Park Chan-wook keeps originality with Hollywood debut 'Stoker'

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South Korean auteur Park Chan-wook, whose English-language debut "Stoker" is about to open worldwide, said Thursday he kept his unique directorial style intact even as a Hollywood newcomer.

"If my films have certain uniqueness to them, then it must be the reason why some people wanted me to work in the United States, " Park told reporters in a press conference in Seoul. "When ( Hollywood) makes someone who can't even speak English direct a film there, it must mean I am expected to do what I'm good at."

Indeed, the "Oldboy" filmmaker, renowned for the so-called Vengeance Trilogy, brings the same quirky darkness to "Stoker", a twisted family drama steeped in metaphor, poetic images and subtle literary references.

One of the best perks for working in Hollywood was being able to work alongside people Park has always admired, the director said, citing musician Philip Glass, who contributed music to the film, and photographer Mary Ellen Mark, who created the movie poster.

Working with acclaimed actors such as Nicole Kidman, Mia Wasikowska and Matthew Goode was also a valuable experience, the director said.

"South Korea obviously has a lot of good actors and actresses, but we haven't got Mia," Park said of the actress who accompanied him to the press conference.

Another notable name associated with the film is "Prison Break" star Wentworth Miller, who wrote the original script that was considered one of the best unproduced screenplays in 2010. Park partially rewrote the screenplay, which he said struck him as something that could be "morphed into completely different movies depending on who directs it."

His favorite moment in film, Park said, is where Wasikowska, who plays India, runs around a playground before a fatal incident involving Goode, who plays Uncle Charlie. Park described the scene, shot in a summer night in Nashville, as "harmonious, unique and lovely."

"It was dreamlike," he said.

The film arrives in local theaters on Feb. 28 before its worldwide release on March 1.

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