Jang appeared on JTBC's Newsroom on March 14 and spoke about his latest film, A Man Who Lives with the King.
On the program, he said he gets bored easily — a trait that dates back to childhood and has stayed with him into adulthood. "That's why I explore many different genres, even taking on a historical drama," he said. He joked that he tells acquaintances the film industry is like a gimbap restaurant with a 50-item menu, then laughed and added that he probably won't make another period piece.
He said he's recently been drawn to black comedy and occult comedy, and to mystery thrillers that probe the darker layers of human emotion.
Jang brought up an early, unproduced screenplay titled If It Comes to Mind While Running. "Sometimes my wife Kim Eun-hee and I talk about remaking it," he said. "We were even talking about it just two or three days ago."
"It's my wife's favorite script," he added, "but I don't know whether we'll turn it into a film. It's a screenplay from about 30 years ago, so I'm not sure how modern audiences would receive it."
Asked whether he would publish it as a book, Jang said he might write novels after retiring from directing. He described If It Comes to Mind While Running as the story of an amateur marathon runner who reflects on his life as he runs.
Released on Feb. 4, A Man Who Lives with the King is set in 1457 at Cheongryeongpo. The film follows the young, dethroned King Danjong, who is exiled, and the villagers of Gwangcheon-gol who take him in. Jang directed the film, which stars Yoo Hae-jin, Park Ji-hoon, Yoo Ji-tae and Jeon Mi-do.
The film passed 10 million admissions on its 31st day, March 6, and exceeded 12 million on its 36th day, March 11, delivering impressive box-office results. It surpassed Masquerade's 12.32 million admissions and rose to 15th place on South Korea's all-time box office chart.
