"All Of Us Are Dead" Director Talks About Casting Decisions And Reacts To Global Success Of The Series

The director of the new Netflix show “All of Us Are Dead” recently participated in an interview to explain his thought process behind the drama, his reaction to its success, and more!

“All of Us Are Dead” is a Netflix show about a group of students waiting to be rescued after a zombie virus breaks out at their school. Within a day of its official release on January 28, the show rose to the No. 1 spot on Netflix charts in 25 countries around the globe and made a name for itself as the fourth Korean series to rise to the top of global charts following the worldwide success of “Squid Game,” “Hellbound,” and “Arcane.”

“All of Us Are Dead” is helmed by director Lee Jae Gyu, known for his previous work on “Damo,” “Beethoven Virus,” and the film “Intimate Strangers.” He is joined by writer Chun Sung Il, who penned productions such as “Slave Hunters” and “The Pirates.” The main cast includes Park Ji Hu, Yoon Chang Young, Cho Yi Hyun, and Lomon.

Lee Jae Gyu shared his reaction to the success of the series, commenting, “I truly can’t believe all the love it has received from so many countries around the world, I’m so thankful. I think this will come as a great relief to all the actors and staff who devoted themselves to this project for two years.”

After its release, viewers pointed out how the series remained faithful to the original webtoon that served as the inspiration for the series. Lee Jae Gyu said, “It’s similar to the basic story in terms of the original work. The flow of the storyline also doesn’t depart much from the original.”

He continued, “However, you might get the feeling that the show is different from the original as far as the specific situations that happen to some of the kids as well as what each of the characters are like.” He then emphasized that his goal was to keep the original appeal of the webtoon for its readers while also bringing excitement and relatability to viewers who were encountering the series for the first time.

While considering what angle to take on the series, Lee Jae Gyu mentioned that the main focus ended up being the theme of zombies. “The series received the maturity rating of 18+ for about seven different reasons, which would be one to two more than ‘Squid Game’ or ‘Hellbound,'” the director pointed out. “There are cruel and violent scenes but we thought these would be necessary in order to stay true to the zombie genre.”

“All of Us Are Dead” is also notable for its relatively unknown cast members, whom Lee Jae Gyu said he thought would have great synergy on set. “I thought that bringing on actors who were great at acting but still unknown to the public would add to the immersion of the series,” he explained. “If you watch the show, I believe that you’ll find yourself falling more and more in love with both the characters and the actors who plays them. It’s a testament to the appeal that each character has.”

Check out Lee Jae Gyu’s previous work “Damo” below:

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