Song Joong-ki shares why he agreed to appear in new movie ‘Hopeless’ for free

Song Joong-ki has shared why he agreed to participate in his latest project – the new movie Hopeless – without getting paid.

The film had its South Korean premiere at Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) on Saturday (October 7), following a world premiere at Cannes Film Festival in May.

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Speaking at BIFF, Song shared with the audience his reasons for appearing in Hopeless (also known as Hwaran) for free. “I didn’t receive any fee because I was worried that the original charm of the work would decrease if my appearance commercialised it,” he said (per Koreaboo). “It’s not a big deal, but I was embarrassed because it was talked about too much.”

He added: “Not receiving fees wasn’t even that big of a deal. But it is embarrassing that there are so many articles about it.”

Although he didn’t get paid to appear in Hopeless, Song did receive some reward. During the talk at BIFF, the actor said he had recently had dinner with the CEO of one of the companies producing the film. “[I] received the watch he was wearing as a gift,” he said. “I got a watch as my pay.”

Hopeless is being produced by Sanai Pictures, Megabox Plus M and HighZium Studio. The latter is also the agency with whom Song is signed.

The movie will arrive in cinemas in South Korea on October 11. It stars Hong Sa-bin (Moving) as Yeon-gyu, an 18-year-old who joins a gang to escape the harsh realities of life and ends up immersed in a world of crime.

It was directed by Kim Chang-hoon and also stars singer-songwriter Bibi in her first film role as the character Hayan, the sister of Yeon-gyu. Song, meanwhile, appears as Chi-geon, the leader of the underground crime organisation that Yeon-gyu joins.

Last month, Song opened up about his career and how he feels “there is still room for improvement”. He pointed to Hopeless as an illustration of how he is “still hungry for roles in diverse genres”, saying: “I have a strong desire for it […] I’m just giving it a try.”

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