I know the adaptation process was helped a lot by Kim Tae-Woong, who wrote the original screenplay. Did he show any concern about the direction this adaptation was taking [the film changes the POV from Gong-Gil to Jang-Saeng, unlike what happens in the play]?
Lee: I got to know Kim Tae-Woong when I was working as producer, and Jung Jin-Young introduced him to me. He was a junior from Jung's college days, and he told me Kim was someone with plenty of talent, and that he could have helped us a lot. I did meet him, and he was extremely talented, but his style didn't fit the movie business. After that, we didn't continue working together. Even looking at the original script , I couldn't believe it was written by someone like him. But, go figure, as we met again and started working together, he greatly helped us. But he kept trying to focus on Gong-Gil, after which I'd always put the focus back on Jang-Saeng. He would go: "If you keep doing things your way all the time, I'll stop doing this. You don't even listen to me" (laughs).
Read more: http://twitchfilm.com/2005/12/lee-joon-ik-talks-the-king-and-the-clown.html#ixzz491N6KpYd