For her feature film debut, Jung Ho Yeon mastered weaponry, manual transmission driving, and performed many challenging scenes herself.
![Gained 4 kg of muscle and learned to drift: how the star of "Squid Game" prepared for a new action role](/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/c5b01dae943706fe93feb5dec108e56e.jpg "Gained 4 kg of muscle and learned to drift: how the star of "Squid Game" prepared for a new action role")
© Associated Press
South Korean model and actress Jung Ho Yeon (Hoyeon), who gained worldwide fame for the series “Squid Game,” starred in the sci-fi action film “Hope” directed by Na Hong Jin.
Jung Ho Yeon / © Associated Press
The film marked the actress’s first feature-length work. On screen, she will appear alongside Hwang Jung Min, Jo In Sung, Alicia Vikander, and Michael Fassbender.
Jo In Sung, Na Hong Jin, Jung Ho Yeon, Hwang Jung Min / © Associated Press
How Hoyeon got the role
The actress initially perceived her first meeting with Na Hong Jin as an actual casting, although the director merely wanted to get acquainted. After a two-hour conversation, he handed her the script.
Hoyeon admitted she didn’t expect to receive it so quickly. On her way home, she held the paper copy in her hands, and at home, she wrote her name under the title Hope. It was then that the actress realized how much she wanted to play in the film.
Hwang Jung Min recommended her to the director. The film’s creators were looking for a fresh face for the role of Song E — an actress who could feel natural in complex scenes involving weapons.
Gained muscle mass and learned to drift
Song E is a police officer from the remote town of Hopohan, which is threatened by the appearance of an unknown creature. To convincingly embody a physically strong character, Hoyeon had to work seriously on her body.
For six months, she underwent strength training and gained four kilograms of muscle mass. The actress also learned to handle weapons, mastered tactical movement, and obtained a license to drive a manual transmission car.
Additionally, Hoyeon specifically learned drifting. Thanks to extensive preparation, she was able to perform a significant portion of the action scenes herself, including sequences with car chases and heavy weaponry.
The director made no concessions for the debutante
Na Hong Jin is known for his demanding nature and attention to detail. On set, he could repeat a single scene many times, striving for the desired result.
Hoyeon called this approach a “blessing” for a young actress. According to her, each new take helped her feel more confident in front of the camera and improve her performance.
“I felt like I was pushing beyond my limits, and it was incredibly exciting,” the star shared.
Thus, her feature film debut became not just a transition from a series to the big screen for Hoyeon, but a serious physical and professional challenge. In “Hope,” viewers will see her in a completely different light – not as Kang Sae Byeok from “Squid Game,” but as a police officer battling an unknown threat.
“Hope” premieres in Ukrainian cinemas on September 3 in IMAX format and will be widely released from September 10.
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