"I came close to death": "Badland Hunters" Don Lee Dishes on His Experiences and Hollywood Projects

Within just two days of its release on Netflix, Badland Hunters impressively ranks 1st in the film category of Netflix's Global Top List (non-English). 

Badland Hunters takes place in the aftermath of Concrete Utopia, which stars Lee Byung Hun, Park Seo Joon, and Park Bo Young as the leads.

It is an action-packed thriller that unfolds the struggle of individuals surviving in a world reduced to ruins where power reigns supreme.

Badland Hunters stars Ma Dong Seok (aka Don Lee), Lee Hee Joon, Lee Jun Young, and Roh Jeong Eui, among others. 

From planning to adaptation to production and acting, Don Lee has his hand in almost every stage of the film.  

It is said that the story of Badland Hunters came from Don Lee. After coming up with the idea, he wrote a 10-page draft (a skeletal outline of the script). The script was then entrusted to cartoonist Kim Bo Tong and others, and after its completion, Don Lee adapted it. Moreover, Don Lee-founded Big Punch Pictures was in charge of the production. 

Don Lee, known among filmmakers as an "idea bank", said, "I have been working in the film industry for about 20 years and have written 80 screenplays in my spare time."

He is one of the most passionate movie actors and an action star in Korean cinema. Talking about his passion for action, he said (as reported by Hankook Ilbo), "Actually, it's always hard." "Filming action, I also came close to death and my body has suffered a lot of damage." "But I've improved a lot through rehabilitation." 

He added, "If my body isn't really healthy, I can't even do the kind of action shown in Badland Hunters. I've had many surgeries because I [or my body] was broken here and there."

In the past, the actor also suffered injuries to the spine, shoulders, and ankles. So when asked about his condition, he responded, "Because I've undergone rehabilitation for a long time, I'm in very good health. I can do all kinds of action."

However, he added, "I still can't run." "Some of you may have noticed that in The Roundup: No Way Out, for instance, [even though] it's a detective movie, there's no scene of me running. I only fight. Since I'm still in the process of rehabilitation, once my body gets better, I want to do chase scenes as well."

He also said that he wants to do a lot of action in the future. "To do that, I have to take good care of my body." "My life consists only of movies and boxing. Even on my days off, I keep exercising and eat the food my wife prepares for me."

"I always get injured unexpectedly. For example, there was a scene in The Roundup where I hit the car window. I was hitting a dummy, but I accidentally hit the real glass. Blood was dripping from my hand as I watched the monitor. I have had many such experiences. I've had a lot of orbital fractures and finger fractures since my days as an athlete, so I'm used to it, but my wife gets upset." 

Don Lee debuted in Hollywood with the Marvel movie Eternals (2021) and is preparing for the sequel. He also plans to remake the K-movie The Gangster, the Cop and the Devil (2019) with Sylvester Stallone as a co-star. Don Lee hinted that filming would begin soon, saying, "Originally, filming was scheduled to start last year, but it was postponed due to strikes by the Writers Guild of America and the Screen Actors Guild." 

He also has projects lined up with Asian action stars such as Thai action star Tony Jaa and Chinese martial artist and actor Jet Li. He said, "I have another Marvel movie contract, and there are several projects in the works with director Heo Myung Haeng." 

Don Lee said, "The United States may excel in CG and fantasy action, but in terms of bare-hand action, Korea is ahead in terms of experiential aspects and know-how. In fact, the scene where I fight with a machete in Badland Hunters was difficult because wire work was involved and the space was narrow, but we managed to put it together in just two days, much faster than the expected time of four weeks which was initially expected by the overseas staff." 

Continuing, he said, "Even though Korea produces good content, most people view Hollywood as the center of the film industry. However, Korea has the capability to become a center itself," and added, "I want Korea to become a center that can compete with Hollywood in various genres including action."

Sources (1)(2)(3)