director then spoke out in a raw and honest way about the DUI that jeopardized the release.
The director explained that the film was in post-production recording when he heard the news of the DUI. Admitting that he felt angry and resentful, the director urged Kwak Do Won to continue reflecting.
I heard about the incident two years ago as we were finishing post-production recording for the film’s release. To be honest, I hated it. I was very angry and resentful.
I believe he needs to take full responsibility for his actions and take time to reflect and learn from them.
— Kwak Kyung Taek
According to the director, removing all of Kwak Do Won’s screen time was impossible, especially considering the pace of the film he directed to appeal to audiences who have grown accustomed to short-form content. He explained it while “[he] I couldn’t eliminate Kwak Do Won’s character,” he removed what he could.
The director also admitted that he too saw Kwak Do Won’s persistent appearance in the film as a “risk” and that he wasn’t sure how to answer questions about the problem actor. But after speaking with a real firefighter, the director decided to face the press conference and release the film The Fire Brigade for the public to see.
Having to release the film with such a risk factor, I wasn’t really sure how to respond if I received questions about actor Kwak Do Won. But I recently met a firefighter and told him how I felt. He told me “Sir, when we go to fight fires, we don’t go in alone; we work as a team. You’ve got the rest of the cast fighting with you, so stay strong.’ I drew a lot of strength from those words.
— Kwak Kyung Taek
Korean moviegoers are praising the director’s response, urging more companies to include a compensation clause in their contracts for scandals that compromise production in any way.
- “Problem actors are definitely annoying. I have a production I want to watch, but I can’t because one of the cast members is problematic… I bet it’s even more frustrating for the people involved in making the content.”
- “I love disaster movies and I love them Throw themso I was waiting for this movie to come out. I’m happy it’s finally premiering. I’ll have to go see it.”
- “It’s nice to hear the director call it that. I hate how men working in the K-Movie scene constantly help each other during their scandals.
- «Of course, it’s a nuisance. A scandal compensation clause should be included in all contracts.”
- “It must have been difficult for the director to come forward and talk about him like that. He seems to have thought about it a lot too.”
- “How annoying for everyone…”
The firefighters is a film based on a real fire disaster that occurred in a neighborhood of Seoul in March 2001. The film is said to capture the intense high-risk situation that the Seobu Fire Station team faced.
Watch the trailer here:
Share this post
