Backstage Anecdotes from D.O.’s Next, ‘The Moon’

The moon doesn’t, in theory, have a dark side. At a similar pace, as it orbits the Earth, it rotates on its own axis. From our vantage point on Earth, we continually observe one side of the moon. Just as much light is left on the other side that we cannot see, it remains bright—our shiny, glittering neighbor—a recurring mystique in fiction works of art and literature, with cinema being one of the commonly employed vehicles of expression.

K-content has branched out into the bargain, expertly implementing the premise of a moon expedition. With the soon-to-be-released space survival thriller movie The Moon, Korean cinema returns to lunar space following the masterstroke 2021 sci-fi thriller series Silent Sea—a hazardous 24-hour mission on the moon.

The nucleus of Kim Yong-hwa’s The Moon comprises Do Kyung-soo (EXO’s D.O.), Sol Kyung-gu, and Kim Hee-ae, following a second human spacecraft launched later after Korea’s failed maiden manned lunar mission. Hwang Sun-woo (D.O.)—one of the astronauts—is marooned on the moon when it is wrecked by a solar blow. He is now cut off in space. As disaster hits harder, The Naro Space Center turns to Kim Jae-guk (Sol Kyung-gu), its former head, for aid in returning Sun-woo safely.

Since the teaser trailer and, lately, a video outlining what it took to produce the magnum opus was released by CJ ENM, excitement for the film has gotten higher. As much as D.O. is drawing attention, its film craft is also gaining prominence. Director Kim states that it should be an immersive experience that he and his team have worked hard on to achieve their aim of depicting in a way that gives the illusion of being in space. “Whether it’s costumes or art props, I think you’ll enjoy every last detail of their authentic appearance, produced with a high degree of precision,” he adds.

Maximum care was taken to accurately replicate the moon and its surface. It was challenging to achieve the right balance of light and darkness for the setting, but excellent art direction, top-notch VFX, and 4K camera work combined to precisely create the desired effect, showing “the space as a space of darkness and fear,” in director Kim’s words. Given how realistically the scenario is expressed, D.O. asserts, “It was very comfortable to act.”

According to the art director, who describes how the spaceship was meticulously built, “I looked up a blueprint or design for the manned spacecraft, put together the basic layout, reached out to the specialists with it, got advice, and made everything accordingly.”

The Moon is a singular story of human fortitude and survival in duress amid perhaps the most hostile environment—space—and about hope—striving so desperately to save someone from the crisis. And that is recorded in stunning clarity. The film promises to be the finest at all of this, simulating a real space experience supplemented by incomparable cast work. The Moon hits theaters on August 2, 2023.