The Korean horror sci-fi series “Parasyte: The Grey” will be released on Netflix on April 5. 

It is based on the manga series “Kiseiju (Parasyte)” by Hitoshi Iwaaki, which has sold over 25 million copies in more than 30 regions. 

“Parasyte: The Grey” (Netflix)

The live-action adaptation stars Jeon So-nee, Koo Kyo-hwan, Lee Jung-hyun, Kwon Hae-ho and Kim In-kwon, and directed by Yeon Sang-ho. 

“Parasyte: The Grey” is about various characters who undergo emotional and interpersonal transformations amid the shocking advent of parasites running amok. 

Yeon Sang-ho is known for directing the hit film “Train to Busan,” “Seoul Station” and “Peninsula.” 

He started as a director of animation and he said for students of animation, the “Parasyte” manga “is like a Bible.” 

During a press conference for ““Parasyte: The Grey,” the director said he wrote a letter to Hitoshi Iwaaki “wanting to create this new series. 

“Parasyte: The Grey” press conference (Netflix)

“When I reached out to him, Mr. Iwaaki thought it was intriguing and he gave me that creative freedom. He gave me that message that he would like to see me do it. That’s how it all began,” said Yeon Sang-ho. 

About using “The Grey” in the title, he said there are white agents who reveal their identity and black agents who hide their identity. 

“Grey could mean the mixture of these two different kinds of agents. That’s why we named the task force The Grey,” he said. 

He added, “Our show is also about co-existence” just like in the manga. 

Actress Jeon So-nee (“Soulmate,” “Our Blooming Youth”) plays the dual role of Su-in, who starts a bizarre coexistence with a parasite, and as Heidi, a parasite that failed to fully overtake Su-in’s body. 

“I was a fan of the original work and I was very curious on how things will fold out when it’s the spores landing in Korea instead of Japan,” she said. “It’s going to be challenging but we wanted to try it. It got me excited.” 

“Parasyte: The Grey” (Netflix)

Actor Koo Kyo-hwan, who starred in the Korean series “D.P.,” plays the role of Kang-woo, who returns to his hometown to go off the radar. He finds that his younger sister is missing, while his older sister is acting oddly. He discovers the parasites while searching for his missing sister and eventually joins Su-in’s fight against them. 

“Being part of the franchise is like a dream come true,” he said. 

Actress Lee Jung-hyun (“Decision  to Leave”) is Jun-kyung, the leader of the anti-parasite task force Team Grey.

“Because the manga is so popular and famous, and director Yeon is going to do his take on the show. So it’s not set in Japan. This time around, it’s set in Korea. So I thought it was going to be something fresh and new,” he said. 

Actor Kwon Hae-ho (“My Lovely Sam Soon,” “Search: WWW”) plays the role of Cheol-min, a veteran police detective at Namil Police Station. He has been a father figure to Su-in since her unhappy childhood and continues to stand by her side protectively. 

“I’m sure the manga is amazing on its own but I wanted to see the script as is. When the viewers watch the show, after that I will read the original manga,” he said. 

Actor Kim In-kwon is Won-seok, Cheol-min’s junior colleague who's out for himself, driven by self-interest pursuing a personal agenda amid chaos, hitting home in a realistic way. 

“It’s just so fun to be in production together with director Yeon. It’s like a playground for the actors. If you look at the manga, having tentacles grow out of your face, it’s just so shocking and so appealing,” he said.

“Parasyte: The Grey” used cutting-edge Korean VFX technology for parasite scenes such as images of a human face opening up to reveal the invading parasite or tentacles morphing into various forms. 

“We discussed various possible features for parasites and conducted much research to express these ideas. We strove to stay true to the main concepts in the original story while highlighting differentiating details in realistic ways. To do so, we used varying techniques involving texture, reflection and lighting,” said VFX supervisor Hong Jeong-ho. 

On set, the actors acted as if they could see what they could not see. The large-scale action scene on a bridge involving a battle between humans and parasites is one of the highlights of the series, combining filming work, artistic elements, VFX and martial arts action choreography. 

“Parasyte: The Grey” will be released on Netflix on April 5.