“Even though nearly a decade has passed, we all naturally fell back into our roles without needing to say much,” said Ryoo Seung Wan, the director of Veteran 2. The film, a sequel to the 10 million-viewer movie Veteran (2015), was unveiled at the 77th Cannes International Film Festival, nine years after the release of the original. Actor Hwang Jung Min, who played Detective Seo Do Cheol, described the sequel as “If the first movie was milk chocolate, the second one is dark chocolate,” suggesting a darker mood of Veteran 2.
In an interview conducted in Cannes on the 21st (local time), Hwang Jung Min confessed, “It’s been nine years. I was worried about whether I could recapture the energy of the first film after such a long gap.” However, he described the on-set atmosphere as “absolutely fantastic.” The main cast of the original film, including Oh Dal Su, Jang Yoon Ju, Oh Dae Hwan, Kim Shi Hoo, and Jin Kyung, are all returning for Veteran 2. Hwang Jung Min said, “The original movie is often broadcasted during holidays, so I think the audience doesn’t feel the gap as much,” adding, “I’m grateful as an actor that the film doesn’t look outdated.” Jung Hae In, who joined the Veteran squad for this film, said, “The director asked me to continuously provide a sinister energy,” and added, “I focused on that aspect while acting.” His character of the youngest detective Park Sun Woo stands at the boundary between good and evil, gradually becoming a central figure in the plot.
Director Ryoo stated, “The previous film was successful with 10 million viewers, but the history of movies proves that resting on the past leads to failure.” He added, “We tried something new, keeping just one principle of not violating the character traits established in the first film.” He further said, “I wanted to distance myself far away from everything that I had created before.”
Veteran 2, which was officially invited to the Midnight Screening section of the Cannes Film Festival, completed its first official screening in Cannes that day. As the film ended, the audience broke into cheers and a standing ovation that lasted for ten minutes.