Netflix's upcoming black comedy film "Good News" draws inspiration from a real 1970s airplane hijacking incident but reimagines the story with fictional characters to make it more relevant for today's audiences. Director Byun Sung-hyun revealed during a press conference in Seoul that while the film is based on true events, it takes creative liberties to deliver a message that resonates with the current generation.
The movie is inspired by the infamous Yodogo hijacking incident from 1970, when nine members of the Japanese communist group Red Army Faction hijacked an aircraft traveling from Tokyo to Fukuoka and forced the pilots to fly to North Korea. Yodogo was the nickname given to the hijacked plane. However, Byun emphasized that his film doesn't strictly follow the actual events, instead incorporating reimagined characters rather than depicting real people.
The cast faced unique challenges in bringing their complex characters to life. Sul Kyung-gu, who has collaborated with director Byun on three previous projects, plays a mysterious character called "Nobody" – a troubleshooter whose real name remains unknown. Sul admitted he was initially confused by the role, explaining that no matter how many times he read the script, Nobody seemed like a character who didn't fit in with the others. This ambiguous nature made the character particularly challenging to portray.
Ryoo Seung-bum takes on the role of Park Sang-hyeon, the director of the Korean Central Intelligence Agency who oversees operations related to the hijacking incident. Ryoo described his character's dual nature as the key to understanding the director's message, noting that Sang-hyeon's two-sided personality creates compelling internal conflict. He felt that among all the characters, Sang-hyeon most clearly embodies the themes that Byun wanted to convey through the film.
Young actor Hong Kyung faced perhaps the most demanding role as Air Force Lieutenant Seo Go-myung, requiring him to master dialogue in three languages – English, Japanese, and Korean – while also learning to operate radar control systems. Despite these challenges, Hong was immediately drawn to the character's ambitious nature and youthful determination to achieve something meaningful, qualities he felt would resonate with audiences.
The film has already garnered positive reception at major international film festivals. "Good News" had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival before making its Asian premiere at the Busan International Film Festival last month. Director Byun expressed pleasant surprise at the Toronto audience's enthusiastic response, noting his initial concerns about whether English-speaking viewers would understand the film's cultural nuances.
Sul Kyung-gu shared that the positive reception in Toronto gave the team confidence heading into the Busan International Film Festival. He attended the Busan screening alongside Hong Kyung specifically to observe audience reactions firsthand, and both were satisfied with the warm response from Korean viewers. The film's success at both festivals suggests its themes and humor translate well across different cultural contexts.
"Good News" will be available for streaming on Netflix starting this Friday, giving global audiences access to this unique take on a historical incident through the lens of contemporary black comedy.