Greed comes at a cost in Disney+’s thriller ‘Gold Land’

Disney+’s upcoming thriller Gold Land explores how the lure of sudden wealth can push ordinary individuals into dangerous, life-altering decisions.

At the heart of the story is Heeju (Park Bo Young), whose life is upended after she stumbles upon a stash of illegally trafficked gold. As pressure mounts, Heeju is pulled deeper into obsession and fear, forced into choices that redefine who she is.

“It was a genre that I wanted to try. I had a meeting with Director Kim, and he told me that people would think that I’m the type who wouldn’t want to seize the gold and just return it. If someone who is not the type that would be chasing desires ends up chasing desires, then people would feel differently about this story,” Bo Young said in a virtual press conference.

To embody the character, she committed to a physical and emotional transformation. “Director Kim said that he wanted me very thin because Heeju is a character who did not have a happy family. When she is on the run with the gold, she would be very nervous and always on edge. He wanted me to look drained and worn out. He said that maybe having no makeup would work better,” she shared.

The role’s intensity extended beyond filming, Bo Young added. “Now that I’ve lived as Hiju, I don’t want the gold anymore. But, if I do have my hands on the gold, I would use some of it and then donate it for good purposes.”

Despite the dark material, Bo Young found support in her co-stars. “Kim Sung Cheol kept things dynamic with his ad-libs; Lee Hyun Wook was very considerate, and with Lee Kwang Soo, we could really go all out because we were comfortable with each other.”

She also recalled one particularly harrowing sequence. “The car chase scene was genuinely terrifying. I was screaming the entire time because of how intense it felt.”

Kim Sung Cheol, who plays Woo Gi, describes his character as unapologetically direct in his desires. “Woo Gi is a person who is unafraid of his desires. He’s very shallow, very frank and honest, and that frankness actually leads to a mysterious aura,” he explained. “I also thought it would make the most sense for me to not put on any makeup, so it only took me about five minutes to get ready.”

He also reflected on the drama’s central theme of wealth and temptation. “If I had 150 billion won, sometimes I want it, sometimes I don’t, but today I sort of want it. If I do have it, I would use it for good reasons. I don’t believe in anything that comes so easy,” he said.

Lee Hyun Wook portrays Do Kyung, a character whose grounded nature makes his moral unraveling all the more compelling. “Do Kyung is a character who is caught between love and desire. He's most grounded, like a John Doe,” he noted.

Gold Land, an original crime thriller, premieres 29 April on Disney+.