Park Chan-wook teases ‘The Sympathizer’ diverse cast

Park Chan-wook revealed what fans can expect from the upcoming series ‘The Sympatizer’.

HBO’s Park, set on A24, has confirmed that Robert Downey Jr. will play a major role in the series alongside Sandra Oh.

“It’s a seven-episode series in total, and it’s set in 1975, right after the Vietnam War,” Park told IndieWire on the red carpet at the 2023 Golden Globes. “The story is about Vietnamese refugees migrating to Los Angeles and stories around the environment. Because of the context, the casting revolves around diversity, especially the strong presence of Vietnamese and Vietnamese Americans.”

“The Sympathizer” is based on Viet Tanh Nguyen’s 2016 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of the same name. Park has confirmed that she will direct three of the seven episodes of the limited series.

According to the official synopsis, the show will center on a North Vietnamese woman with a birthmark who was inducted into the South Vietnamese army and later exiled to the United States. However, he remains attached to the local South Vietnamese community and eventually returns to Vietnam to fight against communism.

Downey will play several supporting roles as the main antagonist, each representing a different branch of the American establishment – including an up-and-coming Orange County congressman, a CIA agent and a Hollywood film director. a press release. Downey Jr. also serves as an executive producer, and Park was Don McKellar’s co-show.

“Working with Robert – he’s such an amazing actor and such an energetic person and a joy to be around. He was great to work with,” Park said recently Species in cover story. – In addition, Robert’s wife, Susan, is a very intelligent woman and a smart producer. He was great to work with and a huge help.”

“Sympathetic” Park returns to TV after the 2018 limited series “The Little Drummer Girl” starring Florence Pugh, Alexander Skarsgård and Michael Shannon. Park’s film noir “Decision to Leave” was nominated for Best Foreign Language Film at the 2023 Golden Globe Awards on January 10.

Park previously told IndieWire that “Deciding to Leave” isn’t exactly a new chapter in his filmmaking style, which differs from his previous thrillers. “I didn’t intend to make this film to be the first film of the next chapter of my career,” Park said. “My next film may very well be like my previous films.”

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