The production company of “Pirates” revealed its pirate ship set. On December 12, the press drove for two hours down a snow-covered road to the film set in Namyang, Gyeonggi-do. Next to the Panmunjeom set were three giant ships. It was the set for Lee Seok-hoon’s movie “Pirates.” The filming kicked off in August and is about 80-90% of the way through. In the scene revealed to the press, the protagonist and traitor played by Lee Gyeong-yeong was being interrogated by pirates and bandits who had joined hands.
To make the 32-meter-long wooden set shake as if by waves, giant gimbals (tools for making an object move by pressure) were placed at the front and the back of the set. Each ship cost about KRW 300 million to produce. When the rehearsals began, the set started to rock back and forth irregularly. Park Cheol-min, who appears as a monk, jokingly asked the crew to make the ship shake more. 

“Pirates” is set in the end of Goryeo and the beginning of Joseon era. Taejo Yi Seong-gye’s seal sent from China gets lost in the sea and swallowed by a ghost whale. Working with an investment of about KRW 10 billion, this period action film that takes place at sea stars Kim Nam-gil as the protagonist Jang Sa-jeong, a bandit on the run who decides to catch the ghost whale to change his fortunes. Contrary to her innocent image, Son Ye-jin takes the role of Yeo Wol, the charismatic and sexy leader of pirates.

The two have already appeared together in the drama “Shark.” 
“The movie is very different from ‘Shark,’ but I think Son Ye-jin has yet again found a role that suits her very well,” said Kim Nam-gil. Both have denied rumors about their relationship.
There is already a lineup of period films scheduled for 2014, including “Kundo: Age of the Rampant” starring Kang Dong-won and Ha Jeong-woo, “Battle of Myeongryang” starring Choi Min-sik and Ryu Seung-ryong, and “The Huntresses” starring Ha Ji-won, Kang Ye-won, and Ga In. Director Lee Seok-hoon explained that his movie differs from other period films in that “Pirates” takes place at sea.

“It does not have the fantasy elements of ‘Pirates of the Caribbean,’ but it has the fun of Korean-style adventure stories,” he added. “Pirates” is scheduled to be released in the summer of next year.