Netflix Korea team hopes 'Sweet Home' opens a new 'K-creature' genre

Television

Published: 25 Jul. 2024, 15:34 Updated: 25 Jul. 2024, 17:31

Netflix Korea team hopes 'Sweet Home' opens a new 'K-creature' genre

From left, Ha Jung-su, Netflix Korea's Head of Production, speaks alongside Lee Ke-O, Netflix Korea's Content Director, during a press conference in Dongdaemun District, eastern Seoul, on July 17. [NETFLIX]

Venturing into uncharted territory in an ever-evolving industry is a bold and risky move — but for the Netflix Korea production team behind the latest “Sweet Home” series, it was a challenge that proved “worthwhile” and “unforgettable.”

The apocalyptic horror series has laid a strong foundation for future projects in its genre, according to the team.

The grand finale of “Sweet Home,” directed by Lee Eung-bok, was released on July 19, marking the end of its third and final season. The series, based on the Naver webtoon of the same name, is set in a world where humans transform into monsters driven by their deepest desires, with their monstrous forms reflecting their inner wishes. The creators of the "K-creature horror" series hope it has opened a new genre field in Korea, setting a precedent for similar future productions.

“I thought there were no reasons for us not to take the challenge, because it had never been done before,” said Lee Ke-o, Netflix Korea's Content Director, during a news conference held last week to introduce the visual production for the series. “The story was good, and I trusted the director.”

A monster that appears in Netflix apocalyptic horror series "Sweet Home" [NETFLIX]

As the genre was new and unfamiliar, Lee said many factors had to be considered, especially when it came to bringing monsters to life using visual special effects.

For Ha Jung-su, Netflix Korea's Head of Production, who also worked as staff for director Bong Joon-ho’s 2017 film “Okja,” creating the “Sweet Home” monsters was much more difficult than creating the character Okja, the “super pig” in Bong’s work.

“In ‘Okja,’ there’s only one pig,” Ha said. “But in ‘Sweet Home,’ so many monsters appear. Knowing the difficulty of making even a single figure, we wondered if we would be able to create the numerous monsters in such a limited time.”

Lee added that each monster in “Sweet Home” was uniquely customized, a significant departure from the typical approach of using “copy and paste” methods for creating creatures. This meticulous attention to detail ensured that each monster had its own narrative, adding depth to the series.

Lee Kee-o, Netflix Korea's Content Director, center, speaks during a press conference in Dongdaemun District, eastern Seoul, on July 17. [NETFLIX]

Releasing “Sweet Home” in separate seasons was initially an unfamiliar concept to Korean viewers. As a result, some viewers criticized the series for its loosened narrative. However, Lee and Ha viewed this as an opportunity to adapt and develop a season system tailored to Korean audiences, a task they are still working on.

“Season systems open new possibilities for creators and provide more entertainment options for viewers,” said Lee, though he acknowledged that “not all works are suited for season systems.”

Reflecting on the series' five-year production journey that began in 2019, Ha said there's been a significant evolution in Korea’s position within the global content market.

“Five years ago, we were the ones who asked Hollywood about production,” Ha said. “But now, the Korean staff are the ones who get asked. It’s amazing to see such a transition.”

BY KIM JI-YE [kim.jiye@joongang.co.kr]