Exclusive: Showrunner Soo Hugh On Adapting & Bringing ‘Pachinko’ To The Screen
As we enter “For Your Consideration” territory for Emmy Awards nominations, one of the shows that’s heavy in the conversation is the period drama Pachinko that played on Apple TV+ earlier this year. Written and executive produced by Soo Hugh (“The Terror,” “The Killing”), who created the series and serves as showrunner, the show is an adaptation of Min Jin Lee's bestselling novel.
Filled with universal themes of family, love, triumph, fate and resilience, the series chronicles the hopes and dreams of a Korean immigrant family across four generations as they leave their homeland in an indomitable quest to survive and thrive. Starting in South Korea in the early 1900s, the story is told through the eyes of a remarkable matriarch, Sunja, who triumphs against all odds. It juxtaposes her story with that of her grandson, Solomon, in the 1980s.
The series stars Academy Award-winning actress Yuh-Jung Youn, Lee Minho, Jin Ha, Minha Kim, Anna Sawai, Eunchae Jung, Inji Jeong, Jimmi Simpson, Junwoo Han, Kaho Minami, Steve Sanghyun Noh, Soji Arai, and, Yuna.
For Hugh, she’s no stranger to being a writer and a showrunner of a series. She was the creator/showrunner of ABC’s The Whispers, as well as co-showrunner of the first season of AMC’s The Terror. With a renewal for a second season, Hugh is halfway to fulfilling her quest to get the series done in four seasons. Blackfilmandtv.com recently caught up with Hugh as she spoke about Pachinko and its growing success thus far.
How happy are you that the show got renewed? Or was that already in the cards and you just had to wait till it got announced?
Soo Hugh: We knew a little bit earlier. But obviously, I feel really extremely tremendously grateful to Apple, we're really thrilled.
Now let's take it back. When you get the rights to do adapt book to screen, and you don't know how it’s going to play out. What were the challenges of adapting the book for a new audience, as well as those who read the book?
Soo Hugh: I felt a lot of pressure because not just for an audience, but for me, because I love the book so much. It was a very transformative experience reading Pachinko. And so I felt a tremendous responsibility to make sure that the heart and soul of the book came through.
What’s the added when you’re wearing hats on the show?
Soo Hugh: You just can't think about it, or you'll be debilitated, if that makes sense. But I think because this was so personal, not just for me, but for so many people who worked on the show, I felt tremendous support. The show could not have been made absolutely not without people believing in it. It's too hard of a show. So I'm really thankful for that.
Since the pandemic, with the exception of a few movies that are doing well in theaters, there's been a glut of TV shows where everybody's fighting to get an audience. How involved are you with the marketing?
Soo Hugh: First of all, I have to say, I'm very cynical the marketing. I'll be, I'll be straightforward and say that working with the Apple team has changed my opinion, of what marketing can do if it's done, not just with brains, but with heart. They got it very, very early with the challenge that this was a show in three languages, that takes place in different periods. It's a very, very difficult show to market. And so the fact that they really included me in the process was amazing. I think going to the point, you're actually right, we have so much content in the world right now. We have so much TV in the world right now. So much that I honestly can't even watch TV anymore. I feel like I have no idea what to watch. But I have to believe that we're in it for the long haul, which means I'm not making a show for 2022. I want to make shows that lasts. I want to make shows that survive to 2030 when my kids are old enough to watch the show. They’ll be able to watch it and talk about it and they'll still be relevant and emotionally impactful.
For someone who's been involved with television and know how the game is played, do you shoot season one with the hopeful premise that it's going to be renewed? Were you're holding back on some of the storylines that's the you can't in season one? Did you do as much as you can?
Soo Hugh: Oh, no, You have to know what you're doing and just go for it. And then if the cards are right, the cards are right. Which means this show could not have been told in one season. It's just impossible. So I knew it was going to be four seasons. I made the best season I could and after that it's out of my control.
When you're talking three different languages, you're talking period of times, and that can be challenging. I've seen other shows not make it because it's expensive when you're trying to go back and you have to recreate certain things because the right eye will be looking for something that’s out of place. So you have to work with the right team to make sure everything is in place so that way you don't get called out like a coffee cup from Starbucks, right?
Soo Hugh: I wanted to be historically as accurate as possible because I really do feel like the minute you feel something that doesn't quite feel right, I get pulled out of it. For some reason, I just lose trust in the show. And so I knew that in order for me to create that trust with our audience, they had to really live and deal with the details. Honestly, historical accuracy is always going to be more interesting than what we make up.
Can you talk about casting the right talent for the roles? Were you involved in that?
Soo Hugh: Yeas, I was involved in casting, Nothing cynical went into it, meaning we really didn't care of you’re known or unknown. We really waned the best actors as possible for each role, because we wanted the best combinations and best chemistry for each of the roles. So it was a long, long casting process. It took seven months to do the principles. We just wanted to really build the best cast possible.
What can you say going into season 2?
Soo Hugh: The show was conceived to be four seasons. We go from 1915 and we will end at the end of 1989. So the second season takes us into the war years. And it's where we follow the second generation more closely.
When you're not promoting the show, what keeps you humble?
Soo Hugh: I have two kids who definitely keep me humble. I think the world keeps me humble. I think that's a great question. I hope I do stay humble.