[INTERVIEW] Han Hyo-joo stars as treasure-seeking hero in 'Pirates 2'

Actress Han Hyo-joo / Courtesy of BH Entertainment

By Kwak Yeon-soo

Actress Han Hyo-joo has taken on a new challenge by starring in the stunt-heavy, adventure fantasy film “The Pirates: The Last Royal Treasure.”

A sequel to the 2014 blockbuster “The Pirates,” the upcoming film centers on pirate captain Haerang (Han) and her crew joining forces with Muchi (Kang Ha-neul), a bandit leader, and his gangs to discover the long-lost treasure of the royal family of the 918-1392 Goryeo Kingdom.

In the rare female-fronted pirate film, Haerang appears as a highly skilled fighter and a charismatic leader. To execute her role to perfection, the 34-year-old actress trained three days a week for three months to become physically stronger and learn swordsmanship.

“Apparently there was a lot of sword fighting, big swings and underwater action. It took a while to learn all those things, but I wanted to do them on my own,” she said. To act as the leader of the pirates with a powerful force, she also underwent a visual transformation and practiced vocal exercises.

“In order to stand out from the pirate crew, I wore heavy makeup and permed my hair. I also used a strong, dynamic voice because I play the pirate chief,” she said.

Han Hyo-joo in a scene from the film “The Pirates: The Last Royal Treasure” / Courtesy of Lotte Entertainment

Since appearing in “Treadstone,” a spin-off series of the popular Bourne film franchise, the actress found herself drawn to TV and film projects that would allow her to use stunt skills while also exploring new depths.

Han admitted that there was a sense of pressure because the first installment, starring Son Ye-jin and Kim Nam-gil, attracted more than 8.6 million moviegoers in 2014. However, the pressure helped her work even harder as an actress to create something new.

“It would be a lie to say that I didn’t feel any pressure. But I think pressure is also a challenge and challenges are good. I admire Son and her character was so attractive in the first movie. But ours has a different cast and setting. I think there’s a really good chemistry between the ensemble cast. Also there are penguins in our movie, which will be exciting to watch,” she said.

Han went on to talk about how the COVID-19 shutdown affected actors and the film industry as a whole.

“Thankfully, I was able to work non-stop even in difficult times. I starred in tvN’s ‘Happiness’ and now I’m filming another TV series, ‘Moving.’ However, the pandemic disrupted the film industry and many actors have had to weather the storm. Everything is changing so rapidly and it’s overwhelming for me too. I hope this film can revamp the dead cinema business,” she said.

“The Pirates: The Last Royal Treasure” will hit local theaters, Jan. 26.