In comedy ‘Wild Sing,’ it's make-or-break dance for 40-something K-pop...

In comedy ‘Wild Sing,’ it's make-or-break dance for 40-something K-pop idol hopefuls

Published: 07 May. 2026, 18:18

Updated: 07 May. 2026, 18:50

KIM JU-YEON

[email protected]

The cast of ″Wild Sing,″ Gang Dong-won, left, Park Ji-hyun, center, and Um Tae-goo pose for a photo at a press conference at a Lotte Cinema theater in Gwangjin District, eastern Seoul, on May 7. [NEWS1]

Is 40 too old to start over — as a K-pop star? Three singers trying to re-enter the youth-dominated idol scene two decades after their prime are about to find out in the upcoming comedy film “Wild Sing.”

For Gang Dong-won, who plays Hyeon-woo, the leader and main dancer of the mixed-gender group "Triangle," preparing for the movie involved a grueling crash course in choreography.

As a newcomer to break dancing, the actor practiced spinning on his head for five months to perform the stunt himself, he said.

"In break dancing, your feet are barely on the ground. You're using your hands and arms to support yourself, defying gravity. At some points, I couldn't tell if it was dancing or gymnastics,” Gang said at a press conference in Gwangjin District, eastern Seoul, on Thursday, ahead of the film's June 3 release. “It was one of the hardest things I've ever learned."

Gang Dong-won as Hyeon-woo in ″Wild Sing″ [LOTTE ENTERTAINMENT]

Gang said he usually prepares more than a role requires, but he was especially ambitious here because he wanted to nail the comic effect of the scene. Comedy, he said, is his favorite genre — one of the reasons he chose to do "Wild Sing" in the first place — so he felt an extra urge to make the humor work.

"I wanted the audience to find the [head spinning] scene strangely funny — funny, but also a little sad," he said, adding wistfully that maybe if he had practiced more, he "might have been able to spin another half turn."

The veteran actor proved his comedic chops as a slick monk in "Jeon Woo-chi: The Taoist Wizard" (2006) and a charming con artist in "A Violent Prosecutor" (2016). This time, he worked with director Son Jae-gon, known for comedy cult classics such as "My Scary Girl" (2006), "Villian and Widow" (2010) and "Secret Zoo" (2020).

From left, Park Ji-hyun, Gang Dong-won and Um Tae-goo as Do-mi, Hyeon-woo and Sang-gu in ″Wild Sing″ [LOTTE ENTERTAINMENT]

Son said he worked carefully to recreate both Korea’s music scene in 2006, when Triangle first debuted in the film's universe, and its current landscape in 2026, when the group makes its return.

“All of the performance scenes in the film were created jointly by the movie's production team and a real concert production crew," he said.

He worked with Shim Eun-ji, a songwriter who has worked with IU, Twice and SHINee, to produce the original tracks for Triangle and the group's rival singer — a critical component that could break or make the movie.

“Triangle’s debut song, ‘Love Is,’ had to evoke the mood of that era while still sounding good to today’s audiences,” Son said. “I asked for a song that viewers would immediately like upon hearing it for the first time in theaters.”

A still from ″Wild Sing″ [LOTTE ENTERTAINMENT]

It also meant poring over details such as the colors of balloons — the old-school cheering accessory at concerts before

light sticks

came along — held by Triangle's fans.

"Back then, fan clubs were often identified by colors. I looked up what balloon color to give the main characters on [the website] Namuwiki, and it turned out every color had been used at least once. So I just [chose the colors] and named the fan club after the members: red, green and blue.”

Park Ji-hyun as Do-mi in ″Wild Sing″ [LOTTE ENTERTAINMENT]

Joining Gang in the fictional hip-hop trio are actors Park Ji-hyun and Um Tae-goo in the respective roles of Do-mi, Triangle's main vocalist and visual center, and rapper Sang-gu.

Park looked to popular girl groups in the 2000s like S.E.S. and Fin.K.L while Um trained under a coach at JYP Entertainment to prepare for their roles.

“I had always wanted to know what it felt like to belt it out and dance full-throttle onstage, so I was thrilled to live that vicariously through this film," Park said.

“I always thought idols must have it hard. I started really respecting them while filming this movie," Gang said.

BY KIM JU-YEON [

[email protected]

]