‘Dark Nuns’ Jeon Yeo-bin “Our Star Song Hye-kyo Felt Like a Great Tree on Set”
In an interview held on Jan 21st in Jongno-gu, Seoul, Jeon Yeo-bin shared, “Song Hye-kyo has always been our star.“
“Dark Nuns” is a film about Sister Junia (Song Hye-kyo) and Sister Michaela (Jeon Yeo-bin) embarking on a forbidden ritual to save a boy possessed by a powerful evil spirit.
As a spin-off of the 2015 film “The Priests” (directed by Jang Jae-hyun), “Dark Nuns” sets itself apart with a story about nuns, rather than priests like Father Kim (Kim Yoon-seok) and Deacon Choi (Kang Dong-won), performing exorcisms despite lacking official authorization. Jeon Yeo-bin explores a complex emotional range with Song Hye-kyo, transitioning from adversaries to “womance”.
Jeon Yeo-bin shared, “When I joined the project, senior Song Hye-kyo was already cast. Having enjoyed ‘The Priests’, I was intrigued by this spin-off. While the format felt familiar, the tone was completely different when I read the script.”
Jeon Yeo-bin revealed that Song Hye-kyo had recommended her for the role of Sister Michaela. She said, “There were probably other candidates for Michaela. I later heard that senior Hye-kyo suggested me. We weren’t acquaintances, but we had mutual friends in the industry. I mustered the courage to ask her about it through Kang Min-kyung’s YouTube channel, and she confirmed it. I was so thrilled and happy. I was too shy to ask her during filming.”
As a longtime fan of Song Hye-kyo, Jeon Yeo-bin listed her works, including “Soonpoong Clinic”, “All In”, “Full House”, “Worlds Within” and “The Glory”.
She confessed, “When I was younger, I admired her as a beautiful star. As I pursued acting, I watched her career evolve and admired how she revealed different sides of herself. It felt ideal.”
She also recalled seeing Song Hye-kyo for the first time at the Blue Dragon Series Awards, where Song Hye-kyo received the grand prize for “The Glory”. “That day, many junior actors were waiting to congratulate her. I also stood in line to greet her, and it felt overwhelming. Being able to act opposite her, looking into her eyes and hearing her voice, was such a joy.”
Jeon Yeo-bin described Song Hye-kyo’s eyes as “lyrical”, saying, “Sister Junia is a pivotal character in this film. Senior Hye-kyo wasn’t the type to speak much on set, but she held the space with the strength of a great tree despite her petite frame. While Junia and senior Hye-kyo are different in nature, their presence felt similar. Sometimes, just looking into her eyes moved me deeply, and I leaned on her emotionally. Watching her made me think, ‘I want to become a senior like her.’“
Meanwhile, “Dark Nuns” is set to premiere on Jan 24th.
