Park Chan-wook is back with “The Sympathizer,” only two years after much-acclaimed “Decision to Leave.” Considering the projects he has recently joined as a producer, he seems to be working nonstop. “The Sympathizer” marks Park Chan-wook’s second TV series created in collaboration with an overseas production company.
The first, “Little Drummer Girl,” was aired on the BBC in the UK and starred Elizabeth Pugh and Alexander Skarsgård, among others. Park Chan-wook’s first venture into the global series with the “The Little Drummer Girl” was well received, earning a 95% of Tomatometer rating on Rotten Tomatoes. It can’t be certain whether it is a coincidence or not, but both shows involve spies and are adaptations of original novels. “The Little Drummer Girl” is based on the novel of the same name by British author John le Carré.
The audience in Korea will be able to enjoy HBO’s new drama, “The Sympathizer,” on Coupang Play, as the HBO Max service has yet to launch in Korea. “The Sympathizer” is raising expectations due to the coalition between Park Chan-wook, one of Korea’s most representative directors, and Robert Downey Jr.
Broadcasting Details
“The Sympathizer” is scheduled to be released on April 14, 2024, in the US and in April in Korea. HBO Max and Coupang Play will stream the work respectively in the US and Korea. It is composed of 7 episodes. Director Park Chan-wook takes charge of three episode.
Official Trailer of “The Sympathizer”
The Original Novel, “The Sympathizer”
“The Sympathizer” is the first novel of Vietnamese-American author Viet Thanh Nguyen published in 2015. It garnered much acclaim including the Pulitzer Prize and other esteemed awards like the Andrew Carnegie Medal and the PEN/Faulkner Award across nine literary categories. Naturally, it sparked widespread interest in both the American press and literary community.
Set against the backdrop of the Vietnam War in the 1970s, the novel delves into the life of a Vietnamese captain who, in reality, is a double agent serving CIA while also working as a secret agent of North Vietnam. Adopting his perspective as a dual agent, the book humorously and satirically explores the hidden facets of Vietnamese and American societies in the post-war era, skillfully employing humorous and satirical tones. The original book has been hailed as a perceptive and insightful epic novel, shedding light on multiculturalism and multiethnicity in America in the 2000s.
Cast
Robert Downey Jr. Portrays Four Different Characters
Robert Downey Jr. portrays four distinct and supporting roles in the series. They include CIA agent, a congressman, and a Hollywood film director. Robert Downey Jr, known for his role as Iron Man in the Marvel franchise, won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor in 2024 for his role in “Oppenheimer.” This was his first Oscar in his 54-year acting career. He began his acting career as early as the age of 5. What is undisclosed is why one actor should tolerate painstaking makeup and effort of portraying four different characters in a single series. There must be a deeper intention behind the director’s decision.
Sandra Oh Portrays Sophia Mori
She grapples with the complexities of her identity as an Asian-American. Being born in Canada to Korean immigrant parents, Sandra Oh is perhaps the perfect fit for the role. Sandra Oh, known for “Grey’s Anatomy” and “Killing Eve,” with a distinct Asian appearance, has shared her struggles as a minority in Western society on several occasions. This first-hand experience will definitely help her portray the role. Though Sandra Oh often portrayed Asian life in the West in various movies and TV series, her most iconic roles in “Grey’s Anatomy” and “Killing Eve” are far from this Asian representation, demonstrating her presence in a broad spectrum of works.
Hoa Xuabde Portrays The Captain
As the protoganist of “The Sympathizer,” he is a North Vietnamese intelligence operative who infiltrates the South Vietnamese secret police. Hoa Xuande is an Australian actor of Vietnamese descent who is relatively new to audiences worldwide, with some experience in Australian productions. Some might recognize him from his role as Lin in the Netflix series, “Cowboy Bebop.”
Production Crew
Direction – Park Chan-Wook, Marc Munden, Fernando Meirelles
As it often happens in Hollywood TV series, the direction of the series is divided among multiple directors, each creating his own episode independently. Director Park Chan-wook takes charge of three episodes, spanning from the first to the third episode out of a total of seven. Additionally, Park Chan-wook is credited as a co-showrunner, overseeing all aspects of production, including scripting and direction.
Except for his early films, Park Chan-wook does not write his own screenplays. He always uses a screenwriter for each of his movies, and in recent years, they are often based on books. “The Handmaiden”, “Little Drummer Girl”, and “The Sympathizer” are the cases in point.
Screenplay – Don Mckellar, Anchuli Felicia King
Trivia
- Fred Nguyen Khan, Toan Le, Vy Le, Alan Trong, Nguyễn Cao Kỳ Duyên were cast for respective roles.
- The original author, Viet Thanh Nguyen, shares a special bond with director Park Chan-wook. Nguyen, a devoted fan of Park Chan-wook’s films, openly acknowledged Park’s movie “Oldboy” for writing of “The Sympathizer.” Moreover, in October 2019, the two met and exchanged autographs on each other’s works – Park Chan-wook signing the Korean version of “The Sympathizer,” and Nguyen signing Park’s DVD set.
- Park Chan-wook is undoubtedly one of the best Korean filmmakers. His last film, “Decision to Leave” was applauded by critics, winning the Best Director award at the Cannes Film Festival in 2022. However, it failed to reach a total admission of 2 million in Korean box office, recording 1,904,147.
- Robert Downey Jr. is reported to be paid around $2 million per episode, becoming the highest paid actor for a TV series role.
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