“Is this a dream?”: Kim Tae-ri felt unreal reading Alienoid script and working with director Choi Dong-hoon

Kim Tae-ri recently opened up about how she felt when she received the script for Alienoid in an interview with Elle Korea.

The two-part sci-fi movie is directed by Choi Dong-hoon, who is also responsible for the iconic 2006 film Tazza: The High Rollers.

Kim Tae-ri plays the role of Lee Ahn, an independent, emotional and wise young woman who has the power to shoot thunder.

Being selected by someone of Choi Dong-hoon's stature was very special for the actress. The 32-year-old felt the director placed his utmost belief in her, which she was grateful for.

Speaking about her emotions upon receiving the script, the Twenty-Five, Twenty-One star said:

"As I looked at the script that had my name on it, I sincerely thought, ‘Is this a dream or real life?’ For young actors, we are thankful that someone like director Choi Dong-hoon would decide to take a risk by appointing a young actor to an important role."

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Kim Tae-ri discusses her ethics as an actress, working with director Choi Dong-hoon and more

Closing in on almost a decade in the entertainment industry, Kim Tae-ri is one of the most influential Korean actresses of the current generation. She made her breakthrough with debut movie The Handmaiden in 2016 and has been a part of several successful projects ever since.

As mentioned earlier, Kim Tae-ri will be seen in Alienoid, a sci-fi crime movie as Lee Ahn, one of the main characters. In an interview with Elle Korea, the actress shared that she was grateful to director Choi Dong-hoon for choosing her to play the character. She then discussed her work ethics and explained how actors need to constantly challenge themselves to grow more.

Kim Tae-ri said:

"I have the personality of initially accepting everything, no matter what it is, and trying to understand it as my own. I’m a fast learner and I like working diligently.

"One of the things that actors need is flexibility and I believe that if you avoid the wave coming at you, you fall further from being flexible. In a recent interview, I said that pain and love are what make me grow, and I said that for this reason."

In another interview with Cine21, the actress shared a glimpse of her work with director Choi Dong-hoon. She revealed that he would draw scenes on a whiteboard to explain the plot’s details.

The 32-year-old had this to say about the script and dialogue:

"The script in Alienoid doesn’t have any lines that were written carelessly, it’s only full of words that were chosen specifically with a sense of purpose."

Alienoid follows the adventures of some Taoists in the Goryeo Dynasty as they time-travel to 2022 in search of a divine sword. On their journey, they clash with people on present-day Earth who are on the lookout for an alien prisoner in a human body.

Apart from Kim Tae-ri, the film's star-studded ensemble includes Ryu Jun-yeol, Kim Woo-bin, So Ji-sub, Yum Jung-ah, Jo Woo-jin and Kim Eui-sung.