6 November 2023 – South Korea
Based on the hit Korean webtoon of the same name by Kim Kyusam and CRG, Disney+‘s Vigilante sees former victim Kim Jiyong grow up driven by a thirst for revenge. Tired of seeing the legal system fail and repeat offenders be set free, Jiyong spends his formative years becoming a star student at the police academy. A martial arts master and bookish academic, he uses his inside knowledge to pursue non-repentant repeat offenders and deliver his own violent form of justice. But when the media catches on to his attacks, Jiyong will be forced into a cat and mouse game to continue pursuing criminals while avoiding being caught himself.
Starring Nam Joohyuk (Start-Up, Twenty Five Twenty-One) as the vengeful vigilante Kim Jiyong; Yoo Jitae (Oldboy, Money Heist: Korea – Joint Economic Area) as Jo Heon, a ruthless detective committed to stopping the vigilante at any cost; Lee Junhyuk (Stranger, Designated Survivor: 60 Days) as Cho Kangok; and Kim Sojin (The Spy Gone North, The King) as Choi Miryeo, a broadcaster who exposes the Vigilante’s actions. Vigilante is directed by Choi Jeongyeol (One Way Trip, Start-Up(Movie)).
Vigilante was first screened at the Busan International Film Festival, which drew a lot of interest from the audience.
The press conference was attended by Director Choi Jeongyeol and actors Yoo Jitae, Lee Junhyuk and Kim Sojin. Nam Joohyuk who is currently serving his military duties appeared briefly on screen with a video message to the press.
Before going into production, Yoo Jitae was a fan of the webtoon and he knew that it was going to be a hit after reading it. Little did he know that years later, his favourite webtoon would turn into a drama that he would be casted in it. He felt like this was all fated.
Lee Junhyuk shared that he acted as a nice guy in Our Beloved Summer, and this role came to him when he wanted to try a different character, After being casted for the role, he went to read the webtoon and was so intrigued by the storyline that he agreed to the role with no hesitation.
Kim Sojin mentioned that Vigilante was a genre that she has yet to try and so she’s curious about her role. The characters in this drama are not your typical character from a K-drama – they are all very strong characters.
When asked what did Director Choi focused on for this drama and what has diverged in the drama as compared to the webtoon, he shared that as he only had 8 episodes to this drama he had to focus on bringing out the best of the series, with cliffhangers at the end of each episode to keep viewers coming back for more. Speed is also the key – with every episode having viewers feeling the thrill and tense.
Be sure to catch Vigilante on Disney+ from 8 November 2023 onwards!
